Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Author: Kora
E-Mail: KrazyKora@aol.com
Rating: PG-13, if even that.
Disclaimer: As you know..these characters do NOT belong to me at ALL. They
belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Also, all the cool refrences to 'Midsummer Night' are property of Shakespeare, the Bard, himself.
Spoilers:None, totally fiction
Summary: The characters of Buffy are placed in the famous play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Distribution: Perfect Love, anyone else who wants it just ask.
Feedback:PLEASE!!!!
Author's Notes: In between trying to get off my ass and write more of 'Sightless', I thought up this little story. I apologize to anyone who feels, by the end of this, that I have ruined the text of the Bard by changing words and adding a few things but keep in mind I wanted this to end happy and all, and it's just for fun.
Also, I LOVE this play but it is a bit wordy so I have changed a bit of it for those how can't swallow all those old time english words.
* Indicates thoughts*

Our Players ( or who would relate back to who in the play):

THESEUS -- Duke Of Sunnydale=The Mayor
HIPPOLYTA -- Queen of the Amazons= Faith
EGEUS --father to Hermia.=Joyce, I know..it should be a GUY, father and all but since Buffy's mom is cooler, she's here.
HERMIA -- daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander.= Buffy
LYSANDER -- in love with Hermia.= Angel
DEMETRIUS -- Egeus's choice as a husband for Hermia.= Xander
HELENA -- in love with Demetrius. =Willow
NICK BOTTOM -- a weaver=Oz
PETER QUINCE -- a carpenter who speaks the Prologue. =Larry
FRANCIS FLUTE -- a bellows-mender who plays Thisbe. =Devon
TOM SNOUT -- a tinker who plays Wall. =Jonothan
ROBIN STARVELING -- a tailor who plays Moonshine. =Wesley
SNUG -- a joiner who plays Lion. =Snyder
PUCK (or Robin Goodfellow) -- Oberon's attendant.=Spike
OBERON -- King of the Fairies. =Giles
TITANIA -- Queen of the Fairies. =Cordelia
PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED -- fairies in Titania's service=Amy Madison, Harmony, Drusilla, and Anya

Part 1

The Mayor, duke of Sunnydale, sits over looking Sunnydale with a vast smile and turns to his soon to be bride, Faith.

"My fair Faith, our nuptial hour draws on apace; in four happy days bring in
Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame or a dowager long withering out a young man revenue."

"Speak straight darling." Faith mutters as she plays with a dagger and thinks of her days among the Amazons.

"Our wedding's in four days and I'm impatient." The Mayor summed up.

"It will be here soon enough, my love. Just relax. You stole my heart besting me in battle and now I will soon join you in a marital bed." Faith smirked.

"I can hardly wait." The Mayor admitted when he saw Joyce, her daughter Buffy, Angel, and Xander approach.

"Hello good duke of Sunnydale," Joyce greeted.

"Hello, Joyce. What news do you bring?"

"Full of vexation come I, with complaint against my child, my daughter Buffy.
Stand forth, Xander. My noble lord, Xander has my consent to marry her.
Stand forth, Angel: and my gracious duke, this man hath bewitch'd my child; Angel has stolen her with words and tokens of affection, see the cross she wear around her neck.
He has also turned her obedience, which is due to me, to stubborn harshness. Therefore I ask of you, if Buffy shall not marry Xander that you shall put the law of Sunnydale on her head. If she will not listen to me and do as I ask she must die."

The Mayor frowned as he thought this over, he turned to Buffy, "What say you, Buffy? And be advised fair maid:To you your mother should be as a god; And after all, Xander is a worthy gentleman."

Buffy pouted and shook her head, "So is Angel."

"That is true, but your Mother perfers Xander, which makes him more worthier of your hand."

Buffy glared at Joyce, "I ask that my Mother just try and look upon Angel with my eyes."

"But you must try to look at Xander with your mother's eyes as well then." The Mayor informed her.

Buffy sighed, "I do apologize your grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold, But I beseech your grace that you may tell me what will happen to me if I refuse to wed Xander."

The Mayor stroaked his chin thoughtfully and looked at Faith. She had a sad look in her brown eyes. It seemed a bit unfair to put such a lovely young maid as Buffy to death, much less the fact the the wedding was approaching. Faith's eyes pleaded with him to think of a way to go around the law and the Mayor thought of it with a sly grin; "I do not wish to put death upon your head but you must obey your mother. Therefore, I decree that you have four days, the day of my very own wedding, to choose. Either you marry Xander or join a Nunnery. Though I tell you now that you would be much happier married then have your life and chance to bear children wilt away like a rose."

Xander took his turn to speak then, "Give in, sweet Buffy."
He then glared at Angel, "And Angel, stop being so crazed and give up Buffy's love which is my rightful property."

"You have Joyce's love, let me have Buffy's." Angel growled and then turned to Joyce with a chuckle, "Do YOU wish to marry Xander?"

Joyce frowned, "You scornful brat! True, Xander has my love. And what is mine, Buffy, my love shall render him. And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Xander!"

"I have as much wealth as Xander. If not even more and I love Buffy and have her love in return. I tell you now that this man you hold so highly, in truth, once romanced Rosenburg's child, Willow. Then he ditched her coldly when he no longer wished her favor and now the poor child wanders sad and alone." Angel said angrily as he thought of poor Willow. She was indeed lovely and it seemed sad that Xander had dropped her so easily.
There was times when Angel almost looked past Buffy and saw Willow but he chose to ignore those feelings. It was Buffy he wanted was it not?

The Mayor seemed angry as well but spoke calmly, "I have heard as much. I am quite fancy of sweet Willow. However it does not push away Joyce's wishes for his daughter to marry Xander. So, I reinstate. Buffy, you have four days to make your choice. Either Xander, death, or the Nunnery."
The Mayor walked over to Faith and took her hand gently and kissed her cheek, "Come Xander and Joyce. I wish to talk to you in private and Buffy, think about what I have said."
The Mayor, Faith, Xander, and Joyce left. Leaving Buffy and Angel alone.

Angel saw Buffy sit down on the edge of a fountain near by. Her eyes cast downward and he sighed, walking over to her, "How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there do fade so fast?"

Buffy smiled at his sweet old timed words as he brushed a hand along her cheek as if to bring back some kind of blush. She still however felt tears build up.
"It seems as if rain will soon pour from my eyes, sweetheart as I feel a tempest of pain within me."

Angel shook his head, "This is a horrible story that is taking place is it not but then again, the course of true love never did run smooth."

Buffy stood, "AH! Oh hell, to chose love by another's eyes! I don't care for Xander nor will I ever love him!"

Angel frowned, as upset as she was, when he suddenly brightened, "I know! I have an aunt, who lives outside of town! Tomorrow evening you and I shall meet in the woods and from there run away together. Once we are out of Sunnydale's limits we shall be free. They can not put the laws upon you if you are not here."

Buffy smiled and rushed to Angel, hugging him tigthly, then kissing his deeply, "Oh yes! My good Angel, I promise you by Cupid's strongest bow I shall meet you tomorrow!"

Angel kissed her again, "Keep that promise, love."
He looked up then and felt his heart jump. Wandering towards them, her long red hair unraveled, came Willow.
Her green eyes looked so sad and empty and those unpleasant feelings he often felt for her returned full throtal, instead he said to Buffy, "Look, here comes Willow."

Buffy smiled at her friend, "Why hello, fair Willow! Why do you look so sad?"

Willow snorted at Buffy's comment, "Call me fair? I think not. YOU are more fair than I, for you have Xander's love. If I could but look like you and have your eyes and hair and voice perhaps then I could sway Xander's heart towards mine again."

"I frown upon him, yet he loves me still." Buffy uttered with annoyance but her voice seemed to hold a bit of rejoicing. After all, was it such a bad thing to be wanted by almost everyone? She was a lovely maid, could she help it if she was more lovely than Willow?

"I wish your frown could teach my smiles such skill." Willow whimpered.

"I give him curses, yet he gives me love." Buffy boasted.

"O that my prayers could such affection move!" Willow whispered near tears, her body sinking to the ground.

"The more I hate, the more he follows me." Buffy mocked, fanning herself as she stood tall above Willow's weeping form.

"The more I love, the more he hates me." Willow cried and Angel almost reached out a hand to help the poor child from the ground but Buffy spoke up sharply, "His problem." *Being helplessly in love with a sexy girl like me*, she thought and repeated,"His problem, Willow, is no fault of mine."

"None, but your beauty: would that fault were mine!" Willow said softly as she looked her wretched features over. Dirty, sooted skin that was too pale. Long, scraggly red hair and dead looking green eyes.

Angel did not think of her this way, however. She seemed so beautiful beneath all that dirt and dust. Her hair like fire and her eyes so emerald green. He loved Buffy, however, he did not like the tone she used with Willow now.

"Don't worry anymore though, poor little Willow." Buffy taunted, "My face no more shall he see, Angel and I are going to leave this horrible place. It seemed once that Sunnydale was paradise to me, for I got to see Angel. But now Xander has turned it into a hell with his endless involvement."

Angel spoke up softly, hoping to comfort Willow through kinder words and tone of voice than Buffy was using, "Yes, Willow. To you our minds we will unfold. Tomorrow night, when it's dark and a time that lovers' flights doth still conceal.
Through Sunnydale's gates have we devised to leave and head to Los Angeles."

"Angel and I shall meet in the woods, you know, where those flower beds are where you and I use to hang out. From there we shall head to Los Angeles and our eyes shall look upon Sunnydale no more. and we shall find new adventures together. And good, GOOD luck grant thee thy Xander!," Buffy almost scoffed as she once again looked over Willow's ragged appearance.
She then turned to Angel, "Keep word, Angel: we must starve our sight of each other till morrow deep midnight."

Angel nodded, "I will, my Buffy."

Buffy quickly left as did Angel, but he didn't go far. He rather, hid from Willow's sight. He didn't know why he had chosen to stay but he wished to hear Willow speak.

Willow rose from the ground and looked into the fountain where Buffy had sat only a bit ago. She saw her dirty reflection and sighed sadly, tears spilled down her face. After Xander had cruelly romanced her than thrown her away she had wandered the dirty, cold streets with no where to go. No one to love.
She dipped her hands in the water and cleaned her face, drying it on the only clean part of her dirty, thin cotton orange-red dress. Then she spoke; "How happy some others can be! Through out Sunnydale I am thought as fair as Buffy," Willow muttered as she touched her face, wondering if it was still true at all. Perhaps now she was nothing more than an ugly wretch, still she spoke to herself, "But what of that? Xander doesn't thinks so; He only knows and sees Buffy now.
And as he becomes lost in Buffy's eyes and looks. So do I, admiring of him and his qualities: All the bad, base, and vile things, holding no quantity where my love for him is concerned.
Love can transpose to form and dignity, making all those bad things seem unimportant.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
Love is blind and has no judgement,
Wings and no eyes figure together in a bad way.
And therefore is Love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so often wrong.
As waggish boys in game curse themselves.
So the boy Love is cursed every where:
For before Xander saw Buffy, He told me he was only mine. He hailed down promises and oaths of love.
And when these snowy hail of promises of love some heat from Buffy he felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt."
Willow began to cry again and then she thought of Angel and Buffy's plans to run away together. She got to her feet and walked away. Away from Angel's hearing, who sat, feeling totally sad for Willow.
She was as lovely as Buffy still, he wondered if she knew that.

Willow, now away from Angel, thought again of Buffy's mocking tone. It did not seem fair that someone who boasted having two suitors deserved either of them. Willow grinned wickidly and said to herself, "I will go tell Xander of fair Buffy's flight:Then to the wood will he to-morrow night he will pursue her; and perhaps for this intelligence I will have his thanks. It is not his love true, but it is enough for now. For at least by helping him I will be in good status with him again and perhaps win back his heart!"
Willow ran off then.

Part 2

In Sunnydale, at Larry's House. Sat five people; There was Oz, a weaver. Larry, a carpentar, Devon, a bellows-mender, Jonathan, a tinker, Wesley, a tailor, and Snyder, a joiner.
They had all heard of The Mayor and Faith's upcoming wedding and had plans to perform at the reception in a play.

"Is everyone here?" Larry asked.

Oz said to him "You'd better call them man by man, according to the script and there parts."

Larry held up a piece of paper, "Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Sunnydale, to perform in our play before the duke and the duchess, on thier wedding-day at night."

"Okay, first tell us what the play is about and then read out the names of the actors and their parts and so on until we reach a point to stop." Oz told Larry.

Larry scratched his head and read loudly, "The play is, 'The most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe'."

Oz nodded, "A very good piece of work, I assure you, and now, good Larry, call forth your actors by the scroll."

Larry looked back at the paper again, "Answer when I call you. Um, Oz the weaver."

Oz grinned, "Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed."

Larry nodded, "You, Oz, are set down for the part of Pyramus."

Oz stroaked his chin, "What is Pyramus? A lover or a tyrant?"

Larry looked at the paper yet again, "A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love."

"AH! A lover! That will ask some tears in the true performing of it: if I do it, let the audience look to my eyes; I will move storms and make them weep uncontrolably. To bad he's not a tyrant however for my chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split.

The raging rocks
And shivering shocks
Shall break the locks
Of prison gates;
And Phibbus' car
Shall shine from far
And make and mar
The foolish Fates

This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players. This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is more condoling." Oz said, hands on hips.

Larry looked at Oz as if he was insane, wondering to himself what the hell Oz had just said, instead Larry shook his head and called out, "Devon, the bellows-mender."

"Here, Larry!" Devon cried back, holding tightly to a mug of beer.

"You, Devon, you must take Thisbe on you." Larry decreed.

"What is Thisbe? A wandering knight?" Devon questioned.

"It is the lady that Pyramus must love." Larry said and everyone let out a belly laugh.

Devon turned red-faced, "NO! Dear God, No, faith, let me not play a woman!! I have a beard coming." Devon used as an excuse.

Larry sighed, "You shall play the part in a mask anyway, and all you have to do is speak as small as you will."

Oz spoke up, "Hey, I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too! I'll speak in a monstrous little voice."
Oz then said in a tiny voice, " 'Thisbe, Thisbe', 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisbe dear, and lady dear!' "

Larry glared at him annoyed, "No, no, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Devon, you Thisbe!"

Oz let out a disappointed sigh, "Very well, proceed."

"Thank you." Larry muttered, " Wesley, the tailor!"

"Here, Larry!" Wesley said in his slippery english tone.

"Wesley you must play Thisbe's mother. Jonathan, the tinker."

"Here." Jonathan called.

"You, Pyramus' father: myself, Thisbe's father: Snyder, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted." Larry said and relaxed down into a seat, pouring himself a beer.

Snyder spoke up, "Have you the lion's part written? If you do, please give it me, for I am slow of study and wish to be good at the part."

Larry shrugged, "It's nothing really. Just roaring."

Oz once again jumped up, "Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.'

Larry rolled his eyes, annoyed again, "And you will do it TOO good then and you would frighten Faith and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all."

"HANG US ALL!" The group shouted at Oz.

Oz, still did not listen, "I grant you, friends, if that you should frighten the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale."

Larry ran his hands over his face and stood up, menacing over Oz, "Look, you can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man: therefore you must needs play Pyramus! GOT IT! Not the Lion, Thisbe, Thisbe's mother or anything else, JUST Pryramus!"

Oz gulped as Larry stood tall above him, "Well, I will undertake it."

Larry let out a relaxed breath, drank a gulp of his beer, and grabbed copies of the play from a chair near by and began to hand them out, " Here are your parts: and I am to entreat you and request you to try and memorize them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile from town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known. In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not."

"Well then," Oz said, rubbing his hands together, "We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu."

Oz turned to leave and Larry wondered if Oz knew what exactly 'obscenely' meant but simply shook his head, "At the duke's oak we meet."

On To The Next Parts

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