| Subject: Episode One: Essence |
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Date Posted: 14:55:47 03/09/03 Sun
Author Host/IP: AC848855.ipt.aol.com/172.132.136.85
FAITH: the series
‘Essence’
Written By L.K.Culshaw
It’s a dark starless, new moon night lit only by the blinking of a small aircraft plane. On that plane a girl is sleeping, wedged between two men, one is large and drunk, dropping peanuts on his trousers.
The other man, a small man dressed in a dark clothing, reading his newspaper, the large pages flap against the girls arm. This girl is Faith. ‘Excuse me, it’s not like I paid
$300 for this flight or anything but could there be less of the paper cuts’. The man snarls at her, rolling her eyes she wedges from her seat and takes a blanket from the overhead. Looking back down on the man in disgust she takes her blanket and locks herself in the toilet cubicle.
Cramped and uncomfortable she wraps the blanket around her closes her eyes trying to sleep. Slowly falling asleep Faith begins to get a flickering of images, hooves on a dusty road, the grains flurrying around the horses ankles. Stopping suddenly. No more dust, No more horses. Instead a loud banging, Faith opens her eyes as the banging continues, it’s a knocking at the door ‘Excuse me, are you alright in there, you’ve been a very long time’ Faith looks up restless ‘Tell that to the peanut guy’ the woman continues knocking at the door as Faith turns over placing her walk man in here ears falling straight back into her sleep…
Horses are running, running at great speed crashing things down as they pass them, riding over the top of cars carrying passengers, crushing every piece of metal, every scrape of bone. The dust builds up, clouding around them eventually burying them in a storm of sand.
The clouds part quickly to reveal a demonic face, baring a demonic grin as the horses continue to ride on the sun slowly rises. Crashing past a metal sign by the edge of the road the horses fade out. The sun continues to rise as it shines down on the crushed banner ‘Welcome To Boston’
Faith awakes panting heavily in a cold nervous sweat, her hair stuck to her head, make up faded to a pale. She screws the blanket up and dumps it in the sink, grabbing her bag she slowly leaves the cubicle to see that everyone has begun to leave the plane.
Stepping from the front of the airport into the taxi bay, Faith takes a moment to breathe in the not-so fresh air, she smiles to herself in a way that suggests ‘I Can’t believe I’m doing this’ brushing wisps of wavy dark hair behind her ears she grabs her bag and stands at the edge of the side walk, raising her hand into the air as the rain begins to tumble down she calls out ‘Taxi’ at the top of her voice. One of them pulls up next to a group of three men in their mid-thirties, Faith runs over to it and starts to get in ‘Hey Lady, this is our cap’ one of the men states in a drunken state whilst tugging at her arm ‘Try it and you’ll lose an arm’ he backs off and laughs at her as the Taxi moves off.
It’s now the height of night and the Taxi passes the ‘Welcome to Boston’ sign from the dream, Faith looks on nervously. Driving through the centre of the town the taxi driver asks ‘Where to Lady’ Faith takes a while to answer as she absorbs the view from her window ‘Erm, the harbour, drop me at the harbour’.
Arriving at the Harbour Faith steps out and hands the man a small pile of money in a trance like state ‘Keep the change’ she says with a monosyllabic tone gazing around the rainy Boston night, she shifts her bag further up her arm and takes in a deeply troubled sigh ‘Welcome home Faith’
Eliza Dushku
Michelle Trachtenberg
Tom Lenk
and Nicholas Brendan
Special Guest Stars
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Allyson Hannigan
with Eric Balfour as Travis
Faith is still stood at the dark swamped dock taking in the all to familiar surroundings. Briefly startled by a speeding car she begins to walk slowly along the Boston streets ‘God this place is a dump, redemption my ass I’d rather be in prison’
Steeping down a side alley, one she spent a lot of time drinking down just before she visited Sunny Dale the first time she smiles half hearted as she reminisces about the times she and whichever man she wished would kiss against that wall. The words echo in her head as she repeats them shallow in her breath ‘Faith, always with the tricks, lead them on and let them down’ shaking her head she continues through the damp alleys of the town, splashing her black biker boots in deep puddles filled with cigarette buts and bottle caps.
Passing the Boston College, dead at night, most students too afraid to step out at night, the ones that do would be late for lessons the next day and every lesson after that. ‘Education?’ Faith laughs to herself ‘Who needs it?’ walking on kicking a crushed drink can as she walks she is halted by the sudden screaming of a female coming from a nearby alley way. Dropping her bags she instantly rushes to the scene, stake at hand. Only when she arrives it’s the girl who’ s giving the battle and man screaming as he crumples to the under rug swept.
The young woman pulls her long highlighted hair to one side and turns round smiling ‘Faith?’ a shock or surprise smacks across Faiths face ‘D-Dawn?’ Dawn smiles at her cheekily.
Dawn and Faith are sat in a Boston café drinking steaming, black coffee ‘Dawn Summers, run away renegade. Anyone would think you were my sister’ both of them laugh as Faith seems to take on a form of realisation ‘Dawn, is your sister gonna turn up and go all wicked crazy on me? Does she know you’re here?’ Dawn hesitates to answer ‘Faith…I’m not a kid, I’m eighteen. Anyways England was SO boring it’s all grass and horses, which is good if you go to private school and…’ Dawn notices the paleness that has filled in Faiths face ‘What? Are you gonna barf?…Faith?’ she waves her hand in front of her eyes, Faith slips back to reality ‘Horses?’ Dawn rolls her eyes smiling ‘Yeah horses, like My little pony only bigger and…teethy’ Faith returns to the conversation ‘What?’ Dawn warily asks ‘You on drugs?’ Faith stands laughing and scruffs Dawns hair up ‘No, come on, I’ll show you my pad, i'm really diggin this whole slayer wages the new council thought up’ they leave the café and walk arm in arm ‘I hate when people mess up my hair’ they walk off laughing as a man steps from the shadows and slowly steps out as if to follow them.
Buffy is stood with Willow and three young women in the middle of a very green field on a Sunny England Day ‘Okay, take five, go get…food and stuff’ says Buffy as she stretches her arms after what appears to have been a hard days training. ‘Do you think they’re ready yet Buffy’ asks Willow concerned ‘They have to be, wait…ready for what, what are you going to do to them’ Willow laughs ‘Just a few mind tricks, test their mental strength nothing to…nasty or…’ Buffy interrupts ‘Giles’ an awkward silence surrounds them ‘You spoken yet’ Buffy begins walking in almost in a strop ‘No, he’s still gallivanting around England with Whistler trying to find Ghosts…Did I just say Gallivanting…I’m being English, stop me before I eat a scone’ Willow rolls her eyes ‘It’s been strange don’t you think, no evil pending, just lingering, No Giles, No…’ ‘No Xander’ Buffy slips in ‘Yeah, No Xander, we’ve been friends for the past twenty years…What do you think he’s doing with himself…I bet he’s got some huge construction business in California’ Buffy looks doubtful ‘With Andrew, I doubt much’
Xander is stood on a stool trying to screw in a light bulb as Andrew is sulking in the corner of a rather damp and dark apartment ‘Why can’t we go to the beach, it’s not like there’s demons or anything’ Xander looks at Andrew as if he’s wearing a hat baring a big ‘D’ ‘No, but it is like I don’t wanna be seen in public with you’ Andrew pouts like a spoilt child ‘Fine, after all we’ve been through, after everything we’ve shared’ Xander climbs down from the stool having given up on the light bulb ‘Andrew, what if they’re still looking for you’ ‘Duh, Xander they probably think I was buried with the rest of Sunnydale’ Xander sits back in a saddened state and gives a half smile.
Faith and Dawn arrive at Faiths apartment ‘It’s not much in the furnished sense, but you should see prison’ Dawn looks up worried ‘That was not in the literal sense, don’t break stuff so that you can see prison’ says Faith trying to back peddle, Dawn laughs at her uneasiness ‘Faith…I know, don’t worry about it all, you’re only four years older than me, by the time you were my age you’d been good, bad, comatose and in prison’ Faith looks down in sorrow ‘Yeah, crazy life of Faith’ Dawn realises she’s struck a nerve ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean…it’s just’ ‘It’s cool, Dawnie, don’t worry about it’ Faith then walks over to the door and swings it open pulling a man in by his collar and pinning him against the wall
‘Who the hell are you, why are you following me and why are you outside my apartment’ the man is shaking in fear, he appears to be in his mid twenties and is very wet and cold from the rain ‘I’m sorry…I-I’m Travis…you left your bag in the alley’ Faith stares him in the eye sharply before releasing him ‘Thanks’ she spits out. Dawn looks at him in sympathy and walks over to him ‘You’re wet, you want a towel’ she offers him a towel he warily accepts ‘Faith…’ Travis weakly slurs as Faith alerts herself ‘How do you know my name’ she gets defensive and paranoid but Dawn calms her and indicates the label on her bag, Faith calms down.
‘So, Trav, what’s your deal’ asks Faith in a serious attitude ‘You here to kill me or something, cause I get a lot of that’ Travis sits down next to her ‘Didn’t say you could sit Trav’ he stands awkwardly ‘I…I’m a friend from L.A Angel sent me’ Faith looks scared ‘Is it …is he…’ ‘No, he’s…erm…fine, I’m a friend of Gunn’ Faith looks suspicious ‘Won’t mind if I call then’ ‘No, go ahead’ Faith walk into the bedroom as Dawn sits awkwardly with her hands set in her lap ‘So, where are you from Travis’ ‘Los Angeles, Born and Bred’ ‘that’s cool, I lived there when I was a kid then we moved to Sunnydale’ ‘So what brings you here’ ‘Sunnydale kinda…got eaten’ ‘eaten…’’Long story’ ‘By a Hellmouth’ ‘apparently not that long’ Faith comes back from the bedroom ‘He’s okay…Dawn, don’t be mad but I kinda…’ Dawn stands to her feet ‘You kinda what…’ before the next word can get spoken Willow and Buffy arrive in a purple glow Dawn whimpers to Faith ‘Thanks Faith’ Buffy glares at Dawn then notices Travis standing there Willow badly tries to cover up ‘Oh, that was just…erm…we’ Dawn points out that he’s from L.A and has also heard of the Hellmouth ‘Oh, that’s good…that’s…who are you…’ Buffy cuts in ‘Introductions later, Dawn I think you have some explaining to do’ before Dawn can get a word out the side wall of the apartment crashes down to reveal four men, on four horses…
[End of Act One]
‘What the…’ Buffy is cut off by Faith who’s face has drained of all colour Willow asks in concern ‘Faith, what’s going on’ Dawn clicks on as to what’s going on ‘Faith, you said something about horses earlier…what is this’ Faith straightens out ‘Buffy you know when you get the dreams and stuff…looks like it’s not just you’ Buffy is confused ‘We’re in your d…oh’
The horsemen step forward slowly Willow raises her hand, dark purple clouds whirling around her as she places an unbreakable shield around them. The head horsemen, face scarred and half covered with a helmet, crashes a large sword against the seal but it doesn’t break. ‘We will be back for you Slayer’ at this they leave and the wall reforms behind them.
As the shield comes down Dawn, Faith, Buffy, Willow and Travis are thrown outwards, Travis out for the count.
‘Is he okay’ asks Dawn, not really interested ‘He’s out cold, that’s gonna make this so much easier’ replies Faith, slightly taken back and out of breath. ‘I’m gonna call Angel, see if Fred knows anything about this kind of thing’ Willow thrashes out trying to hide panic, Travis leaps to his feet saying he’ll call them as he walks over to the phone and pretends to dial Angel’s number, the operator is repeatedly questioning him as he pretends he is talking with Angel in Los Angeles. ‘What he say’ asks Willow anxiously ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ Buffy seems confused ‘But it’s not May yet’ everyone throws her slightly odd glances ‘Well, it’s not’.
Faith and Buffy slowly plod along the wet Boston streets at night, weapons at the ready not really taking in the surrounding more involved in the conversation ‘B, you know she’s safe right’ Buffy acts as though she has no idea ‘Yeah, Willow’s okay, the magic doesn’t Mojo her now’ ‘You know that’s not what I meant’ ‘Oh, you mean Dawn…yeah she’ll be…’ ‘Safe with a killer’ ‘Sorry, it’s college…I don’t think she realises, with the whole hidden army and caves and stuff I just hope she can have a normal life here’ ‘B, the Hellmouth is gone, these pony guys…just cling on’
A Dark, damn cave shackles attached to the wall, a small pit at the centre filled with a steaming blue liquid. Four men, the horsemen stand at each corner and cut their hands dropping blood into the pit. Moving up through the ceiling to the exterior of this cave we see the corridors of Boston College.
Willow and Dawn are in the kitchen as Travis showers, Willow pulls Dawn to one side ‘So, who is this Travis person he seems kinda Ooky’ ‘Ooky…yeah I can ride with that’ ‘You can ride with that’ ‘Sorry, Boston…the lingual. I’m surprised you’re not all shag and scones’ ‘Dawnie. You can take the Sunnydale out the, well you can take out of the world, but you can’t take the Sunnydale out of the girl…that’s not always a good thing’ Dawn laughs continuing to rifle through her bag. ‘So, you spoke to Kennedy lately’ ‘well…she’s been visiting her family but…yeah we talk’ ‘that seemed like a bigger but than just but’ ‘Oh, oh no, don’t get me wrong I like her a lot but’ ‘but, she’s not Tara’ ‘right…she’s not and…and I feel bad about that I mean is it normal that I still haven’t moved on after 3 years’ ‘No of course not, you wont ever forget Tara like Buffy wont forget Spike…just because they’re gone it’s not to say they’ve left your heart’ a short silence follows ‘So’ starts Dawn trying to perk things up ‘You think they killed anything yet’
Buffy and Faith are sat leaning on their own hands in boredom, slouched on a bench at the edge of the harbour ‘B, I miss Sunnydale’ Buffy looks confused ‘You lived there for like a year…spread over four’ ‘Yeah, fine I miss L.A’ ‘You were in prison’ ‘Okay, I miss the action’ Buffy looks ready for defence ‘yeah, me too. Where the hell are those horse guys’ Faith looks around ‘Never mind…we’ve got a dead mans party going on here’ Buffy looks up to see half a dozen Vampires stood ahead of her ‘Cool’
Heading into action with a left hook here and a right kick there the girls have the upper hand until two of the Vampires grab Buffy by the arms and hurl her into the water. Faith is thrown off reacting to this as a Vampire hits her from behind as she turns to react one of them pulls a small metal object from their pocket and throws it to the ground at Faiths feet ‘what was that meant to do’ ready to head back into things Faith steps forward and the object flashes a blinding white light spreading for miles.
Dawn and Willow are still sat awkwardly with Travis as the light flashes at the window ‘What was that’
Faith so dazed by the light falls straight into the arms of the Vampires who carry her away.
Buffy pulls herself out of the water and looks around ‘Faith…FAITH’ she stands, surrounded by the night. Alone.
Back into the caves the chanting begins as Faith is hanging battered and bruised, bleeding in the shackles.
[end of Act 2]
Faith slowly comes round as the hazy vision of the horsemen clears on her radar. She struggles to move forward but the shackles are strong and she won’t be getting out by herself. Small beads of sweat chase down the edge of Faiths skin, a cold nervous sweat, a fearful sweat. The girl from the dark side, the Night hunter has become the hunted and the captured. ‘End of the line’ says one very bold horsemen ‘For you maybe’ spits Faith unconvincingly ‘You think your threats mean anything here. You’re in Boston. For five six years this place has had No Slayer, it’s been demons party town since you left and now you’re back you think you can end it all’ ‘Great so is the Hellmouth back as well’ The Horsemen laugh ‘It’s gone, but we’re not back, we never left…the Hellmouth prevents more evil leaving it doesn’t take any remaining’ ‘Great so are you killing me any time soon’ ‘Don’t get too comfortable you little comments might just come back to haunt you’ Faith eyes widen as a Knife comes down at her.
Willow gazes through the window via a gap in the curtain ‘they should be back by now’ Buffy crashes through the door soaking wet ‘Did it rain’ asks Travis not quite sure of what’s going on ‘Yeah, only if it’s a friggin monsoon’ replies Dawn ‘Sorry, I just…’ ‘Don’t worry about it, T, it’s cool’ ‘T…what are you Faith now’ asks Buffy ‘Anyways listen we need to get Faith’ ‘Get her like retrieve or get her like with a knife’ Buffy hurls an abusive frown at Willow ‘the retrieval thing’ ‘Well, where from’ ‘That’s the thing I don’t know I was in the water’ ‘You were swimming’ ‘No, stranger, who is too new to make the quippies…I got thrown in’ ‘By the horsemen’ questions Travis ‘No, by Vampires there was like seven or eight of them and they took Faith with this shiny thing’ ‘Hey we saw that from here it was pretty…but that’s not what we’re about right now…Faith get Faith’ mumbles Willow trying to back track herself.
‘We need a plan, first we need to find out about these Horsemen and what they’re here for’ ‘They’re here for the apocalypse’ Travis announces cautiously ‘Okay, aware of this but we need to know how they’re going to do this. It’s a desperate measure thing…it’s a…’ Willow interrupts ‘Its’ a Giles thing’ ‘Right, it is that’s what it is and you need to get hold of him now. I don’t care if he wants me to be independent, I don’t care if we aren’t on good terms I will not let Faith die because some old Librarian holds a grudge with me’
Faith is still chained up in the cave ‘It’s your spirit we require’ ‘We can’t bring him back without the essence that sent him away’ Faith is now weak and can barely phase a response ‘Who…bring who back’ ‘Don’t you know…we need you to bring the First back’ Faith looks up in fear, sweat down her face, sticking with her hair and blood dripping from her lip ‘Over my dead body’ ‘Well, yes that was part of the plan’
Buffy is charging down the street alone, Willow, Dawn and Travis follow behind her trying to blend in as normal ‘Remember when we lived in Sunnydale and then we didn’t’ says Willow ‘Yeah not something you forget to…ever’ ‘Well, these men with the Ponies they wanna do that here…like Faith…she can bring the First back’ ‘What, How’
Buffy continues back to the spot as four Vampires creep out slowly ‘It’s about time boys, keeping a girl waiting, you wont get anywhere’ and the fight breaks out Buffy doesn’t put up much of a fight as she is planning to get taken by them and that she does.
Willow, Dawn and Travis begin following behind.
Buffy is dragged into the cave kicking and screaming as she sees Faith strung up ‘Faith’ she looks up slowly ‘B…hey, looks like the end of the road kid’ ‘Faith you are not going to die he is not coming back’ one of the horsemen approaches Buffy and strikes her unconscious ‘begin’ They pry Faiths mouth open and begin to chant as a smoky yellow cloud pulls from her mouth ‘The essence, the spell, we start with hell’
Willow and the others are fast approaching as they see the sky begin to tear open and the ground begin to split, demons being released from all directions ‘It’s started we need to get there now, Willow, take us there’ Willow grabs them by the hands and in an instant they appear in the cave ‘Hey, if you’re gonna do a spell, put a seal on it’ Willow stares up eyes black as space as she raises a hand and crashes the horsemen down before breaking both Faith and Buffy’s shackles. She raises a shield around them and a seal to stop the Horsemen leaving ‘Buffy, are you sure you want to do this’ ‘I’m ready. I’ve served my sentence, I’m ready to give it up’ Faith unaware of the spell thinks Buffy is going to kill herself ‘You’re not going to die for me Buffy’ ‘I will if you dont take this from me, you need the essence of a slayer to end this…You need it’ Willow grabs both their hands as all three of them encased In a luminous glow writhe in pain as the gifts are exchanged Buffy falls back on Willow.
Faith looks up and kisses Buffy on the head ‘Thanks, B’ she looks at Dawn and Travis ‘You handy with a sword’ the three of them head into action as Willow tends to Buffy as the other three head in to battle. Dawn surprisingly executes one of the horsemen as does Travis Faith completely pummels one and hurls the other into a pit ‘That’s for the hair thing’ from the outside all the portals begin closing but the demons do not leave ‘Willow, did anything…’ ‘I’d say you’ll not be bored for the next three years or so’
[End of Act3]
Xander is walking down the sidewalk as Andrew skates past kneepads and helmet in tact ‘Hey Patch, you wanna go to a Star Wars convention next month’ Xander scowls at him ‘Don’t ever, ever call me that again or I will kill you’ ‘Hey calm down buddy,…so you wanna’ Xander looks sheepishly ‘Yeah’
Faith and Buffy are stood in the corridor at the college holding boxes of weapons and stones from the spell ‘Back to normal hey, B’ ‘yeah, life’s peachy, F…Faith’ Faith glances at Buffy trying to work her out ‘You think you can handle it, B…being normal’ Buffy smiles ‘I’ll never be normal, but yeah I’ll cope, what about you, think you can handle it’ ‘I’ll survive’
Dawn and Travis come up the stairs arguing ‘I so did not check you out, you’re like 630’ ‘I’m 22, we’re four years apart’ ‘yeah well get that thought out of your head right now’ ‘like it ever entered, you’re such a brat’ ‘I am not’ Buffy and Faith look on laughing ‘You think you can handle that’ Buffy laughs making a reference to Dawn, Faith passes a glance at her ‘I think I’ve got her back’ the two girls smile at eachother with an understanding.
Willow comes back in from the car ‘Is that the lot of it Dawnie’ ‘No I think there’s another box, I’ll go get it’ the others head out to the car as Dawn heads back into the caves and grabs the final box ‘Back to normal’ as Dawn steps out of the cave she is knocked to the floor by a red headed girl in her late teens, her clothes are dated from at least a few decades ago ‘Sorry, I didn’t see you’ says Dawn as she stands ‘Nobody ever does’ says the girl before running off. Dawn thinks to herself ‘Retro taken too seriously and…work out much’
Dawn follows out to the car rubbing her arm ‘What’s up’ asks Buffy concerned ‘Uber body builder retro girl just mowed me over’ they gather in the car and drive off.
It’s night at the college a Vampire takes a young girl across the grounds and is ready for a bite as the red headed girl steps out and stakes him
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