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Date Posted: 20:03:16 06/19/03 Thu
Author: First aired Friday 20th June 2003
Subject: Episode 8.19 - "MIRROR" by JSlayerUK (Part I)

EPISODE 19: “MIRROR”

PREVIOUSLY, ON BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER:

(6.22 GRAVE – SHOT OF WILLOW RAISING THE TEMPLE)

(6.22 GRAVE) BUFFY (VO): Proserpexa… Who’s she?

(6.22 GRAVE) ANYA (VO): Way up there in the hierarchy of she-demons.

(8.15 CRISIS – SHOT OF PROSERPEXA EMERGING FROM SHADOWS AND TRANSFORMING FROM MEDUSA-LIKE APPEARANCE TO HUMAN FORM)

(8.16 CONNECTED) GILES: The temple of Proserpexa is going to rise again.

(8.16 CONNECTED – SHOT OF WILLOW, BUFFY, GILES & XANDER RUNNING AWAY FROM THE RISING PROSERPEXA’S TEMPLE)

(8.18 TARGET) BUFFY (VO): We know Proserpexa is in there, and we know she's planning something, but we can't run in guns blazing.

(8.18 TARGET) BUFFY: It's weird. You'd think a giant demon temple appearing out of nowhere would cause some trouble in town. But things are surprisingly quiet.

(8.11 THE POWERS THAT DO – SHOT OF THE OLD FASHIONED POCKET WATCH WITH THE SERPENT CARVING. SHOT OF VEINY WILLOW RISING IN THE AIR, AND THE POWER/SNAKE SMASHING INTO WILLOW’S CHEST)

(8.16 CONNECTED) WILLOW (VO): I know. It’s all my fault. Proserpexa... Amy... the temple... all me. We can’t let Proserpexa finish what I started.

(8.13 RITUAL ME THIS – SHOT OF THE HORSEMAN SLASHING RAVEN. RAVEN SCREAMS)

(8.14 MINIME PERCURSUM ITER) GILES (VO): The ritual, that the Horsemen performed to open up The Hellmouth, they must have somehow, overpowered it...

(8.14 MINIME PERCURSUM ITER – SHOT OF GILES, FAITH, KENNEDY & SPIKE RUNNING FROM THE RED ENERGY FIELD EXPANDING FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL)

(8.14 MINIME PERCURSUM ITER) KENNEDY (VO): You mean they opened it too much?

(8.16 CONNECTED – SHOT OF THE COLLAPSED SCHOOL, AND THE GANG WALKING THROUGH THE CHARRED RUBBLE.)

(8.14 MINIME PERCURSUM ITER) FAITH: The Hellmouth ate itself.

(8.14 MINIME PERCURSUM ITER) GILES: And now it's no more.

(8.18 TARGET) XANDER (VO): It hurts, Will. A lot. I took her away from this world. I...I ended her life.

(8.16 CONNECTED - XANDER RUSHES AT AMY. XANDER’S KNIFE IS DRIVEN INTO AMY’S BODY.)

(8.16 CONNECTED) WILLOW (VO): I’m not sure she’s gone.

(8.16 CONNECTED - SHOT OF AMY, BLOODIED YET UNHURT, LAUGHING SOFTLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT)

(8.18 TARGET) AMY (VO): Xander thinks he killed me.

(8.18 TARGET – SHOT OF AMY WALKING OVER TO PROSERPEXA)

(8.05 PAST TENSE) AMY (VO): I’m just working for the higher power.

(8.05 PAST TENSE) RAVEN: You summoned me, I came.

(8.04 THE CHOSEN THREE) RAVEN: Better than a slayer, better than a vampire.

(8.04 THE CHOSEN THREE) VAMP 4 (VO): Old vampire tale, thought it was fake, tells of a slayer who became a vampire.

(8.05 PAST TENSE – SHOT OF RAVEN VAMPING OUT)

(8.04 THE CHOSEN THREE) VAMP 2: You got a name?

(8.04 THE CHOSEN THREE) RAVEN: Raven, pretty isn’t it?

(8.06 THE LONELY ONE) GILES (VO): Raven is not a normal vampire, vulnerable in a very human way. Her Watcher meant a great deal to her, both as a Slayer and a vampire.

(8.06 THE LONELY ONE – SHOT OF RAVEN CRYING IN AN ABANDONED BUILDING)

(8.18 TARGET – SHOT OF PROSERPEXA SLAPPING ANYA ACROSS THE STREET)

(8.18 TARGET) PROSERPEXA: I cannot take the chance that you might figure out what I'm planning. You were the first one to know about me. Who knows what else you know...

(8.18 TARGET) ANYA: I...I don't know anything...

(8.18 TARGET – DOORBELL RINGS.)

(8.18 TARGET) XANDER (VO): Proserpexa would be a pretty polite demon if she rang the doorbell before she slaughtered us.

(8.18 TARGET – SHOT OF BUFFY ANSWERING THE DOOR)

(8.18 TARGET) VOICE (VO): Buffy, I need your help...

(8.18 TARGET – SHOT OF ANGEL IN THE DOORWAY)

(8.18 TARGET) BUFFY: Angel...

BLACKOUT.

TEASER

SCENE A

FADE IN: EXT. SUNNYDALE STREET – DUSK

FADE UP ON ANDREW, DAWN AND XANDER WALKING TOWARDS THE MAGIC BOX.

DAWN: So, do you think she’ll be gone long?

ANDREW: She could.

DAWN: Last time Buffy took off for LA, she was back by evening.

XANDER: Last time it wasn’t an apocalypse that she went for.

WE SEE SOMEONE FOLLOWING THEM ALONG THE ROAD, THE GROUP UNAWARE THAT THEY’RE BEING TAILED. CREEPY MUSIC AND ALL THAT JAZZ.

XANDER (CONT): Just because she’s gone doesn’t mean the place hits a standstill.

ANDREW: Yeah! The machine keeps grinding, despite the lack of an integral cog. You could almost say the Slayer machine was a magic machine.

DAWN AND XANDER PAUSE.

XANDER: (DEADPAN) Yes. Almost.

CHILLER MUSIC CONTINUES. THE PERSON FOLLOWING THEM STARTS TO SPEED UP TO CATCH THEM.

DAWN: I’m probably worried about nothing though right? Buffy will be back and everything will be fine. No deaths, no problems, no nothing! Right?

HAND FALLS ON DAWN’S SHOULDER. DAWN SCREAMS.

WILLOW: Hey!

IT’S JUST WILLOW.

DAWN: (TAKING BREATHS) Excuse me, I’m just going to go find my wits. You scared me out of them...

DAWN WALKS ON AHEAD ALONG WITH ANDREW, LEAVING WILLOW AND XANDER TO STROLL BEHIND THEM.

WILLOW: That was Faith on the phone. She said that everything’s fine and that they should be back tomorrow night.

XANDER: You okay Will? You’re looking slightly off.

WILLOW: Nothing like a self-caused menace wandering around town to make a person look off!

XANDER: Sorry.

WILLOW: No, it’s okay. Like I said, I caused this whole problem with Proserpexa, and usually I’d be fine...

XANDER: But...

WILLOW: But... We’re down two slayers and a vampire, so I’m just hoping that nothing bad is going to you know, go down. Buffy told me to handle the fort while she was away because I have the power.

XANDER: That’s because you do have the power. Remember the whole ‘Can Cast A Spell In Her Sleep’ thing?

WILLOW: That’s just it! I have the power, doesn’t mean I’ll use it wisely. I go nuts and we get another apocalypse on our hands.

XANDER: I wouldn’t think so.

WILLOW: No?

XANDER: Well, with Buff, Faith and Spike down in LA dealing with one, there’s hardly going to be another up here. There’s like an Eight Months Apart rule!

AT THIS POINT, WILLOW AND XANDER HAVE WALKED (LITERALLY) INTO DAWN AND ANDREW WHO ARE STANDING DEAD STILL IN THE DOOR OF THE MAGIC BOX.

WILLOW: What’s...

WILLOW FINALLY LETS HER EYES DRIFT UPWARDS. THERE ON THE MAGIC BOX CEILING IS... WELL... THE MAGIC BOX. EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON THE FLOOR IS NOW ON THE CEILING AND WALLS AND LOOKING MUCH LIKE AN M C ESHER PAINTING. THE DOOR LEADING FROM THE BASEMENT (WHICH IS NOW UPSIDE DOWN ON THE CEILING) OPENS AND ANYA WALKS OUT ONTO A SIDE WALL CARRYING A BOX OF GOODS. SHE FROWNS AT THEM, AND DAWN AND ANDREW WINCE BACK (THIS IS A SCARY IMAGE. ANYA *SHOULD* ACCORDING TO GRAVITY FALL BANG ON TO THE FLOOR AT SUCH AN ANGLE...). WILLOW LOOKS TIRESOMELY AT XANDER.

WILLOW: You were saying?

BLACKOUT.

END OF TEASER

ACT ONE

SCENE B

EXT. SUMMERS’ HOUSE. FADE IN: INT. SUMMERS’ DINING ROOM – HALF HOUR LATER. WILLOW, XANDER, GILES, DAWN, ANYA, KENNEDY & ANDREW ARE ALL THERE IN THE DINING ROOM, AND ANDREW IS TALKING ANIMATEDLY TO GILES.

ANDREW: But it was amazing! You should have walked in there, with all the shelves and stuff defying gravity. It was like walking into Labyrinth, only without a cool appearance from David Bowie.

DAWN: You say amazing, I say scary.

XANDER: It’s only scary if you believe in goblins and that nonsense.

DAWN STARES AT XANDER FOR A MOMENT.

XANDER: Okay, I see you were talking about the Magic Box. Go on.

ANYA: Goblins aren’t nonsense you know. I turned many a man into one back in the day.

KENNEDY: But you wouldn’t now... right?

ANYA: (IGNORING HER) You don’t suppose it was goblins was it? They’re mischievous little things and it wouldn’t be past them to do that to my... (OFF GILES’ LOOK) Our store.

WILLOW: It wasn’t goblins Anya. I felt it when I was in there. Something was being channelled, the forces around the store were unbalanced... Whatever it was, it was big.

GILES: And by big you mean...

WILLOW NODS.

XANDER: Great! SnakeLady’s in business.

WILLOW: Anybody have any idea what she could be up to?

ANYA: None whatsoever. I have no clue what I’m supposed to know about, and to be quite honest I don’t want to know if it gets me into trouble.

XANDER: I guess we need to find out then.

XANDER MOVES TO STAND UP.

ANDREW: Oh no.

XANDER: Oh no what?

ANDREW: When you stand like that it means that we’re going to have to research doesn’t it?

XANDER: That’s because we are going to research.

ANDREW: (RESIGNS) I’ll get the drinks. Who’s for tea?

EVERYONE RAISES THEIR HANDS.

ANDREW: Coming up...

ANDREW LEAVES FOR THE KITCHEN.

SCENE C

FADE IN: INT. SUMMERS’ HOUSE – LATER. BY THIS TIME THE DINING ROOM IS A MESS. WILLOW IS AT HER COMPUTER, GILES IS LOOKING OVER SOME TEXTS. EVERYONE ELSE IS... ELSEWHERE. DAWN IS POUNDING NUMBERS INTO A CALCULATOR.

DAWN: I think I have it.

GILES: Think you have what?

DAWN: The reason for the Magic Box going all screwy. Willow?

WILLOW: What?

DAWN: You said you felt something big and powerful right? As though something was channelled?

WILLOW: Yeah, but I don’t see how that could...

DAWN: Read this!

DAWN SHOVES THE BOOK IN HER FACE.

WILLOW: (READING) “They will descend upon the people and devour them. They shall use the feet of the unholy to clean their ears...”

DAWN: Lower down.

WILLOW: Oh! “And by the Valley of the Sun used as a conduit, they shall rise up...”.

DAWN: That means us right?

WILLOW: But we don’t know when this will be.

DAWN: Aha! (GRABS PAPERS) I calculated the date they’re speaking of. It’s on Friday.

GILES TAKES A LOOK AT THE CALCULATIONS, AND THEN WILLOW PASSES HIM THE BOOK.

GILES: You’re wrong.

DAWN: (SHOCKED) What?! But... school! Math? All that time was wasted?

GILES: No, I mean that this prophecy deals by the lunar calendar. You’re two days out.

DAWN: (SLIGHTLY HAPPIER) Oh. (THE WORDS DAWN ON DAWN) Oh! That means...

GILES: (NONCHALANT) Willow? We’ve an apocalypse in three days. I’d better go tell the others.

GILES LEAVES.

WILLOW: A Wednesday apocalypse? That’s new... At least that’s an upside.

DAWN: There’s an upside to an apocalypse?

WILLOW: At least Proserpexa isn’t up to something.

AMY (VO): Proserpexa is up to something!

SCENE D

CUT TO: INT. AMY’S HOUSE – SAME TIME. AMY IS IN HER DINING ROOM. THE ROOM IS IN MUCH THE STATE THAT THE SUMMERS’ TABLE IS IN, EXCEPT AMY IS THE ONLY ONE AT WORK.

AMY: I just know she’s up to something. And it’s going to be big, if only I could figure out what all this nonsense means... I wish Willow was here. (REALISES WHAT SHE’S SAYING) No wait. I don’t wish Willow was here. So what if she’s good with texts and translations, I can muddle through without her. Never needed her before, sure don’t need her now...

AMY CONTINUES TO SHIFT PAPERS AROUND, CLEARLY NOT GETTING ANY FURTHER.

AMY (CONT): Ugh!

AMY THROWS THE ASSORTED BOOKS TO THE TABLE IN FRUSTRATION AND GETS UP.

AMY (CONT): I know what I need. New brains.

AMY WALKS TOWARDS THE BEDROOM, LEANS ON THE DOORFRAME AND SMILES.

AMY (CONT): And soon I’ll have plenty of those.

CAMERA ANGLE PANS ROUND TO BED: IT’S RAVEN, UNCONCIOUS.

AMY (CONT): If only Sleeping Beauty would wake up.

CAMERA ANGLE: FULL CLOSE UP ON RAVEN’S FACE.

BLACKOUT.

SCENE E

FADE IN: INT. AMY’S HOUSE – MOMENTS LATER.

RAVEN STIRS ON THE BED, A GLASS OF WATER APPEARS NEAR HER HEAD.

AMY: Hey there! Need a drink? You’ve been out for a while, believe me.

RAVEN: Wh...?

AMY: Oh good! You should try to talk. It’ll help get over the dizziness.

RAVEN: Where am I?

AMY: With me. Remember? I’m Amy. You’re Raven.

RAVEN: No, I mean, I’m not in Sunnydale anymore.

AMY: Funny that... you are now. I brought you here. Magic.

AMY WALKS OUT OF THE BEDROOM AND RAVEN FOLLOWS.

AMY (CONT): See, it’s like this. Remember that little ritual that you almost died in?

RAVEN: (SARCASTIC) Gee, it slipped my mind.

AMY: Yes well it summoned up this evil Medusa-wannabe and now she’s up to something, something bad.

RAVEN: She’s evil and she wants to do something bad? (MOCK HORROR) Oh my God!

AMY: She’s got herself a temple, she has followers. The followers go in, they come out... Something is brewing in there, and I want to know what.

RAVEN: But... aren’t you one of her followers? (OFF AMY’S LOOK) So surely this is what you’ve been working towards? Isn’t this what you wanted? Oh, wait…. Little Wannabe-Willow is getting in too deep. She wants out.

AMY: Shut up.

RAVEN: And you want my help? Now, you see, this is going to cost you… You know, I always thought you’d make a good vampire…

AMY: You’re not going to get, or take, anything from me.

RAVEN: And why do you think that….?

AMY: Because what Proserpexa –

RAVEN: *That’s* her name?! Jeez….

AMY: Not the point. What Proserpexa is doing? It will change things.

RAVEN: What kind of things? How cheese is made?

AMY: Big things. She’s going to change the world – to a place where we may not even exist. That’s why we have to stop her.

RAVEN: Good luck, sister…

AMY: And even if we do exist, things won’t be pretty. We’ll be herded around like sheep. Slaves to the pure-blood demons.

RAVEN: And you know all this how?

AMY POINTS AT THE BOOKS AND PAPERS ON THE TABLE.

RAVEN: So what, you want me to do something as menial as research?

AMY: We need to find out what she’s up to and how to stop her.

RAVEN: But I thought you already knew?

AMY: Kinda. I don’t know how she’s going to do it though.

RAVEN: Hah! And you expect me to help you? Why?

AMY: Why? Simple. I expect you to help because otherwise – you’re going to die.

RAVEN: Oooh, scary….

AMY: I mean it. If Proserpexa doesn’t do it herself….

AMY GESTURES HER HAND AT RAVEN. RAVEN IS SLAMMED INTO THE WALL, AND A STAKE MATERIALISES RIGHT ABOVE HER HEART.

AMY: I’m just as powerful as Willow. Don’t think I won’t do it.

RAVEN: Fine. I’ll help. But not because you tried to kill me.

AMY: Just get reading….

RAVEN: Oh great. Studying. And I thought school was out…

THEY SIT DOWN, READY TO BEGIN SERIOUS RESEARCH.

SOUNDTRACK: TEENAGE FANCLUB, “DUMB DUMB DUMB” BEGINS.

CAMERA ANGLE FOLLOWS RAVEN’S HAND. HER HAND PICKS UP A BOOK AND SHE PROCEEDS TO FLICK THROUGH IT. WE ZOOM IN ON THE FLICKING PAGES, WHICH FADE INTO A NEW BOOK.

SCENE F

ZOOM OUT: INT. MAGIC BOX – NEXT MORNING. KENNEDY IS FLICKING THROUGH THE BOOK WHILST STANDING BY THE NOW RECTIFIED BOOKCASE.

“It’s been playing on my mind”

SHE WALKS TOWARDS THE MAIN TABLE WHERE ANYA AND GILES ARE PLOUGHING THROUGH BOOKS. WILLOW WALKS PAST AND TAKES THE BOOK FROM KENNEDY WITH A PECK ON THE CHEEK.

“I don't want to waste your time / And the thought of you is tearing me apart”

SHE SITS NEXT TO GILES WHO OPENS HIS BOOK AND INDICATES SOME PASSAGE TO WILLOW. WILLOW TAKES THIS INFORMATION WITH A SMILE.

FADE IN: INT. AMY’S HOUSE – SAME TIME.

RAVEN READS A BOOK AND HER FACE LIGHTS UP.

“Had a name but now that's gone”

SHE LEANS OVER TO SHOW AMY, WHO JUST SHAKES HER HEAD.

“I don't know where I went wrong / Now I'm all alone and drifting in the dark”

RAVEN SIGHS AND PLACES THE BOOK ON A PILE OF “NOT HELPFUL” BOOKS. SHE GRABS ANOTHER.

FADE IN: INT. MAGIC BOX – HALF HOUR LATER. CAMERA ANGLE FROM ABOVE: DAWN AND ANDREW WALK IN TO THE SHOP. ANDREW HAS COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS, DAWN HAS MANY NEWSPAPERS. ANDREW HANDS COFFEE OUT TO THOSE ON THE TABLE. ANYA GOES STRAIGHT FOR THE DOUGHNUT BOX.

FADE IN: INT. AMY’S HOUSE – SAME TIME.

AMY IS READING ANOTHER CHRONICLE.

CAMERA ANGLE ON THE PAGE. PAN UPWARDS AND OVER THE BOOK, WE FOCUS IN ON RAVEN ASLEEP ON THE TABLE.

“Take me back to what I know”

AMY PICKS UP ANOTHER BOOK AND THROWS IT AT HER. RAVEN WAKES UP.

“Cause I don't know where to go”

A CUP OF COFFEE MATERIALISES IN FRONT OF RAVEN (FX: GREEN MIST). AMY GLARES, RAVEN DRINKS AND CONTINUES READING.

“And I'm finding it so hard to stay in tune”

FADE IN: INT. MAGIC BOX – HALF HOUR LATER. CAMERA ANGLE ON NEWSPAPER: ANDREW CIRCLES ARTICLE “VAN FILLED WITH MAGGOTS IN MEAT-PACKING DISTRICT”.

PAN ROUND TO XANDER PLACING RED PINS IN A MAP OF SUNNYDALE.

“But it's hard to comprehend”

FADE IN: INT. AMY’S HOUSE – SAME TIME. RAVEN IS READING, AND COPIES DOWN FROM TWO BOOKS. IT MAKES SENSE TO HER, AND SHE SHOWS IT TO AMY.

“Getting closer to the end / And I hope that I'll be feeling better soon”

AMY FROWNS, AND TAKES A PENCIL AND CHANGES ONE LETTER. IT NOW MAKES NO SENSE. RAVEN SIGHS AND PLACES THOSE TWO BOOKS ON THE “NOT HELPFUL” PILE, WHICH HAS BECOME COMICALLY LARGER THAN BEFORE.

FADE IN: INT. MAGIC BOX – HOUR LATER. CAMERA ANGLE FROM ABOVE: DAWN AND KENNEDY ENTER VIA TRAINING ROOM ENTRANCE, DAWN IN “SCHOOL” LIKE CLOTHES COMPLETE WITH BAGPACK, KENNEDY IN GREY SUIT. THEY WALK THROUGH, EVERYBODY WAVES ALTHOUGH NOBODY IS ACTUALLY LOOKING UP FROM WHAT THEY’RE DOING. DAWN AND KENNEDY EXIT VIA MAIN DOOR.

FADE IN: INT. AMY’S HOUSE – SAME TIME. AMY AND RAVEN REACH FOR THE SAME BOOK, RAVEN GRABS IT. AMY FLICKS HER HAND (FX: GREEN SPARKS) WHICH CAUSES RAVEN TO GET A PAPER CUT. RAVEN LOOKS ACCUSINGLY AT AMY, WHO MAKES AN INNOCENT FACE. RAVEN MERELY SUCKS ON HER FINGER.

“Now I'm just a fading light / But I want to feel all right / And I hope that you can help me through the days”

FADE IN: INT. MAGIC BOX – AFTERNOON. CAMERA ANGLE ON MAIN DOOR: ANDREW REAPPEARS WITH YET MORE DOUGHNUTS AND COFFEE. HANDS THEM OUT TO WILLOW WHO IS NOW TYPING QUITE FURIOUSLY ON HER LAPTOP AND GILES TAKES A DOUGHNUT AS HE PUTS ANOTHER BOOK AWAY. THE PILE OF BOOKS HAS INCREASED. ANDREW WALKS OVER TO XANDER, AND DELIVERS A NEW BOX OF PINS. ON ONE SIDE OF XANDER IS A LARGE MASS OF READ NEWSPAPERS (UNTIDY), WITH ALL THE UNUSUAL PHENOMENA CIRCLED. WE PAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF XANDER TO SEE THERE IS AN EQUALLY LARGE PILE OF UNREAD NEWSPAPERS (TIDY). WITH A SIGH ANDREW AND XANDER PICK UP A PAPER AND START READING FOR PHENOMENA.

“And I find it hard to sleep / Cause I sold myself so cheap”

FADE IN: INT. AMY’S HOUSE – SAME TIME. RAVEN IS SCRIBING SOMETHING DOWN FROM A BOOK, AMY’S GETTING IMPATIENT AND WHISPERS SOMETHING, CAUSING THE BOOK IN FRONT OF HER TO WHIZZ OPEN TO WHAT WE ASSUME IS THE RIGHT PAGE WITH THE INFORMATION THAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR.

“Do you think about me when I go away”

OFF HER TRIUMPHANT FACE, WE CAN SEE THAT IT IS.

SOUNDTRACK FADES

CAMERA ANGLE CLOSE UP ON AMY’S SMILE.

QUICK FADE TO BLACK.

SCENE G

EXT. MAGIC BOX – AFTERNOON

GILES (VO): You don’t suppose somebody could make me some tea? I think I’ve just about had my fill of this coffee.

FADE IN: INT. MAGIC BOX

ANYA GETS UP AND WALKS OFF SCREEN.

WILLOW: So we know so far that this demon is going to rise from the Hellmouth, or at least where the Hellmouth was, on Wednesday evening. As for how early or late, we don’t know.

XANDER: (CLEARLY AGITATED) Does that mean going back? You know, there?

WILLOW: It means going back into the school to fight this thing. But at least we know what it’ll look like and how powerful it is. That’s good.

ANYA RETURNS, CARRYING TRAY WITH SUGAR BOWL, MILK AND MUG.

ANYA: I’m not all too sure it’s so good when our best fighters are out of town. Now all we know is how painfully we’re all going to die.

WILLOW: We’re not going to die! We can handle an apocalypse without Buffy!

ANYA: (WHILST MAKING TEA) And Faith? And Spike?

WILLOW: (SLIGHTLY SCARED NOW) It’s just a prophesised rising of evil. We can still beat this thing.

GILES: Of course we can. Andrew? What do you have?

ANDREW PERKS UP TO GIVE HIS ADDRESS.

ANDREW: (INDICATING THE PINS ON THE BOARD, IN THE STYLE OF A WEATHER REPORT) On the whole, there seems to be a circular pattern to all the reported paranormal activity. Except there are quite a few that don’t fit the pattern. The central point however, if we ignore the anomalies, is here (POINTS ON MAP).

XANDER: That’s The Bronze.

WILLOW: What? But... this demon is supposed to rise through the Hellmouth.

ANDREW: We know.

WILLOW: So why is the focal point at The Bronze?

XANDER: Willow, if we knew, don’t you think we would do something about it?

WILLOW: Sorry.

WILLOW’S UNEASE IS GROWING.

CAMERA ANGLE ON ANYA ADDING SUGAR TO GILES’ TEA.

GILES: (OFF SCREEN) So we have anomalies. What does this...

ANYA LOOKS INTO THE SUGAR BOWL AND SEES THAT IT’S FULL OF DEAD WASPS. SHE SCREAMS LOUD, LONG AND STRONG, AND SHE DROPS THE BOWL.

CAMERA ANGLE ON SUGAR BOWL AS IN SLO-MO WE SEE IT CRASH TO THE GROUND WITH A FEW INSECTS FALLING OUT ONTO THE FLOOR.

ANDREW SIGHS. HE TURNS, PICKS UP THE BOX AND OFFERS IT TO XANDER.

ANDREW: Pin?

XANDER: Nah, we’ve already got one on the Magic Box.

THIS GETS GILES’ ATTENTION.

GILES: Wait. You say that there is already a pin on the Magic Box?

XANDER: Well yeah, after the whole “Dancing On The Ceiling” thing.

WILLOW: So not everything is following the prophecy.

ANYA: That’s not too strange. Prophecies never go the way you plan them.

GILES: Still, the store has been hit twice by paranormal phenomena, and as Andrew said, there are some harbingers of this apocalypse that aren’t fitting the prophesised pattern.

XANDER: Meaning?

GILES: Meaning that something’s wrong. (GETTING UP) I think I have some more texts at home that could help.

ANDREW: More books?

GILES: It’s not as though I could keep them here. I do that and Anya would have sold them off by now.

ANYA: It’s true, I would.

GILES: I’ll be back when I have some new information.

CAMERA ANGLE FOLLOWS GILES LEAVING.

SCENE H

CUT TO: INT. GILES’ APARTMENT – AFTERNOON. GILES IS ON THE PHONE, SPEAKING ANIMATEDLY TO SOMEONE. CAMERA PANS AROUND HIM, FOLLOWING HIS MOVEMENTS AS HE SPEAKS.

GILES: But I realise that this power will rise from the Hellmouth, but that doesn’t explain the focal of disturbances around a second point! (PAUSE) A portal? (PAUSE) Yes... (PAUSE) Yes... (PAUSE) No! (PAUSE) You’re missing my point. The harbingers don’t follow the prophecy. (PAUSE) That’s not been prophesised. (PAUSE) How sure? Very sure, considering I’ve been rereading the blasted prophecy for a whole day. All I’m saying is that these events don’t make sense. (PAUSE) Well, the only way for them not to make sense is if... (IT FINALLY DAWNS ON GILES) I’ll speak to you later. Thank you.

GILES HANGS UP THE PHONE AND TAKES A MOMENT.

GILES: Bugger!

AS GILES GRABS HIS COAT ON HIS WAY OUT WE CUT TO:

SCENE I

INT. MAGIC BOX – LATER.

ANYA: Why wasps? Why?

WILLOW: Anything mystical, and somehow there are wasps.

XANDER: We had wasps before, at the old high school. That time it was just a poltergeist, no apocalypse.

ANYA: Poltergeist?!

XANDER: But it was easily fixable.

ANYA: How easy?

WILLOW: Buffy went into the school and shot...

ANYA: (CUTTING HER OFF) Buffy?! Well, if Buffy can fix it then we’ll be fine... Oh no, wait. She’s not here!

ANDREW: Anya, it’ll be fine.

ANYA: It’s not going to be fine! I have a poltergeist! I’ve just had this shop go topsy-turvy, and now no spook is going to spook me out of it!

XANDER: Ahn, the shop is in no danger. It’s just an apocalypse. Not a poltergeist.

BELL OVER THE DOOR RINGS

WILLOW: Xander, I think I’d appreciate a little ghost over the end of the world.

A BLOODIED DAWN ENTERS

DAWN: What’s this I hear about the end of the world?

ANYA: I have a poltergeist.

DAWN: Anya has a poltergeist?

WILLOW: There is no poltergeist!

ANYA: That’s what you think...

WILLOW: We have patterns, we have information, we have a scheduled apocalypse... we have a few upsets. We have no poltergeists.

DAWN: Upsets?

WILLOW: Some of the harbingers are happening out of place. We can’t quite figure it. It’s not as cut and dry as it first appeared.

THE FACT THAT DAWN IS COVERED IN BLOOD IS FINALLY NOTICED.

ANDREW: Dawn, why is your jacket covered in blood?

DAWN: Yeah, about that. I was at school. The walls started bleeding.

XANDER: Bleeding walls?!

DAWN: Yep. Full out, made for MTV, bleeding walls.

ANDREW: Wow.

DAWN: Oh it doesn’t end there. In Bio all the frogs that the senior classes had to dissect came back to life and went rampaging down the halls. (GIGGLING) Our quarterback, Tom Stallings? He was perched on the table screaming like a girl!

XANDER: Dawn, where is your school?

DAWN WANDERS OVER TO THE MAP AND STICKS A PIN IN. THE PIN ISN’T IN THE CIRCLE.

XANDER (CONT): Great. We have another anomaly. I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but something tells me this isn’t our regular kind of world ending. And with Buffy gone...

WILLOW: (CLIPPED) It’ll be fine Xander. Let’s just get back and hit the books.

ANYA: (UNDER HER BREATH) Sure. Because that’s always so useful...

EVERYONE RETURNS TO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITIONS. DAWN JOINS THE TABLE, ANYA IS SEEN TO BE VISIBLY FILLING HER IN. WILLOW SHUFFLES THROUGH ALL HER PAPERS, QUITE EDGY AND SLIGHTLY DISHEARTENED.

WILLOW: (TO HERSELF) She tells me to handle the fort whilst she’s gone. She tells me it’s not so hard. (SIGHS) Stupid Buffy.

ON WILLOW’S POUT, WE FADE TO BLACK.

SCENE J

FADE IN: INT. AMY’S HOUSE. – LATER.

CAMERA ANGLE ON CHAIR LEGS. PULL UP TO RAVEN READING.

RAVEN: Oh wow... that’s pretty. Amy, I think I’ve...

RAVEN LOOKS OVER AT AMY. SHE’S FALLEN ASLEEP ON ONE OF THE BOOKS.

RAVEN: Never mind. Who says I have to share? I can do this all on my own...

RAVEN GETS UP, AND WALKS OUT THE DOOR, BOOK IN HAND. AS SHE LEAVES THE ROOM, SHE REAPPEARS IN IT, ON THE OTHER SIDE, WALKING THROUGH THE WALL. RAVEN LOOKS AROUND. AMY IS SMILING AT HER.

RAVEN: This is new…

AMY: Think I didn’t expect you to walk out of here? You think I’m some powerless wannabe... well, I’m not. Try to leave and you’ll just end up right back here – courtesy of me. Now, what was it you found?

RAVEN: Fine... This book mentions something. A mirror.

AMY: Got plenty of those.

RAVEN: No, this is a special one... The Mirror Of Mipax.

AMY: Mirror of my what?

RAVEN: Mipax. It’s the mirror Proserpexa intends to use to work her mojo.

AMY: Come again?

RAVEN: According to this, once Proserpexa powers up the mirror, it will crash time.

AMY: Getting confused here... How the hell do you understand this? You’re only a vampire.

RAVEN: Who was once a Slayer, trained by the best Watcher you could have. I learned a thing or two…

AMY: Not really looking for an “A&E Biography”. Just get on with it.

RAVEN SCOWLS, NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. THEN SHE REMEMBERS THE MAGIC ON THE ROOM, AND THE STAKE FROM EARLIER.

RAVEN: Fine. Well, basically, this book contains excerpts from a monk’s journal... He was in Sunnydale when the temple was built. He was sent by some unexplained mystical force to try and stop it. Don’t quite see how a monk could be any use...

AMY: You’d be surprised what monks can do.

RAVEN: Well anyway, he didn’t succeed. The temple was built. And so was this mirror. This mirror, it seems, can crash time.

AMY: So once it gets juiced up, time stops?

RAVEN: Not just stops. Goes haywire. Time is removed from this dimension. There’s no linear movement – time periods just all mix up into one. In theory, you can go anywhere you want in time, because everything would be happening at once. But you don’t have any control over where you go – you just end up floating through time, unaware of the damage.

AMY: So...?

RAVEN: From what we knew already, I’m guessing Proserpexa wants to crash time, to go back and change things – so that she’s in power in this dimension.

AMY: And that’s what the watch was for...

RAVEN: Sorry?

AMY: Oh, nothing...

RAVEN: Look, if we’re going to stop this, then I need to know.

AMY: Need I remind you, you are working for me here. You get told only what I tell you.

RAVEN: Then tell me about this watch. This could mean all the difference...

AMY: It doesn’t matter, those meddling kids have it now…

RAVEN: Still need the info, wannabe.

AMY: Don’t call me that! (SIGHS) Fine, look – Every member of the cult receives a watch. It’s a special watch – imbued with Proserpexa’s power. The wearer will be unaffected by any changes in the timeline – whether its stopped or removed.

RAVEN: Ah... So why would Proserpexa need the watch, if it’s her power that’s charging it?

AMY: It wasn’t for her. It was for me.

RAVEN: Oh. So, if this time thing goes ahead, then you’ll be...

AMY: Gone. You too.

RAVEN: Oh. But, what about when time reasserts itself, after Proserpexa has made the necessary adjustments?

AMY: As I said earlier, chances are we won’t even exist.

RAVEN: Ah. Mierda. So, we need to stop this from happening.

AMY: Yeh. You got a plan?

RAVEN: Nope. But then again, you are one of hers aren’t you? You could just walk right on in there...

AMY: If Proserpexa let us all into her inner sanctums, that would the perfect plan... But she doesn’t. Strictly off-limits.

RAVEN: Like I care about the rules... So, are we going then?

RAVEN HEADS TO THE DOOR AGAIN.

AMY: Wait, what does the book say about destroying the mirror?

RAVEN: Um... (RAVEN PICKS UP THE BOOK AND SCANS THE PAGES) Oh. It doesn’t. Guess the monk bit it before he could finish up. But I’m guessing, it’s a mirror – I don’t think we’ll have too much trouble with it.

AMY: That’s how these things start...

RAVEN STOPS AT THE DOORWAY, AND LOOKS BACK AT AMY.

AMY: Oh. Right.

AMY WAVES HER HAND, AND RAVEN WALKS OUT, FOLLOWED BY AMY.

SCENE K

CUT TO: INT. MAGIC BOX – LATE AFTERNOON. EVERYONE IS STILL THERE BUT SUBDUED. DAWN HAS SINCE GONE HOME TO CLEAN UP AND WILLOW IS HALF ASLEEP ON THE TABLE.

XANDER: WOOO!

WILLOW: (LOOKING UP TIREDLY) WOOO? WOOO?! Please tell me that’s a good WOOO...

XANDER: It’s a good WOOO. Check this out.

XANDER PULLS ROUND THE MAP.

XANDER (CONT): Green pin? Hellmouth. Blue pin? Bronze.

ANYA: You call that blue? It’s more of a purple.

ANDREW: It’s definitely blue.

ANYA: No, that’s so non-blue. It’s lilac.

ANDREW: I think you’ll find it’s blue! Hello! I bought the packet, I can read. Blue push-pins!

XANDER SIGHS AND TAKES ANOTHER PIN OUT OF THE BOX AND REPLACES THE ONE ON THE BOARD.

XANDER: If you’ll let me finish?! Right then. Green pin, Hellmouth. Yellow pin, Bronze. You’d think that all these harbingers weren’t related, right?

ANYA: That’s because they’re not.

XANDER: Ah! Look at what I made earlier!

XANDER PULLS OUT REPLICA BOARD ALSO WITH PUSH-PINS IN IT, IN THE SAME PLACES. HOWEVER THEY’RE SEPARATELY COLOUR-CODED, NOW CLEARLY SHOWING TWO OVERLAPPING PATTERNS.

XANDER (CONT): On the surface, random. When colour-coded, two patterns. One with a Bronze centre, the other chock full of Ex-Hellmouthy goodness.

WILLOW: Xander that’s amazing! How did you figure it out?

XANDER: I was bored and Andrew bought too many boxes of pins.

ANYA: Go Andrew.

ANDREW: Thank you!

WILLOW HAS NOW WOKEN UP AND IS READY TO DO MORE WORK.

WILLOW: Okay! Now all we need to know is why there are two energy focuses. Maybe we misread something...

GILES: No you didn’t.

GILES HAS APPEARED AT THE DOOR ALMOST SILENTLY.

ANYA: Giles! When did you get back?

WILLOW: Wait, Giles. What do you mean that we didn’t misread something?

GILES QUIETLY WALKS TO THE TABLE, SEEMINGLY DAZED.

XANDER: Ethan?

GILES GLARES AT XANDER.

XANDER (CONT): Just making sure...

GILES: It’s worse than we thought.

WILLOW: (SMILING) Worse than the end of the world?

GILES: Yes worse.

ANDREW: I don’t think it’s so bad Mr Giles. Xander happened upon the fact that the random occurrences that were going on actually fitted a separate plan and weren’t a part of the circular group that focused on The Bronze. So we have two patterns.

ANYA: Now we just need to work out why.

GILES: I know why.

ANYA: Well then tell us. We’re literally dying to know.

WILLOW: Yeah Giles, what’s wrong?

GILES: We were.

CAMERA ANGLE ON ANYA AND ANDREW TAKEN ABACK.

GILES (CONT): This isn’t just one prophesised apocalypse we’re heading towards.

CAMERA ANGLE ON XANDER’S CONFUSED FACE, AND THEN CUT BACK TO GILES. GILES PAUSES AND ALLOWS WHAT HE’S ABOUT TO SAY SINK IN.

GILES (CONT): It’s two.

OFF WILLOW’S PANICKED FACE, BLACKOUT.

END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO

SCENE L

FADE IN: EXT. FULL SHOT OF SUNNYDALE - DUSK.

FADE IN: EXT. HIGHWAY INTO SUNNYDALE – SAME TIME.

SOUNDTRACK: THE ZOMBIES “TIME OF THE SEASON” IS PLAYING.

CAMERA ANGLE ON OVERHEAD, CAMERA PICKS ON ONE BLACK ’67 PLYMOUTH GTX CONVERTIBLE WITH THE TOP DOWN (OBSERVANT VIEWERS WILL KNOW WHOSE CAR THIS IS) AND FOLLOWS IT FOR A WHILE BEFORE PANNING DOWN AND ZOOMING IN.

SPIKE, BUFFY AND FAITH ARE CRUISING. SPIKE’S DRIVING, BUFFY’S RIDING SHOTGUN AND FAITH IS LOUNGING IN THE BACK.

FAITH: Hey Spike, speed up why don’t you? I told Will we’d be back sometime tonight.

BUFFY: Spike, I really think you should slow down. Get this car totalled and we’re in trouble.

SPIKE IGNORES THE BOTH OF THEM AND CONTINUES DRIVING AT THE SAME SPEED.

FAITH: Yo! Do you not want to get home or not? Pedal to the metal, come on!

BUFFY: Faith! He’s going too fast as it is.

FAITH: What? He’s crawling! We’ve been on the road for literally hours! I just wanna get home and sleep.

BUFFY: You can sleep here.

FAITH: I’m not falling asleep in the back of this car.

BUFFY: (UNDER HER BREATH) Why? I’m sure you’ve done worse...

FAITH: Okay I heard that.

BUFFY ROLLS HER EYES.

FAITH (CONT): Look B, do you just wanna back up and tell me why you’ve turned into a Bitch Queen all of a sudden? Are you mad over what went down with Angel, cause if so don’t take it out on me.

BUFFY: I am not a Bitch Queen! After yesterday I think Spike deserves that title.

BUFFY AND FAITH BOTH SMIRK.

SPIKE: Do you want to get out and walk?

FAITH: Dunno. I’d probably get home faster.

SPIKE ROLLS HIS EYES. SOMETHING OUT THE SIDE OF THE CAR GETS HIS ATTENTION AND HE STARES FOR A WHILE.

BUFFY: Spike! What are you doing?! Eyes on the road?

SPIKE: Buffy, hold up.

BUFFY: Why? What’s so...

SPIKE: In 15 seconds we’re going to pass a Little Chef.

BUFFY: Really? How short? (OFF SPIKE’S GLARE) Okay, not funny.

THEY ALL KEEP THEIR EYES PEELED. SURE ENOUGH, THEY PASS A LITTLE CHEF.

BUFFY: How did you...?

SPIKE: Eyes up and you’ll see the 70 miles to Sunnydale.

FAITH: But we were 70 miles away over an hour ago.

THERE GOES THE SIGN.

BUFFY: What the hell is going on?

SPIKE: You tell me pet.

ALL THREE RELAX FOR A LITTLE WHILE, TRYING TO THINK, AND CHILLING TO THE MUSIC.

SPIKE (CONT): We’re looping.

FAITH: Looping?

SPIKE: Looping! We’ve been on the same bloody stretch for over 3 hours.

FAITH: Okay, just hurry up then.

BUFFY: Hurrying isn’t going to get us anywhere if we’re on a loop! Just slow down so we can think about this.

FAITH: I don’t know about you, but some of us have a crappy job to get to in the morning. You can only be sick so many days you know...

SPIKE: Use the phone if you’re so worried then. Report home, tell them what’s up.

FAITH: Can’t. Reception’s lousy.

BUFFY WHINES.

SPIKE: Buck up Slayer. I’m sure they’re fine. (OFF BUFFY’S LOOK) They’re doing better than us.

BUFFY: How do you figure?

SPIKE: They’re not stuck on the Highway To Hell, and neither were they just force-fed twenty tacos by a damned quirky chit.

BUFFY: I don’t know... that was one hell of a marinara sauce.

SPIKE: Yeah. I could taste that the tomatoes were freshly chopped then puréed as opposed to that crap you get out of a can. But I would have added a little extra garlic. To give it just that bit of a kick you know? (OFF BUFFY’S LOOK) No really!

BUFFY: You cook?

SPIKE: Right. When we get home, if we ever do, I’m showing you the best lasagne known to demon or man.

BUFFY: I’d prefer spaghetti actually.

SPIKE: Spag Bol it is. Don’t underestimate me.

FAITH: Hey! Not that I don’t love to get my tongue round a tasty Italian every now and again, but can we focus? Gotta get back. Speed up.

BUFFY: Not this again...

FAITH: Travelling down a never-ending road? Major weird. Travelling down a never-ending road at a snail’s pace? Not happening.

SPIKE: Know why this is happening to us now?

BUFFY: Best guess? Lies with the information that we got from Los Angelus-es. Angeles. No us.

OOOH CRAP. TENSION AGAIN... SPIKE’S GRIPPED THE STEERING WHEEL, FAITH’S WHISTLING AND LOOKING TO THE SKY, BUFFY’S LOOKING AT HER HANDS.

BUFFY: (REFLECTS) So we leave to help out in LA and then Sunnydale locks us out? How are we gonna get home?

SPIKE: Simple. Sunnydale locks its door... (HE GRABS THE GEARSHIFT AND LOOKS BACK AT FAITH AND THEN BUFFY)

CAMERA ANGLE ON A MISCHIEVOUS SMILE.

SPIKE (CONT): We kick it down.

SPIKE STEPS UP A FEW GEARS AND POWERS THE CAR UP.

BUFFY: (INDIGNANT) What? So Faith wins?!

SPIKE: It’s not about winning. It’s never about winning. It’s about getting through to the next level.

FAITH: (ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY SCARED BY THE SPEED) So what the hell are you doing?

SPIKE: Trying to break through whatever barrier’s been put up.

BUFFY: You hit 88 miles per hour and I kill you.

SPIKE SMILES AND SPEEDS UP FURTHER. EVERYONE SCREAMS (THRILL, WORRY AND FEAR) AS THE CAR BREAKS THROUGH AN INVISBLE WALL ON THE HIGHWAY (FX – DIMENSION WARP). THE CAR SLOWS DOWN EVENTUALLY TO A REASONABLE SPEED AND THE SIGN READING “50 MILES TO SUNNYDALE” GOES OVERHEAD.

SPIKE: Now THAT was fun...

CAMERA ANGLE ZOOMS OUT.

THE CLOSING BARS OF “TIME OF THE SEASON” ARE HEARD.

CAMERA ANGLE FOLLOWS THE CAR DOWN THE ROAD AND PULLS OUT FOR A LONG VIEW SHOT OF INCOMING SUNNYDALE AND THE CAR ZOOMING TOWARDS IT.

FADE TO BLACK.

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