Chapter 1: Season One Part 1

By Claudius

According to some sources, ten years ago this very day, Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on television. This is my gift to that anniversary.

I don't own the copyright to Buffy or Fullmetal Alchemist. For this chapter, Roy will oversee the beginning two-parter "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest," written and directed by Joss Whedon. To be noted is that every non-italicized piece of dialogue (and the plot) was written by Joss Whedon. I take no credit for any of them.

Dreams are a funny thing. In that unconscious world, you act differently from real life. That realm can give you a different role altogether.

Dreams can sometimes be solaces for the dreck of real life. I suppose that means I live in dreams a lot, considering the wreck my life is now. But I've rarely had comfortable dreams. Most of them trouble me with the mistakes I've done, the people I've killed and the friends I've failed.

But I still have other dreams. Some I've had are plain weird. Which brings me to this one. How does it begin?

I see myself outdoors in the morning sun. I am surrounded by hundreds of kids walking, riding bicycles, getting out of strange-looking cars without propulsion tubes. I see all this by moving around. That's the weird part (besides the fact that I'm seeing things through two eyes again). I am going without moving my feet. I look forward. I'm unable to look down at will. When I do look down, I see that I'm standing on a board with wheels. I should be so surprised that I lose balance, but nothing happens. I move without problem, swerving past the crowd. They are all teenagers, wearing very different clothes. Most of the girls are in very short miniskirts. Nice to see that.

"Coming through…"

I speak against my will. The words continue. "'Scuse me! Coming through! Not certain how to stop! Please move! Whoa! 'Scuse me!"

And then I spot a girl walking up some stairs. A blond-haired girl in a miniskirt. She has a striking resemblance to Riza Hawkeye. She looks as young as Riza was when I first saw her, when I learned Alchemy under her father's tutelage. I've almost forgotten how beautiful she is. It's been more than a year since I last saw her.

My eyes stay glued to this doppelganger, which means avoiding what's before me. I hit a stair rail and fall. That hurt. Lying on the stone stairs, I see a girl giggling over me.

"Willow! You're so very much the person I wanted to see."

Again my voice speaks without my thoughts. It seems to recognize the girl, calling her Willow. She looks like Schiezska without the glasses. Very cute. She looks excited to see me. The voice speaks more.

"Yeah. You know, I kind of had a problem with the math."

Willow looks a little disappointed.

"Which part?"

"The math."

I'm getting the feeling that this dream has my body have a different mind of its own. I am in control of nothing. It is as if I'm a tenant with no independence, and the house clearly acts differently. Not to my liking. When I hear Willow speak about Trigonometry, a field I have a skilled knowledge about, I realize that this boy isn't smart.

The two of us head to the doors of a building. I see its name: Sunnydale High School. I hate to be the person with that name. I must be a teenager in my dream, going to some public school. That explains the varied clothing. I meet another boy.

"Hey, Jesse! What's what?"

We clap hands like friends.

"New girl!"

"That's right, I saw her. Pretty much a hotty!"

It seems this awkward boy is supposed to be my friend in this dreamworld. He and Willow talk about a new girl transferring here. Do they mean Riza?

They call me Xander. I guess it's short for Alexander. I hope this doesn't mean anything.

I head to a locker. I open it even though I don't know the combination lock. The door opens to reveal drawings of costumed men and photographs of women in very small swimsuits. Fortunately, this self looks at the latter pictures a lot. Then we come to a mirror. To my relief, I don't look like Major Armstrong. The face is really me as a teenager. The hair is a giant mop, and brown colors my hair and eyes, but it's still my old handsome self. Despite the horrible clothes, I am pleased with my appearance. How young I look! The eyes are peaceful, innocent. No 'murderer eyes' at all.

Walking around the hall, I see dream Riza coming out of an office. Two students bump into her, causing her bookbag to fall. This new self takes advantage. I kneel to help her, ready to charm her.

"Can I have you? Dyeh—can I help you?"

I go silent for a moment. This dream has suddenly become a nightmare. Xander must be a real loser with women! A good thing Havoc isn't here. I would never hear the end of it. At least this Riza lookalike doesn't seem to notice.

"I don't know you, do I?"

"I'm Buffy. I'm new."

Buffy? I don't know the longer name for that one. Still, I am amazed at her beauty. Then I spot her eyes. They look like Riza's eyes during Ishbal. Murderer eyes.

"Maybe I'll see you around. Maybe at school, since we…both…go there…"

I cringe. She seems to hide her reaction, leaving in a hurry.

"'We both go to school'...Very suave. Very not pathetic."

Well, at least Xander knows how lame he is.

I see something Riza…Buffy left on a floor. A stake. I'm more interested seeing her walk away with that very short miniskirt.

As Xander, I go through several classes. Science, Math, and some History that doesn't appear to be from real life. What is this Europe? Buffy is in none of the classes. But I do recognize another person. Gracia. A tanner, very sexy looking Gracia. But this body doesn't care to talk to her, leaving the classroom without a talk. Evidently, this form's independence is going to continue for the rest of this dream. I think it's time to wake up.

Xander meets with Jesse and goes to an outdoor area surrounded by the school. I see that Willow person talking to Buffy.

"Hey. Are you guys busy? Can we interrupt? We're interrupting."

"Buffy, this is Jesse, and that's Xander."

"Oh me and Buffy go way back. Old friends, very close. Then there was that period of estrangement, I think we were both changing as people, but here we are and it's like old times, I'm quite moved."

Please, Xander. Stop it…Jesse calls Xander a babbling idiot. On the mark, Jesse! Buffy says it's nice to meet us. She isn't so sure in fact.

I see Xander return her stake. Buffy calls it a weapon for self-defense, and says it's popular in L.A. Where's L.A.? What's L.A.? Xander and Jesse keep coming on to Buffy. I learn the title of this town- Sunnydale. So instead of being the ridiculous name of some politician or soldier, it's the ridiculous name of this town. And then Gracia enters. She seems to know Buffy. She is called Cordelia here, and the hotness factor isn't the only thing that makes her very different from Gracia. Mrs. Maes Hughes was never a snob or a bitch.

Cordelia has grave news: a dead body is in the school. Stuffed in a locker. But what is really interesting is Buffy's concerned expression about it. As if she experienced something like it. I guess this dream is not going to be some idyllic play. Not that it has been.

Eventually, this Xander follows Willow's instructions to pick up a Trigonometry book at the Library. Seeing an empty room, Xander searches bookcase to bookcase unattended. I hear the Librarian enter. He looks like a much older Falman. This dream has people I know playing different roles in it. I'm hit with a realization: is there a Maes Hughes doppelganger here?

I hear words. Buffy is in the room as well, talking to the Librarian about the recent death. She says the body was drained of blood with two marks on his neck. She then says the possible cause: vampire. Having no clue on that name, I continue listening (That is, Xander continues listening. I'm going to have to differentiate my own thoughts with Xander's actions). Buffy speaks her reluctance about dealing with it, which is strange…until the conversation grows stranger:

"To make you a vampire, they have to suck your blood and then you have to suck their blood. It's a whole sucking thing. Mostly they'll just take all of your blood and then you just die."

The Librarian calls her something: The Slayer. "Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl, in all the world, a chosen one. One born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires…"

And Buffy interrupts:

"To stop the spread of their evil blah blah, I've heard it, okay?"

The Librarian than reveals this place, Sunnydale, is a center of weird things. A center of mystical power. Magic?! They got to be kidding…

"Like werewolves, Zombies. Succubi, incubi…Everything you ever dreaded under your bed and told yourself couldn't be by the light of day."

What about Homunculus?

The Librarian calls himself the Watcher, a guide to the Slayer. At any rate, Buffy doesn't want anything to do with this responsibility, saying it cost her a social life and endangers the lives of her friends. Can't say I disagree on that one. Does this mean I believe her? Xander doesn't.

"What?!"

I head to where this Xander lives. Pretty middle-class house. He has parents, though they look ready to be at each other's throats. His father doesn't appear very happy about his son. A big difference from the Hughes family. Xander seems to talk to himself a lot. I become fascinated by the devices in his room, like the radio and the box that broadcasts images. Fortunately, Xander uses them a lot. He also likes reading pulp fiction.

As night falls, he heads to this place called The Bronze. Inside it is a darkly-lit dance hall with people dancing and hopping to the sounds of an ungroomed band playing very weird, very loud music. There are a lot of short-skirted, belly exposing girls dancing. Never get tired of seeing that. Xander sees Jesse attempt to score with some women, unsuccessfully. And there is Buffy! She's leaving the place in a hurry.

"Xander, have you seen Willow?"

"Not tonight."

"I need to find her. She left with a guy."

Buffy's apprehension brings a cold chill down my spine. The night. The street. The friend. The information about monsters. A horrible sense of déjà vu grows within me.

"We are talking about Willow, right? Scoring at the Bronze. Work it, girlfriend."

Xander…

"God I hope he's not a vampire. 'Cause then you'd have to slay him."

I ignore Buffy's shock with my own. My fear becomes rage. I want to yell at this boy for his stupidity. This is not the time for jokes, Xander! I think your friend is in danger!

"Whatever. Just tell me where Willow would go!"

"You're serious."

Yes Xander! Don't just stand there!

"We don't find her, there's gonna be another dead body in the morning."

I hear Xander comply. Finally, you stupid idiot!

They head to a cemetery. Not my favorite of places. At least, it doesn't have his grave.

Buffy is silent through our trip, though I get the idea of the threat. Not that I totally believe her vampire stories, but I've seen things.

They head to a mausoleum. A blond woman and a man are towering over Willow and Jesse. We are in time. The attackers reveal their faces. They have huge sagging brows with animal eyes and teeth. Almost like human chimeras. Xander must be horrified. As for me, I've seen Bradley reform from a burned skeleton, so forgive me if I'm not wetting my pants. Still, this is a threat that needs my Alchemy. But that's no longer a possibility, no matter which form I'm in.

Buffy breezes into the room, acting very cool. I suddenly wish this is Riza here, brandishing a gun.

"Buffy, we bail now, right?"

These…vampires close into Buffy, still acting like she can take both of them. My worry then takes a dive when a vampire jumps her from behind. Buffy quickly- very quickly- pulls out a stake and, without confrontation, impales the attacker with it. He falls and quickly disintegrates into dust. Now I'm astonished. I look blankly at this new form of death. Xander, however, lacks my shock just enough to take Buffy's orders and head to Willow and Jesse. They pull Jesse out of the crypt. The last I see of Buffy is her fighting the blonde vampire with an abnormal prowess of combat abilities.

Xander and Willow drag Jesse outdoors. Despite my shock, I am somewhat relieved for Buffy and Xander saving his friends' lives. Willow appears shocked but somehow alert about the situation. There is something strong within her. Then three vampires appear. The Blond female vampire comes from behind. Even without my fire, my training puts me in great physical condition for combat. But I doubt Xander has that. Sure enough, he proves it. I then see black...

When I see things again, Buffy is rescuing us by killing more vampires. I remember the Librarian's words about the Slayer having powers to face the creatures. Why couldn't it be a man? Better yet, why couldn't it be me? This is my dream after all. Still, it could have been worse. It could be Edward Elric saving my life.

Willow is safe. Jesse is no longer with us. I get a bad feeling.

The next morning, we all head to the library. The Librarian, Giles, gives us some rough history. According to him, the world once belonged to demons. When man came to inhabit, the demons became the minority.

"Okay, this is where I have a problem, see, because we're now talking about vampires. We're having a talk with vampires in it."

Willow is very dazed by the information. Both are ready to believe it's all a hoax. Buffy convinces them otherwise.

"No, those weren't vampires. Those were just some guys in thundering need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies- coulda been rabies. And that guy turning into dust? Just a trick of the light! That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire. Well, after I was done with the screaming part."

It looks like Xander and Willow know what vampires are. I don't. I had to learn my monster knowledge from experience. My chest still has the scar of that. Although I can see things through Xander, I can't read his mind. Maybe that's a good thing.

Fortunately Giles does speak his mind. He seems to like hearing himself talk. He says one of the last demons before civilization fed off a human and mixed their blood. This human became infected with the demon's soul and bit and fed off other humans. Thus this race continued, killing or bringing others to their kind.

He also talks about the Slayer. They have been around as long as vampires. When one dies, another is called. I guess I'm starting to believe all of this. It's my dream after all. Still, why a girl?

Xander asks about Jesse. Buffy says this is her responsibility. Willow asks to call for the police. I'd call for an army of alchemists for this problem. I'd even get Edward, if he was still around…

I am introduced to a new piece of technology. It is called the computer. Its like a typewriter except the paper is on a screen. The computer, or the net, according to Willow, is like a portable library with information. Schiezska would love this device. Hughes, too...

Anyway, according to its information, there is a series of underground sewer tunnels vampires use to move around in daytime. Why in daytime, I don't know. Willow is able to locate a map of the tunnel system, with a connection to the cemetery.

Buffy then realizes that the vampires had to come from some secret passage in the mausoleum. She's going to rescue Jesse. Xander wants to help. I have the same idea. Just because I have no control doesn't mean I'm reluctant to everything Xander does.

"So what's the plan? We saddle up, right?"

"There's no 'we'. Okay? I'm the Slayer, and you're not."

"I knew you were gonna throw that in my face."

"Xander, this is deeply dangerous."

"I'm inadequate. That's fine. I'm less than a man."

I am not exactly happy about being refused, especially on the grounds that I'm weaker than Buffy. I can't help seeing her as Riza, who took my orders. Fortunately, Xander feels the same way. I think we both agree to help anyway. Willow too. They're going to need as much help as we can. I doubt any official is going to believe this story.

The need for action is especially dire with what Giles and Willow has found out. Looks like the Harvest is coming. A vampire massacre which will lead to all sorts of disaster. As Xander puts it: Rain of toads.

"This is too much. Yesterday my life is like 'Oh no. Pop Quiz!' Today- Rain of toads."

I see a parallel to my own life here. One day my life is like 'Military exams!' Tomorrow- murder people.

Like me, Xander doesn't take no for an answer. He…we skip school and follow Buffy to the mausoleum. Inside, as Buffy predicted, there is a door leading to the tunnels. We meet up with Buffy. She warns us (him and me). Xander pleads his case.

"Jesse's my bud, okay? If I can help him, then that's what I gotta do…Besides, it's this or Chem class."

Buffy accepts the help.

Buffy and Xander continue down the tunnels. Buffy gives info in repelling vampires: garlic, crosses, sunlight. To kill vampires: fire, beheading, sunlight, holy water, wooden stake through the heart. Vampires seem easier to kill than Homunculus.

There is something disturbing how calmly Buffy talks about killing vampires. She recalls the difficulty of beheading a thick-necked creature with a small knife. Reminds me of Kimbley bragging about exploding Ishbalans. I try to rationalize that Buffy only feels this way towards inhuman creatures and not humans.

Meanwhile, I'm beginning to find some hope in Xander. Despite obvious feelings of fright, he is willing to go after Jesse his friend. Friendship is a powerful thing.

We are coming closer to the vampires. No more rats. We discover Jesse. He appears okay, except chained by the leg. Buffy frees him (very noisily). We make a run for it. Somehow, I get suspicious. I can't believe in Jesse's safe condition. After Bradley, people are never what they seem. I hope I'm wrong.

And I am not. Worse, the revelation is right when Jesse leads us to a dead end with oncoming vampires. Jesse found some really good timing to reveal his new self. I know what Xander must be feeling right now. I know. His friend is gone. This new Jesse speaks about being better, stronger, with no conscience left.

"You're like a shadow to me."

I'm not a religious man. I think the idea of repelling any monster with a cross is ridiculous. Something Feury would do. So I am surprised to see Xander using it on Jesse- and succeeding. Buffy manages to throw Jesse to the attackers and block their way with a metal door.

"We've gotta get out of here."

"There is no out of here."

Fortunately we spot an air vent. We climb into it and up through a grating to the surface. Escaping, I find out the sunlight weakness works. Jesse burns his exposed hand trying to catch us. We collapse to the floor, with me…Xander embracing Buffy. Old feelings come up. Riza.

We return to the library. Xander shows his frustration by kicking a waste paper basket.

"I don't like vampires. Let me take a stand and say they're not good."

I'm unable to give comfort Xander over his loss. I don't know if I can. His best friend is dead, and now a monster. I dread what might have happened if I tried human transmutation on Hughes.

Giles gives us more info, or as Buffy puts it, 'any news that could make this day worse.' Predictably, Giles says the end of the world. It seems a very old vampire came to this place sixty years ago. He was planning to open some portal between this world and hell. Sunnydale has such a portal, called the Hellmouth, the source of this weirdness. An earthquake ruined his plans, and he got stuck underground. This Harvest is his way to break free. All he needs is some minion to feed on enough people. Xander guesses it's the Bronze where this Harvest will take place. Good thinking.

We all head for the Bronze. The door is shut. The enemy has already arrived. Buffy tells us to take the exits.

"You get the exit cleared and the people out. That's all."

Taking orders from a woman is beginning to bother me.

Along our way, Giles drops a tidbit:

"Jesse is dead. You have to remember that if you see him. You're not looking at your friend. You're looking at the thing that killed him."

Xander is probably viewing vampires in the same fashion as I viewed Homunculus: something to be killed for the sake of revenge. He is heading toward the same path I took when I learned Bradley was inhuman. Killing won't honor Jesse's memory, Xander. Vengeance never does. Then again, like me, a choice doesn't exist.

The vampires all gather for the Harvest. Two kids, a Librarian, and a Slayer are all that stand against it. Hopefully I'll wake up when our grim end comes. The battle begins. As we help inhabitants escape, Buffy fights the leader. We get bearhugged by a vampire. Buffy saves us by throwing a cymbal at the vampire, decapitating him. I see the head fly and disintegrate.

"Heads up."

Then comes Jesse. I see him menacing Cordelia. Despite the differences in character, I can't let any resemblance of Gracia die.

We raise the stake. Jesse faces us. I hear Jesse's sorrow about being a loser before becoming a vampire. Despite what Giles says, Jesse still has some residue of his previous life. He must have been a troubled kid. Can't help sympathizing with him.

Xander hesitates with the stake upon Jesse's chest. A fleeing kid shoves him closer to get impaled. An accident. Lucky? Maybe not.

The rest of the vampires disperse after their leader is dusted. I get a shot of Buffy on the stage. Maybe it's the spotlight, but I see someone heroic. A champion. It looks like we won. Dreams do some weird things.

"Did we win?"

"Well, we averted the apocalypse. You gotta give us points for that."

"One thing's for sure. Nothing is ever going to be the same."

The next morning, everything appears normal. Nothing is mentioned about the vampires. Cordelia doesn't remember the near-massacre in the same way Xander (and myself), Buffy, Willow, Giles see it. Giles says it's a normal function to forget things we can't rationalize. He also says we should prepare for more.

"We stopped the Master from freeing himself and opening the mouth of Hell. Doesn't mean he'll stop trying."

He further points out that other creatures besides vampires will come. He says we four (or five from my viewpoint) stand between the earth and total destruction. Buffy's reaction is to look at the bright side. She could get out of Sunnydale by getting expelled from school again. Her words are not very reassuring. With such an attitude I can't help thinking of one thing: We're doomed.

To be continued