Teaser
Devonshire, the headquarters of the new Watcher's Council
Giles and Andrew are standing next to each other in front of a damp stone wall, and behind and above them a wall torch flickers. They are obviously in a deep, damp stone cellar. Giles' expression is impassive, while Andrew's expression is one of horrified fascination. We hear a hideous scream of despair.
"You know," Andrew says to Giles. "When I was a kid I used to think all vampires were like her."
Giles snorts softly in disdain.
"Hollywood," he mutters. "And actually, you doubtlessly thought vampires were fiction, like your 'star knights'."
"Jedi knights," Andrew says. "You mean Jedi knights!"
"What does it matter?" Giles responds. "They're still fiction, the most vulgar sort of fiction, in point of fact."
"Have you even seen the Star Wars movies?" Andrew asks, clearly scandalized.
"Of course not," Giles responds testily.
"Then how do you know they're vulgar?" Andrew says. "Try them, you might like them. Like broccoli! Or Green Eggs and Ham!"
"I despise broccoli," Giles replies, the irritation in his voice increasing. The despairing screams increase in volume and length, so the watcher has to speak louder to make himself heard. "And for your health's sake, I would suggest that if you come across green eggs or a green ham, you refrain from eating them."
Giles pauses thoughtfully.
"On second thought," Giles says. "Why don't you go find some green eggs and ham? You can have some on me."
Andrew chuckles.
"Giles, you are so funny sometimes," Andrew says. "The other watchers in training all say you don't have a sense of humor, but not me. I tell them, 'guys, Giles is simply really droll, and if you listen to him you'll find he's hilarious, sort of like a crusty, lovable uncle'. You know, like Uncle Charlie on My Three Sons. Did you ever watch…? "
"Andrew?" Giles says, interrupting Andrew's monologue.
"Yes sir?" Andrew responds.
"Do shut up!" Giles says.
"Oh, sure," Andrew says, unfazed. He has clearly heard Giles say this to him many times.
Andrew complies with Giles' request for almost five entire seconds before he speaks again.
"So, why are Dracula and his brides so different from the other vampires?" Andrew asks. "Why can't they be killed?"
"Actually, they can be killed," Giles says. "They just don't stay dead. They always come back."
"Why?" Andrew asks.
"Because they aren't vampires, not really," Giles says. "They're living curses upon humanity."
"Living curses?" Andrew asks. "Really? Cool! I bet Dracula was cursed with an eternal thirst because he was so, so evil as Vlad the Impaler!"
Giles sighs and puts his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose as if he is fighting off a terrible headache. The screaming is getting louder yet. There are the sounds of an increasing struggle. We hear a familiar voice curse and yell "Stay down and shut up, bitch!"
"Andrew," Giles says. "Vlad Tepes was killed in battle with the Turks, and his head was sent to the Sultan, who had it publicly displayed. That's why watchers like myself disregarded the Dracula story as the imaginings of a 19th century Irish author. Beheaded corpses do not become vampires. What we didn't realize is that there was another Dracula. The reason for the shared name, I now suspect, goes back to the etymological meaning of the name 'Dracula'."
As Giles speaks, our viewpoint shifts so that we see what he and Andrew are watching. Lucy Westenra is bound in garlic laden ropes and a cross is smoldering on her chest. The fourth bride of Dracula is hissing at the slayers who are forcing her into an open, chain draped coffin. The slayer doing most of the forcing is a very, very angry Kennedy.
As our view shifts back to Giles and Andrew, we see that the younger man, for once, is silent as he waits expectedly for Giles to finish his revelation.
"Dracul, dragon," Giles says. "The name 'Dracula' means son of the dragon."
As Giles finishes his sentence, our view shifts back to the coffin as the lid is finally shut on Lucy Westenra. Her scream is cut off with the closing of the coffin. The screen goes black.
The abandoned Soviet missile base in central Mongolia
"She's stirring," Dawn says as she looks at the unconscious but twitching body of the Primitive. "We don't have much time. Willow, do you really think you're ready to go?"
Our view switches to Riley Finn, who is attending to Faith. Faith is holding the back of her head and her jaw is swollen where the Primitive's elbow struck her.
"Frankly, Dawn, neither of you look ready to do this," he says.
Willow walks up and assists Riley in helping Faith to her feet. The slayer is clearly still shaky.
"Worst days of our lives and we'll both still be better than you," Willow says with a tired smile. "No offense meant. Really. I mean you're good, really good, but Dawn and I…"
"…are naturals in a way I can never be," Riley says with a smile. With that smile, he almost looks like the all American Iowa boy we knew, instead of the scary bald tattooed warrior wizard that he has become. "I get it. Believe me, Will, no offense taken. I just don't want to end up over my head if either of you two give out."
"We won't," Dawn says. "First of all, my sister's in there somewhere, and second, we'll all be able to draw strength from one another. And Riley, despite what Willow said we're definitely going to need you. Each of us has a link with Buffy that will give us strength as we search for her."
The Primitive moans. It sounds like several women's voices at once, and underlying it all, the snarl of some powerful hunting beast.
"We better get going," Riley says.
"Uhm, guys?" Faith asks, leaning up against a control panel. "What do I do if she wakes up while you all are in B's head?"
"Hide," Dawn says. "But once we're in, she should remain unconscious once we engage her."
As she speaks, Dawn sits on the floor crosslegged. To her right, Willow sits on the floor crosslegged, and to Willow's right, Riley sits on the floor as well. Willow takes Dawn's and Riley's hands.
"So, you guys needing me to light a candle or something?" Faith asks.
"Shhhhh," says Riley. Then he nods to Willow, all three close their eyes.
And vanish.
"Whoa," Faith says. She picks up the scythe and sinks back to the floor, her back to the control panel. "See you guys later, I guess."
She looks at the unconscious Primitive.
"You too, B," Faith says.
Memory of approximately 300,000 years ago, location unknown
Dawn, Willow, and Riley materialize among a group of naked people. The people all have brow ridges and projecting faces with large teeth. The males are all tall and well muscled, the females are considerably smaller. All of them are standing in a circle and within the circle, a female of the species appears to be weaving something out of the very air. Tendrils of green light trail from the female's fingers and coalesce into something that moves as if alive. Standing in front of the female is a young child, also female. This is the young Primitive.
"That little girl," Riley says. "Is that…?"
"The Primitive?" Dawn says. "Yeah, I think so. What do you think Willow?"
There is no response.
"Willow?" Dawn says. Our viewpoint expands so that we now see Willow as well as Riley and Dawn. Willow is staring behind them. She is clearly stunned by what she is seeing. Dawn and Riley follow her gaze, and their eyes widen in shock. Our view swiftly pans from right to left, following their gaze, until we see who they are looking at.
Tara Maclay.
"Tara?" Willow asks in a whisper. "Baby?"
Dawn seems unable to speak at all.
Riley clears his throat uncomfortably.
"No," Riley says. "I don't think that's really her. But her presence here is important. The only incarnation of the slayer who would remember Tara would be Buffy. This is a good sign."
Willow shakes her head.
"Yeah, you're right," Willow says. "Buffy told me about her dream, where Tara appeared to her and translated for the Primitive. It was the first time Buffy had seen the Primitive, when she attacked us in our dreams."
"She looks so real, though," Dawn says. Tara looks back at them, her expressive face breaking into a tentative half smile.
"Th…that's because he's wrong, Dawn," Tara says. She turns to look at Riley. "I'm sorry Riley, but you're wrong. Because it's me. I'm not a memory, I'm not a part of Buffy's psyche.
"I'm Tara. I'm here. And now you're here, with me."
We fade to black, and the opening credits begin.