Chapter 7: Tabula Rasa
November 12, 2001, Monday
Restfield Cemetery
Buffy patrolled alone, as Dawn and Lynn had gone out on a date. But her mind was far away, and her eyes were unfocused. Several yards back, a shadowy figure trailed her. As she walked past a row of gravestones, she suddenly heard a rustling sound. Her eyes snapped into focus. She spun around, stake at the ready, only to find herself face-to-face with Spike.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
Buffy hesitated as she looked at Spike irritably. "Vocal cord wise, yes. With each other, no," she answered as she turned and started to walk away.
Spike held his ground. "We have to talk," he called after her.
Buffy stopped and turned around, crossing her arms. "About what?" she asked.
Spike took a deep breath before answering. "Um, whatever. Just conversation. For instance, the weather, the graves, the—we kissed, Buffy."
Buffy stared him down, seemingly unaffected. "So?"
Spike was taken aback by her nonchalant response. "We kissed, you and me, all 'Gone with the Wind' with the rising music and the rising ... music, and what was that, Buffy?"
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "A spell." She turned and walked away.
Spike followed her. "Don't you get all prim and proper on me. I know what kind of girl you really are," he said as she stopped walking. He walked around Buffy to face her. "Don't I?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "What we did is done. But I will never kiss you, Spike; I will never touch you, ever, ever again," she said before spotting something behind Spike. She threw herself at him and knocked him to the ground.
A stake flew overhead, missing Spike by inches and impaling itself in a tree just behind them. They looked up, looking at a shark-headed demon and two vampires.
Ciao Bella
"Hi," Dawn greeted the woman at the host station, "my girlfriend booked a table; I think she's already here. Should be under Lynn Brattin?" She adjusted her skirt as the hostess looked at the reservation book in front of her.
"Ah, yes, follow me." She smiled and headed through the maze of tables in the dimly lit space. Dawn had been to this restaurant once before. Her mother had taken her and Buffy out for dinner not long after she had moved home. It was nice, very nice, and certainly not what she'd been expecting when Lynn suggested going out for dinner.
Dawn spotted Lynn first. Lynn sat at a table, looking beautiful in her dress. Dawn had agonized over what to wear. She'd eventually gone for a simple black shift dress. The skirt finished just above the knee; however, it seemed to have shrunk since the last time she'd worn it, so she kept having to tug at it to stop it from riding up. When Lynn finally laid eyes on Dawn, she stood so quickly that she almost knocked her chair over. Once she'd steadied her chair and herself, she smiled sheepishly at Dawn and gestured for her to have a seat.
"Hi," Lynn said.
"Hi, yourself." Dawn smiled and took a seat.
"Would you like to order drinks now, or do you need a couple of minutes?" The waitress asked.
"Diet Coke," Dawn and Lynn answered.
As the waitress walked away, Lynn leaned in and whispered to Dawn, "Did you know about where Buffy had been?"
Dawn nodded her head sheepishly. "Yes," she answered almost reluctantly. "She told me not long after she was brought back."
Lynn's eyes widened in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, feeling a little hurt that Dawn had kept such a big secret from her.
Dawn looked down at her hands, feeling guilty. "I promised Buffy I wouldn't tell anyone," she explained softly.
Restfield Cemetery
Buffy rolled off Spike and faced the demon and vampires. She looked at them irritably as she noticed the vampires were poised to fight; one of them held a stake. The demon motioned for the vampires to relax. "Easy, boys." There's no need to get physical. Is there, Mr. Spike?"
Buffy stood up and brushed herself off, keeping her eyes on the group. "You know this guy?" she asked, briefly glancing at Spike.
Spike nodded as he stood up and brushed off his leather jacket. "Yeah," he answered before returning his attention to the demon. "What do you want?"
The demon walked past Buffy and Spike and reached up to wrench the stake loose from the tree trunk. He paced, using the stake to clean under his fingernails. "Me? There are a lot of things I would like. A house in Bel Aire with a generously-sized swimming pool; a lady barracuda who loves me for who I really am..." He got in Spike's face as he pressed the stake to Spike's chest. "And the forty Siamese that you owe me."
Spike chuckled. "Take it easy. You'll get your kittens."
"I trust you, Mr. Spike," the demon said as he pulled the stake away from Spike. "That's why I let you gamble with the felines in the first place."
"Oh god, what is with you guys?" Buffy asked, clearly annoyed. "Why kittens? Why can't you use money like normal people?"
The demon chuckled. "She's funny. I like funny in a girl."
Spike rolled his eyes. "I just need a little time," he pleaded.
The demon crossed his arms and sighed. "Time. Time's what turns kittens into cats," he replied as he motioned to the vampires, who began moving toward Buffy and Spike. "I don't want to see anyone get hurt."
Buffy grabbed a tree branch and swung forward, kicking one of the vampires in the face and staggering him. "Then you better close your eyes," she said as she dropped from the branch.
The other vampire charged at Spike, a stake in hand. Buffy stepped between them and punched the vampire in the gut, doubling him over. She then chopped him on the back of the neck, and he crumpled to the ground. She picked up the stake and pushed the first vampire back while Spike gingerly edged away.
"I said she was the Slayer, boss," the first vampire told the demon.
The demon chuckled. "Good for you. The Vampire Slayer. Have you given any thought to freelance work—perhaps a little debt collection perhaps? I bet you could really bust up a knee cap or two."
Buffy rolled her eyes at the demon's suggestion. "No. Thank you," she said dryly.
The second vampire got back to his feet and shuffled over to the demon.
"Boss, he's gone," the first vampire said as he noticed that Spike had quietly slipped away. "Spike has split."
The demon let out a frustrated growl. "That's what I get for socializing. C'mon, boys, up and at'em. We'll locate Mr. Spike and, uh, 'talk' to him a little more." He bowed toward Buffy. "It was a genuine pleasure," he said as he turned and, followed by the vampires, walked away.
Buffy looked around, wondering where Spike had gone. "If I just stopped saving his life, it would simplify things so much."
November 13, 2001, Tuesday
The Magic Box
Buffy stood before Giles, who sat on the couch. "I'm afraid I have to," he said, looking grim and terribly unhappy.
"Uh-huh," Buffy said, looking stricken. "What do you mean 'you have to'?" she asked angrily. "You
can't! Giles, this is when I need you. I'm all messed up. Everything is all messed up."
"I know," Giles replied with a heavy sigh. "But you have to be strong. I'm trying to-"
"To what?" she asked. "Abandon me, desert me? Leave me all alone when I really need somebody; that's great. That's just really great of you."
Giles shook his head, his expression pained. "Buffy, please, this is hard."
"Yeah, I know, I know. This hurts you more than it hurts me," Buffy said sarcastically. "And it will be really hard for you over in jolly old England, palling around with all your jolly old friends and riding
around in double decker buses or whatever the hell you do there."
Giles sighed heavily; his expression painful. "I don't want to leave."
"So, don't," Buffy pleaded. "Please don't, okay? I can't do this without you."
Giles shook his head sadly. "But you can. That's why I'm going. As long as I stay, when things arise
that you feel you can't handle; you'll turn to me. And I'll step in, because... because I hate to see you,
suffer. And I'm loathe to cause you any more, believe me. But this is: In every mentor relationship, there's a point when the student must kill the teacher." He broke off as she glared at him. "Metaphorically. What I'm saying is that I've taught you everything you need to know about being the Slayer. And your mother taught you everything you needed to know about life. But you won't believe it until you're forced to stand alone."
"But why now?" she asked. "Now that you know where I've been. What I'm dealing with-"
"Now more than ever," he replied. "The temptation to give up must be powerful. I can't let that happen."
"So, I won't. No giving up. You can be here, and I can still be strong. I don't have to depend on you as much as I have," Buffy said, trying to convince him to stay.
"Buffy. I've thought this over. And over. I think it's the right thing," Giles explained.
"You're wrong," Buffy retorted.
Giles looked at her with a heavy heart. "I don't think so. I hope not."
"And what about Dawn?" Buffy wondered. "You're just going to leave her without a Watcher too?"
"Buffy, technically speaking, she has one. There is Dimitria in the Power Chamber; there is Lynn, who is her Whitelighter; and then there is you," Giles reminded her. "You three can do the same things I did. You can train her. Dimitria can be a mentor. And Lynn can do the research with Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya. She has all of that already. My being here for her is redundant. Besides, I look back at the way she was during the summer, and I wonder if part of that was my fault."
Summers Home
Dawn and Tara stood at the base of the stairs in the foyer, waiting on Willow. "Willow! Get the lead out!" she called up the stairs.
"Coming," Willow called back as she appeared at the top of the stairs. She was fresh out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. "You guys go ahead. Tell Giles to hold up; I'll be there in a sec."
"Fine," Tara said as she and Dawn headed out the door.
Willow watched the door close behind them before turning and heading into her bedroom. She used a little magic, and suddenly she was dressed and her makeup was done. She quickly headed down the stairs and into the living room.
Willow glanced at a photo of Buffy and Dawn sitting on a table. She remembered when it had been taken, not long after Dawn had revealed to Buffy that she was a Power Ranger. In the photo, both sisters looked happy, but that was before everything for both of them had gone bad. Before first Joyce and then later Buffy had died.
She walked over to the bookshelf and pulled back a few books. There, secreted behind the volumes, was a ziplock bag containing dried Lethe's Bramble. She pulled it out and replaced the books before kneeling beside the fireplace. She pulled out four sprigs of the dried weed, lit them with a fireplace match, and tossed them into the fireplace.
As they smoldered, the sprigs produced dense, foul smoke. Willow watched for a moment before tossing in a fifth sprig for good measure. "For Buffy, Dawn, and Tara this I char, let Lethe's Bramble do its chore. Purge their minds of memories grim, of pains from recent slights and sins." She took out a white crystal from the breast pocket of her shirt and touched it to the burning herbs. It immediately turned pale gray. "'When the fire goes out. When the crystal turns black. The spell will be cast. Tabula rasa. Tabula rasa. Tabula rasa."
She stood as she gave the fire a final glance before returning the crystal to her pocket. She turned and headed for the door. As the door closed behind her, the bag of Lethe's Bramble, which was left carelessly too close to the fireplace, caught on fire.
The Magic Box
Lynn stood between Buffy and Dawn, her arms around them both, while Tara, Anya, and Giles all sat at the table. "So what do we have?" Lynn asked.
"Sorry?" Giles asked in confusion.
"I assume we're here because you found a reference to a demon," Lynn said.
"No, demon," Giles said as the front door opened. They all turned and watched as Xander and Willow walked through the door.
"Thanks," Willow said, motioning toward Xander's jacket that she was wearing. "It's cold out there."
Xander shivered in agreement. "Not a problem," he replied. "The cold only makes me stronger and more macho-like."
"I'm glad you're here," Giles said as he stood up. "I have something I really have to tell you all. I know it seems like we've been through this, but..."
"Why don't you jump to the chase, Giles?" Buffy said, on the verge of tears. "Just tell them that you're..."
Suddenly the front door banged open, and Spike came rushing through it before slamming it closed behind him. "Fancy meeting you here," he said, smiling nervously as he turned toward Buffy.
"Spike?" Giles said, taking in Spike's tweed suit and the hat with earflaps.
"Holy moly!" Anya cried as she looked Spike over.
"You need to give me asylum," Spike pleaded.
Xander rolled his eyes. "I'll say."
Spike walked over to the counter and hopped up on it as he took off the hat. "No need to get cute. It's a disguise. Thrift shop number. "There's a bloke I'd rather not see just now." He looked at Buffy. "You met him, I believe. The toothy bloke with the baby seal breath?"
Dawn glanced at her sister. "Last night's patrol?" she asked, as Buffy reluctantly nodded while everyone stared at Spike.
Discreetly, Willow pulled the crystal from her pocket and checked it. It had gone black as tar.
"Alright, then. If we've recovered from Spike's sartorial humor," Giles said as he looked at Buffy, whose expression was tight and pained. "I will jump. To the chase: I'm heading back to England, and I plan on
staying. Indefinitely."
Dawn's eyes narrowed. "You're leaving again?" she asked, her voice cracking.
Giles nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so, Dawn."
"Now?" Xander asked in surprise. "Not now, not right after everything."
Giles sat back down in his chair. "Yes, now-"
"For real this time?" Anya asked pointedly. "Because, honest to Pete, a young shopkeeper's heart can only be broken so many times. I mean, not that I want you to—"
Buffy, distraught, started for the door, with Dawn not far behind her. "I can't do this. I gotta... You guys just..."
Willow and Lynn moved to follow the sisters. Willow put a hand on Buffy to stop her, just as Lynn did the same with Dawn. "Listen. I know this must be awful for both of you," Willow said. "And I'm sorry, so sorry, for what we put you through, Buffy."
"Dawn, speak to me," Lynn pleaded with her girlfriend.
Dawn didn't look at her girlfriend, but at the floor. "I already went through this once," she replied through clenched teeth. "I don't know if I can..." she told Lynn.
Buffy turned on Willow, breaking down. Her pain was palpable. "I'm sorry," she said. "Everybody's sorry. And I know you're trying to help me. But it's all too much, Will. The memories hurt. I can't take it anymore. Dawn is the only one here who has any idea how it felt or how it feels now. It's like I'm dying in..." Suddenly, her eyes slipped closed as she fainted, crumpling to her knees. Around her, everyone else was doing the same.
Power Chamber
"Yo, yo, yo!" Alpha Six cried as he monitored the sensors. "Dimitria, something has happened in Sunnydale."
Dimitria's voice came from the tube where her head was projected. "What is it, Alpha Six?"
"There has been a sudden surge of mystical energy readings in the area," the robot replied, his metallic fingers typing furiously on the keyboard. "Sensor readings pinpoint it around the establishment Rupert Giles and former Yellow Ranger and ex-vengeance demon... Anya Jenkins... own."
"Contact Dawn immediately," Dimitria instructed.
"Of course, Dimitria," Alpha Six said as he sent out the signal that would tell Dawn that she needed to contact them. After a few moments, he looked up at the tube. "She is not answering."
Dimitria's expression turned grave. "This is concerning. We must locate her as soon as possible. Alpha, try contacting Buffy."
"I already have; she is not answering either," Alpha Six replied.
Dimitria's worry deepened. "We need to consider the possibility that something has happened to both of them. Signal the Rangers and have them come here immediately."
The Magic Box
Buffy blinked her eyes open at the sound of beeping coming from her wrist. As she sat up, she stretched and yawned. Then suddenly, she froze as she realized she had no idea where she was. She squinted, trying desperately to remember... anything. Slowly and carefully, she got to her feet and looked around the room at the sleeping strangers.
"Huh," she said as she heard the beeping again. She glanced at her wrist and saw what looked like a watch. She figured it had to be an alarm, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out how to shut it off.
Willow was the next to wake up. She looked at Xander, who she had been snuggling next to. She jerked back with a little yelp as she realized she didn't recognize him.
Xander woke, letting out a yelp of his own as he looked at Willow, and, covering for his ignorance of not recognizing her, he forced a casual smile. "Hey."
Willow smiled uncomfortably. "Hey?"
Tara stretched like a satisfied cat after a nap, then opened her eyes. Her satisfaction turned to embarrassment, then to confusion, as she realized she didn't know where she was or who all these people were.
Giles and Anya were the next to awaken as they looked at each other curiously. "Hello," he said.
Spike fell off the counter. He let out a cry as he hit the ground.
Dawn and Lynn were startled awake by Spike's cry. They looked around and realized, like everyone else in the room, they didn't recognize anyone or know where they were.
Terrified, Lynn glanced around with wide eyes. "Who, who are you guys?" she asked.
"That's my question as well," Dawn admitted.
Buffy moved over next to Lynn and Dawn. She reached out to them both. "Hey, don't worry," she said as they shirked away from her.
"Please don't hurt me," Lynn begged.
"It's okay," Buffy said soothingly. "I don't know anyone here either."
"Yeah? Who are you?" Dawn asked as she heard a beeping coming from her wrist and then an echoing beeping coming from Buffy's wrist.
Buffy was caught off guard by the question. I…um, I—"
Power Chamber
"Dimitria," Tommy Oliver said as he and the rest of the Rangers stood before the tube. "What is it?" he asked.
The rest of the team looked on, waiting for an answer. Dimitria's holographic form appeared on the tube before them, her expression serious. "There was a sudden surge of mystical energy in Sunnydale," she answered. "Neither Dawn nor her sister Buffy are answering their communicators."
"Buffy's dead," Kat said in confusion.
"Buffy was brought back nearly two months ago by a powerful witch," Dimitria explained.
"Willow," Adam said in realization as he remembered the redheaded witch from when they helped Buffy fight Glorificus.
"It must have been," Tommy agreed before looking back at Dimitria. "You said they weren't answering their communicators?"
Dimitria nodded. "Yes, and we have reason to believe that they are in danger. You need to find them and ascertain what has happened." The Power Rangers exchanged determined looks before nodding in agreement.
Tommy nodded. "Alright, guys. Let's go."
The Magic Box
Xander leaped to his feet. "Who are you freaks?" he asked everyone.
"You don't know me?" Willow asked.
Xander scratched his head, trying to remember if he had met Willow before. "I don't have a clue," he said apologetically.
"But you just acted all, 'Hey,'" Willow said, obviously hurt.
"Yeah, because I thought you were a girl, and I'd remember in a second, but..." Xander said.
Willow's face fell. "I am a girl. I'm..." she said, trying to recall her name before realizing she couldn't remember it. "I'm not sure who I am. Exactly. But..."
"Okay... why was I on the ground?" He asked, obviously paranoid. "And why are you all staring at me? Is this some kind of psych test? Am I getting paid for this? Is this a bad dream?" He pinched himself. "Yow, okay, no. Am I in trouble? I didn't do it! And if I did, it was an accident."
"It's not just you. Does anyone remember anything?" Giles asked, looking at everyone.
The group looked at each other, shaking their heads in confusion. "Nope," Spike said as they all gathered around the table.
"Perhaps we all got terribly drunk and we're having some kind of blackout," Giles suggested.
"I don't think I drink," Lynn said, trying hard not to cry.
"Neither do I," Dawn admitted.
"I don't see any booze; I don't feel any head bumps; and I don't see Alan Funt," Anya added.
Xander was trying hard not to panic as he took deep breaths. "Okay... I'm not panicking; I'm not,
I'm not. Stop looking at me like I'm panicking."
"Hey, take it easy, guy," Buffy said. "No one's hurt, right? And none of us looks all hatchet murder-y, so we're probably safe. Here. Wherever here is."
"Look at the things on these shelves: weird jars of weird stuff and weird books with weird covers like:" Willow said as she looked at the spine of one book. "'Magic for beginners'. Oh."
Streets of Sunnydale
Tommy looked at the street they had beamed onto. "Everything looks normal," he said, turning to his fellow Rangers.
"Since Alpha detected the surge from the Magic Box," Kat said. "Maybe two of us should go there while everyone else patrols the town. "Until Dawn and Buffy are found, the population is at risk."
Everyone agreed with Kat's plan and quickly divided into two groups, with Tommy and Kat heading towards the Magic Box while the rest patrolled the town. The fate of the population rested on their shoulders, and they were determined to find Dawn, and Buffy and make sure they were alright before it was too late.
The Magic Box
"A magic shop," Tara said in awe as she looked around. "A real magic shop."
"Maybe that's it," Buffy suggested. "Maybe something magic happened to us.
Giles scoffed. "Magic? Magic is all balderdash and chicanery. I'm afraid we don't know
a bloody thing." He stopped for a moment as he realized he was speaking with an accent. "Except I seem to be British, don't I? And a man. With glasses. Well, that narrows it down considerably.
"I don't like this," Lynn said as tears streamed down her face.
Dawn put an arm around her. "Listen, it's going to be okay. We'll take care of each other, okay?"
Lynn nodded at Dawn through her tears.
"Yes, we'll get back our memories, and everything will be right as rain."
"Oh, listen to Mary Poppins!" Spike said, obviously disgusted. "He got his crust all stiff and upper with that Nancy-boy accent. You Englishmen are always so..." He stopped as he realized he too was speaking with an accent. "Bloody hell. Sodding blimy shagging knickers bullocks—oh no," he said horrified. "I'm English."
"Welcome to the Nancy tribe," Giles said.
Spike eyed Giles, a horrible thought coming to his mind. "You don't suppose... you and I... we're not related, are we?"
"No, you are not."
Everyone turned at the sound of the voice to find Tommy and Kat standing just inside the front door.
Tommy turned toward Buffy and Dawn. "It's good to see you again, Buffy," he said.
"Which one of us are you talking to?" Dawn asked.
"What do you mean?" Kat wondered, looking at Dawn, her predecessor as the Pink Ranger.
"None of us know who we are," Giles answered. "Do the two of you?"
Tommy glanced over at Kat. "That explains why Buffy and Dawn didn't answer their communicators," he said as Kat nodded in agreement. He turned back to the group. "Yes, we know each of you to an extent. He looked at each of the Scoobies, Spike, Buffy, and Dawn in turn, telling them their names. "With the exception of Dawn, we met all of you about a half-year ago. Dawn, we've known for closer to two years."
"Why would you know me longer?" Dawn wondered.
"Because you like Tommy, and I am a Power Ranger," Kat answered. "In fact, you are my predecessor as the Pink Ranger. When you moved in with Buffy and your mom, you gave me the pink powers, and Zordon gave you the White Zeo powers. You are currently the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger."
Dawn's eyes widened in surprise as he tried to remember the events that Kat had just mentioned. "I don't remember any of that."
"Which means we need to determine why you all lost your memories," Tommy said.
"We also need to figure out if there's a way to restore them," Kat added.
"Looks like you two fancy yourselves the boss," Spike said.
"Maybe we should go to the hospital?" Buffy suggested.
"Given that Alpha detected the surge of mystical energy centered on this store," Tommy informed them. "No one at the hospital could likely help. The answers are here."
"So how do we go about finding them?" Giles questioned. "With the exception of the two of you, no one remembers anything."
"Which is going to actually make things more difficult," Kat said with a sigh, just as the front door opened and two vampires charged in snarling.
"Shift into Turbo!" Tommy called out as he and Kat swung their left wrists in front of them as their Turbo morphers appeared on their wrists. "Red Lightning Turbo Power!"
"Wind Chaser Turbo Power!" Kat called out.
A red beam of light surrounded Tommy, while a pink beam of light surrounded Kat. They were quickly morphed into the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger and Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger. The two Rangers looked at each other and nodded as they turned to face the vampires. The vampires hissed and lunged forward, but they were ready. With lightning speed, they dodged the attacks and counterattacked, forcing the vampires back out the door. The Red Lightning Turbo Ranger slammed the door shut behind the vampires while the Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger closed and secured the store window.
"Power down," the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger called and he and the Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger de-morphed. "Adam," Tommy said bringing his wrist communicator to his lips.
"Go ahead, Tommy," came Adam's voice from the communicator.
"We were just attacked by two vampires," Tommy said. "Also, we learned why neither Buffy or Dawn responded. They along with their friends have all lost their memories."
"Power down," the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger called, and he and the Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger de-morphed. "Adam," Tommy said, bringing his wrist communicator to his lips.
"Go ahead, Tommy," came Adam's voice from the communicator.
"We were just attacked by two vampires," Tommy said. "Also, we learned why neither Buffy nor Dawn responded. They, along with their friends, have all lost their memories."
Adam's voice crackled through the communicator. "Copy that, Tommy. Do you need reinforcements?"
Tommy paused for a moment, considering their options. "We can handle it for now, but we'll let you know if we need backup. Keep an eye out for any other unusual activity," he said as the vampires banged on the door.
"Doors!" Willow shouted. "We should check for other doors, make sure they're locked, and then put big, heavy things in front of them!"
"Good idea," Kat agreed as she and Willow disappeared into the back of the shop.
"Monsters are real..." Buffy said, processing the reality of their world. "Did we know this?" she asked Tommy.
Tommy nodded solemnly. "You did," he replied.
Streets of Sunnydale
"The boys want to taste blood, boss," a vampire said, looking at the shark-headed demon.
"The 'boys' are barbarians. There's no need for that," the demon replied as he got out a cigarette. "The humans will turn on him soon enough. And if not..." He lit the cigarette. "We'll burn the place to the ground."
The Magic Box
One of the vampires slammed up against the front window while another continued to bang on the front door. "Send out Spike!" the one at the window yelled through the window.
Giles glanced toward Spike. "They seem to want you."
"Slayer!" the vampire at the door yelled. "Come out and play!"
Tommy glanced at Buffy and Dawn. "That would be the two of you."
"Tommy," Kat said as she and Willow returned. "There is access to the sewers in the basement."
Tommy nodded. "Okay, here is the deal. Kat, do you remember where Buffy and Dawn live?" he asked her.
"I do," Kat replied.
"I need you to take Buffy and hers and Dawn's friends there. Buffy, Dawn, Spike, and I will try to lure the vampires away," Tommy answered.
Kat nodded in agreement and ushered Giles and the Scoobies toward the basement door.
Tommy turned to Dawn. "We're going to need to morph."
"You're going to have to tell me how," Dawn said. "You say I'm a Power Ranger, but I don't remember how."
Tommy quickly explained the process to Dawn. "Shift into Turbo!" he called out as he swung his left arm in front of him. Dawn mimicked his movements. "Red Lightning Turbo Power!"
"White Phoenix Turbo Power!" Dawn said hesitantly.
Streets of Sunnydale
Catching the vampires off guard, Buffy, Spike, and the Rangers were all able to get by them as they darted out through the front door. The four vampires quickly surrounded them, and one of them grabbed Spike.
Spike sent a punch at the vampire as his face morphed into its vampiric visage. The vampire went flying as Spike turned delighted to Buffy and the Rangers at his display of super strength.
"Just keep going," the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger instructed. "We have to get them away from the others."
Buffy, Spike, and the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger all nodded, and they took off down the street.
Sewer
Tara, Kat, and Xander stood at the bottom of a long ladder as Lynn, and Willow came down it. Giles and Anya had suggested staying at the Magic Box in an attempt to find a way to reverse their memory loss.
"Almost there," Xander told Lynn as she got to the bottom rung. "Here," he said as he extended a hand.
Lynn took his hand, and he helped her to the ground. "Thank you," she said.
Willow was the next one down the ramp as Kat extended her hand to the redhead. Instinctively, she reached for Tara instead, just as Tara reached for her. Tara slowly guided Willow down.
"There must be some memory accessible," Kat admitted as Tara guided Willow to the ground. "The last time I saw you two, you were a couple. I don't know if that's still true. But there must be some instinctual memory there for you two to reach for each other."
"Which way?" Lynn asked, looking down the two tunnels.
"Buffy and Dawn's house is to the east," Kat answered. "So, we'll head in that direction."
Everyone followed Kat down the tunnel in the indicated direction.
"The ants go marching one by one," Lynn sang softly. "Hurrah! Hurrah! The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hur-AAAAH!" She cried out as a vampire emerged from the shadows.
"Shift into Turbo!" Kat called out, swinging her left arm in front of her as her morpher appeared on her wrist. "Wind Chaser Turbo Power!"
Streets of Sunnydale
The Rangers, Buffy, and Spike ran into a residential neighborhood as the vampires and the demon chased them.
"Wait up!" Spike called out as the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger started to pull away.
"Dawn," the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger called. "You need to slow down. Your Turbo powers make you able to run faster than either Buffy or Spike."
"Sorry," the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger called over her shoulder as she slowed down to a jog.
"This is probably far enough anyway," Buffy suggested, and they turned around to face the approaching vampires.
Sewer
"In there," the Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger called, motioning toward a side tunnel.
"There's a ladder," Tara called over her shoulder as they headed down the side tunnel.
"Up the ladder," the Ranger instructed.
Lynn, Xander, Willow, and Tara scrambled up the ladder built into the side of the sewer tunnel. The ladder led to an old pipe built along the concrete wall. Once used as part of the sewage network, the pipe was empty save for a few scraps of wood.
The Ranger stood at the base of the ladder as the others climbed up it. She peeked around the corner and quickly pulled her head back. "He's coming."
The vampire walked down the tunnel methodically, checking for them.
Willow and Tara looked at each other, realizing that the Ranger had been right. As they could sense the romantic chemistry between them.
Streets of Sunnydale
The Rangers, Buffy, and Spike faced off with the four vampires. "You two know what you're doing?" he asked Buffy and the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger.
"Not really," Buffy answered. "But. Yes."
"What Buffy said," the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger added. "I don't remember doing this, but at the same time, somehow I know what to do."
From behind the vampires, the demon swaggered forward as he began to pace. "Why if it isn't Mr. Spike, the Slayer, and two Power Rangers?" It seems there was some miscommunication between us." Tensely, the Rangers, Buffy, and Spike watched the vampires. "But you know? You still haven't paid me my kittens. And that's okay too." He stepped aside. "Because you'll pay me now. At 'em, boys!"
"Dawn," the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger said, looking at his fellow Ranger. "Call for the White Phoenix Power Stakes."
The White Phoenix Turbo Ranger nodded. "White Phoenix Power Stakes!" she called as she spun in a 360-degree arc, and as she faced the vampires again, she held the Power Stakes in her hands.
"Toss one to Buffy," the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger instructed as the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger complied.
The four vampires jumped the four of them. Buffy hit hers a couple times before being hit in the jaw. "Note to self," she said as she kicked her vampire. "Learn to duck." She then plunged her Power Stake into the vampire's heart, and he burst into flames before exploding into ash.
Spike headbutted his vampire, who collapsed.
"Spike, catch," Buffy called, tossing the Power Stake to the vampire. He caught it and plunged it into his vampire's heart. The vampire burst into flames before exploding into ash.
The White Phoenix Turbo Ranger kicked her vampire, staggering him toward the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger and hitting him, sending him ricocheting back to her.
Sewer
The Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger kept watch at the base of the ladder, while Xander and Tara kept watch from their ends of the pipe.
"How ya doin', Lynn?" Willow asked.
"Okay. It's scary. But weirdly? Kind of familiar," Lynn answered.
Willow nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean."
"How are you?" Lynn asked.
"A little confused," Willow replied with a small smile. "I mean, I'm sweaty, I'm trapped, I have no memory, hiding in a pipe from a vampire..." She glanced toward Tara. "And apparently Kat is right; I'm gay."
The vampire that had been searching for them hesitated and looked toward the side tunnel where the Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger was hidden within the shadows. "I smell fear," he said as he headed down the tunnel.
"Go," the Ranger instructed Willow, Tara, Lynn, and Xander, who scrambled down the ladder out of the pipe. She lunged at the vampire, who knocked her into Willow.
Willow was knocked into Tara, and they fell to the floor of the tunnel as the crystal fell out of her pocket.
The Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger lunged at the vampire as Lynn came running around the corner clutching a piece of scrap wood.
"Kat," Lynn called as she threw the piece of wood at the Ranger.
The Ranger caught the piece of wood and thrust it toward the vampire, plunging it into his heart. The vampire instantly exploded into dust. Behind her, Tara and Willow moved closer together, preparing to kiss.
"Power down!" the Wind Chaser Turbo Ranger called out as she de-morphed. Kat then turned around and took a step toward the others, stepping on the crystal and shattering it.
For a moment, Lynn, Xander, Tara, and Willow looked confused as their memories returned in a flash. Shocked, Tara looked at Willow, reading the guilt on the redhead's face. She pushed herself off Willow, clearly revolted.
Suddenly, Xander laughed, a weak sound echoing in the cavernous sewers. "Sorry," he said as everyone looked at him. "Just got back the memory of seeing 'King Ralph'." He glanced toward Kat. "We got our memories back," he told her.
Kat looked down at the crystal and then up at Willow in realization. "You all go back to the store. I think I need to talk to Willow." She took Willow's hand and then brought her wrist communicator to her lips. "Alpha, teleport me and Willow to the Power Chamber."
Willow looked at Kat with concern. As she and Kat disappeared in a beam of pink light, the rest of the Scoobies made their way back to the store.
Streets of Sunnydale
The Rangers, Buffy and Spike, were fighting the remaining two vampires. Buffy was actually enjoying herself, getting a kick out of slaying for the first time in a long time. "Don't mess with Buffy the Vampire..." She stopped as she, the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger, and Spike all regained their memories.
One of the vampires kicked Buffy in the face, sending her sprawling onto the pavement. She lay there for a moment as her memories overwhelmed her, making her dizzy and sick.
The vampire was about to kick her when the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger tackled him.
"Buffy!" the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger cried, running toward her sister.
"Buffy," Spike echoed as he glanced toward Buffy, missing the punch to his head. He and the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger sent the two vampires colliding into each other with skull crushing force. The vampires crumbled to the ground, and they both plunged the Power Stakes into their hearts as the vampires burst into flames and then exploded into ash.
"You're an odd duck, Mr. Spike..." the demon said as Spike and the Red Turbo Lightning Ranger turned toward him. He ambled his way toward Spike. "Fighting your own kind. Palling around with Slayers and Power Rangers. And, whoa, that suit! Chutzpah must be your middle name."
"Well, on the suit, he does kind of have a point," the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger said, looking at Spike's suit.
Spike nodded toward the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger before walking toward the demon, slowly, purposefully.
The demon looked around and noted that all of the vampires were dust. "Uh, hey, look... About our little debt problem: It's okay. I don't need the kittens."
Spike grabbed the demon, who was obviously scared, by the collar. "You'll get paid. I'm no welsher."
As he was released, the demon blinked and then smiled. "Right, sure. You're good for it. I know that. So, I'll just, uh... yeah." He backed away before hurrying off into the night.
"Power dawn!" the Red Lightning Turbo Ranger called out, and both he and the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger de-morphed. "So that's why they were after you?" Tommy asked incredulously. "For not paying your debt?"
Spike nodded solemnly as he and Tommy turned toward Dawn and Buffy. Dawn knelt next to her sister, who still lay on the ground.
"You two alright?" Spike asked.
Dawn slowly helped her sister to her feet. "Tommy, thanks for the help. I'm going to get Buffy home."
"Any time, Dawn," Tommy said as he embraced first Dawn and then Buffy.
Dawn hit the teleportation button on her wrist communicator and said, "Home." She and Buffy disappeared in white and silver beams of light.
Power Chamber
Any other time, Willow would have been ecstatic about finding herself in the Power Chamber, the command center for the Power Rangers. But today was different. She was filled with anxiety and uncertainty as she stood before the tube.
"You are certain, Katherine," Dimitria said, looking at the pink ranger. "That she is the reason behind the memory loss?"
"Fairly certain, yes," Kat answered.
Willow's heart raced as she listened to their conversation.
Dimitria turned her gaze on Willow. "What do you have to say in answer to this allegation?"
Willow took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She knew that they were only trying to help, but the accusation still stung. "I swear, I didn't mean to cause any harm," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I just wanted to help Buffy. Has Dawn told you that Buffy admitted where she had been to the rest of us?"
"She did," Demetria answered.
"I thought if I could help her forget about being in heaven, she might feel better," Willow admitted.
"Magic is not the solution to Buffy's problems," Demetria told the redheaded witch, who looked down at her hands in shame. "Only time can help her move past the memories of what you did."
Summers Home
Dawn stood at the door of Willow and Tara's room, watching Tara pack. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked as she looked at Tara's face, swollen with hours of crying.
"I don't know," Tara admitted sadly. "But I know this. Right now, I can't remain here. Don't worry though, Dawnie. I'm still your friend."
"I know, Tara," Dawn admitted.
The Bronze
Buffy stood in a quiet corner with Spike as they kissed and clutched at each other, desperately.