"Before we arrive at the Academy I should warn you of something, Faith." Larissa spoke as she drove the car up the long driveway. "Nevermore Academy accepts a breed of vampire that is very different from the ones drawn to the Hellmouth. They're a separate race and are born, not made nor are they at all demonic, none of our students are, though many of them have been thought of as monsters over the centuries, including Gorgons, Werewolves and Sirens. This breed of vampire has only one thing in common with the demon breed, the need for blood. Our students are supplied with it and do not prey on the unwilling. I warn you, because I won't have violence in my school. You will see them in the daylight, as all sunlight does is blind them. They wear dark glasses to shield their sensitive eyes and some of our teachers are vampires as well."
"Well, if they're not hurting anyone and they're not demons, than they're not my problem." Faith decided. "But I've never heard of any other kind of vampire."
"We have." Xander told her. "Including one kind that are so incredibly innocent that you feel like you're talking to a very young and innocent child. They can't even conceive of hurting someone, it's just not in their nature. But multiple breeds in one reality is a new one, we haven't encountered that before. Ms. Weems, the name of your Academy, is that from Edgar Allen Poe?"
"Yes, actually, he was a student at one time." She answered.
"Oh, neat. Quoth the Raven, Nevermore."
"Dork." Cordelia smiled affectionately.
"So why are you visiting our reality?" Larissa asked as she parked and led them into the school, toward her office.
"In our reality, Buffy has a younger sister named Dawn. Dawn's got a naturally occuring ability that she's trying to get control over, she creates portals. At present she can only open portals to other realities and time periods within those realities. She's only been able to control a destination a couple times and unfortunately also randomly portals while asleep. She dozed off while she was meditating." Larissa grinned, amused at the image.
"Buffy is an only child here." Wednesday informed them, as something jumped up on her shoulder and rubbed against her cheek. Xander and the girls stumbled to a halt, staring at it.
"Zombie hand?" Xander asked cautiously.
"This is Thing." Wednesday answered. "He's family. Who did your nails, Thing?" The hand jumped up and clacked its fingers together, using sign language to communicate. "Enid? Figures, she enjoys gossiping with you."
"Surreal." Faith muttered.
"Wait until you meet Clem." Xander muttered back. "Demon that eats cats and thinks liverwurst is chocolate. He looks like a giant humanoid sharpei. Just don't startle him, he's got a threat display that's freaky."
"So what can we do to help you find Dawn?" Larissa asked, motioning them into her office.
"A map of the state we're in to start with." Xander pulled out his crystal. "I can do a locator spell and once we know where she is, we can go get her. Preferably before she runs into trouble herself."
"You do Magic?" Wednesday asked. "The women on both sides of my family have been witches for a long time, but Cousin Xander doesn't do Magic. He really has no need to, given his Talent, not to mention he's quite skilled with a crossbow, as am I. I've taught my Faith how to use it as well, she was very enthusiastic to learn. I see you carry knives." She spoke to Faith as Larissa pulled out a map from her filing cabinet and handed it to Xander, who spread it over her desk. "May I see them? I enjoy playing with knives."
"Yeah? I get a kick outta them too. These were a gift from Xan over there to welcome me to the Scoobies." Faith pulled one of her knives and handed it to Wednesday, who turned it over.
"Balanced? Throwing knives this large and heavy are rare, but being a Slayer you can handle them." She handed it back.
Xander was about to begin the spell when a knock on the door had Larissa moving quickly towards it and speaking to the student on the other side.
"Scoobies?" Wednesday asked, drawing Faith's attention back to herself. "Uh, yeah, group of local superheros in Sunnydale." Xander reached into his pocket and pulled out the group photo and showed it to Wednesday.
"We've got two new members, we're going to need to get a new group photo made." He said. "But this tall brunette in the middle is Dawn."
"This girl." Wednesday pointed at Harmony. "Reminds me of someone I met at camp a few years ago, Amanda Buckman."
"Actually Harmony has a cousin by that name." Cordelia leaned over the map Xander had spread on the desk. "We're in Vermont? That's a new state, maybe we should come back sometime and drive the country roads, in the fall especially, the maple trees are gorgeous. Amanda Buckman, oh I remember, she has recurring nightmares about being tied to a stake and nearly burned alive during a camp play. Claims a bunch of weirdos led by this girl with a funny name disrupted the Thanksgiving pilgrim and indians sitting down to make peace by insisting on telling the true history."
"Funny name?". Xander asked. "We're from California, what would qualify as a funny name to her?"
"Something, I think she was named for a poem. Monday's child is..."
"Monday's child is fair of face." Wednesday recited. "Tuesday's child is full of grace. Wednesday's child is full of woe. My mother is fond of woe, it's why she named me Wednesday, from that poem."
"Oh, you don't say." Xander muttered, was that Wednesday from their reality this Wednesday? Was he related somehow to both of them? "Oh, look. I've found Dawn, time to go. Thank you, Ms. Weems, Wednesday, we really appreciate your help."
They skedaddled through the portal and were relieved to see the sling ring flashing as it picked up Dawn's homing beacon and began tracking her.