Time Of Your Life, Part I

Plot

Buffy is being attacked by a strange young woman who throws herself off a tower-block roof together with her – the other woman also has a scythe, and in this city, which is presumably New York, cars fly instead of drive. It was a lousy day already; it started that way and stayed that way, Buffy thinks. She wonders who the hell this is. And where is she? Where are the others, and above all: what about Dawn?

Back in time: Dawn is somewhere in the woods near the Scottish headquarters. She is clutching her stomach and screaming in pain. In the castle, Buffy, Xander and Willow are sitting around with the Scottish version of Chinese fast food – which is exactly what they are talking about.

Apparently they have decided to go to New York. Buffy is not sure it is such a good idea, and Xander agrees. After all, they only have this vague hint from the “vision” Kumiko shared with Willow. Should they really trust it and leave their headquarters for it? It did not come from Kumiko; someone only used her to send Willow a message, Willow explains. And that someone would not happen to be a pretty hot snake-demon lady, Buffy teases. Willow is thrown and then says that Buffy has it all wrong…

Xander does not understand a word. He wants an explanation from Buffy – with lots of pictures, please! She is not only in charge because she fights so well, Buffy tells him. Well, mostly she is, he thinks… Willow returns to her topic: they know the Scythe is the source of their Slayer army’s power, and in this vision she was told, so to speak, that they will find it in New York.

Buffy does not understand, since they have the Scythe back. How can they find something they have not lost?! Willow only knows that she received this message for a particular reason. They have to find out what it means – before they are attacked again and lose someone else… lose another fight, she corrects herself with a cautious glance at Xander. Okay, then they will postpone the rematch, they can do that later…, Buffy begins. Xander finally interrupts them. He is grateful for their consideration, but Renee is dead and he is coping somehow. Alone. If he needs help he will ask for it, but they should stop interrupting their “war council” with awkward, embarrassed pauses – they cannot afford that. They have to concentrate, so… now they should tell him about the demonic lover with the snake body, and they should not spare him or leave out any kinky details! Leah bursts into the room. In the orchard! Something is wrong with Dawn, she calls to the three of them.

Buffy, Xander and Willow run. Willow flies towards the garden calling for Dawn.

She hears her moaning but cannot see her. Willow lands in the garden and asks what is wrong. She hears Dawn say, horrified, that she must not come here – but it is already too late.

Willow stares as Buffy comes running. She calls out to ask whether Dawn is sick and whether she can get up. Oh, she is up, comes the answer. Buffy does not understand – has Dawn shrunk again?

Xander arrives in the garden completely out of breath and gasps what is going on – who has shrunk?

Buffy and Willow look quite baffled. Buffy made a joke, but Dawn does not find it funny at all. She holds her arms protectively over her chest and says sarcastically: “Neigh.” She is back to normal size, but now she has a horse’s body.

With Twilight: Warren is arguing with Twilight about something. He is defending some experiment. Amy tells her “sweetie” to calm down. Warren explains that they have worked their butts off for this, and his baby will do exactly what it is supposed to. Oh, Twilight is sure it will do its job – even if it is only a small job in the grand scheme of things. Warren reminds Twilight that he is here voluntarily – he no longer has skin, so he does not bear that little “loyalty mark”! And he explains it once more: this baby – pointing at a kind of warhead daubed with magical signs and covered in burning candles – will cause a stir!

In Scotland: a helicopter is ready, but Buffy is still on the phone. Xander calls to her to hurry. He has decided to stay and look after Dawn – if anything happens, he will call.

Buffy and Willow are sitting in a private jet. Willow cannot resist hinting that they owe this to the “mysterious benefactor”, who, as they know, is only Buffy’s Slayer heists… they have legal sources of money too, Buffy protests, but Willow makes clear she is only teasing. Buffy changes the subject: does Willow have any idea when this mystical something is supposed to happen? Midnight, Willow assumes. Good, Buffy needs a few hours; she has… something to take care of… Willow lets her cryptic little hints pass, especially since she still has to find out more about what is actually going on. Buffy has understood that Willow really trusts this vision from the snake demoness – but they do not really have any idea what they are getting into, do they, she asks again. Willow lowers her eyes and does not look at Buffy as she answers that they never know. They will just see what happens – and as for the possibility of running into enemies: Willow has sent a “welcoming committee” for that…

In New York: Kennedy is already waiting for them at the airport. She and Willow hug lovingly and tease each other about not having missed each other at all. Kennedy notices Buffy arriving with a whole load of luggage. Does the top boss need help with that, Kennedy asks. No, says Buffy – she has just got it balanced. Willow comments on the amount of luggage by telling her Kennedy that Buffy had a serious crisis: clothes alert! Buffy defends herself: after all, she has never been to New York and wants to look… New York-like, and besides, who knows what the weather will be? Kennedy does not take it seriously; she does not even go out to eat without three bags. Yes, says Willow, sad but true – but so cute!

A limousine takes the three of them to headquarters. Buffy stands on the seat with her head out of the sunroof and her arms in the air. Meanwhile Willow and Kennedy talk. Kennedy explains that they work with the Manhattan squad, but Kennedy and her team have taken over command. Willow wonders whether that is okay with Vi. Oh, there is enough for her to do, says Kennedy – this city really never sleeps; a paradise for vampires. Although they do not exactly seek out confrontations with them, even if the bloodsuckers would probably like that. Buffy is sightseeing from her box seat and shouts, Titanic-style, that she is the king of the world. Willow and Kennedy look at her a little strangely. Then Willow explains that Buffy has never been to New York… or in a limousine…

The Manhattan headquarters: the Slayers are gathered and more or less listening to a briefing from Vi. There are mystical incidents almost everywhere in the city – and she is only talking about Manhattan. Dark magic, a blood war in the financial district – though that is normal – and angry ghosts attacking the cast of “Xanadu”; they should not ask Vi why.

That means it is damned difficult to find the mystical trace Willow asked them to look for. They think they know where it comes from but are not sure, and on top of that it comes and goes. Willow explains what she is actually looking for: in a way you can describe it as the opposite of an echo. She needs the board, she tells Vi. She draws a kind of diagram: a timeline – the way time normally flows – with past, present and future. Then she draws a small circle and, starting from it, ever larger circles across the timeline. Somewhere there, something happens, Willow explains, pointing at the middle circle in her drawing. And that affects the time stream…

Meanwhile the junior Slayers are just chattering excitedly about Buffy being here… and are called to order by Willow, who does not even turn round. Then she goes on explaining how these time effects work… Kennedy is sitting with Buffy. Kennedy tells her that she is totally hot for the teacher up front right now. Buffy says that “her” Willow used to teach the computer class for a while too. Kennedy glares at her and tells her she had better keep her hands off Willow. She is absolutely in favour of Buffy’s experimental phase, but if she has designs on Willow, Kennedy will kill her. Buffy looks at her utterly aghast – partly because she does not know how Kennedy knows about it, and partly because of what she is implying. Willow now shouts that she finally wants some quiet for her explanations!

In Scotland: Xander and Dawn are outside, and he is telling her about the progress in Manhattan. These mystical fields are fading; they have located three of them, or at least know roughly where they are. Great, Dawn thinks, and all that while she is walking around here with a giant behind. Xander asks whether she is joking – she looks fantastic! She is a centaur, a majestic figure from mythology! He is really jealous! Dawn folds her arms and looks away. She does not feel majestic at all – she sleeps standing up and she wants hay! Dawn feels like a freak. It is only temporary, Xander comforts her. And besides, it is still better than trampling Tokyo. So she should not whine about it… Dawn is hurt that he says “whine” and runs off.

Xander trudges back up the hill towards the castle, babbling to himself. He notices a green trail in the sky moving towards the castle and wonders what it is. Then it dawns on him and he shouts a warning, but it is too late: the missile hits the castle – there is a poison-green explosion and Xander is thrown away. When he looks up again, he is shocked…

Manhattan: Willow, Kennedy and some of the Slayers are on a high-rise balcony. Willow is reading a book and casting spells at the same time. Kennedy tactically tries to find out something about the source of Willow’s information, but Willow tells her nothing. Instead Willow explains that they are at the outermost edge of a temporal rift, which means that whatever it is, it happens in the future. And it is possible that something could come over to them through the rifts… hopefully something good.

Kennedy sums up: it somehow has to do with the Scythe. Yes. And Buffy has the Scythe. Yes. But they do not have Buffy… She just breezes in again – yes they do, she announces. She is on time, isn’t she? And she had no trouble or anything, and anyway, hi first of all, she babbles, while putting the Scythe back in her bag.

Buffy has dressed up, which makes Kennedy feel rather underdressed. Buffy defends herself: she is undercover here, and they do not want to fight anyway. And besides, she can change… There is a bang and a blinding flash of light.

Then, in Buffy’s place, stands an ugly demon making strange noises. Well, the other look was actually okay, Kennedy remarks dryly.

Somewhere Buffy screams in pain…

The demon comes towards Kennedy and Willow. Kennedy calls to the others to form up. Then the demon slashes at her with its claws and wounds her in the stomach.

Meanwhile Buffy, with the Scythe in her hand, is being pulled somewhere. She finds herself on a roof and looks around in confusion. So the worst is over… or so she thought, because a blow hits her and throws her to the ground. Did she really think this flimsy trick of looking like a Slayer dead for two centuries would fool her, someone asks in strange English. Buffy looks up from the ground. A young, rather angry woman with a scythe in her hand stands over her (Fray, as we know). She is an even lower creature than a lurk, she tells Buffy to her face. Buffy looks at her and asks her to repeat that – in English, if possible.

To be continued…