Episode 1 - Ripples
ACT FOUR
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Picking up from where we left off, the three hell-dogs
attack. Buffy evades the first hell-dog but is knocked
down by the second.
The Noe'cha demon gets up from the undergrowth and
heads for the cave.
Buffy gets up and spins around just in time to catch
hell-dog #1 attacking from behind her. She ducks and
stabs it with her sword. Hell-dog#1 collapses after it
lands.
Hell-dog #3 is about to attack when the Noe'cha demon
emits another chirping sound. It immediately stops and
rushes towards the demon. They both enter the cave.
Meanwhile, Buffy is preoccupied with hell-dog#2. It
attacks and knocks Buffy's sword away from her.
It knocks Buffy to the ground again and jumps on top
of her.
It is about to bite down on Buffy's neck when she
kicks it away with her legs. It lands awkwardly into
some bushes.
Buffy scrambles to her feet and runs for the sword.
Hell-dog #2 regains its bearings and starts to charge
Buffy down from behind her.
Buffy can sense the creature getting closer and closer
behind her as she nears the sword.
The hell-dog gets very close and leaps at Buffy.
In one motion, Buffy dives for the sword, picks it up
and rolls over to face the incoming hell-dog. The
hell-dog lands on the sword and falls dead on top of
Buffy.
Buffy takes a little moment to regain her composure
and then pushes the carcass off her and gets up.
Taking the sword with her, she cautiously enters the
cave. It is dark.
INT. CAVE - DAY
Suddenly, hell-dog #3 comes out of nowhere and rushes
past Buffy and into the woods. Buffy considers chasing
after it for a moment but decides to go on.
She enters a sub-section of the cave where it looks
like it has been lived in. It is lighted by candles
and there are some bones lying scattered around the
floor. It is quiet.
Buffy creeps forward, looking for the demon. There are
shadows everywhere. She sees something ahead of her
that catches her attention.
We see her POV - a somewhat irregular shape jutting
out from one of the walls. Buffy inches forward, sword
pointed at the shape.
The flickering candle light weakly illuminates the
wall, giving us brief glimpses of what may be a face.
Suddenly, Buffy stops and swings her sword around, and
strikes at something behind her in the wall to the
left of her.
We follow the blade of the sword to reveal it embedded
in the chest of the camouflaged demon, who unmasks
itself. Buffy pulls out the sword and the demon falls
to the ground, facing up.
Buffy bends over the body and starts searching its
hands for the ring but she cannot find it.
NOE'CHA DEMON
(in a raspy, inhuman
voice)
It is too late.
Buffy is startled, quickly points the sword at the
demon.
BUFFY
Where is it? Where's the ring? Who
sent you?
The demon grins.
NOE'CHA DEMON
He will see what I have seen.
The demon grunts and winces in pain. Death is closing.
Buffy lets the sword drop, looks at the demon's blood
now spreading on the cave floor and back up to the
demon's face.
BUFFY
(emotionless)
You're dying.
The demon does not react. It just stares back at Buffy
for a beat.
NOE'CHA DEMON
(with great effort)
They are coming.
With those words, the demon smiles triumphantly. It
dies, its eyes never closing.
Buffy sits and stares into its dead eyes for a long
time.
INT. WILLOW AND TARA'S ROOM - NIGHT
Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and Dawn are here, moving
in Willow's stuff. The boxes are beginning to pile up.
Willow and Tara are in the center of the room,
unpacking some boxes while the others are coming in
and out with more boxes.
Anya enters holding a box.
ANYA
(to Willow)
Where does this go?
WILLOW
Why don't you put it over there..
um.. next to the other box.
ANYA
(sees where Willow is
pointing and noting the
lack of space)
On top of the other box.
Anya goes to put the box away. Willow makes an
apologetic face to Tara. Tara just smiles. Dawn enters
the room with yet another box.
DAWN
This is the last of them.
ANYA
Finally. When exactly did the Scooby
Gang become a moving company?
TARA
(to Dawn and Anya)
Thanks guys, you know, for helping
out.
DAWN
(happily)
No problem
ANYA
I mean, first we moved Buffy into
her new dorm room, and then out
again and then Xander..
WILLOW
Where's Xander?
Xander enters the room, uncomfortably hugging his
large overcoat.
XANDER
You called, fair witch? I believe I
have something for you.
Xander opens his overcoat and hands Amy (in her cage)
to Willow. Willow gratefully accepts.
WILLOW
Oh Amy. Welcome to your new home.
(introducing Amy to Miss
Kitty)
Amy the rat, Miss Kitty the cat.
XANDER
(Xander takes off his
coat)
I hope Amy appreciates what I had to
go through to get her in here. Don't
really wanna walk through here again
dressed like a flasher.
(looking at his coat)
plus, cleaning bills.
Willow puts Amy on the bed. Dawn sits on the bed,
plays with Amy and looks around the room.
WILLOW
(cheerily)
So, that's all the boxes! And see,
plenty of room for all.
CUT TO
a wide shot, showing everyone looking around and
showing just how little room there is, in fact, left
in Tara and Willow's room. There are boxes everywhere.
Polite silence from all. Silence is broken when Anya,
who is surrounded by boxes, accidentally knocks into
one of them when she looks around, but manages to
catch it and quietly places it back.
XANDER
(to Willow and Tara)
So, I guess we'd better leave you
two to unpack.
ANYA
Yes, it would be better if you got
an early start.
XANDER
(to Dawn)
Dawnster, you ready to go?
DAWN
(to Willow and Tara)
How come there's only one bed? I
mean, where's Willow gonna sleep?
Nervous looks all around. An uncomfortable beat.
ANYA
(proudly stepping up to
the plate)
Well, you see little girl. Say you
put two girl puppies in the same
room, and then you lock them in
and..
TARA
(cutting in, sitting next
to Dawn)
Um.. Willow and I are going to sleep
together.. in the same bed.
More silence.
DAWN
(brightly)
Cool.
(to Willow and Tara,
sincerely)
Thanks for letting me help.
Dawn hugs both Willow and Tara.
DAWN
See ya.
Dawn exits.
WILLOW
That went fairly well.
XANDER
(cheekily, to Tara)
So Tara, could you say that again,
you know, what you said to Dawn?
ANYA
(dragging Xander by the
arm)
Come on. We're leaving.
XANDER
Bye.
TARA
Bye.
WILLOW
Thanks again for the help.
Xander and Anya leaves leaving Willow and Tara alone
in their room. Willow looks nervously around the room.
WILLOW
Tara, I'm really sorry about this. I
didn't realise there were so many.
TARA
That's Okay. You know I'll always
make room for you. Things will just
be a little snug, that's all.
WILLOW
(flirtingly)
The snugglier the better.
TARA
I would have been fine, you know,
with moving into your room. You
didn't have to settle with mine.
WILLOW
But this is our room. I think it has
always been our room, you know, ever
since..
Willow doesn't have to finish. Tara knows. She smiles.
WILLOW
Besides, I'm safe here.
TARA
(suddenly remembering
something)
Oh! Close your eyes.
WILLOW
(smiling)
What?
TARA
Honey, just close them.. and put out
your hands.
Willow does so. Tara goes off-screen to get something,
comes back and puts something in Willow's hands.
TARA
(softly)
Open.
Willow opens her eyes, sees what is in her hands. It
is the Miss Kitty cushion from the shop.
WILLOW
Miss Kitty! You got me Miss Kitty
cushion!
TARA
Think of it as a housewarming
present.
WILLOW
(overwhelmed)
Tara, thank you. I can't tell you
how much..
Willow doesn't finish. She goes up and hugs Tara.
WILLOW
(a little more subdued)
Its kinda been a rough few days.
TARA
I know.
Tara puts her arms around Willow and holds her close.
TARA
Not everyone will get it, you know,
what we have. They don't want to see
it, even if it's something so simple
as love, as affection, as intimacy.
And they can be mean and hurtful. We
just have to remember that the pain
won't last because we know we will,
always and forever.
Willow is deeply touched. She smiles and walks away
from Tara.
TARA
Where are you going?
WILLOW
I wanna give you my housewarming
present.
CUT TO : DORM HALLWAY LOOKING IN TO WILLOW AND TARA'S
ROOM.
Willow reaches the open door. She is in the foreground
on the right side of the screen and Tara is in the
background on the left.
TARA
You bought me a present?
WILLOW
(smiling)
No.
Tara gets it. She starts smiling as Willow closes the
door and blocks out the room from our view.
EXT. SUNNYDALE CEMETERY/JOYCE'S GRAVE - NIGHT
We see Buffy, dressed in a dark overcoat, tentatively
approaching Joyce's grave. She steps over to it very
slowly, very cautiously. There is a pained expression
on her face. She slowly reaches out her hand and
touches the headstone. Her hand recoils upon feeling
how cold it is.
BUFFY
(quietly)
Where are you?
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
We see a hell-dog running through the bushes and
undergrowth. It runs with purpose, knowing exactly
where it is going. It enters a large cave.
INT. CAVE - NIGHT
From someone's POV, we watch the hell-dog enter a
brightly lit room in the cave. The hell-dog walks up
to us, exhausted. We see a old, withered white hand
reach down and pat the hell-dog on its head. The hand
then reaches inside its mouth and retrieves something
from it. The hand brings it up to the light so we can
see what it is. A ring, glowing green, pulsating on
and off.
BLACK OUT
END OF SHOW