Episode 9 - Wishes and Surprises
ACT FOUR
EXT. SUNNYDALE PLAYGROUND - NIGHT
from where we left off; Buffy and the General facing
each other off. Buffy takes out her stake.
BUFFY
Gee, and here I was thinking that
the night was going to be a complete
bust. At least I can end it on a
high note.
THE GENERAL
End is the right word slayer. How
old are you now? Twenty-one? That's
still so young isn't it? I bet you
think you still have several
lifetimes ahead of you.
BUFFY
I'll live longer than you.
THE GENERAL
See, right there! There's the
problem with young people. They
never look at the big picture. It's
just round the corner you know..
death. You just don't see it
because, well..
(motioning with his hands)
it's round the corner.
The General begins to pace confidently towards Buffy,
stopping about five metres short.
THE GENERAL
Human lives are so fragile, so,
well, short. Wouldn't you say? You
are born, you live, you die. There
hardly seems to be any time to take
it all in. And people seem to die so
suddenly don't they? And in so many
ugly ways. Tell me slayer, how do
you live with this knowledge, that
the darkness is just around the
corner, waiting to embrace you?
BUFFY
Oh God! Another poet.
THE GENERAL
God? What God? You all talk about
this beautiful white world that is
waiting for you, where your soul
will live out a peaceful, eternal
life.
The General begins to laugh. Then..
THE GENERAL
(with contempt)
Humans. Always trying to find some
way to make bearable their
existence. I had a best friend who
used to believe that. He was
studying to become a preist, at
least I think he was. It was such a
long time ago. He would tell me that
there was nothing to fear. That a
great kingdom awaited us all,
everyone from princes to paupers.
A pause before continuing, smiling to Buffy.
THE GENERAL
So, when I drank him, I remembered
to ask him before he died. I leaned
in close and whispered into his ear.
(whispering, as if
reliving the moment)
'What do you see?, what do you
see?'. I had to listen very hard to
hear him. Do you know what he said?
(a beat)
Nothing.. nothing.
Buffy's reaction shot - the General's words starting
to get to her.
THE GENERAL
There's nothing out there. It's all
a big joke. Believe me slayer, death
is not a state of perpetual
dreaming. All those precious
memories you hold so dear, all that
love you have saved up.. they'll all
dissapear. You will simply cease to
exist. You will become nothing more
than someone else's painful memory
and even that eventually fades.
The General stares menacingly at Buffy, moving in for
the kill.
THE GENERAL
Believe me slayer, when I plunge my
knife into your heart, all that will
be waiting for you is the cold,
black, lonely darkness that awaits
us all.
(a beat)
Ask your mother. She's there right
now.
Buffy reacts strongly to this last statment. The
General smiles and turns away from Buffy, starting to
walk away.
Buffy, furious, and without thinking, starts to rush
towards the General with her stake raised. The General
spins around and knocks her across the ground with his
hand.
Buffy slowly gets up from the ground, ready to face
the General again.
THE GENERAL
I see you're ready to play. Can't
wait to join her? Before you do, I
have a little surprise for you.
Since you were kind enough to send
me a gift tonight, I brought one
along for you as well. But what
exactly do you give a girl who has
everything? A slayer no less. What
would a slayer appreciate?
We see Flix enter from the side to stand by the
General. Flix smiles at Buffy.
THE GENERAL
So I brought along my little kitten
for you to play with.
(stroking Flix's hair
affectionately)
Maybe the two of you can get along.
BUFFY
(tensing up)
I'm ready.
THE GENERAL
Oh now wait! This isn't enough of a
present for a slayer on such a big
day. But, how could I top this
wonderful present? I can't possibly
find anything better. So, I went
ahead and got you another one, just
like it.
Cue : Big dramatic score. The General and Flix looks
behind Buffy. Buffy turns to see.. Trix. Flix's
identical twin. Buffy looks stunned.
THE GENERAL
(savouring his moment)
Surprise!
Flix and Trix vamp out and both start rushing towards
Buffy in opposite directions. Flix somersaults over
Buffy. While Buffy watches Flix through the air, Trix
slides and takes out Buffy's feet. Buffy falls to the
ground but immediately flips herself back up.
The fight starts in earnest. We see that Flix carries
her knife in her left hand and Trix carries her knife
in her right.
The twins are quick and deadly. They attack in unison,
One always trying to get behind Buffy while the other
fights in front.
Buffy fights with Flix, managing to get a few blows in
but Trix hits Buffy from behind. Buffy then fights
with Trix, but then Flix hits Buffy from behind. Buffy
gets slashed on her arm by Flix's knife.
Buffy finally gets a breather from fighting both of
them when she manages to kick Trix away, sending her
flying off into the distance.
Flix and Buffy, one-on-one. Flix seems to be enjoying
the fight as the two expertly counter each other's
moves, all flips, somersaults and flying kicks and
punches. Trix, having recovered, silently approaches
Buffy from behind with her knife raised. She swings
back, about to stab Buffy in the back. Flix sees Trix.
At the last moment, she kicks Buffy away from the path
of Trix's knife. Trix swings and misses badly. Flix
smiles at Trix and goes after Buffy. Trix snarls
angrily.
Flix catches up to an injured Buffy, who looks
unfocused. The two fight again. Buffy gets a few
punches in but misses with her stake. Flix, all
confidence, hits Buffy with a high kick, followed by a
leg sweep which brings Buffy down to the ground.
Buffy, on the ground, starts to raise her stake
towards Flix but Flix steps on Buffy's arm with her
foot, prying the stake loose. She then kneels on
Buffy's chest and has her pinned and immobilised. Flix
smiles in her moment of triumph.
ANGLE : TRIX
seeing Flix raising her knife about to stab Buffy.
ANGLE : BUFFY
helpless, pondering the moment of her death.
Suddenly, as Flix is about to bring the knife down
into Buffy, we see Trix fly into frame and tackle
Flix, knocking her off Buffy. The twins begin to fight
each other, rolling on the ground, all snarls, growls
and hisses.
ANGLE : THE GENERAL
seeing this, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
Buffy groggily gets up from the ground, takes a look
at the twins fighting and starts to hobble away.
THE GENERAL
(an angry father to his
misbehaving daughters)
Girls!
The twins look up, sees Buffy and rushes off towards
her.
Buffy has managed to reach the swings. She stands next
to one of the swings as Flix, with blinding speed,
rushes up in front of her. Buffy turns back to see
Trix behind her, slowly closing in.
Buffy looks tired and breathless, carrying her injured
arm. A tense moment as the three face each other off.
With a growl, Trix attacks, rushing in. Buffy kicks
the swing hard, sending it flying into Trix, knocking
her to the ground.
Flix attacks from behind. Buffy takes a step out of
the way as the swing returns back from hitting Trix.
As the swing passes her, she executes a spinning
round-house kick to the swing, knocking it hard in the
direction of the incoming Flix. The swing knocks Flix
to the ground.
We hear a loud horn off-screen and the sound of a car
speeding closer. Buffy turns to see.
ANGLE : GILES' CAR
through a high wire fence that separates the street
from the playground.
GILES
(in the car)
Buffy!
Buffy, gathering her last reserves of energy, runs
towards Giles. She leaps over Flix, who is still on
the ground. Flix reaches out and tries to grab her but
misses. The twins get up and chase after her.
Buffy leaps over the high fence in one bounding leap
and lands on the other side. She rushes into Giles'
car.
The twins, similarly, leap over the fence
effortlessly. Trix lands on the back of Giles' car as
it begins to speed off. Trix tries to hang on but
falls off. The twins watch Giles' car speed off into
the distance.
EXT. GILES' APARTMENT - NIGHT
to establish.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT - NIGHT
We see Buffy sitting on the couch, now holding on to a
bandaged arm. She looks disconsolate, and even
slightly embarassed. Giles is putting away the first-
aid kit, in the kitchen behind her.
BUFFY
Giles. How do I beat them? I keep
losing. I can't protect anyone, let
alone myself.
GILES
(entering from the
kitchen)
You cannot get discouraged Buffy.
They are vampires, so they have
weaknesses. We'll just have to..
BUFFY
(angry and frustrated)
Stop talking to me like I'm your
slayer. Talk to me.
Giles is taken aback. Unsure of her meaning.
BUFFY
You're the one who's been telling me
that there's more to life than
slaying, that I shouldn't spend all
my time on it, but..
(earnestly)
Why can't you be with me, like the
way you are with Tara?
GILES
Tara?
BUFFY
And Willow, and Dawn. All of them.
Why can't you pour me some tea? Why
can't you give me a hug every time
I'm sad? Giles, I need you too.
Giles stares at Buffy for a beat. Buffy can't hold his
gaze, feeling ashamed and weak. Giles considers,
then..
GILES
You are the slayer, you have..
Buffy groans, now wanting to listen to another
watcher/slayer speech.
GILES
You have a sworn duty to protect the
innocent. I am your Watcher, and as
such I have to keep a certain
distance. I have to always remind
myself that you are the slayer..
BUFFY
Giles. Stop.
GILES
(persisting, taking off
glasses)
I have to always remind myself that
you are the slayer, that you have
powers no other girl possesses..
(a change in the tone of
his voice, strained and
starting to break)
Because if I ever forget that you
are the slayer, I would take you
away from all this, leave Sunnydale
behind.
Buffy reaction shot, stunned - now looking intently at
Giles.
GILES
If I forget that you are the slayer,
I would go mad, knowing that every
night, I have to send you out there,
out there with.. with..
Giles fumbles for words but can't produce any. He
takes a beat to recompose himself, putting his glasses
back on.
GILES
So, it has to be so. There will
always be a part of me that has to
know that you are the slayer and
that I am your watcher, otherwise I
am not protecting you. This is the
best way of keeping you alive.
Buffy, if you ever got hurt..
Giles can go no further, a little overcome with
emotion.
Buffy gets up from the couch and walks slowly to
Giles. She stands in front of him, looking up at him
for a beat. She hugs him, resting her head on his
chest. Giles, slowly reaches around and hugs her back.
Buffy looks up again with an understanding smile, then
begins to walk away.
GILES
Buffy.
Buffy turns around.
GILES
You should also know that there will
always be a part of me that thinks
you are the bravest, most beautiful
daughter any father could have.
Buffy smiles gratefully, a little emotional.
INT. THE GENERAL'S MANSION/THRONE ROOM - NIGHT
We see the General walking with Sasha at the entrance
to the throne room.
SASHA
So, she got away.
THE GENERAL
For now. I am not concerned. She'll
be dealt with soon enough. Send out
the call.
SASHA
Really?
THE GENERAL
Yes. The slayer isn't the only one
who can find an assassin.
Sasha bows and exits. The General walks to his throne.
Flix and Trix enter, bickering away. The General puts
a hand on his temple, a migraine coming on.
FLIX
(to Trix)
It's your fault!
TRIX
You started it!
(to the General)
I had the slayer the first time when
her back was turned.
(pointing to Flix)
She deliberately pushed her away.
FLIX
Did not!
(to the General)
I don't know what she's talking
about. You saw her tackle me off the
slayer!
TRIX
Bitch.
Trix and Flix grapple with each other again, about to
enter another fight.
THE GENERAL
Stop it! Both of you.
The twins separate, but still giving each other the
evil eye.
THE GENERAL
(to Flix, indicating Trix)
Perhaps I was wrong to send for her.
I always get too sentimental at
Christmas. Would you really want me
to send her away again?
The twins immediately change their tone.
FLIX
No, please don't send her away.
TRIX
We'll be good.
THE GENERAL
That's better. Now, it was stupid
for both of you to fight each other
in the middle of fighting the
slayer. But I forgive you, because I
know you two will not fail me again.
The twins still look very dissapointed.
THE GENERAL
What is it?
FLIX
No one's ever escaped from us
before. She shouldn't still be
alive.
THE GENERAL
Not to worry. I have a feeling you
two will meet her again.
EXT. THE MAGIC BOX - DAY (DAY TWO)
to establish.
INT. THE MAGIC BOX - DAY
ANGLE : BUFFY
as she is looking down at something.
We PAN down to see what she is looking at. Her coat,
neatly folded and placed on the table.
She gently touches it, feeling the fabric.
GILES (O.S.)
Ready?
Buffy turns to see Giles, waiting near the open door.
BUFFY
(sad smile)
No.
She picks up her coat and walks to Giles. They exit.
EXT. SUNNYDALE CEMETERY - DAY
We see Buffy and Giles standing besides each other,
standing in front of Joyce's grave. Buffy slowly steps
forward while Giles waits.
BUFFY
Hi Mom. Sorry I haven't been around
so much. It's just that, I've been
so busy lately, you know, with all
the demons and vamp.. That's not
true, but I guess you already knew
that. You could always tell.
Buffy looks sadly down. She picks herself up again
after a beat.
BUFFY
I had a birthday yesterday. It was
great. Everyone was there. Presents
stacked up to the ceiling. I think
Anya brought me a cat, at least, I
hope it was a cat. Anyway, fun was
had by all. Almost made me forget
that.. you weren't there.
Another beat.
BUFFY
But that's not true either because,
I know you're still with me. You
haven't died because you live on in
me, because of how you've loved me
and raised me. People will stop me
in the street or at the mall and
say, "You remind me so much of your
mother"..
(Buffy smiles)
and I'll just smile.
Buffy looks down at her feet, trying to regain her
composure. She looks back up at the gravestone.
BUFFY
You'll always live on in me and
Dawn. And wherever you are right
now, I know that you're carrying a
part of us with you.. so I know that
you're not alone.
(a beat)
But I still miss you.
Buffy fights hard not to cry, trying to be strong.
BUFFY
(turning to Giles, pained,
softly)
That's all.
Giles walks up to her and puts an arm around her. They
walk away slowly.
BLACKOUT
END OF SHOW
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