BUFFY: We thought you'd want to be here.

PRINCIPAL WOOD: Yeah, you thought right.

DAWN: That emergency bag's got some neat stuff in it. Weapons, charms, (holds up the book) advanced reading assignments.

XANDER: Yeah, cool stuff, but we've seen it all before.

ANYA: Well, not this, we haven't. What's inside it?

PRINCIPAL WOOD: Mm, I don't know. It hasn't been opened since? Well, since now.

XANDER: Puppets. That's it! The First hates puppets! Now if we can just airlift Kermit, Fozzie the Bear, and Miss Piggy into town, the First'll be a-running.

WILLOW: Those are Muppets.

DAWN: And these things are shadow-casters. You put them in motion, and they tell you a story. (references the book) It says you can't just watch, you have to see.

ANYA: What the hell does that mean?

XANDER: It's cryptic. I don't like it. Every time instructions get cryptic, someone gets hurt?usually me.

BUFFY: You can't just watch, you have to see? See what?

DAWN: That's where all my fancy translating skills break down, but I think it's an origin myth. The story of the very first slayer.

BUFFY: I-I saw her.

PRINCIPAL WOOD: You saw the First Slayer?

BUFFY: The other night?in my dream. It's gotta mean something, right?

(... later ...)

DAWN: OK. According to this, I think?you put on those puppet guys one by one. They cast shadows and the shadows tell the story. First, there is the Earth.

KENNEDY: What's that sound?

XANDER: OK, so far, so creepy.

DAWN: Hmm. OK. Then, there came the demons. After demons, there came men. Men found a girl. And the men took the girl to fight the demon?all demons. They?they chained her to the Earth. And then?and I?I can't read this. Something about darkness.

BUFFY: What about darkness?

DAWN: It says you cannot be shown. You cannot just watch, but you must see. See for yourself, but only if you're willing to make the exchange.

XANDER: When did you get so good at Sumerian?

DAWN: It's not in Sumerian anymore. (the words on the pages of the book are magically changing into English)

XANDER: But what does it mean?

BUFFY: It means I have to go in there.

WILLOW: (panicky) No, it doesn't! Where does it say that? It doesn't say that!

PRINCIPAL WOOD: Buffy, you don't even know what you're exchanging. You don't know if you're ready yet.

BUFFY: That's the point.

WILLOW: No. Buffy, we don't know where you're going or how we'll get you back.

XANDER: Buffy, you can't.

WILLOW: How will we get you back?

BUFFY: Find a way. (jumps through the window of light; the portal closes behind her)

WILLOW: She's gone.

XANDER: Huh.

ANYA: What was that about an exchange?

(There's a flash of light, and then a large, growling demon appears.)

XANDER: Ah, this must be the exchange student.

(commercial)

KENNEDY: Willow! Use your magic. Send him back!

WILLOW: Um, trying. Redi!

(sent sprawling)

KENNEDY: Weapons.

(fight, sent sprawling)

SPIKE: (jumping on the demon) Get out of here?all of you. Unless you want to end up all dead and useless.

KENNEDY: What are you gonna do?

SPIKE: What I do best.

(fight, but Spike gets thrown up through the ceiling to the level above. Demon runs off)

DAWN: (to Kennedy) Are you injured?

KENNEDY: Just hurt. Don't make a case out of it. How 'bout you?

XANDER: I think we'll live.

ANYA: Except maybe Spike.

KENNEDY: Is getting thrown through the ceiling what he does best?

DAWN: I'll go check on him.

ANYA: We've got bigger problems than that.

PRINCIPAL WOOD: Yeah, demon loose; no slayer.

WILLOW: We need Buffy.

XANDER: You gotta get her back. Looks like it's spell'o'clock.

ANYA: Which spell? I mean, didn't you see that thing? And you expect to reopen the portal without sending Willow off the deep end?

WILLOW: Thanks for your support.

ANYA: Well, it's true. We're going to have to find another way.

WILLOW: There isn't, and Buffy knew it. I've got to get her back.

KENNEDY: We don't even know where she went.

• Slayerhood

written by: Douglas Petrie; originally transcribed by: CariCranberry. edited by me.. Full transcript at:
http://www.buffyworld.com/buffy/season7/transcripts/137_tran.php