I've revised the outline. I've changed the consequences of resurrection and used that to create long-term story issues and more importantly, smoothed out Willow's descent into darkness to make her more sympathetic and believable. I've also added episode titles indicating the themes of the episodes and tried to tie in the episode's scenes with those themes to improve cohesiveness. Everyone, let me know how you like it.
1-3: Substitute Slayers
Scoobies deal with Buffy's death: feelings of anger and denial, especially from Willow. W/T worry about Dawn growing to accept Buffybot as her sister. Giles returns to England, where he explains the situation to the Watcher's Council. As rough background, we learn that another Slayer has been called (although I don't plan on featuring yet another Slayer in the story arc.)
Lots of talking between Willow and Tara as to what they are going to do about the hellmouth and Buffy. Tara is obviously unhappy with the prospect of resurrection given the dangers but Willow is adamant that they have to do it given that Buffy may be in hell. Willow locates the Urn spell noting that it is one of only a few ?guaranteed? resurrection spells (i.e. they bring back the person correctly with no chance of going wrong as long as the spell is performed properly) ? the only other she?s found requires three fresh human hearts. She and Tara work on collecting the ingredients. Willow searches for the Urn unsuccessfully until she is given an address from Willy the Snitch, which takes her to Rack, who gives it to her in return for something slightly bad from the MB, a small taint of corruption to draw her closer to him.
Elsewhere, we see the girls working hard to fend off demons etc. Willow's constant use of powerful magic is leaving her drained and tired and she is unable to save some innocents who are subsequently killed. This sparks a major blame in Willow that she wasn't good enough and must become more powerful in order to protect the people she loves from harm, and sets up the main story arc.
4: Beyond Death
On Samhain, the gang digs up Buffy's coffin and performs the resurrection spell successfully. All of them are tested mentally/spiritually, seeing dark visions from beyond death which hint at possibilities for what happens at the end of this season, including a vision of Dark Willow for Tara. Anya sees visions from her past as a VD, which upset her now to her surprise. Buffy is weak and disoriented when she returns; all the Scoobies are shaken by what they've seen. Tara patches Buffy up and takes care of her at the Summers' house while the others finish the cleanup from the spell.
The spell works perfectly, but as a necessary, unavoidable consequence of its success, Willow has weakened the barrier between life and death. Not only will resurrections be easier in the future, but undead are more strongly connnected to life. No longer can a normal person stake a vampire, though Slayers still have the strength to force a stake through now hard bone to destroy the no-longer rotten but rather tough heart muscle. They're more human inside and more like Kakistos as far as the effort required to kill one with a stake. It's also easier for a vamp to be created, with any vamp bite causing sickness, eventual death, and raising as a vamp. The Scoobies don't know this yet.
5: Alive
Spike/Dawn learn that Buffy is back, Giles returns from the UK, and A/X announce their engagement. Everyone's happy, though a little worried about Buffy's weakness which W assures them is normal. Giles confronts W about the spell, ranting about the dangers, talking about the possibility of bringing something else back, perhaps even Glory. W doesn't listen to him because of his tone and she knows none of that happened, but she's still upset. At bedtime, after Willow asserts that everything's fine, she responds to T telling her that this is the place where she doesn't have to be brave. She tells T about her fight with Giles and T tells W that she felt something happen during the spell, like something metaphysical breaking. T's worried.
6: Drained
Willow heads up patrol again, while Buffy rests at home with Dawn and Tara. They're going to keep using Buffybot while Buffy's weak. She narrowly escapes a vamp with a stake sticking out of its sternum from where Xander staked it but couldn't reach the heart. All the vamps are hard to slay, but they're still found in normal quantities. After patrol, the Scoobies get together at the MB to research the new vamp problem. Spike confesses that he feels different somehow.
W makes up an excuse to leave the research party and seeks out Rack, as she was impressed with his knowledge/power. He gives her a talisman which lets her drain the lifeforce/magick (they're really the same thing as we can see from the end of s6) from another person to use for her own magic. Unbeknowst to both of them, it's more powerful now that Willow has weakened the laws of life, making lifeforce easier to transfer. This will later cause Rack to be shocked by W's power. W goes to the graveyard/hellmouth to collect ambient/remnant lifeforce/magic that lingers in places of death/magic with the talisman and finds her telekinesis greatly improved, easily allowing her to stake a vamp now. Her other magicks are also easier to use and stronger.
Tara/Buffy talk while Willow's away, and Buffy and Spike begin to grow closer. Buffy tells him that she was in heaven.
7: Family Reprise
As a pace break, a proper-Tara origin episode dealing with her abusive family, her mother, and most significantly, the way in which she was taught to respect magic. This is intercut with Willow using her own magic to fend off more monsters, on her own. A one point, she is jumped by some muggers and uses her new ability to drain them. Disturbed by what she's done, Willow temporarily worries, feeling that she lost control, but rationalises that they deserved it.
Dawn deals with her feelings about the depressed Buffy who has returned, having been happier this summer with Tara and Willow as her mothers and Buffybot as her big sister. They've deactivated the Buffybot (except on patrol?) because of Buffy's return and Dawn's upset about that too. Buffy discovers this feelings, either directly or by overhearing, and is devestated.
8: Tempted.
More closeness between Spike and Buffy ? they kiss. Dawn/Tara go out for movies and milkshakes by themselves and talk about Dawn and Tara's family issues from last chapter. More Xanya development and a few scenes in which we see Willow and Tara discussing events, but Willow does not disclose about her little visit to Rack's. Tara discovers the talisman and feels its dark power; Willow tries to explain but eventually gives in and says she'll get rid of it.
9: Altered.
Willow goes to Rack to return the talisman, not wanting to but wanting Tara more than the magic. He takes it back, then shows her how she can access the lifeforce of people/places without it. Using the talisman has changed her ability to access magic, giving her this new ability but causing her to lose her old way.
Spike and Buffy grow closer, Spike discovering that his chip doesn't activate against Buffy. They think that means there's something wrong with Buffy, but the chip is just a simple computer which has concluded that anyone walking around now who was dead before must be a vampire or demon of some sort. Humans don't do that.
The Scoobs (sans Spuffy) try to deal with the vampire menace, which is growing serious as their numbers increase due to vampiric saliva now converting people. Willow manages to cast the "ball of sunlight" spell, but not before Tara is bitten by one of the vamps. They worry but not seriously til next chapter.
10: Sickened
Buffy wakes up in the morning feeling different and disgusted with herself for sleeping with Spike. She beats the crap out of him (for want of a better phrase) and flees home to learn of all of last night?s events. When she returns home, she finds Willow/Dawn tending a sick, semiconscious Tara who's raving about blood and death in the moments she can talk. Buffy's upset with herself for not being on patrol, but acquiesces to Willow's Scooby leadership.
The Scoobies research the problem, with another visit to Rack for Willow. They find a solution together and finally understand what's happened with vampires, but Willow has to secretly drain Amy's magic to have the power to heal Tara and prevent her from becoming a vamp. Amy may be stuck as a rat since her magic was needed to maintain her mind/spirit in the animal form. This healing is only possible because it's easier to transfer lifeforce/magic due to Willow's weakening of the barrier in Buffy's resurrection. There are good consequences as well as bad ones.
11: Broken
Buffy continues to go to Spike for sex, then beats him up afterwards. Spike is understandably getting very messed up ideas about their ?relationship? especially due to the fact that Buffy repeatedly says that he cannot love without a soul.
W/T try to cast a spell together and it fails badly, with Willow accidentally draining a bit of Tara's power. Willow can no longer use magic cooperatively with another caster. Tara's upset and hurt, asking Willow what she's done to herself. Willow says she did it all to save Tara.
Willow realizes that Dawn is a huge power source with her new abilities. Dawn is willing to help Willow as a battery of sorts to save people from vamps, but also comes up with the idea of Willow about resurrecting her mother, maybe even Tara's mother, Dawn having learned about her in chapter 7, now that the barrier is weakened.
With the weakening of the laws of life, vamps are too numerous and hard to kill so Willow needs more power on patrol. Vamps kill the reactivated Buffybot on patrol and Dawn is hurt by its loss, upsetting Buffy even more. The world begins to take on hints of the Wishverse at night. The current mayor makes an agreement with the vamps, ceding part of Sunnydale to them at night.
12: Consumed
Willow confronts the mayor about his deal with the vamps. She uses mind control magic here with the mayor, against someone she feels is evil, selling out humanity to the bloodsuckers. Controlling the Mayor, Willow has effectively taken over the human part of Sunnydale for the forces of Good as she still considers herself. She uses her power to squash child services' attempt to take Dawn away. Tara is happy even as she's worried about Willow's actions.
13-19: Divided
The rift between the Scoobies begins, with each person choosing sides. Some Scoobies support Willow's darker actions as the situation with the vamps grows worse, but Buffy tries to take back her leadership after she learns from Tara what Willow's doing.
The Scoobies have dealt with a single superstrong villain many times, but numbers are a different issue, especially as the vamps start affecting people they know: parents, old friends from high school/college (Jonathan, perhaps Tara turns back to the Wicca group as she grows apart from Willow and finds someone there who could help her then be attacked.)
By episode 19, Willow and Tara have broken up and the last of the Scoobies has stopped following Willow's leadership. Willow is forced to contemplate finding a permanent, universal solution to the situation in Sunnydale as she can't keep up this fight every night alone. She knows what to do (restore the barrier) but she needs power and lots of it, leading to episode 20.
20: Hellmouth
Willow seeks out the ultimate source to draw power from: the Hellmouth. She defeats the Scoobies who oppose her, dark magicks being the best for combat purposes, but does everything she can to avoid hurting them. She's devastated that she's had to fight Tara and carries a weakened, defeated Tara home to place on the bed that used to be theirs. Willow kisses Tara on the forehead as she sleeps and promises her that she'll make everything right with her new power.
21-22: Finale
Willow tries to solve the weakening of the barrier btw life and death with powerful dark magick, justifying her means by her end. It's hard to restore/heal with dark magicks, but it's easy to fight so she defeats all the Scoobies again, except for Tara who she tearfully confronts, asking her why they have to fight like this. She tells Tara that Tara doesn't have the power for this; they have to do it Willow's way.
Tara says she does and opposes Willow with an alternate solution involving giving/healing/restoring the balance involving skill/love that doesn't require the sheer raw power that Willow has taken. However, it still requires enough power to drain Tara's entire lifeforce, but she's willing to make that sacrifice for the world and to restore Willow.
With the beginnings of the restoration of the barrier btw life/death, Willow's power is no longer vampiric and she's able to give Tara the support she needs to complete the spell without dying.
--
"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit." -- "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."
Edited by: darkmagicwillow at: 5/9/03 9:37:41 am
). Of course, you can put Willow through anything to get her there except for the obvious. Tara is to stay happy and healthy (although angst is more than welcome). As per rules, the ideas must end with the continuation of W/T the couple in their own bodies, alive and with each other. Not to say that it has to end on a positive note (say if you pull in an apocalypse or Willow does something bad with her magic) but happy is good. If this thread is successful we can come up with our own W/T S7 and if you like you could deal with any angst issues there without explanation. (i.e. W/T get back together around 2nd Alternate S7 ep.)
(i just can't hide it) 
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and I'm really looking forward to this 
