The AU-ness that is Out

So... what really is so AU (Alternate Universe) about this version of the Buffyverse? Besides being set in the "Stargate Universe" ?

I had originally planned on making only a few changes to the story for the first three years. But changing Willow... causes a lot of other things to happen in a huge chain reaction. And once I started those changes... other things started to end up being changed. Oops. ";->"

Warning! Potential Story Spoilers!

Yes, story spoilers... the following information will all end up in the story at some point.

The Simple things - The changes to characters

1. Willow came/comes 'out' before the story even starts (that was the original challenge). Notice how things quickly cascade away from canon from there...
   • This obviously affects how Buffy and Willow meet. And how Willow finds out Buffy is the slayer - Willow doesn't wander off with a vampire at the Bronze (See Part I)

   • What happens in "I Robot, You Jane" will be different (not sure how yet)

   • Oz won't be getting any "Willow smoochies" (and how he becomes part of the Scoobie gang will be different)

   • Due to a lack of Willow-Xander smoochies Cordelia won't make the wish that creates the alternate-universe of the canon "The Wish" -- which means Vampire Willow won't happen. And Anyanka won't appear in Sunnydale (at least not for that reason).
2. Dawn is real. I'm not sure yet how that'll affect things but if she's the Key we won't find that out for over 4 years. For now she's the annoying, nosy younger sister who finds out about vampires long before Joyce does.
3. Xander? Pretty much the same... without the whole rabid anti-vampire thing (He doesn't have to dust Jesse) but a bit more competent than he was in canon.
4. Jesse - dies/disappears right from the beginning. But not necessarily vamped. (Darla might run off with him...)
5. Darla - she won't be hanging around after the "Harvest" falls through.
6. Joyce - no changes from canon - except a little tougher on Buffy (She hasn't forgotten the Hemery troubles Buffy had... even if she doesn't believe the vampire excuse.)
7. Buffy - not a lot of changes (other than ramifications of Halloween). She isn't going to fall for Angel so quickly. If at all. She also tries harder to fit into school. Still not happy with the 'Slayer gig'
8. Giles - a little more competent appearing than he was in the first few episodes of the series. And not quite as lost/clueless about how teenagers think (his cluelessness never really made sense to me -- you would think a Watcher would understand the teenage girls who become slayers a bit better. (I think Kendra was a throw-back to older slayer training methods).
9. Jenny Calendar -- no idea yet... I don't think she's going to keep her knowledge of Angel's curse a secret from Giles (at least). Not sure yet if she'll make it through the first 3 years or not.
10. Angel -- I haven't decided yet... he'll still do the 'falling love with the slayer' thing... but it won't turn out exactly as it did in the series. (Right now I'm thinking 'Ethan Raine spell' as the reason Angel and Buffy get together and he loses his soul.)
11. Kendra -- she still dies when Angelus goes on a rampage... no change there.
12. Faith? -- not as wild/suicidal as she was in Season 3. When she shows up in Sunnydale, being chased by Kakistos, her watcher (who was in the hospital after their first encounter with him) follows. So... there is tension between Buffy/Faith but she never "goes over" to the dark side. Which means the entire encounter with the Mayor will be different. Maybe.
13. Others?
    • Hank Summers - I don't think he'll survive Buffy's "Angelous Season"
    • Oz - see above. He'll be a Scoobie (they take him in after discovering the whole werewolf thing)
    • Spike and Druscilla - Haven't decided if they'll be any different than canon. No reason for them to be different.
    • Ethan Rayne (sp?) - no changes needed - still the annoying chaos-centric magic user.
    • Tara - not sure she'll appear... would need a good reason for her to end up in Colorado post-graduation. Maybe she runs away and joins the Air Force instead of going to Sunnydale?
    • Riley - not sure. Probably won't appear or Buffy won't meet him.
    • Dr. Walsh and other Initiative types - no idea. Not expected to appear. No point if we aren't in Sunnydale.

Timeline/Location changes

Not much different...

• Buffy still runs away after her junior year... not sure about the "Why" yet... might involve a dead father/guilt.

• The MAJOR change is that the story moves to Colorado after the gang graduates from High School. (Details in the outline for the crossover that follows this story) So nothing from Seasons 4-7 happen. At least not exactly...

• Haven't decided if Joyce/Dawn/Xander will stay in Sunnydale.

• The Hellmouth? Might be closed (during the battle with the mayor). Might not. This'll affect the Initiative the most (Not many demons).