Buffy would never have known about it, let alone acquired it, if Caleb and crew hadn't dug for it. I'd like to think they had some reason, but I've never come up with one. Just another plot hole, I guess.

Yeah, leaving it completely embedded in solid rock probably would have been a good way to keep Buffy away from it.

The only way I can make Season 7 make sense is if the First Evil's goal wasn't to end the Slayer line, but rather to end itself. In "Chosen" it said that once its übervamps outnumbered the remains of the human race, it would be able to take fleshy form of its own. In essence, it would be alive—and killable, if a powerful enough opponent and weapon were at hand. Its words to Willow once it revealed itself could be interpreted in that way:

Fact is, the whole good versus evil, balancing the scales thing—I'm over it. I'm done with the mortal coil. But believe me, I'm going for a big finish.

The only way I can make Season 7 make sense is if the First Evil's goal wasn't to end the Slayer line, but rather to end itself.

Whoa. Matt, that interpretation of the First's line to Willow is actually really cool.

Can you dig up any more support for it?

I like that Matt.

It's the First Evil after all, it's probably tired.

And SURELY Buffy of all people would leave anyone she had reason to believe was in heaven well enough alone.....

That too. I don't think Buffy would put Tara through what she went through just to give Willow a happy. It is an idea that I am glad did not work out, as throwing things at the screen would be a minimal appropriate response.

(So what do you guys think Buffy would spend her one wish on?)

Jenny was not a witch.

I was using the term loosely, but you are right.

That too. I don't think Buffy would put Tara through what she went through just to give Willow a happy.

Well, it would be a reality altering wish- I'd assume that the wish may not be that Tara would be brought to life, but that Tara had never died?

ETA: This would mess up mountains of other things, I know. Still not an endorsing it. Besides the huge Squee I'd have made at the time of execution, in the long run it wouldn't work.

(So what do you guys think Buffy would spend her one wish on?)

You know, I kind of like the shoe thing. She could wish for pumps that really are just as comfortable as sneakers!

I like the shoe thing, too. It fits in with what the series has put forth about how wishing really can frig up reality. You can't anticipate all the consequences of granting any wish, but the smaller, and more inconsequential the wish, the less likely it would seem to cause harm.

Although then, it would really be cool if the shoes she wished for triggered some kind of apocalypse, because the person who would have otherwise gotten that pair of shoes then fails to do something, and a big bad is somehow triggered.

Oh. Season 8!

You can't anticipate all the consequences of granting any wish, but the smaller, and more inconsequential the wish, the less likely it would seem to cause harm.

My first thought with the wishing for the comfortable shoe is: she wouldn't be able to bear living with one style of shoe forever! Also, would she have to qualify the wish with "shoes that won't wear out?"

My theory of how we get to Fray-verse.

There's this (metaphorical) kitchen sink with a leaky faucet and the drain plugged that is the resevior of Slayer power. Normally, tptb take a dipper and dispense power to the new Slayer when she is called. The Chosen spell pulled the plug from the drain, dispensing water to all the Potentials. This, however, more or less used up the resevior.

Eventually, they'll figure this out, and, in trying to come up with a fix, will do the Big Spell that Makes the Magic go away. One of the effects of this will be to re-stopper the sink, allowing the Slayer power to begin to replenish itself again. When whatever seal was keeping the magic out gets breached (sometime near-Fray), it will also allow the re-establishment of the Slayer line.

I think Buffy would wish for a steady income for the rest of her life, that did not involve dealing with dead things. Although, given her dealings with Vengence Demon wishes, the shoes are less risky.

didn't someone say, "From now on, every girl who can be a slayer, will be a slayer," or something like that? I think that's the bit that did the jossing of Fray

Damn. Buffy said that. So much for my wank. I like DebetEsse's much better.

(So what do you guys think Buffy would spend her one wish on?)

Sans shoes.