Name: Kristen aka daydreamer Email: aurora-d@moose-mail.com Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters on Buffy or Angel. Nor, do I own anything to do with the movie Monsters Inc. Only this humble plot belongs to me. Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Cordy/Angel, Dawn/Connor, Fred/Gunn, Buffy/Xander Spoilers: S3 of Angel, S6 of Buffy, heavy mentions of the Monsters Inc. movie. This is AU. All changes are explained in the story, but if you have questions feel free to email me or leave your question in a review. Summary: Angel/Buffy/Monsters Inc. Crossover. Mike and Sully go to Cordy, who they knew as Boo, when there's trouble that reaches from Monstropolis to LA and the rest of the world. Distribution: Your Mission, TTH, Unnatural, FFNet. Anywhere else? Just ask. Feedback: Is much appreciated. Is anyone still reading this?

Part 7

Willow stood in the courtyard late at night waiting for a dragon to appear. Everyone but the most determined researchers, namely Giles and Wesley, were in bed by now so Willow was all alone for what felt like the first time in a long time. The last time was before Tara died. Before they got back together. She had been living with Buffy and Dawn at the time so she technically wasn't completely alone but she might as well have been. All of the Scoobies had drifted so far apart that year, not talking, so caught up in their own problems that they might as well have been alone for all the interacting they did.

After Tara died and Willow tried to end the world she had gone to England and the coven with Giles. She had hardly been alone for a moment though she wanted to be. She had wanted to be left alone completely. Willow hadn't wanted to go on and at first she had resented mightily everyone who wouldn't let her go.

She had hardly been back from England and reunited with everyone before they had left for LA, and from there, to this strange dimension that powered everything with laughter. It was a wonderful way of doing things Willow thought, and she'd hound Monsters Inc. on how to do it if she thought it had a chance of being implanted in their own world. But if solar power and other harmless methods hadn't caught on everywhere by now it was highly unlikely the world would welcome laughter as an energy source any more than they'd welcomed the others.

And that was even supposing they averted this apocalypse so that there was a world to go back to.

Willow sighed. Her mind was determined to be pessimistic tonight. She should have her mind focused on what she'd be doing tonight instead.

But, what if it didn't work? Or worse, didn't have the intended effect. What if all that vampire violence wasn't released on each other but on humans back on earth? What if she failed? Which brought her right back to what if they couldn't stop this apocalypse? They had stopped so many before. Statistics and the law of averages meant they were bound to fail eventually. What if this apocalypse was the one? The one they were meant to lose?

Her inner Willow protested at that. She wore a resolve face too so Willow listened. Maybe that good track record meant they would win this time too. How many times had they beaten the odds? How many times had they won the unwinnable fight? If she went into this expecting to lose, she would. There was no doubt about that.

Self-chastisement over, Willow went back to watching the skies.

********

Dawn had claimed fatigue and gone to bed a while ago leaving only Wesley and Giles to research. Fred had already been forced to bed by Gunn when he pointed out that even she couldn't possibly read her notes now. Fred had looked at them in surprise and been forced to concede agreement. It had gotten very shaky with fatigue and looked much worse than usual.

Dawn was on the floor on the other side of her bed from the door. She hadn't been willing to use a light and risk anyone coming in to investigate why she was still up if they saw it. She might, if she were lucky, convince them she was doing more research. Technically she was, but that might bring up questions of why she wasn't doing it downstairs where all of the research into their problem was taking place or what exactly she was researching. Dawn didn't want anyone to know she was researching herself. If they really hadn't thought of using her Dawn saw no reason to suggest it. If she could, Dawn was perfectly willing to provided the method didn't involve herself or her sister dying.

So there she was, huddled on the floor with her books out of sight of anyone who would come in, with only a witchlight surrounding her and her books providing enough light to read by, but hopefully not enough o attract attention. She had been at this for a couple days now and was getting frustrated. For an object that was hyped to be pretty powerful there was a surprisingly small amount of information on it.

Dawn sighed. She supposed that was the monks' fault. After going to such lengths to protect it they probably didn't want a lot of information about it to fall into Glory's hands or the hands of others who might be tempted to seek it.

"The least they could have done was send me with a user's manual," Dawn muttered, irritated. "How am I supposed to find out anything useful?"

Dawn cast a glance at the clock. She'd give it another hour or two before she quit for the night. All this research with no progress was starting to make her grumpy. Better not add insufficient rest to it or she'd be dangerously cranky tomorrow. And that wouldn't help anything.

It was just so frustrating! Dawn hadn't found out anything she didn't already know. She could be used to open dimensions; she was quite old and powerful; and Glory could have used her only at that particular moment and way that night two years ago. No mention of exactly how old she was, or who created the key, and what else she could be used for. Just how powerful was she? What other powers did she have? Who created the key? Why wasn't this stuff written down somewhere? Dawn had plenty of questions and no answers. There was more info about the monks and the knights themselves than there was about what they were trying to save or destroy respectively. Dawn couldn't ignore the feeling that she needed to know this stuff and soon. She didn't know what she would do if the info wasn't in the books she had.

Dawn picked up the book titled Mysterious and Mystical Objects: The Properties and Manifestations of Mystical Relics once more.

********

Willow was wishing she had thought to mention her worry about the spell's results before. How come no one else had thought of the potential pitfalls either? She played nervously with the necklace around her neck.

She supposed everyone had too many other things on their mind to think of it. Unfortunately, that meant Willow had to think of a solution herself and quickly before Casimir arrived.

A shielding spell would work best. Something that would confine them until its results were carried out... Unfortunately, they'd notice that and it might keep them united long enough to try to escape and focus the spell's effects on the people who had confined them. It would also alert them to the fact that someone was trying to stop them. They'd lose the advantage of surprise, and without a plan to avert this apocalypse... Well, using the shielding spell might convince Randall to start the apocalypse early. Willow didn't know how they would stop him if that happened.

No, they needed this spell to work, and work secretly, on its intended targets. It would buy them the time they needed to figure this out.

Maybe she could tune the spell so it would only focus on the inhabitants of the building? That might work. It wouldn't be able to affect any vamps or monsters not in the building at the time she cast the spell. However, after the spell had taken effect any remaining vamps or monsters should still be a manageable number.

Relieved that the solution was so simple Willow's fingers dropped her necklace. Just in time too, as wingbeats announced Casimir's arrival. It was probably not wise to act nervous in the presence of a dragon. Especially one as fierce looking as this one.

The dragon was black, just as Frank had said he would be. Even knowing this dragon's job, after being around monsters like Frank and Benson, even Sully, Willow had expected Casimir wouldn't be very intimidating for a dragon.

Boy, was she wrong.

He wasn't just black, he was blaaack. He seemed darker than the night if that were possible. The moonlight made his claws and the horns on his head gleam with menace. And when he spoke to ask if she was ready, Willow glimpsed an impressive number of large, pointy looking teeth.

For a moment Willow felt like little red riding hood. My what big teeth you have Grandma.

"All the better to eat you with, my dear."

Willow jumped and let out a terrified, "Eep!" It took a few minutes for her to be able to hear anything over her pounding heart and realize the dragon was laughing at her. Now she was confused.

"I'm sorry," the dragon finally said. "I thought you were joking when you said that so you wouldn't mind if I joined in." He grinned ruefully. "Not many people joke with a dragon like me."

Willow was glad the darkness hid her blush. She hadn't realized she had said that out loud. "Oh. Um..." She decided to just ignore what had happened and hope he wouldn't mention it again. Some Scooby she was, she thought in amusement. "I'm Willow."

The dragon bowed his head in acknowledgement. "I am Casimir."

Willow picked up the small bag and started walking towards him. "That's an interesting name. Does it mean anything?"

Casimir nodded and smiled proudly. Willow thankfully didn't flinch at the sight of all those teeth this time. "It means great destroyer."

Looking at him, Willow thought it was a well-chosen name.

Casimir bowed down so Willow could climb on. "Frank says you wish to travel stealthy?"

Willow nodded then realized he couldn't see her nod, behind him. "Yes," she said. "I need to be able to get close quickly and unnoticed."

"Then it shall be done," Casimir vowed.

"Did Frank give you the directions?" Willow inquired.

"Do not worry, little red. I know where we are going." His muscles tensed, and he issued a quick warning to hold on, then they were off.

Willow's stomach jumped with the thrill of their fast take-off. She grinned in sheer exuberance. Casimir's wings beat strong and steady, easily gaining them height over the world below. The view from here was fantastic. This was the only way to fly in Willow's opinion. She almost wished she could do this everyday.

She was both exhilarated and disappointed when they landed on the roof of the warehouse. Casimir bowed once more so Willow could climb down. She cautiously approached the edge of the building and peeked over at the warehouse next door.

It was crawling with vampires. She imagined if Buffy were here her Slayer radar would be going crazy right now. She couldn't see through all the windows, but the sheer number of what she could see was making Willow's skin crawl and her nerves tingle in a definitely not good way. She swallowed nervously then inhaled and exhaled shakily to calm herself. She clenched her fingers around her bag determinedly and walked back over towards Casimir. "Will you keep watch while I get ready?"

Casimir nodded seriously. "I will."

Satisfied that he would alert her in time if they were noticed or anything approached Willow set her mind on the spell. What she intended to do was complicated and she needed to handle this carefully. She performed each step with meticulous care. There was no room for error here. She lost track of time, but when she was done she felt the spell take effect and knew that it would work perfectly. Tired, yet satisfied, she blew out he candles and gathered their things. If only everything went this well.

As Willow climbed atop Casimir for the final time sounds of fighting began to occur next door.

"Who ate my A positive. I specifically hung a sign around its neck stating it was mine!"

"Did you just call my sire a sow drinker?"

"I said I was getting California when this is over."

"Please, you wouldn't know how to drink a starlet's blood even if she handed you a script with detailed instructions."

"I'll kill you!"

End Part 7