Author's Note: I might be a little bit too busy to update over July 4th. But I'll update as soon as I can, afterwards!

Enjoy!


"You know, Ria's plan aside, I actually hate this guy," Xander said, pointing his thumb at the TV. Mitch Philhorn's face filled the screen. "He's loud-mouth and a bigot."

Willow didn't answer. She was bent over the board-looking thing with the blinking lights, that they'd brought back from London. Trying to find some way to get inside it.

Faith gave an uncomfortable shrug, as she watched Philhorn. "Don't like this plan," she muttered. "Not one bit."

"Because it makes Buffy out to be the big hero, not you?" Vi guessed.

Faith shot Vi a look. "Don't be stupid. I'm done with that."

Vi took a slightly reprimanded step back.

Faith's eyes drifted back to the screen. Her face solemn. "Just… plan doesn't help Ria any." She crossed her arms, leaning back on her heels. "Even if B gets out… dunno if Ria will."

"If… we want Buffy out," Willow said, so quietly that almost no one caught it.

Except for Kennedy. Who shot her a weird look.

Willow didn't explain.

"You figured out what that board-looking thing is, yet, Will?" Xander asked, turning towards them.

"I thought it was what was bringing the aliens," Vi offered. "Or… making kids speak together or something."

Willow shook her head. "That's just it," she said. "This device doesn't activate only when the aliens communicate. It activates all the time. For totally random stuff." She shook her head. "And besides. Whoever or whatever is coming tomorrow… they didn't build this."

Xander raised his eyebrows. "You sure?"

"Total sure," Willow said. Folded her arms on the table in front of her. "The kids speaking in unison is a terror tactic. That means these 'We-Are-Coming' monsters can't just take what they want — they have to intimidate us to make us give it to them."

"So?" said Vi.

Willow knocked on the top of the board-thing. "Whoever built this device… wouldn't have to intimidate. They'd just take."

"The technology's that sophisticated?" said Kennedy.

Willow shrugged. "I told you. Massive mystical energy. I mean, before the kids were talking in unison, this thing was just kind of ticking over, buried way beneath London — and even that was enough to make Buffy seriously sick."

"So… so… if it's that evil, why don't we just destroy it?" Vi asked.

"Think we haven't tried that?" said Faith.

"Yeah, not even a Flaming Sword can make a dent in that thing," Kennedy agreed. "And those are from the future."

"What did Buffy call it?" said Xander. "A Crystallographer?"

"Crystallizer," said Willow. "And don't ask me how she knew the name. Because I've got no idea."

Willow closed her eyes. A look of intense concentration flooding across her face. She reached out, her skin glowing with a faint red energy, and ran her hands over the object's surface.

"It's weird," Willow said, the hints of her magic still tingling at the tips of her fingers. "Like this Crystallizer thing is… almost… alive. And..." Her brow furrowed. "…I dunno. Familiar, somehow. Like something I've seen… before…"

Then the Crystallizer hummed.

And, with a swirl of Willow's magical energy, a small door on its front revealed itself. Then popped open.

The whole room broke into serious applause.

"Hey, go Will!" said Xander, clapping her on the back. "Way to work it with the magic."

But Willow wasn't looking happy.

No.

She was looking horrified.

As she stared through the hatch. At the inside of the thin board. "Oh, no," she breathed. "This is bad. This is really, really bad!"

Then the others looked.

And noticed.

"What?" said Vi. She ducked down towards it. Looked inside the hatch. "Um… that's an illusion, right?" She stuck her hand through it.

Her hand should have just barely fit.

Except she was able to dip down all the way to her elbow, inside. Stretch her hand freely in all directions.

Her fingers tried grabbing at the wires, to yank them loose, but drifted through the internal systems like they weren't really there at all. Except… they were there. It was all there. Just untouchable.

Unalterable.

But very, very real.

She took her hand away. Turned to the others, showing the device. "Magic. It's got to be magic!"

Xander went just as pale as Willow, when he saw it.

"It's not magic or an illusion," Xander realized. Looked over at Willow. "It's… that board-thing — it actually is…"

"Bigger on the inside," Willow agreed. "Yes."