Ties that Bind by EdenAdvance
DISCLAIMER: Charmed and its characters belong to Spelling Entertainment (which is, as you might've noticed, not me). No copyright infringement is intended with this work.
NOTES: This was my first Charmed story, written nearly a year ago. I never really posted it anywhere, so this is the second draft. Nothing drastically changed, no more deaths than the first drafts, no more bad demons vanquished either.
SUMMARY: When Piper is abducted, Leo must face a person from his past.
FEEDBACK: Feedback would be gratefully accepted. Flames will be used for cooking. Cookies will be seen as bribing me for more fic. Bad or disgusting cookies will be seen as a death-fic request.
Ties That Bind.
A small, lone figure crept through the darkness, avoiding the various gravestones. The figure stopped for a moment and sighed, looking around. When it spotted a faint light, it headed in the direction of a row of mausoleums. It wasn't long before another joined the figure and together they disappeared into an old abandoned shelter. Inside, the eerie glow of candles and the smoke of incense filled a small room. The newly arrived figure observed at its companion. She still looked young, although he had heard other tales. The hood of her dark sweatshirt hid her face, and it briefly wondered what her face looked like when it wasn't hidden.
"Did you find what I requested?" she asked, looking around the small room.
"Relax Ash," the other replied, setting a lamp down on a table. "First, did you get what I requested?" he asked.
Ash nodded silently, but made no further moves.
"A demonstration perhaps?" the other spoke.
Ash looked at the lamp next to her companion and suddenly it vaporized into thin air.
The other chuckled. "Nice. I can use such a power." He moved towards her.
Ash shook her head, holding up her hands. "Not before I get what I want."
The other one removed his cloak, revealing a demonic face. "San Francisco. Go there and you will find what you need." The demon spoke. "Now, my power?"
Ash stepped closer to the demon and placed her hands on either side of his face. They glowed for a few seconds and when the glow had died out, she took a few steps back.
"It'll take a while before you'll be able to use it, you have to find the right trigger. But I still don't understand why you didn't ask for the power to morph..." she started, but the demon interrupted her.
"I have no need for such a power. Besides, the price would've been too high. I know little about you, Ash, but I know about your powers, and your bargaining skills." The demon replied.
Ash nodded and turned to leave.
"One thing... why, with all your powers, are you still not able to find what you seek alone? Why make deals with demons like me?" he asked.
"Because... I don't have ways to find what I search for, other than using demons like you." she said and then she was gone.
San Francisco.
Phoebe stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She sat down as Piper placed a plate with breakfast on the table.
"Morning, Pheebs." She said. She was answered with a groan as Phoebe laid her head on the table.
"Didn't sleep well?" Piper asked her younger sister.
Phoebe sat up and shook her head. "I had this weird dream all night long. All I can remember that it involved us, Leo and demons." She sighed. "I don't remember much else, except that it was scary as hell."
"Was it a premonition?" Piper asked as she sat down opposite of Phoebe, having placed her own breakfast on the table.
"Maybe. I don't know. Maybe it's just a dream." Phoebe replied as she ate her breakfast. "Besides, I don't remember any details other than that we were in it, Leo was in it, and a demon that I'd rather not see again."
"Well, we haven't seen Leo in weeks, and the demons have been quiet lately." Piper replied, looking at her watch. "I have to go to the club in a minute or so, why don't you look in the Book of Shadows, see if you can remember more and I'll see you tonight." Piper said, as she gathered her things.
"I don't have too much time tonight, but I'll come over for a few minutes to tell you whether or not I found something." Phoebe said as she followed her sister to the door. Piper nodded in return and closed the door. Staring at the front door for a few minutes longer, she sighed and made her way back to her breakfast.
As soon as Phoebe finished her breakfast, she ran upstairs to get the Book of Shadows. She sat down on the floor in the center of the attic with the book in front of her and closed her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, her dream didn't come back to her. She opened her eyes and sighed. When she reached down to touch the book, she was suddenly back in her dream from last night, but this time she seemed to be a part of it. She looked around her, to find out more about her surroundings and noticed that her sisters and Leo were also in the room. Only, there was something horribly wrong with Piper. She was in the corner of the room, shivering. Leo was bend over her, softly talking to her. As Phoebe tried to speak, a door opened, revealing a young woman. Phoebe guessed that she couldn't be older than 18 or 19. Phoebe looked at her, trying to remember if she had ever seen her before. She had shoulder length, dark-blonde hair, which was tied back in braids. She saw Prue's mouth move, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't hear the words. As the woman walked closer to Prue, Phoebe noticed the second figure. As the face was revealed to Phoebe, she noticed he was a demon. Its face was a shade of red; the eyes were like fire. As he spoke to the woman, Phoebe saw his pointy teeth. Before she could find out more, she woke up back in the attic. As she glanced at the clock, she noticed it was getting late and she had to get ready for school. As she got up, her eyes fell upon the book and on a particular page. She quickly read the title and frowned. It read 'Power to Gain A Witches Power'. Not paying further attention to it, she closed the book and left the attic.
Somewhere in San Francisco.
Ash looked at her surroundings. It felt good to be back in San Francisco, the city she had grown up in. During her quest to find her lost family, she hadn't been back in San Francisco. Instead, she had traveled the entire world. Now that she was back, it finally felt as if her search was coming to an end.
She looked at the scene before her: P^3. She smiled when she understood the meaning of the club's name. Getting inside would prove a problem, since she had no ID on her and, as she noticed the long queue, it would take far too long. It was time to use her powers...
Piper looked at the crowd and sighed. It was still early, and it would get more crowded later in the evening. Phoebe's dream troubled her a little and, as Phoebe had told her over the phone, they hadn't gotten any further with finding any answers.
"You look troubled." A voice said behind her.
She whirled around and looked at Dan. "It's getting crowded in here..." she replied after they shared a kiss.
"I thought that was a good thing." Dan said.
"It is, trust me. It's just that neither Phoebe nor Prue could come over to help with the club, which means..."
"That you're too busy tonight, I get it." Dan finished.
Piper nodded.
"Tomorrow night?" he asked.
"It's a date." She said, smiling at him.
He kissed her goodbye and told her that he was going to work, and that he would pick her up when she was done working. After Dan had left, Piper went to her office to get some work done. It wasn't long after she had entered the room, when a blue swirling light illuminated the small space and Piper hoped to see Leo appearing. Since the last time she had seen him, she had thought a lot about him and admitted to herself that she was missing his presence. She was surprised when she saw a young woman appear instead.
"Who are you?" Piper asked, taking a few steps back, until her back hit the wall.
"Ash... that's all you need to know." She said before she raised her fist and knocked Piper out cold. Just as the door opened and Phoebe entered, Ash and an unconscious Piper orbed out...
Bucklands
Prue sighed as she heard her cell-phone ring. She had had a long day, and the end wasn't anywhere in sight yet.
"Prue." She said, when she answered the call.
"It's Phoebe."
Prue sighed when she heard her youngest sister on the other end of the line.
"What is it Phoebe? Everything alright?" She said, slightly annoyed at the interruption. As much as she wanted to take a break, work was still waiting for her.
"Something... someone took Piper. You've got to come to the manor." She said, sounding panicked. Before Prue could reply, Phoebe had already hung up again.
Prue looked at her cell-phone and considered throwing it against a wall. Then, after putting it on the table, she thought about what her sister had just told her. How could a warlock kidnap Piper, without anyone else noticing it? 'At least Phoebe had noticed it.' She thought.
Just as she grabbed her bag to leave for home, Jack came in. "Prue, where are you going? We have a lot of work to do." He said, taking in the sight before him.
"Something has happened to Piper and Phoebe saw it happen. I have to go to her. I don't know how long it is going to take, but can you handle things here for a while?" she asked, looking at Jack.
"Sure." He answered, "Call me if you need anything."
She kissed him, before leaving her office.
Abandoned Warehouse
Ash looked at Piper, who in turn looked hatefully at her captor.
"Why did you bring me here?" she finally asked, grateful that she hadn't been gagged. Piper's head was filled with all kinds of questions. She looked at Ash again, who had started circling her. Suddenly she stopped and looked directly at Piper.
Her eyes, the way she moved, they reminded Piper of someone, but she wasn't sure who it was Ash reminded her off.
Finally the young woman spoke. "You're here as bait. It was either you or one of your sisters. But of course, you're far better than Prue of Phoebe." She resumed her pacing again.
The room was filled by silence for a few minutes, the only sound being Ash's footsteps as she paced around Piper. Then, Piper voiced another question that had been haunting her ever since Ash had orbed in her office.
"What are you? White Lighter? Dark Lighter?"
Ash smiled, coming to stand in front of Piper again. "I'm a witch, like you."
Piper shook her head. "I don't use black magic."
"You would, if you were in my position." Ash replied.
"And what position might that be?" Piper shot back.
"None of your business. You'll find out soon enough anyway, it might even cost you your powers, but I hope not." Ash snapped and turned around to grab a bottle of water from a nearby table.
As she drank from it, Piper continued to ask questions. If she could find out enough about the woman in front of her, she might be able to find a way and escape.
"Did you... kill a White Lighter?" she asked.
Ash coughed, nearly choking on her water. She looked at something that only she could see. After a while she replied. "I didn't stay to check. Orbing comes in handy sometimes and it is a rare power. So is your youngest sister, Phoebe's power. To see the future... I might be able to use it." Ash mused.
"So, what is your power exactly?" Piper spoke.
"I can... absorb another beings power. Over the years, I've come across quite a number of powers. I traded some of them with warlocks on occasion." Ash replied.
"What happens to your victims?" Piper asked. "What happens after you take their power?"
Ash shrugged. "They mostly die, although they don't have to. I try to get them to live, but it doesn't always work." She replied.
It was quiet again, leaving both witches alone with their thoughts...
The Manor
Prue entered the manor and, after closing the door behind her, she called for Phoebe. She finally found her sister where she suspected Phoebe would be, in the attic, searching through the Book of Shadows.
"What happened, Phoebe?" Prue asked, sitting down next to her.
"I came looking for Piper, and the bartender said she was in her office, so I went there. When I entered her office, I saw someone orbing out with Piper." Phoebe says, telling her sister everything she had seen earlier.
"Orbing?" Prue asked and Phoebe nodded. "As in Leo orbing?"
Phoebe shook her head this time. "Uh-uh. It wasn't Leo. Or do you think he would knock her out first? Besides, I think it was a she. The question is, what does she want with our sister?"
"Piper is bait..." A familiar voice said behind them.
They looked in the direction the voice had come from and were surprised to see Leo standing behind them.
"At least I hope she is..." Leo said as he walked towards them.
************
Prue, Phoebe followed Leo downstairs to the sunroom, where they sat down.
"There's not much I can tell you." Leo said, looking at the two Halliwells.
"Didn't the Elders tell you anything? After all, how did you know what had happened to Piper?" Phoebe spoke.
"They didn't tell me. In fact, I'm not supposed to be here; but Piper needs you two, and you're not going to find her without me." He said. "I just wished I could've prevented this. I should've watched over you three better."
Phoebe touched Leo's arm. "It'll be okay, we'll find her."
"Okay, start talking." Prue replied.
"It's a long story, where do you want me to begin?" Leo asked, looking at Prue.
"Who took Piper?" Phoebe asked instead.
Leo sighed. "Her name is Ash. Ashley Wyatt... she's my sister..." He started.
"Wait, you have a sister? Your sister abducted Piper? Why?" Phoebe asked, looking at Leo in shock.
"I'll tell you everything, okay? Ash is a witch, like you, only she has crossed over to the dark side on occasion. I haven't seen her since I left to fight in the war, but I've heard things. She supposedly killed a White Lighter once, by taking away his power, but I don't know if it is true or not. Some White Lighters say that she kills everyone who's in her way, but others say that they saw her save a few innocents once." He looked at his two charges, and continued the story of his sister after a moment of silence. "She hasn't always been a witch, but ... deep inside, she had her powers since birth. We were always close, so she had a rough time when I left. When she heard of my death, she called forth her powers, I guess hoping to get me back..."
Prue interrupted him. "But you were already a White Lighter..."
Leo nodded. "When she started searching for me years later, she had already mastered her true power, which enabled her to absorb another beings power. She used it to bargain with demons and warlocks. One day she came across a powerful witch. When Ash tried to take her powers, the witch cursed her. She became an immortal, unless she sought redemption. So far, she hasn't found any and I don't think she cares." Leo said, a sad look on his face.
"So how's Piper tied to all this?" Prue asked.
"She took Piper to get to me. She probably knew of what we had together, and now she's hoping I'll come to her." Leo answered Phoebe's question. "At least, that's what I hope. The other possibility is that Ash made a deal with a demon and is after Pipers powers."
"So why are you here now? Why aren't you with your sister?" Prue spoke.
"Because I'm scared. I don't know what she'll do when I go to her. She might try to take my powers. Or Piper's powers; I don't know her intentions. I haven't seen her for over fifty years and she's been living a dangerous live in a dangerous world these past years." He spoke.
"Well, we have to do something, right?" Prue said, looking from Leo at her sister.
"But we have to be careful, I don't know all her powers, and believe me, she had enough time to master them all." Leo warned.
Phoebe thought of her earlier premonition and her dream. "Leo," she said. "last night, I had a premonition. More like a dream, but still... All of us were in a room, locked. Piper looked as if she was sick..."
"How sick?" Leo asked.
"From what I could tell, she was shivering as if she were having a fever and she could've been in pain. I can't remember more, except for a young woman and a demon." Phoebe described the young woman to her sister and Leo.
He nodded. "Ash... I don't know for sure who the demon is, I can try to ask around, but I don't think the Elders will be much help." Leo said, sighing.
"Well, we'll look in the Book of Shadows. Phoebe, you know what this demon-guy looks like, see if you can find anything about him." Prue said. She turned to Leo. "In the meantime, you try to find Piper and your sister. I'll..." she was interrupted when someone knocked on the door. "...Open the door then."
She went to the door and waited until Leo and Phoebe had gone upstairs, before opening the door, revealing Dan.
"Dan..." she said, welcoming him in.
"Hi Prue. Listen, is Piper around by any chance? Because last night I told her that I was free for tonight, but this morning I got a new job and the fact is; it is out of town. I wanted to tell her earlier, but she was pretty busy last night, and when I went to the club to get her last night, they told me she had already gone home." Dan explained.
"Piper isn't here, but I'll tell her that you can't make it tonight." Prue replied.
"Well, I'll be gone for at least four days..." Dan continued.
"I'll tell her that too." Prue assured him.
"Okay, I should be going then. Tell Piper that I'll call her when I have the time, okay? Tell her that I love her and..."
Prue interrupted him. "I'll tell her all of that. Now go, you're getting late." She said and laughed. When Dan had left, she closed the door and sighing, she made her way back to the attic.
Phoebe looked up from the Book of Shadows when she head Prue come in. "And? Who was it?" she asked.
"Dan. Don't worry, he won't be any trouble, because he'll be out of town for a while. Did you find anything yet?" Prue replied.
"Our demon, or should I say, warlock, actually. He's a mean one, looks like he has always been trying to get our powers. Difficult to vanquish, because he is always vanishing." Phoebe said, pointing at a page in the book. "Cain, butt-ugly and very strong. Leo thinks he made a deal with Ash to get our powers. In return, he would help her to find Leo." Phoebe told Prue. "Looks like Leo's first thoughts were right. Do you think she'll kill Piper?" Phoebe asked, looking at Prue, who in return shook her head.
"I don't think she'll do that. We're going to get Piper back before that happens. That demon might prove a problem, because I'm not giving away my powers just yet. Is it possible that in your premonition, Ash had already taken Piper's power?" Prue asked.
"She'd be in a lot worse condition then." Leo spoke from behind them. "But at least, I've found Piper. At least, I think I did."
"Where?" Phoebe and Prue asked at the same time.
"They're in an abandoned warehouse, near the docks." He said.
"Let's go get Piper back then. Phoebe, which spell do we need to vanquish him?" Prue asked, looking at her sister.
"A Power of Three spell might do the trick, but I'm not sure. The Book says he's very strong, but nothing on how to vanquish him." Phoebe replied.
Prue nodded. "We'll just have to try for ourselves then. First, let's get Piper back, alive and well."
A few minutes later, they were on their way to find their sister.
Abandoned Warehouse
When Piper opened her eyes, she looked around the empty room. She tried to look behind her, but because she was bound to a chair, it wasn't much of a success. She tried to free her hands next, but the ropes wouldn't budge. She looked in the direction of the door as she heard voices, recognizing the one belonging to the mysterious Ash. Then the door opened and Ash came in, followed by a hooded figure. Piper suspected that he was a warlock, out to get her power and those of her sisters.
"I'm telling you, we should wait. It was part of the deal and her sisters will show up, trust me." Ash told the warlock, who pointed a finger at her in return.
"I was told not to trust you. I shall wait, but not for long. Contact me when you have the other two." He said and then he blinked out.
"What makes you think that you can catch my sisters so easily? They probably know about you by now." Piper spoke to Ash's back. She turned around and smiled at Piper.
"I'm not afraid of your sisters. Who knows, I might freeze them, but then again, that would spoil all the fun, won't it?" Ash said, taking a few steps closer to Piper.
"Why take my powers? Are you afraid?" Piper asked.
Ash chuckled. "Afraid for what?"
"That warlock you were talking to earlier... he didn't sound like one you can trust." Piper said. "Are you afraid that he'll kill you? For failing to get our powers?"
"No warlock is to be trusted. Except for a few... but they're not here right now." Ash answered. "As for failing, I didn't had that in mind. I have a feeling my plan is going to succeed very well."
*********
From a crack in the door, Prue and Phoebe watched as Piper and Ash talked.
"Can you see anything?" Leo whispered from behind them.
"Your sister and Piper are alone in there. They seem to be talking to eachother." Prue replied.
"Let me see..." he said and watched through the crack.
"I can't see the warlock though." Leo said as he moved away from the door.
"So what do we now? It doesn't look as if Ash took Piper's power yet." Phoebe said, looking at the other two. "The things I saw in my premonition haven't happened yet." She added.
"I'll distract her by astral projecting myself on the other side in the room..." Prue started, but Leo interrupted her.
"No, I'll orb in behind Piper. You two enter through the door and Prue uses her powers to knock her to the ground." He explained.
Phoebe looked through the small crack in the door again. "I'm with Leo. Sorry Prue, but I think Leo has more chance distracting Ash." She spoke, looking at Prue. "She would see us as a threat, but Leo is familiar to her. He could persuade her to let Piper go."
Leo looked at Prue, waiting for her answer.
"Okay." Prue said after a while. "Leo orbs in right behind Piper and while he distracts Ash, we enter through the front door. When we're inside, I'll use my power on her." Prue said, repeating the plan once more.
"I'll try to talk to her first." Leo spoke up. When he felt two pairs of eyes on him, he continued. "It's me she wants right?"
Prue and Phoebe nodded, but before any of them could object, he orbed out.
********
Ash's back was towards Piper when Leo orbed in, but she noticed his presence almost immediately.
"Leo..." she began as she slowly turned around. The two lost siblings stared at eachother for the first time in years.
"Let her go..." Leo spoke first. Ash looked at Leo for a moment longer, trying to decide whether to listen to him or not. Finally, she nodded and moved over towards Piper, standing with her back towards Leo and the door. Just as she was about to untie the rope holding Pipers hands, Cain appeared before them.
"Stop!" he commanded. "What are you doing!" he spoke to Ash, who had moved away from the chair. Before she could answer, Prue and Phoebe ran into the room. When Prue noticed the demon, she used her powers on him and sent him flying into the wall. Before anyone could react, Ash had untied Piper and pushed her into Leo's arms.
"Go, take her away from here. I'll find you again, someday." She said and moved towards Cain.
"Ash, wait!" Leo called after her, but instead of replying, she moved closer to the demon.
"Go! Before I change my mind." Ash said to Leo, not looking at him.
"Piper, freeze the room." He said, however, before she could throw her hands up to freeze the room, Cain threw a ball of fire in their direction.
Cain turned to Ash. "Remember our deal. If you give me the powers of the Charmed ones, I'll promise that I will not destroy the one you love." He spoke to her, persuading her. "Bring me the power to freeze time first." He continued and turned her towards Piper.
Piper tried to freeze her, but Ash orbed in behind her, placing a hand on either side of her head.
"I'm sorry." She whispered softly before she absorbed Piper's power.
When Prue saw Piper fall limply in Leo's arms, she reacted and threw Ash to the floor. Before she could use her powers again, Ash had frozen her and Phoebe. Then, she looked from her brother to Cain, who was still standing by the wall. Slowly, she moved towards the demon and placed her hands on either side of his head, like she had done when she drained Piper of her power.
"Ash, don't do this!" Leo said from behind her.
"I have to do this. I'm sorry, my brother..." she closed her eyes and Cain smiled. He could already feel the new power flow through his veins. Finally, he would destroy the power of three. He was too occupied to notice Ash whisper something.
"Die, demon..." she whispered and began absorbing his power instead of giving him a new one.
Leo watched as the demon burst into flames. After Cain had disappeared, she turned around, just as Prue and Phoebe unfroze.
"What happened?" Phoebe asked, looking around.
Ash walked towards Piper, who was still unconscious in Leo's arms. She kneeled next to her and placed one hand on her temple. The hand glowed for a few seconds, and when the glow had died out, Ash stood up.
"She'll be alright. It'll take a few weeks for her powers to get back to their normal strength, but she'll be fine. Take good care of her, Leo." She said to her brother and before he could answer, she had orbed out.
The Manor.
Phoebe entered her older sister's room, carrying a tray of food. "Is she getting any better?" she asked Leo, who had been watching over her for the past week.
He nodded in reply and he softly touched Piper's hand. "She woke earlier, but she fell asleep again," he answered.
Phoebe took a chair and sat down. "So, where's your sister? Did you find her yet?" she asked Leo.
"No. I don't think I will ever find her again. She has her White Lighter powers, she can hide anywhere she wants to." Leo replied. "Plus, I think the warlocks will help her hide and disappear."
"Are you angry with her?"
"I don't know. She could've easily killed Piper, but she didn't. She killed a powerful demon and gave Piper her power back." Leo moved a strand of hair out of Pipers face. "I spoke with the Elders, you three wouldn't have been able to vanquish Cain. He was one of the strongest demons ever to walk the Earth."
"What about the people she killed before that? That White Lighter you told me about?" Phoebe pressed.
"I don't know if he's dead. Besides, she's my little sister. She always got into trouble, when we were kids. I can forgive her..." Leo said softly.
"I think can too. She did save us from that demon and she gave Piper her powers back." Phoebe said.
They heard the doorbell ring and Phoebe went downstairs to open the door. When she opened it, she saw a familiar face.
"Dan, hi!"
"Hi Phoebe. Is Piper home? I got back early from this new job and well, I thought I'd drop by." He said.
"She's upstairs, sleeping. She wasn't feeling to well yesterday and..."
Dan interrupted her. "She's okay right? I mean, there's nothing wrong with her right?" he asked concerned.
Phoebe shook her head. "She's gonna be okay." She said as she let him pass her.
When Dan saw Leo sitting next to Pipers bed, he felt a surge of jealousy. As he moved further into the room, Leo noticed him and stood up.
"Dan..."
"Leo, what are you doing here?" he asked.
Phoebe answered for him. "Leo was just sitting here, watching Piper because she was sick and all." She said.
"I'd better be going. Call me when she wakes up again, okay?" he asked Phoebe and left the room.
Phoebe followed him closely.
"Are you going to search for Ash?" she asked once they were downstairs.
"I'll try... I want to talk to her. I missed her a lot when I went away for the war. When I became a White Lighter and the years dragged by, I didn't think about her much anymore. The Elders told me that she was fighting for the other side and to forget about her... but I'll find her again, one day." He said and orbed out.
Phoebe stayed downstairs a while longer before she went back upstairs.
The End.
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