Charmed and the Asian demons.
If you are a new comer to my stories, this is the fourth story in my version of Charmed. Like a lot of other authors, I have kept all four sisters alive as the basis for my stories. The first two stories are "The Power of Four I and II" where I use the Angel of Destiny to introduce Paige to the sisters early (halfway through season three). This created a new timeline where because Cole fails to kill the Triad, the Angel introduces Paige into the Halliwell family early to restore the cosmic balance.
Paige's presence prevents Prue's death in "All Hell Breaks Loose". All four sisters now follow a new destiny, similar to that from the TV series but with extra stories. Paige's powers complement that of all three sisters and she has a more pacifist whitelighter outlook. She provides a link that allows her sisters to merge more effectively together to fight as one when using the Power of Three spell. She also strengthens their defensive magic and has speeded up the development of their powers.
The third story, set a year later is "Charmed and Howling" and has the Charmed Ones dealing with the ultimate werewolves, the Wolfen and various other complications such as a marriage proposal for Prue.
I don't want to rewrite episodes from the TV series as the first time I tried it was with "Bride and Gloom". I tried to introduce Paige into the story but it didn't work. Actually it failed totally so I never uploaded it.
Since I won't change the outcome of these episodes, all I can do is add either Paige, Prue and or Matt to the mix. Basically boring but I couldn't help myself here as the bit below has to be in my opinion,one of the most powerful and emotional scenes in the entire series. Especially the scene at the end when Phoebe's sisters silently comfort her.
And its the first time we see Paige lose the baby sister role as she takes the lead role in the family as both Piper and now Prue fall apart.
A written version also has advantages over the TV version as you can add thoughts and motivations so much more easily. The only major change I made, is to the "To call upon our Ancestors" spell which I never really liked as it didn't seem logical. I think each of the sisters should call upon three of their ancestors and then all should say the final four lines together for maximum effect.
I hope that the details in the parts set in Asia are reasonably accurate but never having visited Thailand or Cambodia, I have had to settle with visiting via the internet. I also hope that the naming system I have used for the locals is accurate, my sincere apologies if not. If I have made a major stuff up, please let me know and I will correct it.
Thanks
Long Live the Queen
Matt watched as Prue and Piper sat at the kitchen table, both with what could only be described as classic hang over expressions on their faces. Hang overs that as far as he was concerned, were fully deserved as he was still annoyed that Prue had abandoned him to get drunk with Piper. All his careful attempts to comfort her after Phoebe had deserted the family to become the Queen of all Evil had failed totally.
That Prue as the oldest sister had not been able to prevent Phoebe's betrayal, had destroyed her confidence and the family had lost its way. Now when they needed leadership the most, the two oldest sisters had given up. Fortunately the youngest had decided to step up and take charge.
Matt quietly smiled as Piper in a voice full of pain, said "How many hang over cures do you have?" as Paige used the blender to mix her fourth brew. Paige turned her head and like Matt, seemed to be almost smiling as she replied "A lot, there was a time in my life when I needed these often".
The blender grated loudly as the ice cubes shattered and began to blend with the tomato and other ingredients as Paige finished another concoction. An unsympathetic Matt watched as both Prue and Piper winched as the noise slammed into them. Piper reared back and tried to raise her hands to cover her head, failing miserably. Prue looked up from the table surface to look across at Matt, as the pain from her emotions, her hang over and the blender threatened to once again over power her.
Piper swept her hair back and quietly said , "I'm sorry Paige, I don't know what got into me. I mean its one thing when your sister has a husband that you can't stand, its another when he is the Source of all Evil". Prue remained quiet as Piper had said it for her. Filling two cups with her latest cure all, Paige placed one in front of each sister. "Drink up, we got some work to do". Piper replied "We can't lose her". Prue said "We won't lose her" but her voice lacked conviction. Piper added "This family won't survive it".
As Prue lifted the glass, she regarded the liquid with quiet loathing as Paige's concoctions had tasted increasingly vile with each new brew. Paige in a voice that still had hope in it said "I have been thinking about it. Phoebe was different today". "Yeah she was nuts" said Piper. "But she cared, about us, about Greg, something has changed and I think now is our chance to get her back" replied Paige. "How?" asked Prue.
"Well I think we storm the penthouse. Bring the crystals. We still know the spell. We vanquish the Source the same way we did the last time" replied Paige.
"Yeah but now this time the Source is Cole, do you really think she is going to say a little spell with us to vanquish him?" asked Prue
"And if she doesn't, we die" replied Paige. "Is that suppose to be comforting" asked Piper in an uncertain tone. "Actually yes" stated Paige, "The good in Phoebe is fighting to the surface, we saw that today. I don't think she is going to stand bye and watch Cole kill us".
"Are you willing to bet your life on that" asked Prue.
"Aren't you" challenged Paige as she looked straight at both Prue and Piper.
After a pause, both Piper and Prue turned to look at each other and for the first time they realised what was now driving Paige. Once she had been an only child, something they had never experienced. Now her sisters meant everything to her, more than life itself.
Piper in a quiet voice said "You know, you are pretty amazing Paige. I mean eighteen months ago, you were an only child". "And I don't want to be again. Lets go" was the prompt reply.
With a "Here we go" from Paige, she reached out to help Piper up. Matt held out a hand to Prue who gratefully grabbed hold as Matt gently pulled her to her feet. Paige placed a hand on each of her sisters shoulders as they started to walk into the hallway. "I will get the crystals" she said.
As they entered the hallway, they stopped as they found Phoebe waiting for them. With a exhausted look on her face and in her voice, Phoebe said "Cole is going to kill Greg Conway and I can't let that happen". All three sisters looked at her carefully as did Matt, now standing just behind Prue, with a hand on each shoulder.
Piper paused and with a sigh asked "So what do you want to do?". With the pain easily heard in her voice, Phoebe replied "I think that we have to vanquish Cole". Hope blossomed on Paige's face with both Prue and Piper unable to take their eyes from Phoebe's face. "I knew it, I knew she was ready" said Paige as hope also entered her voice.
"We have to use Greg as bait" stated Phoebe. "Bait?" asked Paige, "he's an innocent". "I know but Cole is looking for him. He will find him where ever he is so he is safest here" replied Phoebe.
Piper added "So we have Leo bring Greg here but when Cole arrives, Leo has to orb Greg out of here". Without changing her expression Phoebe quietly nodded and said "Then we vanquish Cole".
Paige turn to face Piper and Prue to say "I will get the crystals" then turned and ran up the stairs.
Prue stepped forward slightly to say "Phoebe, I know how much you love Cole, I am really". Phoebe interrupted to say " I can't get emotional about this now Prue, Piper, if I do, I won't be able to go through with it". As Paige joined them carrying a box with the crystals she said "ready".
Phoebe looked to Piper who called out "Leo, bring Greg". Both arrived in a cloud of orbs with a wild eyed Greg looking across the hall at the sisters. Turning to look at Greg, Phoebe then looked back at her sisters and folded her arms. Paige asked "So how long do you think before Cole gets here?".
Before their disbelieving eyes, Phoebe morphed into a black clad Cole. "Sooner than you think" he replied as Paige, Piper and Prue stepped back as a burst of fear hit each of them. Without any hesitation Cole turned and flung a fireball at Greg. Hitting him squarely, Greg had only enough time for a short scream before he vanished in a ball of flame. Then with a quiet look of satisfaction on his face, Cole flamed out.
"No" screamed Paige. Prue turned to bury her face in Matt's chest while Piper just looked on. Leo turned to look at the sisters but could not say anything. Finally Piper said "Paige is right, either Cole dies tonight or we do. This has to stop now. We orb into the penthouse and Phoebe will have to choose".
As Matt looked down at Prue's tear stained face, he began to see the old Prue start to return as resolve began to fill her face and she took a deep breath. "I am coming with you" Matt said. "Yes I remember" Prue replied "for now and forever, although I never thought it would be like this". After taking another deep breath Prue straightened and turned to look at her sisters, "We need a plan, we have to give Phoebe time to make a decision, we can't let Cole force her choice".
"Its simple" replied Paige, "we orb in, Prue, you slice him, Piper explodes him and I put the crystals around him. Once he is trapped then Phoebe can have all the time she needs". "Leo and I, what can we do?" asked Matt, "we are coming too". Prue sadly smiled as she turned her head to look up at Matt and replied "Its going to be nasty as without Phoebe we no longer have the full Power of Three, that means I will need your support". Piper added "Leo, we will need your healing power, of that I am certain".
The Penthouse
Cole walked into the living room with his mind in chaos. Behind him Phoebe was trying to decide between him and her sisters and he had no idea who she would choose. To his left, Leo and Piper orbed into the living room. Two yards away, Paige orbed in with Prue and Matt. Sensing their arrival, Cole turned and looked at them with an almost blank expression on his face.
Walking slowly across the room, he first passed in front of Piper whose expression was unreadable as she stared back at him, Leo whose fear was matched by a look of determination. Turning his head slightly to look at Prue, who stared back at Cole with a look that he realised meant that one of them was going to die. Trying to prevent what he knew was coming, Cole looked up at Matt who was standing behind Prue with one hand resting on her shoulder. Matt, just stared back with a look that mirrored Prues'. No help would come from a ex friend who he had used and then betrayed so completely.
Trying to say something, anything that would stop the fight that would cost him Phoebe, no matter who won, he found that nothing would come. Finally he looked at Paige who with hate thick in her voice, said "You evil son of a bitch" as he reached the center of the room.
Wanting to make the most of the chance Cole had given them, Prue focussed her power to sent a massive burst of her telekinetic magic to rip Cole apart. "Yes" she said as Cole exploded into a cloud of particles that circled in a spiraling column as his magic tried to reconstitute his body. Paige sprang forward to place the first crystal on the floor and Piper readied her power as the spiraling column began to contract. Prue shook herself and staggered as she found that she had little strength left as her successful attack had taken almost every bit of energy she had. She collapsed backwards, ending up sitting on the floor, supported by a kneeling Matt.
As Paige placed the second crystal, Piper called out, "Phoebe, get out here and help us damn it". Paige placed the third crystal and Cole began to reform. Paige placed the fourth crystal and Cole returned to stand looking down at her. "Paige" Piper warned as she grabbed hold of the last crystal from the box. Unable to stop herself, she looked up at Cole as he snarled at her. Before she could reach out to place the last crystal, Cole swept his arm sideways to slam her off the floor and send her flying into the wall. Unconscious and with internal injuries she collapsed unconscious onto the floor and the last crystal rolled away. Both Leo and Piper ran to her as Cole tried for the last time to prevent the fight that would cost him everything that mattered to him, even if he won. "Don't make me kill you" he warned.
Piper turned and focussed everything she had as she exploded Cole. With a grunt, Cole once again disintegrated into a swirling, spiraling column of particles that began to contract as once again he began to reform. Piper staggered as her strength left her and she sat down hard on the floor next to Paige, barely able to hold herself sitting upright. Alongside her, white light bathed Paige's back as Leo healed her injuries. As Prue with Matt's help managed to regain her feet, she called out "Phoebe, you heard what he said, he's going to kill us. Help us".
Phoebe opened the bath room door to enter the living room and Matt could just make out a quiet "Forgive me" from her, however it was impossible to determine who she was talking to. As Leo and a just healed Paige helped Piper to her feet, Cole reformed and immediately generated a fireball. Neither Prue, Piper or Paige had enough energy left to fight so along with Leo and Matt, they waited for what was to come. As Cole finally made up his mind, Phoebe picked up the last crystal and held it close to her body and she looked across the room at Cole.
"I'm sorry" said Cole, "It's, its for the best" as he tried to convince both himself and Phoebe. "I know it is" replied Phoebe as she walked over to Cole. Extinguishing the fireball, Cole partially relaxed as she reached up with her right hand to pull his head down to kiss him. Piper in despair couldn't help asking "Phoebe?" as they watched.
As Phoebe released Cole, she started to step backwards and Cole realised that he had lost her. Phoebe said "I'm sorry too". Looking down at the floor, she carefully placed the last crystal to create the pentagram and stepped back into Piper's and Paige's arms. "Phoebe, No" Cole cried out as ropes of pure magic rose from the crystals to form the cage that surrounded and imprisoned him, "No" he yelled. All Phoebe could say was "I'm sorry baby, I am so sorry".
Summoning her strength Prue started saying the spell as each sister called for help from three of their ancestors.
Prue "Anne, Laura and Grace,"
Piper "Melinda, Cassandra, Brianna,"
With only the smallest of pauses,
Phoebe "Prudence, Penelope, Patricia,"
Paige "Astrid, Iris and Helena".
Slowly as each sister started, a white hot fire began to burn around Cole, gaining height as each sister finished. Finally it almost hid Cole from sight as Paige completed her part. As his natural shield began to fail and the Halliwell family magic started to take effect, Cole stared resolutely at a weeping Phoebe and said "I'll always love you".
Now the final part of the spell was said, with Phoebe in a voice that could only be just heard as she and her sisters said
"Halliwell Witches,"
"Stand strong beside us"
"Vanquish this evil"
"from time and space."
With a cry of pain, Cole vanished in a massive explosion of flame that sent a wave of energy across the room. Windows exploded and furniture was sent flying to shatter against the walls.
Phoebe raised her head from Piper's protecting arms and she stepped forward into the room as grief rose within her. Also feeling the emotion, her sisters could only look at each other as no words could either describe what they felt or bring comfort to the sister whose world had just been destroyed.
Both Leo and Matt stepped quietly forward to stand alongside Prue, Piper and Paige as they looked at a grieving Phoebe who had never felt so alone.
The Manor
As dawn arrived, it found Piper standing silently at the bottom of the stairs looking up as if she could see into Phoebe's bedroom. Playing quietly in the background, a soft and plaintiff song by Sarah Polley echoed the mood felt by all those present. Sitting on the stairs, half way up the first flight, was Prue who was looking quietly out into the living room with an unfocussed look in her eyes. As she had done several times before she found herself returning to focus on Matt's face as he sat quietly on the edge of a chair in the Sitting room. Each time she found him quietly looking back at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
Coming out of the dining room, Leo joined them as he gently placed a hand on Piper's shoulder. He then turned to stand where he could see both Piper and Prue. Looking into his wife's eyes he gently gained her attention with a quiet "hey". All Piper could say was "hey" in reply as she looked back at him. Prue first looked at Leo and then back across the room to regard Matt.
Leo quietly asked "Why don't you go up and see her?". Piper turn slightly to look down the hall, shook her head gently as if in pain and replied "I don't know what to say. I mean I can't imagine, if it had been you?". Prue found that she couldn't say anything but the look on Matt's face showed that he understood the emotions that made it so difficult for her to talk to him.
Piper stepped forward to wrap her arms around Leo as her emotions also threatened to reduce her to tears. The sound of the front door quietly closing almost echoed as Paige returned. As she joined them she greeted them all with a quiet "hey". Prue smiled for the first time as both she and Piper greeted her the same way "hey". Prue stood up and stepped down to stand alongside Piper who had let go of Leo and stepped back.
"How's she doing?" asked Paige as she looked at her two sisters. Piper replied "I don't know, she hasn't come down yet".
"How long have you two been waiting here?" asked Paige. Looking at Piper, Prue replied "A while". After the shortest of pauses and with a small smile forming, Paige asked "Maybe we should go see her". After a pause, Piper said "Ok" and she turned to look at Prue. Prue tried to smile and then turned to lead the way up the stairs, with Piper and Paige following. As Piper reached the first landing her uncertainties made her stop and turn to face Paige. Prue also stopped and looked back.
In a voice that was almost afraid, Piper asked "What if she wants to be alone?". Without hesitation Paige replied "She's going to be alone a lot. Maybe right now, she needs us". Staring back at Paige, Piper said "right" and turned to follow Prue as all three sisters walked up the stairs. Leo turned to take a deep breath and look at an equally somber Matt. From upstairs they could hear a door being gently opened and then closed. Inside that room, both men knew that the three sisters were trying to bring comfort to a grieving sister in a situation where words were totally inadequate.