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A Charmed Story - Part Ten:
An Elder's Tale
Chapter 1

"It is kinda of weird taking mini-me for a walk..." The day was a bit cloudy, but still warm, since it was mid-October. Chris was pushing the little pram slowly, as he took delight of the warm breeze that caressed his tanned skin.
Michael laughed at his remark: "Man, I thought he did not like... or he won't like, to be called 'mini-you'..."
Chris burst into laughter, as images of Christopher came to his mind, repeating once and again that he was another person. "Yeah, but he does not understand me now, so I can call him that way..."
Angela, Micheal and Bianca laughed too. But despite the jokes, all of them were used to see that little baby and their adult Chris as completely separate and different people; especially thanks to the visit that Christopher had granted them some months before. Still... if they wouldn't tease him from time to time, he would never become that neurotic about that little fact, like he was... And Chris enjoyed that 'mini-me'-game.
Bianca was pushing Hope's pram, while she observed how the two babies slept quietly. It was a blessing to see those babies so happy and calm when they were with their family. "This place is so peaceful..." Bianca said, submerged in her thoughts.
"We used to come here long ago," Angela explained. Then she turned to Michael, who nodded.
"Really looong ago... But it was amazing to discover that it was still the same, as if no one had ever come here, since then," he said.
"It's like a little natural sanctuary," Chris stated, contemplating ecstatic the nature that surrounded them. The little spring among the trees and bushes, and the singing birds, the squirrels... The whole forest.
"That's why we loved it so much..." Angela sighed, supporting herself on Michael's arm, dreamy. "He declared his love for me here," she said, making him blush.
"Hey... Don't talk about it, please..."
Chris and Bianca exchanged amused looks and grinned. "You know everything about us now... We also deserve to know your secrets," Chris teased.
Michael blushed even more and shook his head. "It was stupid."
"It was romantic!" Angela exclaimed, as if she were angry. "He said he was like my knight, and I was his dame... And he told me he'd profess me eternal love... He even gave me a token, this medal..." She took a little medal that hung on her neck.
"Stop it, honey. That's so out of fashion now..." Michael insisted.
But Bianca was already looking closely at the medal: "It's beautiful... Do you know what it is??"
Angela frowned: "I am not sure... I mean, I don't know what it means. It's like a flower."
"They told me it was the symbol of some family in Europe... Britain, perhaps. Some old lineage," Michael explained. Then he shrugged: "It does not matter anymore. It was just a game..."
Chris smiled: "You were really original..."
They all laughed, as they went on walking. They were approaching the camp where they had everything.
"Do you think we should start packing all this? It's getting darker..." Bianca suggested as they arrived and looked at the sky. "I don't like forests at night..." she felt a little shiver, and Chris hugged her tightly. They all knew why.
Angela had the same feeling, but when she was going to give her opinion, Michael said: "Hey... Where is my stuff?? I thought I had left it here..."
All the heads turned to him, confused. "What do you mean??" Chris asked.
Michael was now putting everything in his backpack upside down, very nervously. "Shoot, I guess I took it with me... And forgot it somewhere. Probably when I took out the sandwiches, it was on them... I had to take it out before."
"What are you talking about, honey?" Angela asked, looking at him worried.
"My camera! I lost it!!"
Bianca looked at Chris, worried. She did not want at all to lose time there...
But Chris shrugged, and said: "Ok, let's go back, you and I, and look for that... Bianca, you can go home with Angy and the babies. We'll be there as soon as we find it."
The two women sighed. "We are not gonna leave without you," Angela said.
Bianca nodded "Just don't take ages! And remember you have someone else to visit today, Chris."
The two men nodded. "If it gets darker, we'll orb back here and then back home. Don't worry..." Chris said as they started to walk away.
The two women looked at each other and sat down, tired. It was a beautiful place, but they did not like it at all if the sun disappeared... The babies were still sleeping. It was great that Cole and Phoebe had decided to take Wyatt to a theme park. That way it was easier for them to handle two little children, and Leo and Piper had got their day off.

°°°°°°°°°°

Meanwhile, Chris and Michael walked fast among the trees.
"Was it this way??"
"No, it was this one. "
"I am not sure, I don't remember that tree..."
"Come on, Chris, all the trees are the same! And you can orb, don't worry about getting lost."
Chris shrugged and went on walking. They walked for a long time, more than they thought, and it was darker now. Chris stopped to tell Michael that they could actually buy a new camera, but it was better to go back, when an arrow passed whistling by his head and got stuck in the tree.
Chris turned quickly and threw the attacker telekinetically through the air, fearing that it was a darklighter...
"Oh, Gosh!" Michael exclaimed, when he turned to see where the arrow had come from. His eyes opened widely, in surprise. In front of them was lying a horse and a man in an armor, wearing a black cloak with some golden drawings on it. By his side, there was a sword. The man was trying to get on his feet again, but the armor was too heavy. The horse stood on its four legs finally, after several attempts.
"What the...?" Chris couldn't believe his eyes.
Suddenly he felt Michael's hand, grabbing his arm: "Let's orb. This man must be crazy..."
"Or it could be a demon," Chris suggested, starting to orb. However, he felt that his blood froze in his veins when nothing happened. "I can't."
"WHAT?!?!?!?" Michael turned pale. "What do you mean you CAN'T?!?!?" He looked at the man on the ground, who had finally sat and grabbed his sword.
"To me!!" He cried with a strong voice. "Sorcerers!! Witches!!!"
Chris felt his hand trembling. That was not good at all. He tried to orb again, but it did not work, so he pressed Michael's hand and said: "Run."
They started to run away from the man, when the sound of galloping horses reached their ears.
"RUN!!" Chris cried again, pulling from Michael's arm. The horses approached noisily, and some weird words which sounded like English but were incomprehensible for them were repeated all the time.
Michael tripped a couple of times, as well as Chris, but they got soon to their feet and kept running. The voices approached fast. Chris tried again to orb with no result... Another arrow almost grazed Michael, who ducked just in time. They ran and ran, moving the branches of the trees and feeling their scratches on their arms.
"What is this??" Michael asked, scared, but suddenly something made them stop abruptly.
A sword in Chris's neck. The Elder looked up, just to meet the eyes - and only the eyes because the man was wearing a helmet - of a very furious knight, or whatever it was.
"Who art thou and from where cometh thou?"
Chris swallowed feeling Michael trembling by his side. What was going on?? What kind of joke was that? He did not dare to move, but could hear the sound of the other horses that were chasing them, stop at their backs. They were surrounded. He tried to orb once again, but nothing happened. Why had he been able to use his other powers but could not orb??
"Speakth now, sorcerer!"

°°°°°°°°°°

"Leo... LEO!" Jeremiah called for him as he walked down the long hallway, avoiding the other Elders, who crossed his path, but still bumping into a few of them..
Leo first didn't react. He was busy, he was in a hurry to get things done so that he could go home to his wife again. Piper had been angry enough that he had to leave her today, even if it was just for a little while, really...
But his colleague kept calling so Leo finally turned around with a sigh: "Jeremiah... How are you?"
The other Elder seemed a little out of breath when he reached his fellow. "Can you explain to me... what your son wants to do... with those plants... he brought up here...???" he said breathing a little too fast, while he pointed at a few boxes with huge bottled plants.
Leo shrugged: "I guess he wants to bring a little more life up here..."
"And who shall take care of that?" the other one asked again. He looked a little annoyed about that...
Leo smiled: "Well... I think... why don't you do that?" Then he winked at his fellow, patted his shoulder and went on, leaving Jeremiah kind of shocked.
He couldn't help smiling about that Elder, while he went on. Jeremiah was a good and clever man, but sometimes he was just... Anyway, Leo felt a lot of pride for his son. The fact that his son was promoted in that kind of way was a huge honor. And he really liked his son's ideas... 'Plants in the upper world... that's great!'
But Leo didn't get far when another Elder crossed his way, actually the one he was looking for. "Good evening Elenia, I was actually searching for you," he greeted.
"Hello Leo..." the woman looked kind of nervous, "did you talk to the others?"
Leo sighed: "I did... but they don't agree... I don't know, you should talk to Odin again. And if he has no better idea, you should just go without permission."
"But..."
"Well... what shall they do? They won't kill you just because you visit your son..." Elenia nodded with a sigh. "Don't worry, we'll find a way," Leo added with a reassuring smile. Then he excused himself and returned to his wife.

°°°°°°°°°°

Wyatt was on a little marry-go-round, he was riding a horse while Phoebe and Cole stood a little aside, watching him.
Then the empath looked to the sky: "It's getting dark... is it already that late?"
Cole looked at his watch: "It is... God, time flies when you have fun..." Phoebe nodded. Then she hugged her husband and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
"What was that for?" Cole asked looking at her, a smile on his lips.
Phoebe looked back at him seriously: "That was for the fact that you're here now, back in my life for more then a year... And that you made it so much more complete."
Cole smiled embarrassed: "Thanks... well... you made my life worth living." Now Phoebe smiled and Cole kissed her softly.
Then they turned to watch Wyatt again. He giggled happily hugging the horse and waving to his aunt and uncle every time he saw them. Phoebe and Cole waved back smiling. They both enjoyed that day with the boy.
"I really want something like that on my own," Cole said then.
Phoebe grinned: "I would prefer a girl."
Her husband laughed: "Well, I don't care... every child of you and me would be just perfect." The empath giggled and turned again to the smiling Wyatt on his horse.
But after another turn something was wrong. Phoebe could feel it even before she saw it. When Wyatt appeared again he was crying.
"What...?" Phoebe exclaimed. But Cole already jumped over and entered the driving marry-go-round to take the boy.
The owner of that old 'horse-ride' got a little angry, but Cole didn't care. He jumped off the marry-go-round and went over to his wife, with the crying boy on his arms.
"What happened?" Phoebe asked.
Cole looked a little desperate: "I don't know."
"Chris away..." Wyatt sobbed, "can't feel Chris..."
Phoebe and Cole exchanged a look of sorrow and fear. "Ok," he said, "let's go home..."

°°°°°°°°°°

"Chris!!! Mike!!!" Angela and Bianca were crying their names desperately. It was dark, and they had not come back.
"Chris, move your butt right back or I'll myself find you and kill you with my own hands!!!" Bianca was freaking out, and this made her behave in such a way, but this was not helping Angela at all. The girl was pale as the snow.
She finally took Bianca's hand: "Do you think that some demon found them?... Rhashirk??"
Bianca shook her head energetically: "He's dead. And I don't think it's that easy to get Chris, believe me. CHRIS! DAMN IT!" Bianca didn't believe her own words, but had tried to reassure Angela, who again pressed her hand making her stop crying.
"Let's go home. Do those things you usually do to find people. But let's go. If there's something wrong here... The babies..."
Bianca turned to look at the two little children who were now crying scared, and nodded. She was right. Panicking, the only thing she got was scaring Angela and the babies. She swallowed and looked back once again, with the hope that Chris would appear with Michael in the middle of his bluish orbs. But nothing happened...
Then she just went to the babies, and put her hands on the prams. "Take my arm," she said to Angela who obeyed immediately. After that, they shimmered together back to the manor.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris and Michael were sitting on the cold, wet and dirty floor of a dungeon where the dim light came through a tiny window protected by thick rusty metal bars. The door was made of iron or something similar. It had a little trap door at the bottom, through where food was supposed to be deposited for the prisoners. Inside, the only thing they had was a filthy glass containing dirtier water. They had spend the last night there.
Chris leant against the stony wall, with his legs bent and hugged by his arms. He was resting his head on his elbows, feeling frustrated and lost. Michael was by his side, in the tiny cell, his legs stretched on the floor. He sighed, resigned, and Chris raised his head.
"I should have used my powers..."
"He was pointing at you with that sword!"
"And what??"
"What??" Michael was pretty angry. Against himself, against the situation, against those weird people and whatever the hell was going on. "You were not able to orb!! You are not able to do it, yet, dammit!! What if the other powers did not work either? They already believe we are witches or whatever they called us!"
Chris shook his head, and smiled. Then he started to laugh: "This doesn't make sense at all!"
Michael looked at him shocked: "What?? And now you laugh... Can you please think of a way to go out of this disgusting place? I don't see what is funny about it!"
Chris shook his head trying to calm down: "I don't know how to escape, Mike. I don't know how we ended up here!!"
Michael sighed again, frustrated. "Whatever, it's not funny to be surrounded by all these freaks who believe that they are in the Middle Ages and who know that you are a witch."
Chris looked at him in silence, and then smiled very weakly: "The problem is that, I think, we ARE in the Middle Ages... How we came, or what happened, I don't know... But the weird guys or freaks here are we!!"
Michael covered his face with his hands, completely overwhelmed: "This is crazy... Just crazy."
"I know... But just look at the city, and the people, the way they were dressed... And the roads we saw, those sandy paths... And the castle, where we are now!! Have you ever seen a castle in the US, man?? In San Francisco??"
Michael swallowed, and then closed his eyes. "Punch me and prove me that I am not dreaming and having a terrible nightmare..."
Chris shook his head again, but when he was going to answer, the door opened making him close his eyes because of the sudden light coming from outside.
"Cometh here, sorcerer. His Majesty wants to see thee and thy footman or squire."

°°°°°°°°°°

It was already dark, when Phoebe rushed into the manor. Cole, who was carrying a crying Wyatt was right behind her.
"LEO! PIPER!!! GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE!!!" she yelled.
"Shhhhh, it's ok, you're safe..." Cole tried to calm the boy down, who cried even more since Phoebe's yell.
Seconds later Leo orbed in - just dressed in boxers. At the same time they heard footsteps on the stairs.
"What happened?" the Elder asked worried.
"Oh Baby... Mommy is here..." Piper said soothingly while she, only wrapped into a bathrobe, rushed down the stairs and over to Cole to pick up her boy.
"We're not sure..." Cole said.
"Where is Chris?" Phoebe asked to get straight to the point.
"Chris?" Leo asked confused.
"He's still out with Bianca, Mike, Angy and the babies..." Piper answered, "why do you ask?"
"Because..." Cole started, but Phoebe was faster.
"Wyatt can't feel him anymore!" she said.
"WHAT?" the parents exclaimed.
Cole added: "That's why he's crying..."
"Wyatt sweetie... What happened?" Piper asked looking at her son worried.
"Chris away," the boy sobbed.
Leo sighed and moved his hand through his massy hair: "That's not good."
"Can you sense him?" Phoebe asked. Leo tried but then shook his head. Piper swallowed. That couldn't be, could it...? "And baby-Chris?" she asked then.
Leo was about to answer when bluish orbing lights filled the room.
"Odin? What are you doing here?" Leo said.
The Elder sighed: "Everything is in turmoil up there... We were just discussing that question of the plants, when we felt a shift..."
"A shift?" Cole asked.
"A shift of power?" That was Piper.
Odin shook his head: "No... A shift of time!" When everyone just looked at him wonderingly he added: "That's why I'm here, I'm seeking Chris... Thought he would maybe have an idea what this could be about..."
At that moment the air waved in front of them as Bianca and Angela shimmered in with the two prams.
"Piper, we need to scry for Chris, he..." the Phoenix exclaimed while she rose. Then she paused when she saw the scene... their worried faces. "Wait..." she said. "What happened?"

°°°°°°°°°°

"Ok... Ok... Aha... Right... Yes, Mr. Warner... Aha... Alright..."
Pause.
Paige rolled her eyes. "Yeah... Ok, I'll talk with him as soon as possible. Alright. Goodbye." With a long sigh, she finally managed to hang up the phone.
Then she took a paper and a pen, wrote a short note, which she left under the table-calendar, and stood up. "This man will never stop being a pain in the ass..." she grumbled, as she walked through the corridors of the school, after having left Chris's office.
She was in charge of it that week, while Chris took some short holidays; but she had made him promise that he'd take her place too afterwards. She also wanted to have some free days...
She smiled. She did not even notice but she was smiling because some images of Kyle had come to her mind.
"Good night, Paige!" It was Nicki's voice.
Paige turned to her, noticing suddenly her stupid smile: "Oh, yeah... good night... Are you leaving already??" She asked, stopping to greet the smiley girl.
"Of course, I have a life outside. It's almost eight, Paige..."
The Charmed One frowned: "Really? So late??"
Nicki laughed slightly: "Well, yeah... I guess you really need a watch..." she joked.
Paige nodded thoughtful. "Ok... " she sighed. "Then see you tomorrow. I'm gonna go too, actually. And this is the last time that I take charge of this place. On my own, at least. You are a witness now, I made a promise."
Nicki laughed again. Then she said goodbye to her, and left.
Paige looked at her as she disappeared through a door, and then shook her head. Directing the school was really tiring. How could Chris manage to do it at the same time as he performed his tasks as an Elder, husband, father and son in such a difficult-to-handle family?
She sighed again and orbed home. Straight to the phone. She had a date that night, a date she would not miss for nothing.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris and Michael walked behind the knight that had picked them up after being led to the main hall. They had been put into irons, which was kind of annoying, above all because Chris knew that he could get rid of them easily with magic, but Michael was too scared to let him use it there.
"They think you are a witch. In the Middle Ages... Man, that's like a sentence to death, do not use it, for God's sake..." he had told him as they followed the jailer up to the hall upstairs.
Chris had sighed. He was right, but if he used magic wisely...
"Ye speakth not any more!" the jailer had ordered them to shut up, and so they did, although after a few seconds Chris was mumbling something. Michael had looked at him, but he could not hear him well: "What are you saying??"
Chris had raised his eyes to look at him, but the jailer pushed him harshly. "I told you to shut up!"
Michael startled but Chris only stumbled a little bit, and then he balanced again. He looked at Michael out of the corner of his eyes, smiling slightly, and his friend understood immediately.
He wanted to tell him that he was crazy, that if he was free he would kill him with his own hands, what was he thinking by using a spell to understand that old version of English?? Was he nuts?? What had he exactly done? Had he made them talk in modern English? Or had he just made them both understand what he said?
But the harsh voice of the jailer had interrupted their flow of thoughts once again. They were upstairs, and that tall and elegant knight was waiting for them.
Now they were walking behind him, again, along the long and narrow corridors of the castle, which resembled more a labyrinth. Finally, they arrived to a huge dark room, full of flags and shields, and with a couple of big thrones, in one of which there was sitting a very young man with a crown on his head, accompanied by a woman, who was sitting on the other throne. Chris and Michael exchanged insecure looks. This was not funny.
The king gestured with his hand and said: "Thanks, my good friend. Just leave us alone, please. I need to talk with the prisoners privately."
The knight bowed and left, leaving them alone with the monarchs, who smiled very softly.
Chris and Michael frowned a little bit, surprised. Their countenances looked so sympathetic and understanding... Not the typical medieval king who would have killed them after the first time they had dare to speak.
"Nice clothes..." the king said, looking at them intensely, but his eyes smiled, somehow. Chris swallowed and glanced at the queen but returned to the king, without saying a word. "Can we know where you come from??"
Michael looked at Chris, waiting that he'd answer; but he didn't. He was like frozen! "A far-away place, my Lord... my Lady..."
The woman also smiled and nodded. Then she approached the king's ear and murmured something. The king nodded too. Then he stood up, went towards them, and they stepped back a little bit. But the king reached Chris's hands and freed him. Then he did the same with Michael.
"Thanks..." Chris mumbled, looking in the king's eyes, very surprised, as he rubbed his wrists.
The monarch smiled. "That's why I want to have this key with me. I don't like that people feel so afraid of me. In this city, as you probably know, king and knight, peasant and count, are all the same. That's why you are not kneeling now in front of me," he said, making emphasis on the last part. Chris realised that they should probably have knelt. But it was too late now. "Well, where do you come from, then? Men talk better when they feel free..."
Chris swallowed again, as he kept his eyes in the king's emerald eyes: "I... we come from some place... We just..."
"We fell. We knocked our heads, my Lord. And we don't remember anything about us..." Michael explained quickly.
The king nodded again, and looked at his wife significantly. "And that's how you arrived in Camelot..." he said casually.
Chris and Michael opened their eyes widely. "CAMELOT!" they exclaimed.

(Chapter 1 written by Belén and Chrissy.W.x)