Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed, or any of it's characters unfortunately. However I've created my own characters I hope you'll grow to love just the same.

Dear Readers: This is a spin-off about Phoebe's daughters and how their lives develop in their adult years.

1.10: The Enemy Within (Volume One Finale)

Story by: Brando

Written by: Brando

"This makes absolutely no sense at all. I've never heard of anything such as Erida." Phoebe said. "And I still can't believe it was Erika."

"Well it's not the first time we've been manipulated by a friend." Paige said, sighing.

"Yeah, but one of our children's friends. This isn't right." Piper said.

Phoebe sat at a long wooden table in the Great Hall of Magic School with Coop at her side. They watched as Melinda paced back and forth trying to retell the events of what had happened in the fortress twenty minutes ago. Her parents, Piper and Leo, were sitting across from Phoebe and Coop listening intently. Paige sat at the end of the table, her long hair frazzled on both sides.

"Erida? It doesn't really ring a bell to me." Leo said glancing at Coop.

Leo and Coop were two beings from years ago that knew much about the history of magic. Although the Charmed Ones were nearing their mid-fifties, they were still learning new things about the magical world and it's creatures.

"I believe I have." Coop said. Everyone turned and looked at him, including Melinda who sat down in a chair beside her mother and rested her head in her hands.

"Go on." Phoebe said as Coop continued.

"Well, Erida was known as the Goddess of Love or... Hate." There was a pause in his sentence and the tone brought fear to Phoebe as well. Her husband had been a cupid for nearly his entire life, and she knew he knew all about what dangers were out there in the Cupid world.

"Hate! See, that's exactly what she's pawning on Precious." Melinda said. "She's got my brothers and your children locked away in their futures without any powers. No offense but we're losing and you aren't doing anything to help us."

"Melinda..." Piper tried to start in before Melinda cut her off angrily.

"No, Mother, listen to me... please. Somehow I've been pulled into this battle between Precious and a goddess of hate, while my brothers and cousins have been taken to die somewhere in time. I know that you are all concerned but I don't see it half the time. The fact that you're all sitting here so calmly is scaring me." Melinda said.

Nobody in the room spoke for a moment as Melinda stocked off down the hallway, ignoring her mother's plea to stay.

[xxx

Dark covered eyes stared out of the reflection at her. She was fit in a heart shaped black cocktail dress with her long blonde hair shining down in curls at her sides. How was it that she didn't know who she was? It was her body after all, was it not? How come Precious had changed so much in the past seven months? More questions came and went, forming thoughts in a head she wasn't sure was her own.

"What are you gawking at, Precious?" Erika asked. Precious turned and looked angrily, "Are you pleased with your future self?"

"No." Precious said, not knowing if it was her own voice or not. "What's happened to me?"

"That is a very good question. What has happened to you in the past seven months?" Erika asked.

"You should know, this is your time is it not? Erida?" Precious asked.

"You're right, this is my time. You see, this is the night I was supposed to take you on in a fierce battle. This very night I was going to take you down and destroy the first cupidic witch ever in history. However..." Erika tried to explain before Precious backed away and knocked over a glass bottle on a table. The table was covered with bottles, ingredients, and a cauldron that looked as though it hadn't been used in many months, because it hadn't.

"Careful, wouldn't want you to destroy my best herbs." Erika said before continuing. "As I was saying, something happened that I was unaware of. Your powers advanced further beyond my imagination and took out everything in your way. Now why would you have decided to destroy those in your way, if they were all against me?"

Precious didn't understand what Erika was talking about. How could she expect Precious to know what was going on when she had never been to the future? Then she decided it was time to ask her questions aloud.

"What makes you think I'd know anything about the future? I've never been here before." said Precious.

"Of course you haven't and I know that. However, you've recently developed a new power. The power of twisted empathy." Erika said.

"And?" Precious asked, trying to gain more knowledge of Erika's plan.

"And... I have reason to believe it's the strongest power a cupidic witch like, yourself, could ever gain." Erika replied, smiling and pacing forward Precious. "Imagine the many possibilities of what your power can do. I think your new power is what caused all the events of the future."

"What events?" Precious asked as she turned and spotted her cousins and sisters resting in their coffins. They each looked as though they had aged seven months as well. Each of them had pale skin and dark eyes, surrounded by ragged clothes.

"Well, on this very night, you and I, are supposed to have a showdown. I foresaw that you were going to win and that you were going to use this newfound power to defeat me. I'll tell you something, Precious. I've been around for centuries and I've never met my match until tonight. There in lies, the true reason I brought you from the past." Erika explained.

[xxx

A cauldron began to smoke and fume as Piper stirred in some more herbs.

"It's nearly done. Are we sure it's going to help?" Melinda asked.

"It has to. This potion will cause a long enough diversion to get you and Precious out of there." Piper replied in confidence.

Piper and Paige were making a potion in the Great Hall at Magic School as Phoebe, Coop, and Leo looked through books. Phoebe had tears in her eyes and was slowly wiping them away as Coop comforted her. Melinda walked over to Phoebe and pulled her aside.

"Aunt Phoebe, I'm really sorry if I insulted you earlier. About the whole ... not helping us... kind of thing." Melinda said.

"No, Melinda, you have no reason to be sorry. I mean look at me, my daughters are all in demonic peril because of me." Phoebe said.

"They're going to be fine. We just have to get me to the future to save them." Melinda said.

"You know, I can admit that you were right. I'm guilty of not being there to help my daughters. Or my nieces and nephews for that reason. However there's something you must know." Phoebe started to say.

The entire room had grown silent as Piper bottled the rest of the potion. Paige finished jotting down a spell and looked up from her writing.

"I understand that all of us, as parents, have lacked the attention you seek. The powers you need are no longer with us. As you are the new generation, Melinda, you and your brothers and cousins have extraordinary power. Power that makes you stronger than my generation and the ones before it. That is why the evil that is now attacking the nine of you, is more powerful and more prepared than we could've imagined. Your mother, your aunt, and myself, have not been the all powerful charmed ones for nearly twenty years. This, and this reason only, is why we can't help you." Phoebe explained.

Everyone remained quiet except for Piper.

"She's right, honey. And I'm guilty myself, for not helping you prepare for the battles that lie ahead. I guess I've been a little selfish." Piper said as everyone became confused. They were all starting to wonder why she had become selfish, even Melinda who didn't want to believe it. "I had you and your brothers, and I opened my own restaurant and finally got the normal life I'd always wanted. I guess I never took the time to train you and your brothers for your charmed legacy."

"Mom, you used to train us all the time." Melinda replied in a sympathetic tone.

"Key words... used to. I can see now that it wasn't enough. I'd sent you and your brothers to Magic School to learn instead of teaching you myself." Piper said.

"Well the point is, you are all helping us now. If we don't bring closure to this discussion, we'll worry about it for the years to come." Melinda said.

Piper smiled sympathetically and looked around the room. "She's right. Coop, give her the ring."

[xxx

"You still haven't told me why you brought me here." Precious said, trying not to make any suspicious moves. Erika certainly had the upper hand at the moment.

"You're right. Then again why are you so eager if you have nothing to gain from knowing?" Erika asked.

"Knowledge is power." Precious said, thinking fast of what to say.

Erika cackled. "Ha, that is the lamest thing I've ever heard. You don't know the meaning of power, Precious." She paced back and forth and continued. "You see, as the only cupidic witch to exist, you have more powers than I have. That does not go with understanding to me, Precious. You're powers can do more than you've ever imagined."

Precious felt around, wishing she had her old outfit on, for her cupid ring was wrapped in her pocket. As Erika continued to talk, Precious saw a large mirror behind her and the reflection had just caught her eye.

"Did you know that you can take an emotion from someone's body? You can even take those emotions and make them your own, so that you are stronger. As you can see, your family is the result of this new power." Erika said.

"What are you saying?" Precious asked.

"I'm saying, that you are the enemy. You who has always been the nice loving girl that everyone adores as a cupidic witch, has become nothing more than a emotion and soul sucking parasite. You have an enemy within, Precious."

"An enemy within? That's not possible." Precious tried to say before Erika interrupted.

"Of course it's possible. Without my time traveling method, I could have allowed the darker side of you to take over, and we don't need an evil more powerful than me now do we?" she asked.

Precious didn't answer.

"I took out your generation so that you couldn't use their emotions to defeat me. You sacrificed your family to save yourself instead of using your own power. To me, you are weak and as long as you are here on my terms, I have the upper hand." Erika explained.

"And what was with those stones?" Precious asked, trying to get a better look into the mirror.

"I used the stones to take all the powers from your sisters and cousins. I guess that's another one of your perks, Precious. You could not only take the emotions to gain a power boost, but you could also take powers from those you tapped in to." Erika said as she sat down in a chair. "Now, what say we get down to this showdown. I'm ready to become the ultimate evil."

"I don't think so!" Precious said.

Erika waved her hand and sent Precious flying into a stone wall. Rubble began to fall, scratching and ripping at her dress and skin. Precious ached in pain already and still found the motivation to get back up. She had a feeling she wasn't going to win, but she knew she'd have to try. As she tried to run, Erika threw her farther this time and she landed against the wall by the mirror. The mirror swayed a bit as Precious looked inside.

For a moment, everything seemed to stop as she looked into the mirror. She could see Erika in the background and somehow it didn't look like her at all. In the mirror, Erika's reflection was tall, dark, and of old age. She was full of wrinkles and her skin was aged terribly. Her long blonde hair was instead white and it was falling in strands along the sides of the old woman's crooked face. Then Precious noticed herself in the mirror. She could see herself in a different outfit, in fact it was the outfit she had been wearing on the day she'd vanished from the present.

Her reflection whispered to her as Erika walked closer.

"Precious, don't listen to her." said Precious's reflection.

"What?" the real Precious asked, beginning to feel that it was not her lips moving; but instead someone else's.

"You are no evil, Precious. We are none but good and she's trying to weaken your guard! I never meant to sacrifice our family, you should know that." Precious's reflection said.

"What are you doing? Trying to talk yourself to safety?" Erika cackled as she came up behind Precious. Precious shivered as she saw the old wrinkled and aged woman breathing down on her. How could the woman still look like Erika on the outside?

"Yes, unfortunately you have to see how I really look." Erika said as she pulled a string and a long maroon curtain fell over the mirror. "Not anymore."

Precious was becoming slightly angry. She had hoped the mirror held an answer and now there was no way to get back to it without Erika stopping her.

She tried to think fast. She had just learned that there was no enemy within. There was only an enemy within Erika. Erika had to be the ancient Goddess she kept talking about, Erida. Had that been Erida in the mirror? Had Erida really given up on love and fallen to the dark side of hate? Precious began to piece together the puzzle and it was time to take action.

"Are you going to stand there the entire time or are you going to try and fight me? It's much more fun if I have a challenge." Erika said.

[xxx

Melinda thought with all her heart about Precious. If she did this, she would soon be where Precious was.

She felt her feet leave the Magic School floor and she was rushing through a vortex. Time and Space was speeding her by and she could only see a bright pink light.

When her feet reached the ground, she found herself standing in the middle of two matching opponents. Precious was on her left and Erika was on her right. She could see the coffins full of her cousins and brothers in front of her. She was frightened and turned to see Precious's new future look.

"Melinda?" Erika and Precious asked.

"Duck!" Precious yelled.

"No, even better!" Melinda shouted as she slammed the potion to the ground.

Smoke filled the room and bright sparkling lights filled the room. Precious and Melinda were finally together and Erika was screaming as she tried to stop the lights from distracting her.

"She'll be out of there any moment." Precious said.

"No, she can't use her powers in that." Melinda said. "I know we don't have much time but what's going on?"

"There's no time to explain just yet. How did you get here?" Precious asked.

"I used your fathers ring. It brought me here when I thought about you." Melinda said, smiling in relief but shaking in panic.

"Wow, you just reminded me of something. I need you to grab the coffins and get back to the past. Once Erika has been defeated I'm sure every portion of magic will be lifted that she's inflicted. And if not, I know exactly what I'm going to do with my newfound information." Precious stated. "Now hurry up, before that potion wears off."

Melinda nodded and ran to grab the coffins. With one swift smile she vanished. Precious ran to the large maroon curtain and pulled it back. Her reflection stared at her through the other side.

"I thought I'd see you again." her reflection said.

"Look, if you're me, then what is going on here? I don't have too much time." Precious said.

"I am you, Precious. We are two halves of the same whole. I'm your future self and this is my present time. Now I understand that we must still have our powers and the only way you're going to defeat Erida is if you use the powers from the heart." The reflection explained.

"I'm not sure I understand." Precious said.

"Here." The reflection replied as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver ring. Precious noticed it at once as the ring she was meant to wear, her reflection slipped it onto her own finger and Precious began to feel something cold on her right hand. When she looked down she saw the ring was also on her hand.

"I'm your heart, Precious. I'm the powers from your heart. Your soul, your knowledge, everything. Although it may not make sense, you will begin to learn that anything and everything that has to do with love and emotions, you can master!" the reflection said. It all hit Precious at once, she had realized that she'd seen all the good within herself was in the mirror. Her reflection slowly faded away and she saw her future reflection once more. She now felt like it was her body, her soul, her eyes and lips blinking and moving.

The room had grown quiet now as Precious turned back around. Erika had just made it out of the distraction. When she spotted the mirror and the missing coffins, she screamed.

"Where's that little bitch!" she yelled.

"She's gone." Precious replied calmly.

"You seem awfully calm now, Precious." Erika said.

"As a matter of fact, I finally understand what you really are." Precious said.

"Oh? And what am I?" Erika asked.

"You're the enemy within. Not me. You are no longer good, and you never will be. I despise the fact that I was ever your friend and I know now that I can battle hate. I don't fear hate." Precious stated.

"Well, that's an interesting theory. I still don't see how you expect to defeat me." Erika cackled.

"I know exactly how to defeat you. You once said it was lame to think that knowledge is power. Without knowledge, I wouldn't know true power. Now I know that love is power. And with love I will defeat you!" Precious said.

She closed her eyes and began to concentrate on all the love she'd ever felt. She thought about her parents and their sincere smiles. She thought about her sisters and all the memories they had shared growing up. She began to think about her cousins, her aunts, and Trent.

There was plenty of love in Precious's world. She knew that with the power of love and everything she'd ever believed to be true in her heart, that this was the downfall to the evil that thought it had won.

When Precious opened her eyes she noticed she was glowing a bright pink. She channeled all of the love and happiness she was now feeling and targeted Erika. She wanted Erika to feel exactly what she was feeling and she wanted her to hate it. She wanted her to feel anything and everything that would disrupt the evil hate within.

Erika screamed and writhed in pain as she too began to glow. Pink light burst from her eyes and ears. It seeped through her strands of hair and through the holes in her dress. It poured from beneath her dress and engulfed her. As her screaming grew louder, Precious held the ring tight and thought about home.

As soon as the explosion was going to hit, Precious knew she'd feel the impact so she once again had to think fast. She grabbed the three ancient stones from the table beside her, realizing their might be a way to get back her generation's power. Then she'd begun to chant.

"A future battle comes to an end, and to my time I shall be sent. Send me back, while my future stays forth, take me back for all it's worth!" she knew it wasn't the best of spells but she soon vanished.

[xxx

Precious hit the ground at a fast pace, and landed directly on the attic floor of Halliwell Manor. She looked at her surroundings and realized she was finally home in her own time.

"I did it." she said.

"Yes, you did!" shouted a few voices. Behind Precious stood Melinda, Aunt Piper, Aunt Paige, Phoebe, Coop, and Leo. The coffins that had encased her sisters and cousins were now gone and together stood Wyatt, Chris, Laura, Lorraine, Henry Jr., and Peyton.

"The magic was lifted, just like you thought it would be." Melinda said.

"And what about Penelope? Where is she?" Precious asked.

"Precious, I'm right here." Penelope said, stepping out from the crowd. She smiled at Precious and gave her a hug.

"Thank you so much. You saved my life." Penelope said and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm so happy you're all okay. I can't even describe all the things that have just happened to me. I still feel like I have so much to learn from it all." Precious said as she held out the three ancient stones.

"The stones." Penelope said.

"Yes, I believe we're going to have to cleanse them and break their protection. I'm sure someone knows how to do that." Precious said.

Aunt Piper nodded, "I'm sure I can think of something."

"Why's it important?" Penelope asked.

"It's the only way to get back everyone's powers. I've got mine but you're all going to need yours back." Precious explained glancing from Penelope, to Peyton, to her cousins.

"I too, have an announcement to make." Uncle Leo said.

The room grew silent as everyone gave him their attention.

"Seeing as you nine children are the next generation of power, I'm going to offer you each a proposition." Leo said.

"What?" Precious asked.

"I'm going to enroll each of you in Magic School, to make sure you each get the proper training you deserve and that you understand how to properly use your magic." Leo explained.

Everyone cheered in celebration, wondering how that was really a surprise when most knew they'd want to go to Magic School. Precious smiled and turned to her parents and sisters.

"Well, I want to finish High School first, and then I'd love to enter Magic School. I can't wait to know more about my duty as the Cupidic Witch." she told her family.

"You're going to be great." Phoebe said as she hugged her daughters, "You all are."

"I have no doubt there's anything you can't handle. After all, you've already handled so much." Coop said.

Precious knew that wasn't going to be true. She had a feeling there were going to be bigger challenges in her life for the coming years. However, she wasn't going to let anything get to her right now.

Life was going to move on, and more challenges would appoint themselves. Precious Halliwell would be ready when those challenges came…

END OF CHAPTER TEN

END OF VOLUME ONE

Author's Note: Hey Everyone, I just want to say thank you to all that have read and reviewed my story. It has been great writing for you guys and I want you all to know that a Volume Two will be on it's way in this new year... 2008!!! So stay tuned... :)