TWENTY

"Okay, who said that?" Piper asked.

"I don't know," said Phoebe. "There doesn't seem to be anyone else here."

"I am here," said the voice. "I am always here."

"Who are you?" Jerrod asked.

"I am the spirit of all that is," said the voice. "I am that which was and which is to be."

"Speak in riddles much?" Paige asked.

"Why have you come to my domain?" asked the voice. "You have crossed the threshold. The threshold must not be crossed. It is not the natural way of things."

"What threshold?" Piper asked.

"That which is from that which is not," said the voice.

"What do you mean that which is from that which is not?" Phoebe asked.

"Simply that," said the voice. "That which is must not join with that which is not."

"Fantasy and real magic," said Jerrod. "I think that's what this voice is talking about. The joining of the two magicks."

"So just who is this mysterious voice anyway?" Leo asked.

"I think it's the slippers," said Jerrod.

"What?" Cole questioned. "That's crazy. They're just slippers."

"Not any more," said Jerrod. "With all the magic that's been going through them – and the joining of the real and fantasy magicks – I think that somehow all that combined magic has caused the slippers to become sentient."

"Okay, that just sounds crazy to me," said Paige.

"No, he might be right," said Leo. "In a way, it happens all the time. When a baby is born it's just an empty slate so to speak. No memories or experiences. But then the baby begins to learn things. Slowly at first and then faster as time goes on. At some point most small children exceed the sum of what they've learned. Begin to think for themselves."

"And you think that's what's happened here?" Piper asked.

"It makes sense," said Leo.

"More than that," said Jerrod. "It was inevitable. The magic being drawn through the slippers would also draw the thoughts and memories of those using the magic. Including the sisters, Abigail, Darryl, and me, those are a lot of thoughts and memories. Combined with the magic it would be inevitable that it would eventually exceed the sum of its parts. To become sentient."

"So what does it mean we've crossed the threshold?" Cole asked.

"You have crossed from that which is not into that which is," said the voice. "You must be returned to your natural realm. To restore the natural way."

"We haven't crossed over anywhere," said Piper. "If anything, you've crossed over. This is the real world."

"You are misinformed," said the voice. "I am that which was and which is to be. I have existed since the dawn of time. I will continue."

"Okay, just what does that mean?" Paige asked.

"I think," said Jerrod, "that it thinks it's real. That we're the fantasy. And it thinks we've crossed over from the fantasy world into the real world."

"So what does it plan to do about it?" Darryl asked.

"I shall do nothing with you," said the voice. "You are as you should be. It is the others who have crossed the threshold. They must be returned to their natural state."

"Oh, this isn't good," said Jerrod. "If the slippers have become sentient then they have complete mastery of the magic in them. If it thinks we are fantasies and should be returned to the fantasy world, there's not telling what they'll do."

"You mean they might kill us?" Phoebe asked.

"Worse," said Jerrod. "They'll send us to the fantasy world thinking that's where we belong. Only we don't belong in the fantasy world but there won't be any way to get out of it. We'll be trapped there forever."

"Especially since we don't have the Power of Three any more," said Piper. "What can we do to stop the slippers?"

"You can do nothing," said the voice. "I am the power. I must return that which is not to where it belongs."

"Wait a minute," said Darryl. "Are you saying we're all going back to the Land of Oz? That's just crazy."

"As I said," said the voice, "you are as you should be. It is only the others who have crossed the threshold. It is they who must be returned that which is not."

"It sees Darryl as real," said Jerrod. "Probably because he has a mingling of real and fantasy magic in him. It won't do anything to him because it believes he belongs here. But the rest of us are in real danger unless we can convince it we're real."

"Just how do we do that?" Piper asked.

"I wish I knew," said Jerrod. "Since it's become sentient the only thing it's known is the joining of the real and fantasy magicks. Since it's essentially fantasy magic it believes that fantasy is reality."

"So what we have to do is convince it that we're real and it's fantasy," said Paige. "Oh, no pressure there. I'm not sure that's even possible."

"Maybe it is," said Cole. "It has to be able to distinguish between real and fantasy. Otherwise it wouldn't see us as different."

"That makes sense," said Jerrod. "It's how it would think of us as fantasy."

"So, doesn't that mean it can distinguish between real and fantasy magic?" Cole asked.

"Of course," said Jerrod.

"Wouldn't the powers we stripped from ourselves be part of the magic of the slippers?" Piper asked.

"Of course," said Jerrod. "Once Abby was vanquished the magic had to go somewhere. It would just naturally gravitate to the most powerful magic around."

"So why doesn't it see itself as partially fantasy at least?" Phoebe asked. "Surely it must sense the stripped powers mingled with it."

"Of course," said Jerrod. "That might be the answer. If we can convince it that part of it's magic is fantasy magic and not real then it would have to return that power to where it rightfully belongs. Namely to you."

"And once we have our powers back maybe we can stop it," said Piper.

"It's worth a shot," said Phoebe. "Without their shares of the Power of Three it should be severely weakened."

"Well, it seems that Jerrod has the best chance of convincing it," said Cole. "He is – was – the mystic warlock. It should see him as more like it than any of us. I'm willing to bet it will listen to him before it listens to any of us."

"Sounds reasonable," said Jerrod. "I'll do my best."

Jerrod turned and faced the slippers.

"My name is Jerrod," he said. "If we have crossed the threshold so has much of our power. That power resides in you. It will be necessary to return that power to its rightful place. Otherwise all that you are could be corrupted."

"You are that which is not," said the voice. "Your words belong to that which is not. Your words have no import in this matter."

"Well that's great," said Jerrod. "It won't even listen to me. If it won't listen to me there's no way I can convince it to return your powers. And I'm fresh out of ideas."