My well of ideas is beginning to run a little dry, so if anyone wants to add some of their own for this story, please feel free to do so.
Chapter 25:
"I am light, I am one too strong to fight. Return to the dark where shadows dwell, you cannot have this Halliwell. Go away and leave my sight, and take with you this endless night!" Phoebe chanted. The Woogyman, also known as the shadow of the nexus, screamed and was sucked back into the nexus.
"So, what you're saying is that there's a demon in your nexus, and that's why it remains relatively unused," Jerome said.
"Yeah, pretty much," Paige said.
"It would have been really nice of you to tell me that before I tried to use it," Jerome said.
"It would have also been nice of you to tell us you wanted to try and use it before you tried it," Paige retorted.
"Fair enough," Jerome said. He turned to Phoebe. "What was the spell you were using?"
"Uh, well, I just refer to it as the Woogyman spell. It's something Grams used to tell us every night before bed," Phoebe said. "Why do you ask?"
"It sounds very familiar," Jerome said. "I think it's a lot older than that."
"What was it used for?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm not sure," Jerome said. "It as definitely used to seal something, but I don't know what."
"Do you remember anything about the other spell?" Paige asked.
"I remember some of it. 'I am might, I am far too strong to fight. Begone from what we love so well, you cannot live where we do dwell. Go away, begone from sight' and I can't remember the last line," Jerome said.
"'And suffer from eternal plight,'" Benjamin said, walking into the kitchen. "That's a very old spell, Jerome."
"How old is it?" Paige asked.
"I'm not sure. I don't know if anyone knows how old it is," Benjamin said.
"Do you know what it was used for?" Jerome asked.
"I can't remember. Obviously a sealing spell of some sort," Benjamin said.
"Clearly. And I'm fairly certain it was a powerful one, too," Jerome said.
"And there are many variations and derivatives of it, such as the one to banish the shadow in the Halliwell nexus back into the nexus," Benjamin said.
"So, couldn't there be some variation of it to seal the Destroyer?" Paige asked.
"I don't know. It's a powerful spell, to be sure, but I don't know if it's quite that powerful," Jerome said.
"There has to be something else in Claustrum," Cole said.
"We were in Claustrum, isn't that enough?" Gelus said.
"No, I don't believe that the entire city only held you," Cole said. Cole had been allowed to see the inside of Claustrum for a short time. It was huge. Excisio Himself had gone down into Claustrum, searching for something. He wouldn't say what, though. The Adgressors were very protective of the city.
"Well, then don't believe it. I really don't care," Gelus replied.
"And Excisio is after something down there, so I really doubt you're it," Cole said.
"What the Destroyer is after is his own business," Gelus said.
Gelus Flickered away, leaving Cole. Mortus jumped out of the giant hole that led to Claustrum shortly after Gelus left. "Hey, demon, I've been thinking. We may want the other demons on our side, since I can almost guarantee that the witches and other good beings are going to fight back. If we can recruit some demons, then we won't have to waste as much time dealing with all those good beings," Mortus said.
"Why not recruit the good beings? Aren't there more of them?" Cole asked.
"Simple. Good beings do not react as well to raw power. However, with demons you can show them how insanely powerful you are, and they'll follow you blindly. Even to their own destruction," Mortus said.
"Why me?" Cole asked.
"You ask a lot of questions for a demon," Mortus said. "Most would leap at the chance to rule the Underworld."
"I'm also half witch, so my demonic nature isn't particularly prevalent," Cole said.
"Half demon, half witch. What demon would be foolish enough to bed a witch? Or what witch would be stupid enough to bed a demon?" Mortus asked, though it seemed to be a rhetorical question.
Cole answered anyway. "The Source of All Evil and a Charmed One," Cole said.
The look of pure shock on Mortus' face was priceless. "The Source, and a Charmed One," he said. "Well, um, okay..."
"So, why do I have to be the one to take over the Underworld?" Cole asked, interrupting what was likely a highly disturbing and confusing moment for the Adgressor.
"You're already a demon. They are far more likely to let you lead than any of us," Mortus said.
"You want me to take over the Underworld so you don't have to bother fighting witches, right?" Cole asked.
"Precisely," Mortus said.
"Very well, I'll get started," Cole said. He Flamed away.
Jerome hadn't neglected teaching Piper and Melinda swordplay, much to their dismay. He was holding weekly sessions with them. Phoebe, who Cole (Belthazor Cole, not her son Cole) had trained a bit in swordplay, came to one of Jerome's sessions. She was completely overwhelmed by his training and refused to go to another. Naturally, Piper and Melinda were pretty unhappy with Jerome. "Even Phoebe thinks we're being pushed too hard," Piper said.
"And yet you have shown incredible improvement. You, Piper, beat Phoebe," Jerome said.
"Well, yeah, but," Piper started.
"So," Jerome interrupted, "that means that my training, harsh as it may be, is working. Very well."
Piper had shown remarkable improvement. She had gotten fairly good in the short amount of time. Much better than Melinda. The poor girl wasn't very good. She had improved, dramatically, but Jerome doubted she would ever be very good. Piper, however, had the potential to be a good swordsman, or woman. She still had a ways to go, of course. But she had potential.
That day Paige had come to watch. Jerome tried to get her to train, at least a little, but she refused. Phoebe had probably warned her. Piper and Melinda were sparring. Both had gotten really good at holding their swords. Piper swung her sword over her right shoulder, at Melinda's left side. Melinda moved her sword to block Piper's. "Stop!" Jerome called out. "Melinda, never block a sword swing with the edge of your blade. Use the flat side. Again!"
Piper repeated her attack. Melinda blocked it, that time with the flat of the blade. Melinda counterattacked by swinging the sword upwards at Piper's right arm. The blade nicked Piper's skin. "Very effective, but a bit obvious. Most swordsman will be prepared for a move like that and will know how to block it," Jerome said.
Melinda grinned a little. That was the closest thing to a praise she had ever gotten from Jerome. It counted as a victory in her book. Jerome had them begin again, that time without correcting anything. "They're pretty good," Paige commented.
Jerome rolled his eyes. "Yeah, a few more years and they might achieve a level of mediocrity," Jerome remarked.
"What are you talking about? Melinda's really good, and Piper is incredible," Paige said.
"Stop," Jerome called. Piper and Melinda both stopped, mid swing.
"What'd we mess up this time?" Piper sighed.
"A lot, but that's not why I've stopped you. Piper, you're going to spar with me now," Jerome said.
Piper's eyes grew wide with fear. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm doing what now?" Piper asked.
"You're sparring Jerome," Melinda said happily.
Piper glared at Melinda. "Yeah, thanks for clearing that up!" she snapped.
"Melinda, you shouldn't sound so thrilled. You'll be next," Jerome said. Melinda's expression fell and became one of dread. Paige looked at Jerome and Piper with interest.
Piper stepped forward, sword cautiously drawn. Jerome gestured for her to make the first move, sword still sheathed. Both of Jerome's hands were held in front of him. Piper swung her sword at Jerome's shoulder. Jerome moved to the side, dodging the blade. Piper tried to swing her sword at Jerome again, but he rolled to the side. Somehow, Jerome had managed to draw his sword while rolling. Jerome leapt at Piper, sword in the air. Piper held her sword horizontally in front of her. Jerome struck Piper's blade near the hilt, knocking the sword out of her hands. Jerome flipped and landed behind her. Jerome turned around and held his sword to Piper's neck. "Dead," he said.
Jerome lowered his sword and sheathed it. Piper picked her sword up and walked to the side to sit down. Jerome looked at Melinda and gestured for her to step forward. She shook her head. "Melinda," Jerome said dangerously.
Melinda slowly stepped forward, sword raised. Jerome unsheathed his sword and held it loosely by his side. Melinda stayed put, shaking slightly. "Hold your sword steady. A shaking sword will do you no good in battle," Jerome said. Melinda took a deep breath and steadied her sword.
Paige was standing next to Piper. "Does he do that a lot?" Paige asked.
"Do what?" Piper asked.
"Spar with you guys," Paige said.
"Oh, no. This is the first time he's ever even pulled out his own sword," Piper said.
"Really? How does he show you what to do, then?" Paige asked.
"He doesn't. He tells us how, but he says we shouldn't try to mimic him, but picture ourselves doing it in our minds, or some other nonsense like that," Piper said.
Jerome, meanwhile, had disarmed Melinda in three seconds flat. Melinda was crouched on the ground, hands over her head, while Jerome stood over her, sword sheathed and eyebrow raised. He walked over to Paige and Piper and said "And that's why you need to train."
"Why don't you show them how to use their swords?" Paige asked. "Why do you make them figure it out themselves?"
"I tell them what they need to do. I don't show them because if they see me do it first then they are going to picture me doing it in their minds, and not themselves doing it. Copying me and truly using a sword are two very different things," Jerome said.
"Is that how you learned?" Paige asked.
"My teacher taught me by example, and it took a very long time before I was able to truly use a sword. For a long time all I was doing was copying my teacher. I'm trying to spare them the difficulty of learning true swordplay on their own," Jerome said.
"I still don't see how telling us is any different than showing us," Piper said.
"If I tell you the basics you'll know what to do, how to properly use a sword just as well as if I showed you, but you wouldn't have the natural feel of a swordsman. Your weapon would just be a weapon and not an extension of your body, like it's supposed to be," Jerome said. "I learned this lesson the hard way, trust me that I'm saving you a lot of time and effort."
"Alright, you know best," Piper said.
"Good. Now, Piper, Melinda, face off against each other again," Jerome said.
Electus had what he needed. There was a man, a witch, technically, who had the power to change into other people. Not like a shape-shifter, but to truly become another. He still retained a sense of who he was, but he also had the thoughts and minds of the person he changed into. Electus was going to "borrow" his power.
"Please, my wife is dying," the man said to Electus one day. "I'll do anything, just please save her. My son needs her; I need her."
"Anything? Would you be willing to change into someone for me?" Electus asked.
"Yes! Of course, just please save my wife," the man pleaded. Electus snapped his fingers.
"Your wife is healed, she will live another day. Now, for your end of the bargain," Electus said.
"Yes, yes. I'll change. Do you have something that belonged to this person?" the man asked.
"Yes, here," Electus said, holding out Medeis' wand.
The man grabbed it and focused. He grunted and groan of pain escaped his lips. His eyes started glowing, and he changed into a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and eyes as pure blue as a crystal clear lake on a bright sunny day. Electus took a brief intake of breath. "Medeis," he muttered.
She turned to him. "Electus," she said. "Somehow, I knew you'd find me."
"I haven't found you yet. But I will find you. I just need some kind of clue," Electus said.
"They created a new dimension, just to hold me. If I had my powers back, I could escape, but alas, I don't," Medeis said.
"Where is this dimension? How can I get there?" Electus asked.
Medeis began to fade. "Electus, this witch doesn't possess enough power to sustain me for very long," she said. "Even in my weakened state, I'm afraid I'm still too powerful for him."
"How can I find you?" Electus repeated.
"I don't know. Perhaps one of our brothers, maybe Caelus-" Medeis was unable to finish her thought. She completely changed back into the witch, who promptly collapsed on the ground. Electus nudged him with his foot. The man seemed to be alive. Electus grabbed Medeis' wand and left, planning on having a chat with his brother.
Author's Note:
I kind of need ideas. Filler ideas, because I know what I want to do, for the most part, for some of the final battles and confrontations. We all know that a confrontation between Jerome and Mortus is inevitable, and that eventually Paul and Jerome are going to have some kind of epic battle. So, I have all of that more or less planned out, but I'm not quite ready to rush the story to its conclusion. So, if anyone wants to feed me ideas for some fillers, I'd really appreciate it. And reviews with anything in them are nice, too.