Chapter 24: The Best Laid Plans
As his window into the Halliwell Manor of 1983 rippled into clarity Kalaaya found himself watching an empty attic. He narrowed his yellow eyes, hoping that he had spaced this portal far enough from the last in this time frame that no energy ripples from this one would collide with the previous. He held his arms out to either side, palms raised, and strained to sense any turbulence in the fabric of space-time. Satisfied that all was well after a few minutes, he folded his hands back in his lap and turned his attention back to the Manor.
He didn't have to wait long, as both sets of sisters, a young man, and that pain of a witch Penny Halliwell strode into view. "Well, what do we have here," he sneered. "Think we have a little plan, do we?"
He watched as the young man bent over and began drawing a symbol in chalk on the floorboards. He soon realized it was a Triquetra. He chuckled sinisterly. "No witches portal can bring you here, boy." But then he noticed the goblets that Paige held. He looked closer, manipulating his window to focus closer on Penny's hand. She too was holding something. He waited patiently until she opened her hand and dropped the object into a bowl.
"No... no it can't be..."
But it is. His voice was back. Not that it ever really left. You know its what we have been searching for for a millenia. And now those wretched witches have it. Which means...
Kalaaya's eyes widened. "The Avaidavid! It can't be! No witch has ever been privy to that knowledge – it is a sacred ancient demon rite!"
And yet... they do.
"They must have forced it out of some demon. But even then, only upper level demons know the rite. How could this have happened?"
Does it really matter? Whats important now is that we stop them. And hopefully kill a few while we're at it!
"Yes – yes! I know what to do. I shall call in a favor from an old acquaintance of mine." The demon waved a hand and a new ripple appeared. This time it showed a typical lair in the underworld, opened to a year previous where the Charmed Ones were beginning the ritual. A small, but powerfully muscled man with short blonde disheveled hair, clad in the typical demon garb of black leather and rags, was licking the blood off of a large blade. "Sieppes!" yelled Kalaaya, his voice projecting out from the bowl of muddy water near the blonde demon, causing him to jump.
"Yes, Kalaaya?" Sieppes wandered over to the reflecting bowl.
"You owe me Sieppes, and I'm calling that in."
Sieppes jutted his chin out and crossed him arms. "Should've known you'd never forget about that, even 100 years later! So whadd'ya need?"
"Oh, its simple really. I simply require you to ambush a coven of witches precisely one year from now."
"I see. And? Whats so special about them?"
"They're from the future. So try not to kill any of them in the process."
"And my debt is wiped clean?"
"As clean as an Elder's backside, Sieppes. You just need to make sure you show up at the precise moment I tell you to..."
"I don't know... this whole drinking blood thing. It still seems evil to me..." said Piper, wringing her hands.
"Not to mention disgusting," added the younger Phoebe.
"Well, demons aren't exactly know for their flair for subtlety. Or taste," answered Paige. "Believe me, it's not exactly like I wrote 'Dear Diary, I sure hope I get to drink my sister's blood today!' this morning."
"Yeah, about that," replied the older Piper. "Tell me why exactly I have to be the witch in this little Triad again?"
"Like it or not, you know you're the most powerful witch here, and that makes you our best bet," answered Grams in the tone she used to use for making the girls eat lima beans.
Piper flung her hand up briskly, waving away Grams. "I know! I know! Lucky all powerful me! Doesn't mean I can't bitch about it," she grumbled.
"I suppose so," replied Penny flatly. "Although Paige has every right to complain. I still say we should get Leo to do the ritual. He is a full whitelighter, after all. No offense Paige."
"None taken. The whole full blooded thing kinda requires dying – which I'm not really into at the moment!" said Paige as she set a goblet at each point of the Triquetra.
"You know how I feel about that Grams," said Piper, ignoring Paige's attempt at banter. "I'm not putting him in any more danger than necessary. Without him, our future is screwed. And he's my husband. So, until we find out that it won't work with Paige, he doesn't get involved in this."
"Very well darling. For your sake, I hope it works."
Chris, Piper, and Paige each settled cross-legged at a point on the chalk Triquetra as Penny placed a small bowl in the center of the symbol, along with an athame. "Ok, so we're all clear on the plan?" asked the older Piper.
Prue nodded. "We stand guard in while you guys perform the ritual."
"And kick the ass of any demon Kalaaya might send our way," added the younger Phoebe.
"And hope that our new 'good guy' Triad can open a portal to him when its all said and done," finished her older counterpart.
"Right." Piper picked up the athame and paused to look at Paige with the knife hovering over her palm. "You know you're healing me when this is over."
Paige made a face. "Yeah, yeah, just my luck I can't heal myself."
With that, Piper made a long slice across the middle of her palm and quickly held her hand out, squeezing it into a fist to encourage an acceptable amount of blood out into the bowl. Paige and Chris quickly did the same, with Chris giving the receptacle a swirl to ensure that their blood was mixed evenly.
Kalaaya watched intently, scarcely blinking. "Where are you? This is the time! This is the moment you must be there!" he bellowed.
He was a twit. Probably got himself vanquished. The voice in his head, his sole companion, was louder than ever. You always knew how to pick 'em K. Harkins... Og'raf... that delightful little bounty hunter that nearly gave you away... such fine choices you've made. And with such success... After those witches finish that spell they'll have the power to make you an equal success...
Kalaaya could feel the disgust from the voice radiate through his spine and he retaliated in a snarl. "Shut up! I will prevail – I always have!"
Yes, you have. And you still can! The voice answered hotly. But only if you listen to me!
It was Kalaaya's turn for derision now. "But you are me, voice. I may be mad - but you're still me!"
Though it had no face, no real sound, the condescension dripped from the voice. Come now, K. I think we both know that that hasn't been true for quite. some. time. A pregnant pause elapsed before it continued. You know what you need to do...
"No! Its suicide! Not after all this time will I abandon my plans!"
The Nexus, K. With it you will have all the power you need to defeat the Charmed Ones... defeat anyone you should so desire. We will rule the underworld as we always should have.
"No! I can't... I-" Its the only way. And you know it. Your minions have failed you. And time, such as it is, is running out. You know what we must do. "Crossing through without anything to channel through – it will weaken me enough. Drain me. I will not! Not after all this time! I will - I will - I know I can stop them before they complete this. And I will take back what should rightfully be mine! Once here with me they'll never be able to stop me!"
The voice was silent. A wildly wicked grin spread across Kalaaya's face as he held his hands over the portal, thumbs touching thumbs, index finger to index finger, to form a diamond shape, and the portal expanded in size, elongating itself into a 3 dimensional tunnel as well, with the manor still visible at the end.
Chris, Piper, and Paige exchanged glances before starting the chant.
Bring to us the ancient power,
Bring to us the triple power,
Ancient signs and ancient rhymes,
Forever bind us throughout time
Simultaneously, a sucking wind began in the attic, and those not within the confines of the Triquetra found their hair and clothes whipping about wildly. "What is it?" asked the younger Piper.
"I don't know, but something tells me it isn't good," answered Prue.
"Brace yourselves!" called out the older Phoebe, her voice raised slightly in alarm as she spotted a mass of swirling invisible energy which looked not unlike water going down a drain. "There!" She pointed to the energy distortion which had formed behind Penny and Prue's backs. The pair quickly flipped around, both with hands raised in anticipation.
"What do we do?" cried out the younger Piper over the hissing of the wind.
"We wait for him to make his move!" answered Penny. The sisters nodded as the three involved in the ceremony stole glances while continuing to repeat the chant. Suddenly a blast of black energy burst forth from the portal, but the older Phoebe quickly deflected it off into another direction, which instantly melted the wooden planks of the wall it hit.
Phoebe held a hand to her temple for a moment.
"You okay?" asked Prue protectively.
Phoebe waved her off. "Yeah, I just channeled some some... grade A crazy off him is all... I'll be fine." Another blast burst forth, sending Prue and the older Phoebe rolling to each side to dodge it, leaving it to fizzle as it hit the energy which had begun swirling about those inside the Triquetra. Those inside were no longer visible.
A howl of frustrated rage bellowed forth from the portal as Kalaaya saw this, and was quickly followed by barrage of short blasts of what appeared to be the same black energy strips. Penny flipped over the potions table as she dove behind it, with the younger versions of the sisters letting loose with yelps of fright as they dove for their own cover. The older Phoebe meanwhile, flew backward, levitating and landing with a roll a short distance behind the dome of protective energy the Triquetra had created. Each Halliwell took turns popping out of cover, doing their best to deflect, throw, or freeze the energy ribbons as best they could, but were quickly finding themselves exhausted as the attic turned to a blacked shambles around them.
Inside the energy dome, the three finished another repeat of the verse and suddenly locked eyes. They knew, somehow, it was time, and Piper leaned forward, retrieving the bowl, and carefully poured blood into each goblet. They nodded at each other and with a grimace each raised the goblets to their lips.
Outside the dome, the sisters and Penny continued to fare poorly. "I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up!" shouted Piper as she flung her hands out again.
"How long does a simple chant take?" replied the younger Phoebe.
"As long as it needs to!" answered Penny, her back pressed against the underside of the table, doing her best to keep it upright as another blast rocked it.
Suddenly, the energy dome dissipated in a crackle of bright golden light, which also disintegrated the black energy ribbons in the room. A pause in the barrage indicated that perhaps Kalaaya had been startled for the moment.
Standing in the Triquetra, whose lines of chalk now faintly glowed, were Piper, Chris, and Paige, but they were now clad in robes of silver, which were emblazoned with the Triquetra symbol in gold in their chests, echoing the original evil Triad's garments. They turned to face the sucking portal, their hair now whipping about in the wind as well.
The barrage began anew, but the three instantly raised their hands in unison, sending forth what looked like an oblong golden energy shield which disintegrated the dark energy blasts before they could get more than a foot into the room. The energy blasts soon stopped and another bellow of rage echoed from the portal. The wind died, but the portal remained. The Halliwells in hiding came up out of their cover, joining the three in the center of the room.
The three dropped their arms and the older Piper blew a piece of hair out from her eyes. Before throwing her hands up. "Always with the outfits!" she huffed.
Paige raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Hey, at least they're not skimpy like that outfit Billie got changed into." Piper nodded begrudgingly. At that, she and Paige looked at Chris, as if he were saying something. Paige rolled here eyes in manner which looked exasperated and Piper wore a face which could only be described as saying 'don't test me young man'. At this, Chris' took on an expression of 'just saying'.
The others, watching this, exchanged their own glances before the younger Pheobe piped up. "Ok, anyone else getting weirded out by that?"
"Took the words right out of my mouth," replied the older Phoebe.
The newly formed Triad nodded at each other and raised their hands once more. "Better step aside everyone," said Piper. "We're about to have company." The moment the ladies were safely out of the way the three shot forth what looked like glowing blue ropes, which went straight into the portal and quickly became taught.
"You'll never take me! We cannot be defeated! We are eternal!" shouted a raspy crow-like voice from within the portal.
"Wanna bet?" replied Paige, who then gave a yank in unison with Chris and Piper.
Almost instantly the demon was ripped forth through the portal, elongated and twisted magically until he was full out. He came to a tumble on the attic floor, still looking more like a pudgy accountant than a demon, if not for the tattoo which wrapped the base of his bald head and clothing. He looked up at them with a flash of his yellow eyes and snarled. "You cannot vanquish me, witches!"
"Again with the 'we'," snarked the older Piper. "I don't see any friends here." The demon narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth twisted into a hateful grimace but did not say another word.
The three spread their palms wide, as if to let go of the energy ropes and they vanished instantly. Again in unison, almost immediately, they each held their left arm out, palm front, while swing their right arms back around in a scooping motion, bring them back around to shoot out beams of brilliant purple sparks which crackled with energy. The three beams converged before combining to hit the demon as one. He was flung back against the far wall, pinned a few feet off the ground, and roar out in agonized rage. This went on for almost minute before Chris, Piper, and Paige abruptly shut off energy beam and looked at each other as if having a conversation. Kalaaya fell from the wall and collapsed in a smoking heap, seemingly unconscious.
"Ok, what are you guys, telepathic now?" asked the older Phoebe, flinging up her hands.
"Huh?" said Paige and then paused as if something just occurred to her. "Huh. Uh, yeah... I guess so."
"I hadn't even noticed," added Chris.
Penny eyed the demon, crossing her arms. "This is all fascinating, but why haven't you vanquished him yet?"
The older Piper took a step in Kalaaya's direction. "I don't know. We gave him all we had." She shook her head. "I don't like this."
"Maybe he wasn't lying when he said he couldn't be vanquished," replied Prue.
"Well, we have seen that before," replied the older Phoebe. The older Piper raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in acknowledgment.
"So what do we do then?" asked the younger Piper, her voice raised in pitch with anxiety.
The older Piper answered, her voice lowered into deadly resolve. "What we did the last time."
"You won't have the chance," came a raspy, and now gurgling, voice from across the room. The demon had pulled himself upright, but was obviously still badly injured. "We know where to get the power to do away with you filthy witches once and for all. Yes, yes... you were right, I know exactly what we need to do now." A sickeningly sinister smile split his face as he shimmered away.
"Where did he go!" exclaimed the younger Phoebe.
"The Nexus!" said Penny, and all three older version of the sisters. They all took off out of the attic down the stairs, headed as quickly as they could for the basement, with the younger sisters scrambling after them as Paige and Chris orbed away after him.
"The what?" asked Prue and she ran down the stairs, close on Penny's heels.
"The Nexus. A source of great power. I'll explain later – we must hurry!"
As the women arrived in the basement they found Chris and Paige groggily bringing themselves to their feet. "He blasted us before we had finished orbing in..." offered Chris by was as an explanation.
"... dona in tan la noc!" finished Kalaaya as Chris said this. Piper tried to blast him but succeeded merely on making him stumble back as step. But the black mass of energy had already been unleashed and poured itself into the demon and he began to laugh maniacally.
"Now what?" cried out the younger sisters.
"Now you shall die," replied Kalaaya, his voice twisted and deepened unnaturally by the Shadow.
Chris, Piper, and Paige immediately flung their hands out again in unison and sent another crackling beam of purple pummeling into the demon. "I don't think so," snarled the older Piper. It no longer pinned him, nor seemed to hurt him, but he struggled to move, slowly pushing forward against the beaming wave of magic.
"Quick-" said Paige.
"-we'll hold him. You do-" continued Piper.
"-the banishing spell!" finished Chris.
"What banishing spell?" shouted Prue over the crackling blast of magic.
"The Woogy spell!" replied the older Phoebe, realizing where they were going with this.
The younger sisters nodded and all began to chant as the remaining Halliwells quickly joined hands and also joined in.
I am light. I am one too strong to fight. Return to dark where shadows dwell. You cannot have this Halliwell. Go away and leave my sight. And take with you this endless night.
As quickly as it had gone into him, the Shadow fled back into the Nexus and Kalaaya went flying, crashing into the old steel furnace, where he remained pinned. Chris, Paige, and Piper began to recite a spell in what sounded more like one voice than three.
Demon of time
Demon of pain
We banish you
To the astral plane
Kalaaya screamed out as he felt himself ripped away from not just this realm, but his last ethereal tie to him perfect pocket realm was violently severed and he disappeared. The three dropped their hands and it was suddenly deathly silent in the basement.
Penny turned to Chris, Piper, and Paige. "The astral plane?" she asked with an approving smirk and raised eyebrow.
"Something a couple-"
"- of Leo's students -"
"- came up with, actually," each other the three said, finishing each other's sentence.
"Ok, this is getting a little creepy now..." said the older Phoebe, worry creeping into her voice.
"Indeed," agreed Penny. "We need to get this power out of you as quickly as possible."
The three looked at each other before closing their eyes in a manner that belied concentration, and before their very eyes, the others saw the damage to the basement disappear. "I can't stand a mess," said Piper simply when she opened her eyes again. "The attic is repaired as well."
Chris cocked his head slowly. "I've never felt so... powerful. Like we could do anything. This must be what Wyatt feels like all the time." He raised an eyebrow. "I kind of like it..."
A worried expression dropped like a shadow across the older Phoebe's face.