CHARMED
"BALANCE OF POWER"
by J. B. Tilton
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB
television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
A special thanks to Tracie Joy (a.k.a. Magiklmoon) for her help in this story.
* * *
Authors' note: This story takes place after the episode where the Charmed Ones have
killed the Source but before the episode where Cole discovers he is inhabited by the
Source. It is based on the premise that It took the Source several days to manifest
himself inside Cole and Cole still believes himself to be only a human.
* * *
With the death of the Source, a struggle in the underworld ensues to see who will be
his replacement. In order to make the selection, a contest is started. The new Source
will be the demon who can kill the Charmed Ones
PART 6 - DIVIDE AND CONQUER
While Paige is still recovering from the attack by the syphon demon, Malevant and
the other high level demons kidnap Leo and Phoebe. With Paige unable to help, and
only enough time to get to one of them, Piper is left with a terrible decision. Does she
save her husband or her sister?
* * *
"Well, Miss Matthews," said Dr. Coombs, "you seem to be recovering nicely. Your
electrolytes are a bit off, but I'm not concerned, considering it's only been three days
since you nearly died. You should be completely back to normal in a few days."
"Miss Matthews?" questioned Paige. "Why so formal all of a sudden?"
"I never mix my personal life with my professional life," said Coombs. "Something
my father taught me. I've found it works quite well most of the time."
"Well," said Paige, "as for being back to normal, that's relative. What we went
through three days ago is normal for us."
"It's still all just a bit much to take in," said Coombs. "Witches, demons, White
Lighters. It still seems like some dream or something."
"You think it feels like a dream?" asked Paige. "How do you think I feel? Not only
do I learn they actually exist, but I find out I'm one of them in the same day. Talk about
a lot to take in."
"I see your point," said Coombs, smiling. "Well, I've called your boss and told him
you had an allergic reaction to something. You'll need a few more days off to
recuperate. He said it wasn't a problem and that you should take all the time you
need."
"I appreciate it," said Paige. "It seems like all I do is sleep. I can't orb, my healing
powers don't work, and look at this."
She held up her hand and called for the pen in Coombs' pocket. It glowed blue
slightly, but didn't move.
"I can't even move objects any more," she said.
"I wouldn't worry," said Coombs. "You had your life force sucked out of you. It will
take some time to recover it. Pretty soon you'll be back to your old self, I promise."
"I hope so," said Paige. "I hate feeling powerless."
"You will," said Coombs. "Now, go home and get some rest. Remember, we have a
dinner engagement when you've recovered. I'm not letting you out of that."
"Okay," said Paige, smiling. "When do you want to see me again?"
"Make an appointment for three days," said Coombs. "I imagine you should be
almost fully recovered by then. I just want to make sure."
"Okay," said Paige. "I'll see you then."
Paige stopped at the receptionists desk and made the appointment. She left the
office building and hailed a cab. As the cab drove home, a young man watched her.
As the car drove away, the man looked around to make sure he wasn't be observed,
then shimmered away.
* * *
"Leo, I just don't think this is a good time right now," protested Piper as she and Leo
walked down the street. "Paige still doesn't have her powers back yet. If we go away
for a few days, that will leave her and Phoebe defenseless."
"Two days," said Leo, "two days, not a few days. And it's not like we're going across
the country or anything. We'll be within calling range and I can orb us back if there's
any trouble.
"Piper, we haven't really been alone since we got married. And with everything
that's happened lately, I think we need to get away. Just the two of us. Phoebe and
Paige can look out for themselves. And I'm sure Michael will be glad to stand in for me
while we're gone. He said he's going to be in town for another day or two. We might
not get a chance like this again very soon."
Piper was torn. She desperately wanted to get away with Leo if even for a day or
two. But the Power of Three required that there actually be three of them. If a high
level demon attacked while they were away, she wasn't sure either of her sisters could
handle it.
"Let's compromise," said Leo. "Instead of the entire weekend, how about one day?
We can leave Friday afternoon, spend the night, and come back Saturday afternoon.
And like I said, I'll ask Michael to keep an eye on Paige and Phoebe while we're gone."
Piper looked at her husband. God knows she could use the rest. And one night
shouldn't be too risky. Especially if there was a warrior White Lighter watching over her
sisters. She decided that Leos' compromise was acceptable. Before she could speak,
a police car pulled up to the curb next to them. Two policemen got out and walked over
to Leo and Piper.
"Leo Wyatt?" asked one of the policemen.
"Yes?" questioned Leo.
"We have a warrant for your arrest," said the policeman, holding a piece of paper in
his left hand and resting his right hand on his service revolver. "You're under arrest on
suspicion of murder. Come along quietly and don't make a scene."
"Murder?" asked Piper. "There's got to be a mistake. Leo hasn't murdered anyone."
"Please, miss," said the other officer, positioning himself between Leo and Piper,
"don't make us take you in for interfering. Mr. Wyatt is being taken to the thirty seventh
precinct where he'll be booked."
The first officer placed Leos' hands behind his back and cuffed him.
"Is that really necessary?" asked Piper.
"Just procedure, ma'am," replied the second officer.
Once he was cuffed, the first officer placed Leo in the back seat of the police car.
Piper still protested his innocence. Leo just looked at her. The second police officer
turned to Piper.
"You'll be contacted, witch," he said. "Try anything funny, and we'll kill the White
Lighter right here."
His eyes glowed red for a moment. That was when Piper realized these were no
ordinary policemen. They were demons. There was nothing she could do. She was
forbidden from using her powers in public. And she had no doubt the demons would
make good on their threat. She stood by helplessly by as the police car drove off with
Leo in the back seat.
At precisely the same moment that the demon police were abducting Leo, Phoebe
and Cole were in his motel room talking. The last three days had been quiet and Cole
was anxious for Michael to leave so he could return to the manor. Suddenly, there was
a knock at the door.
"Housekeeping," announced a female voice from the outside.
Cole stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it and a woman dressed in a
maids' uniform stood outside smiling.
"I'm sorry," said Cole, "could you come back a little later? I'm sort of in the middle of
something right now."
"Oh," said the woman, "I'm not here to make up the room."
Suddenly her eyes glowed and Cole knew she was a demon. At the same instant,
three more demons shimmered in and took hold of Phoebe before either of the two
could do anything. The demon maid pushed her way into the room.
"So, you're one of the vaunted Charmed Ones," she said. "Very pretty." She turned
to Cole. "The witch won't be harmed, human. But tell her sister that she has two hours
to be at this address." She handed a piece of paper to Cole. "If she doesn't arrive, her
sister will be killed. Two hours, human. I suggest she not be late."
With that, the four demons shimmered out, taking Phoebe with them. Cole cursed
himself for not being able to help. Since they had vanquished Belthazor, he was as
helpless as any human. He quickly gathered up his coat and hurried off to the manor.
* * *
"Michael," screamed Piper, storming into the manor, "Michael, I need to see you
right now."
Michael orbed in just as Paige was coming down the stairs.
"What's wrong?" asked Paige.
"They took Leo," said Piper. "Two demons dressed as policeman said he was
wanted for murder. They handcuffed him and put him into a police car, then drove
away. They said I would be contacted."
"Why didn't he orb away?" asked Michael.
"I don't know," said Piper. "Maybe it's because we were in public or something."
"Or maybe he couldn't," offered Paige.
"That's possible," said Michael. "They might have found a way to bind his powers so
he couldn't orb. Did they say anything else?"
"No, no," said Piper, nearly in tears, "just that if I tried anything they'd kill him right
there. They said I would be contacted."
Just then the door to the manor opened and Cole came rushing in.
"Four demons took Phoebe," he said. He handed the piece of paper to Piper.
"They said you have to be at this address in," he looked at his watch, "just over an hour.
They said if you weren't there, they'd kill her. There was nothing I could do. I could
only stand there and let them take her."
"Nothing you could do?" asked Michael suspiciously.
"No," said Cole, "of course not. I'm no match for a demon, let alone four of them."
"Uh huh," said Michael.
Suddenly, a small green form shimmered into the living room. It stood only about
four feet tall and had a tail nearly as long. It was a sickly shade of green and stood
looking at the party, swaying on it's legs.
"Demon," said Piper, raising her hands.
"No," said Michael, pulling Pipers' hands down, "it's a messenger demon. About all
they're good for is delivering messages. I'd say you're being contacted as they said you
would be."
"Charmed One," hissed the creature. "Master send me to tell you. Be at warehouse
on north part of town. White Lighter no harmed. One hour you be at warehouse. You
no come, White Lighter die. One hour."
Without another word, the small demon shimmered out.
"An hour?" questioned Paige. "Didn't they say you had to be where they're holding
Phoebe in an hour?"
"This is no coincidence," said Michael. "This was a planned, coordinated attack.
Where's the address where they're holding Phoebe."
"It's on the south part of town," said Cole. "On the opposite side of town from the
warehouse where Leo is."
"Ingenious," said Michael. "They kidnap your sister and husband, put them in
different parts of town, and tell you if you don't try to rescue both, they'll be killed."
"We don't have time to analyze this," said Piper. "We have to think of something. I
can't be in two places at once."
"Which is what they're counting on," said Michael. "This is designed to divide us.
They're expecting you to go to one location and me to go to the other to free both of
them. I would imagine they have enough help to handle either of us alone at both
locations."
"What do we do?" asked Paige.
"We don't do anything," said Michael. "You're in no condition to go fighting demons.
You'll have to stay here. I suggest that Piper and I go after Phoebe. She's the most
important one."
"Aren't you forgetting about Leo?" asked Piper.
"Leo can take care of himself," said Michael. "Besides, Phoebe is part of the
Charmed Ones. They're more important than any White Lighter. He'd be the first to tell
you that. If she dies, your power is gone forever. We have to rescue her first."
"What about me?" asked Cole.
"Yes, what about you?" asked Michael. "I find it odd that you would simply stand by
why your fiancé is taken."
"What could I do?" said Cole. "There were four demons. I'm no match for four
demons. I'm not even a match for one demon."
"That's not true and we know it," said Michael. "I'm not sure exactly what's going on
here. You seem genuinely concerned with the sisters. That's very unusual behavior.
Especially from you, Belthazor."
Cole, Paige, and Piper just stared at Michael. He had only met Cole the one time.
How could he have discovered who Cole was? They had never met in Coles' human
form.
"Don't bother to deny it," said Michael. "I know who you are. Right now, we have
something more important to worry about than my personal vendetta. The Charmed
Ones come first."
"That's what Prue used to say," said Piper. "First we loose Prue. Then we nearly
loose Paige. Now we have to choose between Phoebe and Leo. When is this going to
end?"
"There is no choice," said Michael. "Phoebe must be saved. I know it's hard having
to choose between your husband and your sister, but you have to put your personal
feelings aside. We go get Phoebe, then we go for Leo."
"We?" asked Piper. "You're going with me?"
"Yes," said Michael. "They're expecting you to come alone and for me to go after
Leo. Even with your powers, they'll have enough demons to stop you. But if they aren't
expecting me, that gives us an edge."
"And we just leave Leo to die?" asked Piper.
"That's not going to happen," said Michael. "I know who has Leo. It's Malevant. If
anyone is going to take Leo, it's Malevant. He's trying to draw me out into an ambush.
Until he's sure I'm going to fall for his little trap, he won't hurt Leo. It's me he's after."
"He's right," said Cole. "Malevant wants nothing more than to kill Michael. If this is a
trap to draw out Michael into a trap, it has to be Malevant. He wouldn't allow anyone
else to do it."
"Okay," said Paige. "When are we going?"
"I told you," said Michael, "WE aren't. You're staying here. I suggest that Cole stay
here with her to help protect her incase the demons attack while we're gone. Piper, you
and I are going after Phoebe. Once we've freed her, we'll go get Leo."
Piper didn't like it. Of course, she wouldn't have liked going after Leo and leaving
Phoebe to fend for herself, either. But they couldn't go after both of them at the same
time. Michael was right. Emotions aside, the Charmed Ones were more important than
a White Lighter, no matter who that White Lighter was. Reluctantly, she agreed with
Michael.
"Okay," said Michael. "I'll wait here while you go to the place where they're holding
Phoebe. Once you get there, but before you go inside, you call for me. I'll orb in and
we'll go from there."
"Why not just go with her?" asked Paige.
"In case they're watching her," said Michael. "Once she arrives, they'll assume she's
alone. I can orb in undetected."
Piper pulled up in front of the address where Phoebe was being held. She looked at
her watch. She had seven minutes left. She knew they were watching her. It didn't
take a witch to know that. In the doorway to the building, half obscured by the
shadows, stood a demon.
"Michael," she called out low.
Nothing happened. She looked around and saw no one on the street. The building
appeared to be an abandoned apartment building which apparently had seen better
days. Perplexed, she called for Michael again.
"I'm here," said Michael from the back seat.
Piper looked in the back and saw him lying in the floor.
"Didn't want to give anyone who might be watching any idea that I was here," he
said. "Now, you go inside and find Phoebe. I'll orb in and we'll get her out as quickly as
we can."
"Any ideas how we'll do it?" asked Piper.
"Pretty simple, actually," said Michael. "You find Phoebe, I'll orb in grab you both,
and orb back to the manor. We'll be out of there before they know what's happened."
"Sounds simple," said Piper. "Listen Michael, we need to have a talk about Cole
before we get back to the manor. It's not the way you think."
"I think it is," said Michael. "But we can discuss that later. We need to rescue
Phoebe first. We can't be distracted from that. Let's rescue Phoebe then we can talk
about Cole."
"Okay," said Piper.
She got out of the car and walked to the building. She glanced back at the car but
didn't see Michael anywhere. When she go to the doorway, the demon stepped aside.
"Welcome, Charmed One," said the demon smiling. "Go to the third floor. You will
find your sister beyond the third door on the left."
Piper walked past the demon and headed for the stairs. She climbed the stairs to
the third floor and looked down the hallway. Nothing moved in the hallway. The third
door on the left was closed, as were the rest of the doors. She hesitated a moment
wanting to give Michael time to get into the building.
She walked down the hallway and stopped at the third door on the left. If the demon
at the door downstairs had been telling the truth, Phoebe waited for her in this room.
She looked around not really expecting what she thought she'd see. Then, she opened
the door and walked into the room.
Phoebe sat in the middle of the room, tied to a chair and gagged. As Piper walked
into the room, Phoebe aggressively shook her head and tried to say something. Piper
just ignored her and stopped inside the room looking at the three figures standing
behind Phoebe.
To Phoebes' left stood a purple demon with bright yellow markings. To his right,
standing directly behind Phoebe holding a dagger, was a bright yellow demon with
black markings. He, too, was smiling. The third demon stood to the left of the yellow
demon. This demon was green with blue markings. All three demons were as tall as
Belthazor.
"Welcome," said the yellow demon holding the dagger. "My name is Beelzbor.
We've anxiously awaited meeting you in person. My brothers, LaTarrin and Talistar,
wanted to be here to greet you with me."
"I'm here, demon," said Piper. "Now, let my sister go."
"I'm afraid we can't do that," said Beelzbor. "You've been a thorn in our sides long
enough. With this witch bound and gagged, and your other sister unable to access her
powers, you are no match for us."
"How do you know about Paige?" insisted Piper.
"We have our sources," said Beelzbor. "Now, the contests between us is over. You
and your sister will die. The White Lighter will also die. And when we are through here,
we shall remove the last obstacle; the third sister."
Piper raised her hands and cast her explosion power at Beelzbor, wondering where
Michael was. But instead of exploding the demon, nothing happened. Piper tried again
with the same results.
"Fool," said LaTarrin. "Do you think we would have come here had we not been
prepared. We have cast an enchantment on this room which prevents you from using
your powers. It was costly, but effective. Now, you cannot even defend against us."
Suddenly another demon shimmered in and stood to Pipers' left. This demon was
dark green - nearly black - with bright yellow markings. He smiled at Piper, holding a
piece of paper in his hands.
"You would be Malevant," said Piper.
"Yes," said Malevant. "I see my brother has told you of me. Oh, you can forget his
coming to your rescue. He won't be joining us today. I've seen to that."
Pipers' heart sank. Michael should have orbed in by now. Which meant that
Malevant must be right. She wasn't sure if Michael was dead or only being delayed.
Malevants' words didn't hint at which. And with the enchantment on the room, her
powers were useless. She and Phoebe were as good as dead.
"Release that one," ordered Malevant, pointing at Phoebe.
"Are you mad?" asked Talistar. "We have them. All we need do now is kill them.
The Power of Three will be broken forever."
"I have a much better idea," said Malevant, smiling and holding up the piece of
paper. "A power stripping spell. Written specifically for the Charmed Ones. Once they
cast this spell, their powers will be gone forever. And you can do as you wish with
them."
"What about you?" asked Beelzbor. "What do you get out of it?"
"My brother, Michael," said Malevant. "And a second White Lighter. Each of you
gets to have one of the so-called Charmed Ones for your bidding, and I get those two.
The Power of Three will be gone forever, and you will have something to amuse you
with for as long as you like."
Beelzbor smiled and looked at LaTarrin and Talistar. It was clear he approved of the
plan. It would be a simple matter to simply kill the witches. But this way they could strip
them of their powers and still have them around to punish for all of their incessant
interference.
"It is genius," said Beelzbor. "I lay claim to the eldest. She will give me many hours
of pleasure before she begs for me to end her suffering."
"Release that one," repeated Malevant. "They must both incant the spell to strip
them of their powers. This will break the Power of Three and the third sister will be
powerless to stop whomever comes for her."
"I claim the youngest," said LaTarrin. "She is a pretty thing. I shall enjoy having her
often."
Beelzbor reached down and cut Phoebes' bonds. Phoebe stood up and ripped the
gag from her mouth, then move over to stand next to Piper.
"If you think we're going to willingly strip ourselves of our powers," said Phoebe,
"you're as crazy as I think you are."
Malevant forced the spell into Pipers' hand.
"You WILL incant the spell," said Malevant. "Or you will watch as I slowly torture
your White Lighter and younger sister to death. It will be excruciating and take many
weeks. On the other hand, incant the spell, and perhaps your suffering shall be short
lived. It is your choice."
Piper looked down and read the spell to herself. A perplexed look came across her
face. She showed it to Phoebe who also got a perplexed look on her face.
"Now, witch," said Beelzbor. "Incant the spell. No more delays. Incant it now or we
shall join Malevant in torturing your White Lighter."
"Okay," said Piper. "You heard them, Pheebs. They want us to incant the spell."
Piper held the paper up so they could both read, and they incanted the spell out
loud.
"Demons' power that binds the light, take this evil from our sight, let the darkness
reign no more, and vanquish them for evermore."
Suddenly flames sprung up engulfing Beelzbor, LaTarrin, and Talistar. The demons
howled in agony as the fire threatened to consume them. But these weren't any
ordinary demons. A simple vanquishing spell could not stop them. Within seconds
they would break free of the spell and attack.
"Now," said Malevant as he cast a fireball at Beelzbor.
The fireball struck the demon, forcing it back against the wall. Malevant didn't relent,
but continued to cast fireball after fireball at him. Within seconds, the demon exploded
into a thousand shards that evaporated into nothingness.
As he was attack Beelzbor, Piper raised her hands and tried to explode Talistar. To
her surprise, the power worked and Talistar exploded as Beelzbor had. But his power
was such that he immediately began to reconstitute himself. He was reforming as Piper
again cast her explosive power, once more shattering the demon. It took only once
more to exhaust all of the demons' power and his life ended as Beelzbors' had.
Phoebe rushed in and began to attack LaTarrin with her martial arts skill. She
kicked the demon, forcing him back against the wall. Then she turned and reached for
the dagger which Beelzbor had held. She turned just as LaTarrin regained his footing
and drove the dagger completely into his chest.
LaTarrin was casting a fireball and the attack from Phoebe caused the fireball to go
wild. It flew across the room, narrowly missing Piper, but striking Malevant in the chest.
Malevant slammed into the wall behind him. With pained effort, he raised his hand and
cast a fireball of his own, engulfing LaTarrin. As he did, Piper turned on LaTarrin, using
her explosive power once more. Between the dagger in his chest, the fireball from
Malevant, and Pipers' explosive power, LaTarrin was unable to call upon enough power
to protect himself. He exploded and evaporated as his brothers had.
Phoebe rushed to Piper and they both checked to make sure each other was okay.
Phoebe has some minor burns from the consuming flames, but they weren't serious.
Piper apparently had no injuries at all. They both turned to face Malevant who lay
slumped on the floor.
"Call Leo," he gasped, his breathing being labored.
"Why should I?" spat out Piper. "You kidnaped him. Threatened to kill him. For all I
know, you've killed Michael, too. Besides, you have him bound somewhere where he
can't use his powers."
"Please," gasped Malevant, "your White Lighter has been freed. Call him to you."
Piper thought for a moment. This demon had saved their lives. But Leos' power
wouldn't heal a demon. She didn't know what Malevant had in mind.
"Leo," she called out to the air.
Almost immediately, Leo orbed in. He stood next to the two sisters and looked down
at Malevant.
"What happened here?" he asked.
"No . . . time," gasped Malevant. "You must heal me. There is little time. I'll explain
everything."
"I can't," said Leo. "I'm forbidden from helping evil. Besides, my powers don't work
on demons."
Suddenly Malevant changed form. Lying in his place, with a singed mark in his
chest, was Michael. Michael looked up at the three and tried to speak.
"Michael?" questioned Leo.
Leo didn't hesitate. He kneeled next to Michael and placed his hands over the
wound. A soft yellow glow covered Michaels' body and within seconds, he was
completely healed. Leo and Michael stood up.
"Whoa," said Phoebe. "Did I just see what I think I saw?"
"Yes," said Michael smiling. "It's a secret I've kept for over two hundred years.
Thank you, Leo. I nearly died. If not for you, I would have."
"I'm confused," said Piper. "If you appeared as Malevant, where's the real
Malevant?"
"That's kind of a long story," said Michael. "One I'll gladly tell you once we're back at
the manor. We should orb back immediately and let Paige and Cole know you're okay."
"What about my car?" asked Piper.
"We'll come back for it later," said Leo. "Right now, I think Michael is right. We
need to get back to the manor."
Piper took Leos' arm and Phoebe linked her arm in Michaels'. Together, the two
White Lighters orbed out of the building and back to the Halliwell manor.
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss the exciting conclusion in Part 7: Balance Restored. With the
demons defeated, and Michaels' secret exposed, learn the real story behind Michaels'
history. And what he will do about Belthazor.
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more of my stories for a variety of shows and
subjects at http://pub57.ezboard.com/bjerrysfanfictionsite. You can also post your
stories if you like to write fan fiction.
"BALANCE OF POWER"
by J. B. Tilton
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB
television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
A special thanks to Tracie Joy (a.k.a. Magiklmoon) for her help in this story.
* * *
Authors' note: This story takes place after the episode where the Charmed Ones have
killed the Source but before the episode where Cole discovers he is inhabited by the
Source. It is based on the premise that It took the Source several days to manifest
himself inside Cole and Cole still believes himself to be only a human.
* * *
With the death of the Source, a struggle in the underworld ensues to see who will be
his replacement. In order to make the selection, a contest is started. The new Source
will be the demon who can kill the Charmed Ones
PART 6 - DIVIDE AND CONQUER
While Paige is still recovering from the attack by the syphon demon, Malevant and
the other high level demons kidnap Leo and Phoebe. With Paige unable to help, and
only enough time to get to one of them, Piper is left with a terrible decision. Does she
save her husband or her sister?
* * *
"Well, Miss Matthews," said Dr. Coombs, "you seem to be recovering nicely. Your
electrolytes are a bit off, but I'm not concerned, considering it's only been three days
since you nearly died. You should be completely back to normal in a few days."
"Miss Matthews?" questioned Paige. "Why so formal all of a sudden?"
"I never mix my personal life with my professional life," said Coombs. "Something
my father taught me. I've found it works quite well most of the time."
"Well," said Paige, "as for being back to normal, that's relative. What we went
through three days ago is normal for us."
"It's still all just a bit much to take in," said Coombs. "Witches, demons, White
Lighters. It still seems like some dream or something."
"You think it feels like a dream?" asked Paige. "How do you think I feel? Not only
do I learn they actually exist, but I find out I'm one of them in the same day. Talk about
a lot to take in."
"I see your point," said Coombs, smiling. "Well, I've called your boss and told him
you had an allergic reaction to something. You'll need a few more days off to
recuperate. He said it wasn't a problem and that you should take all the time you
need."
"I appreciate it," said Paige. "It seems like all I do is sleep. I can't orb, my healing
powers don't work, and look at this."
She held up her hand and called for the pen in Coombs' pocket. It glowed blue
slightly, but didn't move.
"I can't even move objects any more," she said.
"I wouldn't worry," said Coombs. "You had your life force sucked out of you. It will
take some time to recover it. Pretty soon you'll be back to your old self, I promise."
"I hope so," said Paige. "I hate feeling powerless."
"You will," said Coombs. "Now, go home and get some rest. Remember, we have a
dinner engagement when you've recovered. I'm not letting you out of that."
"Okay," said Paige, smiling. "When do you want to see me again?"
"Make an appointment for three days," said Coombs. "I imagine you should be
almost fully recovered by then. I just want to make sure."
"Okay," said Paige. "I'll see you then."
Paige stopped at the receptionists desk and made the appointment. She left the
office building and hailed a cab. As the cab drove home, a young man watched her.
As the car drove away, the man looked around to make sure he wasn't be observed,
then shimmered away.
* * *
"Leo, I just don't think this is a good time right now," protested Piper as she and Leo
walked down the street. "Paige still doesn't have her powers back yet. If we go away
for a few days, that will leave her and Phoebe defenseless."
"Two days," said Leo, "two days, not a few days. And it's not like we're going across
the country or anything. We'll be within calling range and I can orb us back if there's
any trouble.
"Piper, we haven't really been alone since we got married. And with everything
that's happened lately, I think we need to get away. Just the two of us. Phoebe and
Paige can look out for themselves. And I'm sure Michael will be glad to stand in for me
while we're gone. He said he's going to be in town for another day or two. We might
not get a chance like this again very soon."
Piper was torn. She desperately wanted to get away with Leo if even for a day or
two. But the Power of Three required that there actually be three of them. If a high
level demon attacked while they were away, she wasn't sure either of her sisters could
handle it.
"Let's compromise," said Leo. "Instead of the entire weekend, how about one day?
We can leave Friday afternoon, spend the night, and come back Saturday afternoon.
And like I said, I'll ask Michael to keep an eye on Paige and Phoebe while we're gone."
Piper looked at her husband. God knows she could use the rest. And one night
shouldn't be too risky. Especially if there was a warrior White Lighter watching over her
sisters. She decided that Leos' compromise was acceptable. Before she could speak,
a police car pulled up to the curb next to them. Two policemen got out and walked over
to Leo and Piper.
"Leo Wyatt?" asked one of the policemen.
"Yes?" questioned Leo.
"We have a warrant for your arrest," said the policeman, holding a piece of paper in
his left hand and resting his right hand on his service revolver. "You're under arrest on
suspicion of murder. Come along quietly and don't make a scene."
"Murder?" asked Piper. "There's got to be a mistake. Leo hasn't murdered anyone."
"Please, miss," said the other officer, positioning himself between Leo and Piper,
"don't make us take you in for interfering. Mr. Wyatt is being taken to the thirty seventh
precinct where he'll be booked."
The first officer placed Leos' hands behind his back and cuffed him.
"Is that really necessary?" asked Piper.
"Just procedure, ma'am," replied the second officer.
Once he was cuffed, the first officer placed Leo in the back seat of the police car.
Piper still protested his innocence. Leo just looked at her. The second police officer
turned to Piper.
"You'll be contacted, witch," he said. "Try anything funny, and we'll kill the White
Lighter right here."
His eyes glowed red for a moment. That was when Piper realized these were no
ordinary policemen. They were demons. There was nothing she could do. She was
forbidden from using her powers in public. And she had no doubt the demons would
make good on their threat. She stood by helplessly by as the police car drove off with
Leo in the back seat.
At precisely the same moment that the demon police were abducting Leo, Phoebe
and Cole were in his motel room talking. The last three days had been quiet and Cole
was anxious for Michael to leave so he could return to the manor. Suddenly, there was
a knock at the door.
"Housekeeping," announced a female voice from the outside.
Cole stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it and a woman dressed in a
maids' uniform stood outside smiling.
"I'm sorry," said Cole, "could you come back a little later? I'm sort of in the middle of
something right now."
"Oh," said the woman, "I'm not here to make up the room."
Suddenly her eyes glowed and Cole knew she was a demon. At the same instant,
three more demons shimmered in and took hold of Phoebe before either of the two
could do anything. The demon maid pushed her way into the room.
"So, you're one of the vaunted Charmed Ones," she said. "Very pretty." She turned
to Cole. "The witch won't be harmed, human. But tell her sister that she has two hours
to be at this address." She handed a piece of paper to Cole. "If she doesn't arrive, her
sister will be killed. Two hours, human. I suggest she not be late."
With that, the four demons shimmered out, taking Phoebe with them. Cole cursed
himself for not being able to help. Since they had vanquished Belthazor, he was as
helpless as any human. He quickly gathered up his coat and hurried off to the manor.
* * *
"Michael," screamed Piper, storming into the manor, "Michael, I need to see you
right now."
Michael orbed in just as Paige was coming down the stairs.
"What's wrong?" asked Paige.
"They took Leo," said Piper. "Two demons dressed as policeman said he was
wanted for murder. They handcuffed him and put him into a police car, then drove
away. They said I would be contacted."
"Why didn't he orb away?" asked Michael.
"I don't know," said Piper. "Maybe it's because we were in public or something."
"Or maybe he couldn't," offered Paige.
"That's possible," said Michael. "They might have found a way to bind his powers so
he couldn't orb. Did they say anything else?"
"No, no," said Piper, nearly in tears, "just that if I tried anything they'd kill him right
there. They said I would be contacted."
Just then the door to the manor opened and Cole came rushing in.
"Four demons took Phoebe," he said. He handed the piece of paper to Piper.
"They said you have to be at this address in," he looked at his watch, "just over an hour.
They said if you weren't there, they'd kill her. There was nothing I could do. I could
only stand there and let them take her."
"Nothing you could do?" asked Michael suspiciously.
"No," said Cole, "of course not. I'm no match for a demon, let alone four of them."
"Uh huh," said Michael.
Suddenly, a small green form shimmered into the living room. It stood only about
four feet tall and had a tail nearly as long. It was a sickly shade of green and stood
looking at the party, swaying on it's legs.
"Demon," said Piper, raising her hands.
"No," said Michael, pulling Pipers' hands down, "it's a messenger demon. About all
they're good for is delivering messages. I'd say you're being contacted as they said you
would be."
"Charmed One," hissed the creature. "Master send me to tell you. Be at warehouse
on north part of town. White Lighter no harmed. One hour you be at warehouse. You
no come, White Lighter die. One hour."
Without another word, the small demon shimmered out.
"An hour?" questioned Paige. "Didn't they say you had to be where they're holding
Phoebe in an hour?"
"This is no coincidence," said Michael. "This was a planned, coordinated attack.
Where's the address where they're holding Phoebe."
"It's on the south part of town," said Cole. "On the opposite side of town from the
warehouse where Leo is."
"Ingenious," said Michael. "They kidnap your sister and husband, put them in
different parts of town, and tell you if you don't try to rescue both, they'll be killed."
"We don't have time to analyze this," said Piper. "We have to think of something. I
can't be in two places at once."
"Which is what they're counting on," said Michael. "This is designed to divide us.
They're expecting you to go to one location and me to go to the other to free both of
them. I would imagine they have enough help to handle either of us alone at both
locations."
"What do we do?" asked Paige.
"We don't do anything," said Michael. "You're in no condition to go fighting demons.
You'll have to stay here. I suggest that Piper and I go after Phoebe. She's the most
important one."
"Aren't you forgetting about Leo?" asked Piper.
"Leo can take care of himself," said Michael. "Besides, Phoebe is part of the
Charmed Ones. They're more important than any White Lighter. He'd be the first to tell
you that. If she dies, your power is gone forever. We have to rescue her first."
"What about me?" asked Cole.
"Yes, what about you?" asked Michael. "I find it odd that you would simply stand by
why your fiancé is taken."
"What could I do?" said Cole. "There were four demons. I'm no match for four
demons. I'm not even a match for one demon."
"That's not true and we know it," said Michael. "I'm not sure exactly what's going on
here. You seem genuinely concerned with the sisters. That's very unusual behavior.
Especially from you, Belthazor."
Cole, Paige, and Piper just stared at Michael. He had only met Cole the one time.
How could he have discovered who Cole was? They had never met in Coles' human
form.
"Don't bother to deny it," said Michael. "I know who you are. Right now, we have
something more important to worry about than my personal vendetta. The Charmed
Ones come first."
"That's what Prue used to say," said Piper. "First we loose Prue. Then we nearly
loose Paige. Now we have to choose between Phoebe and Leo. When is this going to
end?"
"There is no choice," said Michael. "Phoebe must be saved. I know it's hard having
to choose between your husband and your sister, but you have to put your personal
feelings aside. We go get Phoebe, then we go for Leo."
"We?" asked Piper. "You're going with me?"
"Yes," said Michael. "They're expecting you to come alone and for me to go after
Leo. Even with your powers, they'll have enough demons to stop you. But if they aren't
expecting me, that gives us an edge."
"And we just leave Leo to die?" asked Piper.
"That's not going to happen," said Michael. "I know who has Leo. It's Malevant. If
anyone is going to take Leo, it's Malevant. He's trying to draw me out into an ambush.
Until he's sure I'm going to fall for his little trap, he won't hurt Leo. It's me he's after."
"He's right," said Cole. "Malevant wants nothing more than to kill Michael. If this is a
trap to draw out Michael into a trap, it has to be Malevant. He wouldn't allow anyone
else to do it."
"Okay," said Paige. "When are we going?"
"I told you," said Michael, "WE aren't. You're staying here. I suggest that Cole stay
here with her to help protect her incase the demons attack while we're gone. Piper, you
and I are going after Phoebe. Once we've freed her, we'll go get Leo."
Piper didn't like it. Of course, she wouldn't have liked going after Leo and leaving
Phoebe to fend for herself, either. But they couldn't go after both of them at the same
time. Michael was right. Emotions aside, the Charmed Ones were more important than
a White Lighter, no matter who that White Lighter was. Reluctantly, she agreed with
Michael.
"Okay," said Michael. "I'll wait here while you go to the place where they're holding
Phoebe. Once you get there, but before you go inside, you call for me. I'll orb in and
we'll go from there."
"Why not just go with her?" asked Paige.
"In case they're watching her," said Michael. "Once she arrives, they'll assume she's
alone. I can orb in undetected."
Piper pulled up in front of the address where Phoebe was being held. She looked at
her watch. She had seven minutes left. She knew they were watching her. It didn't
take a witch to know that. In the doorway to the building, half obscured by the
shadows, stood a demon.
"Michael," she called out low.
Nothing happened. She looked around and saw no one on the street. The building
appeared to be an abandoned apartment building which apparently had seen better
days. Perplexed, she called for Michael again.
"I'm here," said Michael from the back seat.
Piper looked in the back and saw him lying in the floor.
"Didn't want to give anyone who might be watching any idea that I was here," he
said. "Now, you go inside and find Phoebe. I'll orb in and we'll get her out as quickly as
we can."
"Any ideas how we'll do it?" asked Piper.
"Pretty simple, actually," said Michael. "You find Phoebe, I'll orb in grab you both,
and orb back to the manor. We'll be out of there before they know what's happened."
"Sounds simple," said Piper. "Listen Michael, we need to have a talk about Cole
before we get back to the manor. It's not the way you think."
"I think it is," said Michael. "But we can discuss that later. We need to rescue
Phoebe first. We can't be distracted from that. Let's rescue Phoebe then we can talk
about Cole."
"Okay," said Piper.
She got out of the car and walked to the building. She glanced back at the car but
didn't see Michael anywhere. When she go to the doorway, the demon stepped aside.
"Welcome, Charmed One," said the demon smiling. "Go to the third floor. You will
find your sister beyond the third door on the left."
Piper walked past the demon and headed for the stairs. She climbed the stairs to
the third floor and looked down the hallway. Nothing moved in the hallway. The third
door on the left was closed, as were the rest of the doors. She hesitated a moment
wanting to give Michael time to get into the building.
She walked down the hallway and stopped at the third door on the left. If the demon
at the door downstairs had been telling the truth, Phoebe waited for her in this room.
She looked around not really expecting what she thought she'd see. Then, she opened
the door and walked into the room.
Phoebe sat in the middle of the room, tied to a chair and gagged. As Piper walked
into the room, Phoebe aggressively shook her head and tried to say something. Piper
just ignored her and stopped inside the room looking at the three figures standing
behind Phoebe.
To Phoebes' left stood a purple demon with bright yellow markings. To his right,
standing directly behind Phoebe holding a dagger, was a bright yellow demon with
black markings. He, too, was smiling. The third demon stood to the left of the yellow
demon. This demon was green with blue markings. All three demons were as tall as
Belthazor.
"Welcome," said the yellow demon holding the dagger. "My name is Beelzbor.
We've anxiously awaited meeting you in person. My brothers, LaTarrin and Talistar,
wanted to be here to greet you with me."
"I'm here, demon," said Piper. "Now, let my sister go."
"I'm afraid we can't do that," said Beelzbor. "You've been a thorn in our sides long
enough. With this witch bound and gagged, and your other sister unable to access her
powers, you are no match for us."
"How do you know about Paige?" insisted Piper.
"We have our sources," said Beelzbor. "Now, the contests between us is over. You
and your sister will die. The White Lighter will also die. And when we are through here,
we shall remove the last obstacle; the third sister."
Piper raised her hands and cast her explosion power at Beelzbor, wondering where
Michael was. But instead of exploding the demon, nothing happened. Piper tried again
with the same results.
"Fool," said LaTarrin. "Do you think we would have come here had we not been
prepared. We have cast an enchantment on this room which prevents you from using
your powers. It was costly, but effective. Now, you cannot even defend against us."
Suddenly another demon shimmered in and stood to Pipers' left. This demon was
dark green - nearly black - with bright yellow markings. He smiled at Piper, holding a
piece of paper in his hands.
"You would be Malevant," said Piper.
"Yes," said Malevant. "I see my brother has told you of me. Oh, you can forget his
coming to your rescue. He won't be joining us today. I've seen to that."
Pipers' heart sank. Michael should have orbed in by now. Which meant that
Malevant must be right. She wasn't sure if Michael was dead or only being delayed.
Malevants' words didn't hint at which. And with the enchantment on the room, her
powers were useless. She and Phoebe were as good as dead.
"Release that one," ordered Malevant, pointing at Phoebe.
"Are you mad?" asked Talistar. "We have them. All we need do now is kill them.
The Power of Three will be broken forever."
"I have a much better idea," said Malevant, smiling and holding up the piece of
paper. "A power stripping spell. Written specifically for the Charmed Ones. Once they
cast this spell, their powers will be gone forever. And you can do as you wish with
them."
"What about you?" asked Beelzbor. "What do you get out of it?"
"My brother, Michael," said Malevant. "And a second White Lighter. Each of you
gets to have one of the so-called Charmed Ones for your bidding, and I get those two.
The Power of Three will be gone forever, and you will have something to amuse you
with for as long as you like."
Beelzbor smiled and looked at LaTarrin and Talistar. It was clear he approved of the
plan. It would be a simple matter to simply kill the witches. But this way they could strip
them of their powers and still have them around to punish for all of their incessant
interference.
"It is genius," said Beelzbor. "I lay claim to the eldest. She will give me many hours
of pleasure before she begs for me to end her suffering."
"Release that one," repeated Malevant. "They must both incant the spell to strip
them of their powers. This will break the Power of Three and the third sister will be
powerless to stop whomever comes for her."
"I claim the youngest," said LaTarrin. "She is a pretty thing. I shall enjoy having her
often."
Beelzbor reached down and cut Phoebes' bonds. Phoebe stood up and ripped the
gag from her mouth, then move over to stand next to Piper.
"If you think we're going to willingly strip ourselves of our powers," said Phoebe,
"you're as crazy as I think you are."
Malevant forced the spell into Pipers' hand.
"You WILL incant the spell," said Malevant. "Or you will watch as I slowly torture
your White Lighter and younger sister to death. It will be excruciating and take many
weeks. On the other hand, incant the spell, and perhaps your suffering shall be short
lived. It is your choice."
Piper looked down and read the spell to herself. A perplexed look came across her
face. She showed it to Phoebe who also got a perplexed look on her face.
"Now, witch," said Beelzbor. "Incant the spell. No more delays. Incant it now or we
shall join Malevant in torturing your White Lighter."
"Okay," said Piper. "You heard them, Pheebs. They want us to incant the spell."
Piper held the paper up so they could both read, and they incanted the spell out
loud.
"Demons' power that binds the light, take this evil from our sight, let the darkness
reign no more, and vanquish them for evermore."
Suddenly flames sprung up engulfing Beelzbor, LaTarrin, and Talistar. The demons
howled in agony as the fire threatened to consume them. But these weren't any
ordinary demons. A simple vanquishing spell could not stop them. Within seconds
they would break free of the spell and attack.
"Now," said Malevant as he cast a fireball at Beelzbor.
The fireball struck the demon, forcing it back against the wall. Malevant didn't relent,
but continued to cast fireball after fireball at him. Within seconds, the demon exploded
into a thousand shards that evaporated into nothingness.
As he was attack Beelzbor, Piper raised her hands and tried to explode Talistar. To
her surprise, the power worked and Talistar exploded as Beelzbor had. But his power
was such that he immediately began to reconstitute himself. He was reforming as Piper
again cast her explosive power, once more shattering the demon. It took only once
more to exhaust all of the demons' power and his life ended as Beelzbors' had.
Phoebe rushed in and began to attack LaTarrin with her martial arts skill. She
kicked the demon, forcing him back against the wall. Then she turned and reached for
the dagger which Beelzbor had held. She turned just as LaTarrin regained his footing
and drove the dagger completely into his chest.
LaTarrin was casting a fireball and the attack from Phoebe caused the fireball to go
wild. It flew across the room, narrowly missing Piper, but striking Malevant in the chest.
Malevant slammed into the wall behind him. With pained effort, he raised his hand and
cast a fireball of his own, engulfing LaTarrin. As he did, Piper turned on LaTarrin, using
her explosive power once more. Between the dagger in his chest, the fireball from
Malevant, and Pipers' explosive power, LaTarrin was unable to call upon enough power
to protect himself. He exploded and evaporated as his brothers had.
Phoebe rushed to Piper and they both checked to make sure each other was okay.
Phoebe has some minor burns from the consuming flames, but they weren't serious.
Piper apparently had no injuries at all. They both turned to face Malevant who lay
slumped on the floor.
"Call Leo," he gasped, his breathing being labored.
"Why should I?" spat out Piper. "You kidnaped him. Threatened to kill him. For all I
know, you've killed Michael, too. Besides, you have him bound somewhere where he
can't use his powers."
"Please," gasped Malevant, "your White Lighter has been freed. Call him to you."
Piper thought for a moment. This demon had saved their lives. But Leos' power
wouldn't heal a demon. She didn't know what Malevant had in mind.
"Leo," she called out to the air.
Almost immediately, Leo orbed in. He stood next to the two sisters and looked down
at Malevant.
"What happened here?" he asked.
"No . . . time," gasped Malevant. "You must heal me. There is little time. I'll explain
everything."
"I can't," said Leo. "I'm forbidden from helping evil. Besides, my powers don't work
on demons."
Suddenly Malevant changed form. Lying in his place, with a singed mark in his
chest, was Michael. Michael looked up at the three and tried to speak.
"Michael?" questioned Leo.
Leo didn't hesitate. He kneeled next to Michael and placed his hands over the
wound. A soft yellow glow covered Michaels' body and within seconds, he was
completely healed. Leo and Michael stood up.
"Whoa," said Phoebe. "Did I just see what I think I saw?"
"Yes," said Michael smiling. "It's a secret I've kept for over two hundred years.
Thank you, Leo. I nearly died. If not for you, I would have."
"I'm confused," said Piper. "If you appeared as Malevant, where's the real
Malevant?"
"That's kind of a long story," said Michael. "One I'll gladly tell you once we're back at
the manor. We should orb back immediately and let Paige and Cole know you're okay."
"What about my car?" asked Piper.
"We'll come back for it later," said Leo. "Right now, I think Michael is right. We
need to get back to the manor."
Piper took Leos' arm and Phoebe linked her arm in Michaels'. Together, the two
White Lighters orbed out of the building and back to the Halliwell manor.
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss the exciting conclusion in Part 7: Balance Restored. With the
demons defeated, and Michaels' secret exposed, learn the real story behind Michaels'
history. And what he will do about Belthazor.
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more of my stories for a variety of shows and
subjects at http://pub57.ezboard.com/bjerrysfanfictionsite. You can also post your
stories if you like to write fan fiction.