Paige suddenly felt as if she was being strangled. " This cannot be
happening," she declared. She'd had her suspicions about Cole. She thought
he'd been working with demons, but she had prayed she was wrong.
" Unfortuanetly it is," Leo replied. He wrapped an arm around Piper, who pushed it away.
" We've got to do something," she decided. " Leo, go check with the Elders. Paige, we'll orb home to see what we can find out." Paige nodded. Leo orbed away. Piper grabbed Paige's arm. Her sister noticed Piper's grip was tight. " Let's go."
************************
An assembly of demons and warlocks waited in the chambers that used to belong to the Source. The crowd was quiet, with a few murmurs about why the Seer had asked them here.
She shimmered in. " I suppose you wonder why you were asked here." There were shouts and cries, but the Seer silenced them with a deadly look. " I present to you the Source."
He flamed in, dressed in the long black hooded robes that he used to wear. The Source flipped back his hood. There were gasps.
" Belthazor?" one called. " We thought you lost your powers." Cole turned to the voice.
" I am not Belthazor, I am the Source you already know, reincarnated in this body." His voice was as frosty as everyone remembered it had been. " But this time I bring back a wife." In a burst of flames came another hooded figure dressed in black velvet robes, a large belly protruding out of her.
" This is your Queen." Phoebe flipped back her hood. The royal couple's eyes flashed flames and turned black. All of the creatures of the Underworld bent on their knees, except one.
" You joke, Seer!" cried a green-scaled demon. " This woman is a Charmed One. They vanquished the Source. Now you claim she is our Queen, carrying a Dark Heir? I do not believe it."
" You should," Phoebe told him, her voice as cold as her husband. She waved her hand, setting the demon to flames. He cried out in terror, and vanished.
The Source smiled. " Does anyone else want to try?" No one said anything.
************************
Paige flipped through the Book of Shadows over and over. " There's nothing in here," she complained. " Remember that little celebration we had, when we tore the picture of the Source out and burned it? That was a bad idea."
Piper gave her sister a look that would freeze water in July. Paige looked away, trying not to further infuriate Piper.
Leo orbed in. He looked glum. " They have nothing," he told them bluntly. " The only thing that might bring her back would be the Power of Three, but we don't even have that anymore."
" Really, Leo? Thanks for telling us, we didn't know," Piper snapped.
" Chill out, Piper," Paige said. " We can't help Phoebe if we start yelling at each other."
" Like you would know, Paige," shot back Piper. " Sometimes I just want to-" She extended her hands and made a small vase explode.
Leo and Paige exchanged a look. A small crept on Piper's face as she exploded a few more objects. " Piper," Leo said, reaching for her.
Piper waved her hand and Leo went flying into the wall, unconscious. She did the same to Paige, who orbed before she could hit the wall. Suddenly, in a burst of flames Piper disappeared.
************************
Phoebe sat quite happily on her throne. She was the Queen of Evil, an appropriate role for her. Gently she stroked her stomach, thinking of the child that would be born only two or three months from now. The Power of Three will set you free, she thought.
Suddenly Piper appeared in front of her. " Piper?" gasped Phoebe. Then she remembered what Cole- no, the Source-had told her. Her sisters would soon see the light (or dark) and join her.
" Nice digs, Phoebe," Piper commented. She grinned wolfishly when she saw the ruby-studded tiara on her sister's head. " I love the jewels."
" So you've come to join us?" Piper shrugged. " Why not? Leo and Paige were starting to piss me off." She looked at her sister's stomach. " What happened to you?"
" A little magic, to speed up the growth." Phoebe waved her hand. A throne, not as grand as Phoebe's or Cole's, of course, appeared. " Sit. Stay awhile."
************************
Paige slapped Leo. " Wake up!" she shouted. He came to, disoriented.
" What?" He sat up slowly, his memory apparently coming to him. " Oh no." He sighed. " You should've let me stay unconscious."
" Look, Leo, we don't have a lot of time before I go evil like my sisters. We need a plan."
" Paige, you really can't do anything. You'd need the Power of Three."
She nodded. The Power of Three made her think of something. " I'm going to need two more witches, right? I know where to get them." She hurried up to the attic.
" Unfortuanetly it is," Leo replied. He wrapped an arm around Piper, who pushed it away.
" We've got to do something," she decided. " Leo, go check with the Elders. Paige, we'll orb home to see what we can find out." Paige nodded. Leo orbed away. Piper grabbed Paige's arm. Her sister noticed Piper's grip was tight. " Let's go."
************************
An assembly of demons and warlocks waited in the chambers that used to belong to the Source. The crowd was quiet, with a few murmurs about why the Seer had asked them here.
She shimmered in. " I suppose you wonder why you were asked here." There were shouts and cries, but the Seer silenced them with a deadly look. " I present to you the Source."
He flamed in, dressed in the long black hooded robes that he used to wear. The Source flipped back his hood. There were gasps.
" Belthazor?" one called. " We thought you lost your powers." Cole turned to the voice.
" I am not Belthazor, I am the Source you already know, reincarnated in this body." His voice was as frosty as everyone remembered it had been. " But this time I bring back a wife." In a burst of flames came another hooded figure dressed in black velvet robes, a large belly protruding out of her.
" This is your Queen." Phoebe flipped back her hood. The royal couple's eyes flashed flames and turned black. All of the creatures of the Underworld bent on their knees, except one.
" You joke, Seer!" cried a green-scaled demon. " This woman is a Charmed One. They vanquished the Source. Now you claim she is our Queen, carrying a Dark Heir? I do not believe it."
" You should," Phoebe told him, her voice as cold as her husband. She waved her hand, setting the demon to flames. He cried out in terror, and vanished.
The Source smiled. " Does anyone else want to try?" No one said anything.
************************
Paige flipped through the Book of Shadows over and over. " There's nothing in here," she complained. " Remember that little celebration we had, when we tore the picture of the Source out and burned it? That was a bad idea."
Piper gave her sister a look that would freeze water in July. Paige looked away, trying not to further infuriate Piper.
Leo orbed in. He looked glum. " They have nothing," he told them bluntly. " The only thing that might bring her back would be the Power of Three, but we don't even have that anymore."
" Really, Leo? Thanks for telling us, we didn't know," Piper snapped.
" Chill out, Piper," Paige said. " We can't help Phoebe if we start yelling at each other."
" Like you would know, Paige," shot back Piper. " Sometimes I just want to-" She extended her hands and made a small vase explode.
Leo and Paige exchanged a look. A small crept on Piper's face as she exploded a few more objects. " Piper," Leo said, reaching for her.
Piper waved her hand and Leo went flying into the wall, unconscious. She did the same to Paige, who orbed before she could hit the wall. Suddenly, in a burst of flames Piper disappeared.
************************
Phoebe sat quite happily on her throne. She was the Queen of Evil, an appropriate role for her. Gently she stroked her stomach, thinking of the child that would be born only two or three months from now. The Power of Three will set you free, she thought.
Suddenly Piper appeared in front of her. " Piper?" gasped Phoebe. Then she remembered what Cole- no, the Source-had told her. Her sisters would soon see the light (or dark) and join her.
" Nice digs, Phoebe," Piper commented. She grinned wolfishly when she saw the ruby-studded tiara on her sister's head. " I love the jewels."
" So you've come to join us?" Piper shrugged. " Why not? Leo and Paige were starting to piss me off." She looked at her sister's stomach. " What happened to you?"
" A little magic, to speed up the growth." Phoebe waved her hand. A throne, not as grand as Phoebe's or Cole's, of course, appeared. " Sit. Stay awhile."
************************
Paige slapped Leo. " Wake up!" she shouted. He came to, disoriented.
" What?" He sat up slowly, his memory apparently coming to him. " Oh no." He sighed. " You should've let me stay unconscious."
" Look, Leo, we don't have a lot of time before I go evil like my sisters. We need a plan."
" Paige, you really can't do anything. You'd need the Power of Three."
She nodded. The Power of Three made her think of something. " I'm going to need two more witches, right? I know where to get them." She hurried up to the attic.