Time Troubles 3
(I do not own any part of Charmed. I just write about it. This continues a storyline begun in Degrees of Evil, and continued in several other stories).
"No." the three sisters said quietly.
"I didn't want you to see this. I didn't want you to know," Cole said gravely. "There just wasn't any choice."
"How.How long?" Piper asked.
"You lost your lives over 20 years ago." Melinda said. "I was very young when it happened, and it still hurts to think about it."
"Why, what happened to us?" Phoebe asked. "Our deaths are tragic, but why is everyone so devastated by it? Were out deaths so bad?"
"It wasn't your deaths," Gabriel interrupted suddenly, "but how it happened that is so devastating. You didn't just die.we killed you."
"What! Why?" Piper demanded. The sisters also noticed that Melinda had a look of shock on her face.
"What, you told me they were great warriors for our side who fell to the ultimate evil!" she shouted.
Gabriel and Cole shared a look, one that seemed to equate volumes of information. Then Gabriel sighed, "Only Cole and I know the true story of what happened." Gabriel turned and walked over to the slab, as if trying to gain strength from it. When he turned back around, his face was sad, but determined.
"About 23 years ago, you three fell to evil. You were seduced by it, turned by it, whatever. You became evil, and servants of the Source."
"What, we would never." Paige began hotly.
"But you do," Cole said, "and you do unspeakable things while evil. You made my century of demonhood look like a saint's work by comparison. Gabriel and I tried everything to bring you back, but.we failed. Finally, we had no choice but to kill you ourselves, and bury you in secret. We told everyone you had been secretly battling for good, and had simply died in the line of duty."
"How could you lie to me?" Melinda said, "I had the right to know my mother was too weak to fight evil!"
"HEY! Watch your mouth young lady!" Piper said.
"It doesn't matter," Gabriel interrupted, "All that matters is it is what we did, and it is in the past. So, what I want to know is what are you three doing here? Who sent you here?"
"Well.you did." Phoebe said quietly. When Gabriel's eyebrows rose, she told him everything, about Temporal Echoes and the portal. ".and so we need you to send us back to our own time, so we can prevent this." Phoebe finished
Gabriel looked at them for a few moments, and then said, "I'm sorry, I can't help you."
The sisters stared at him in shock and silence, but Melinda made up for it. "YOU COWARD! You would leave them here for no reason. You are truly evil."
"You have NO comprehension of what is involved here!" Gabriel shouted back. He turned and stormed off. Melinda turned away in disgust, and the sisters looked at each in worry. Would they be trapped here for eternity?
"I'm going to go talk to him." Cole said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, and Melinda said, "Why, it would make no difference."
"Maybe it will." Cole said cryptically, and then he headed off after Gabriel.
"Do you think he can convince Gabriel to help us?" Paige asked.
"I doubt it," Melinda said. "That coward would never help us."
"Well, if he doesn't we'll be trapped here for eternity." Phoebe said gravely.
***
Cole did not bother to hurry, for he knew exactly where his son was going. It was where Gabriel always went to contemplate, where he had been going for years. Cole walked through the forest at a sedate pace, thinking about what he was going to say to his son. For Cole knew exactly what was at stake here, and he still felt Phoebe and the others should be sent back. He just hoped he could convince Gabriel of that.
Cole finally broke out of the forest in front of a small lake. Sitting on the edge with his arms wrapped around his knees was Gabriel, who was staring out into the water. Cole approached and put his hand on his son's shoulder, and said, "Don't listen to her, she doesn't understand."
"Why not? She's right. I am a coward, in the eyes of everyone who cares about me." Gabriel said sadly.
"Not to me," Cole said with finality, "NEVER with me."
"Do you think it was the right decision?" Gabriel asked Cole. He had been asking Cole the same thing every year, for it weighed heavily on him.
"Yes, it was the only decision we could make," Cole said with conviction, "If the other Guardians had stayed in the battle on the side of evil, we would not have won. You would have gotten weaker as they got stronger, and eventually they would have killed us all. They had to be removed from the field, and so we had to make the Pact."
"I still don't know why they made that pact." Gabriel remarked.
"Because of your power back then," Cole said, "You know your power is linked to the amount of life present in the universe. Back then, you were stronger than all of them except Death. They were afraid of what you could do, and so they made the deal. They'd stay off the field as long as you did. And it is the only reason we are slowly winning."
"You do understand what sending the Charmed Ones back to their time will be, don't know?" Gabriel said quietly.
"Yes, I do. It will mean you are a taking a part in this war, and it will be the loophole the Guardians have been seeking to get back involved." Cole said gravely.
"Do you think you could still win if they got back involved, even if I helped?" Gabriel asked.
Cole thought about it for a few moments, and then said quietly, "No, I don't."
"Then you realize if I send the Charmed Ones back to their present, I doom this future." Gabriel said. "What's worse, I open the door to time travel, which they will take advantage of. I could do even more damage than you can even imagine."
"I know," Cole said. He paused for a few moments, and then said, "I still think you should send them back."
Gabriel looked up, and Cole realized he was crying, "Don't you think I want to? Do you think I want to sit back and feel all the deaths in this pointless war? If I get involved, then I doom all those lives to pain and oblivion. What right do I have to do that?"
"Son, listen to me," Cole said, "Even if we beat back evil, I would be very surprised if we could keep it defeated and rebuild. Our world is doomed, it is all a question of years."
"But how can I take those years away from anyone? I am Life, for God's sake. You're asking me to doom a world for no reason."
"Maybe the sisters could fix the past, and prevent out future," Cole replied.
"No, they can't." Gabriel replied, "Piper was never meant to receive the Temporal Echoes. In order to fix it, I have to remove all memories they have of this event. They will go back to before the nightmares happened, and they will never experience them. So, I gain nothing, and lose everything."
Gabriel was quiet for a few minutes, and then he said slowly, "I'll do it."
Cole looked down at him, and Gabriel said, "Whatever the cost, I will send them back." He then got up and walked back towards the clearing.
***
When Gabriel and Cole walked back into the clearing, the sisters felt hope bloom again. Gabriel looked at them, and then said, "I'll do it." The sister's broke out in smiles, and then Piper said, "What do you need to do?"
"I need to touch each of you," Gabriel said. One by one, he reached out and touched the sisters on the forehead. When he got to Phoebe, he lingered on the necklace, and said, "I always loved this necklace. Please, never take it off." When he finished, he turned and gestured, and the sisters could feel a portal open behind them. Within seconds, they were through it.
Melinda, Gabriel, and Cole watched them go through. As soon as they were gone, 8 figures appeared. Gabriel smiled, and said, "What took you so long?"
"You've broken the pact," Mortanos said, "and so have freed us. We can now rejoin our side, and crush you."
"Maybe so, but that has yet to be seen." Gabriel said. Melinda looked up, as she realized why Gabriel had been so distant and non-present. She reached up, touched his arm, and whispered, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"It doesn't matter if you get involved," Moebi, Guardian of Time said with a snarl, "I can now go back through time and alter it how we see fit. You have doomed the world."
Gabriel smiled a sad smile, and said, "I don't think so." He then screamed, and exploded. White energy burst forth in every direction, passing over Guardians, who fell back in shock. As Melinda and Cole felt the energy go over them, they heard Gabriel's voice whisper, "I'm sorry, I can't help you now. I have to protect the past. I love you both."
After the wave had passed, the Guardians got up with a sneer. "Well, that was pointless," Mortanos said. "It didn't even faze us. Moebi, go back and alter history." Moebi smiled, and gestured. When nothing happened, his frowned and tried again. After several attempts, he went pale. "I.I can't."
"WHAT!" Mortanos shouted.
"He has sealed it somehow," Moebi said desparately, "I can't travel through time!"
Mortanos looked back at Cole, and said, "He may have protected his past, but he doomed you all." Mortanos gestured, and Cole and Melinda fell to the ground, dead. Mortanos looked at the others and said, "Let the slaughter begin."
***
Piper woke up with a scream, feeling.nothing. No nightmare, no fear. She actually felt happy. Piper wondered what had come over her, as Leo put his arms around her. "Is everything alright honey?"
"Yeah, it's nothing. Just a weird dream or something. I don't know, I can't remember." Piper said, and then they both went back to sleep. Everything was normal in the Halliwell manor, except for one thing. In Phoebe's room, all were sleeping. Cole and Phoebe were asleep in each other's arms, and Gabriel was asleep in the crib. Since they were all sleeping, no one saw Phoebe's necklace flash white once, and then stop.
THE END
(I do not own any part of Charmed. I just write about it. This continues a storyline begun in Degrees of Evil, and continued in several other stories).
"No." the three sisters said quietly.
"I didn't want you to see this. I didn't want you to know," Cole said gravely. "There just wasn't any choice."
"How.How long?" Piper asked.
"You lost your lives over 20 years ago." Melinda said. "I was very young when it happened, and it still hurts to think about it."
"Why, what happened to us?" Phoebe asked. "Our deaths are tragic, but why is everyone so devastated by it? Were out deaths so bad?"
"It wasn't your deaths," Gabriel interrupted suddenly, "but how it happened that is so devastating. You didn't just die.we killed you."
"What! Why?" Piper demanded. The sisters also noticed that Melinda had a look of shock on her face.
"What, you told me they were great warriors for our side who fell to the ultimate evil!" she shouted.
Gabriel and Cole shared a look, one that seemed to equate volumes of information. Then Gabriel sighed, "Only Cole and I know the true story of what happened." Gabriel turned and walked over to the slab, as if trying to gain strength from it. When he turned back around, his face was sad, but determined.
"About 23 years ago, you three fell to evil. You were seduced by it, turned by it, whatever. You became evil, and servants of the Source."
"What, we would never." Paige began hotly.
"But you do," Cole said, "and you do unspeakable things while evil. You made my century of demonhood look like a saint's work by comparison. Gabriel and I tried everything to bring you back, but.we failed. Finally, we had no choice but to kill you ourselves, and bury you in secret. We told everyone you had been secretly battling for good, and had simply died in the line of duty."
"How could you lie to me?" Melinda said, "I had the right to know my mother was too weak to fight evil!"
"HEY! Watch your mouth young lady!" Piper said.
"It doesn't matter," Gabriel interrupted, "All that matters is it is what we did, and it is in the past. So, what I want to know is what are you three doing here? Who sent you here?"
"Well.you did." Phoebe said quietly. When Gabriel's eyebrows rose, she told him everything, about Temporal Echoes and the portal. ".and so we need you to send us back to our own time, so we can prevent this." Phoebe finished
Gabriel looked at them for a few moments, and then said, "I'm sorry, I can't help you."
The sisters stared at him in shock and silence, but Melinda made up for it. "YOU COWARD! You would leave them here for no reason. You are truly evil."
"You have NO comprehension of what is involved here!" Gabriel shouted back. He turned and stormed off. Melinda turned away in disgust, and the sisters looked at each in worry. Would they be trapped here for eternity?
"I'm going to go talk to him." Cole said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, and Melinda said, "Why, it would make no difference."
"Maybe it will." Cole said cryptically, and then he headed off after Gabriel.
"Do you think he can convince Gabriel to help us?" Paige asked.
"I doubt it," Melinda said. "That coward would never help us."
"Well, if he doesn't we'll be trapped here for eternity." Phoebe said gravely.
***
Cole did not bother to hurry, for he knew exactly where his son was going. It was where Gabriel always went to contemplate, where he had been going for years. Cole walked through the forest at a sedate pace, thinking about what he was going to say to his son. For Cole knew exactly what was at stake here, and he still felt Phoebe and the others should be sent back. He just hoped he could convince Gabriel of that.
Cole finally broke out of the forest in front of a small lake. Sitting on the edge with his arms wrapped around his knees was Gabriel, who was staring out into the water. Cole approached and put his hand on his son's shoulder, and said, "Don't listen to her, she doesn't understand."
"Why not? She's right. I am a coward, in the eyes of everyone who cares about me." Gabriel said sadly.
"Not to me," Cole said with finality, "NEVER with me."
"Do you think it was the right decision?" Gabriel asked Cole. He had been asking Cole the same thing every year, for it weighed heavily on him.
"Yes, it was the only decision we could make," Cole said with conviction, "If the other Guardians had stayed in the battle on the side of evil, we would not have won. You would have gotten weaker as they got stronger, and eventually they would have killed us all. They had to be removed from the field, and so we had to make the Pact."
"I still don't know why they made that pact." Gabriel remarked.
"Because of your power back then," Cole said, "You know your power is linked to the amount of life present in the universe. Back then, you were stronger than all of them except Death. They were afraid of what you could do, and so they made the deal. They'd stay off the field as long as you did. And it is the only reason we are slowly winning."
"You do understand what sending the Charmed Ones back to their time will be, don't know?" Gabriel said quietly.
"Yes, I do. It will mean you are a taking a part in this war, and it will be the loophole the Guardians have been seeking to get back involved." Cole said gravely.
"Do you think you could still win if they got back involved, even if I helped?" Gabriel asked.
Cole thought about it for a few moments, and then said quietly, "No, I don't."
"Then you realize if I send the Charmed Ones back to their present, I doom this future." Gabriel said. "What's worse, I open the door to time travel, which they will take advantage of. I could do even more damage than you can even imagine."
"I know," Cole said. He paused for a few moments, and then said, "I still think you should send them back."
Gabriel looked up, and Cole realized he was crying, "Don't you think I want to? Do you think I want to sit back and feel all the deaths in this pointless war? If I get involved, then I doom all those lives to pain and oblivion. What right do I have to do that?"
"Son, listen to me," Cole said, "Even if we beat back evil, I would be very surprised if we could keep it defeated and rebuild. Our world is doomed, it is all a question of years."
"But how can I take those years away from anyone? I am Life, for God's sake. You're asking me to doom a world for no reason."
"Maybe the sisters could fix the past, and prevent out future," Cole replied.
"No, they can't." Gabriel replied, "Piper was never meant to receive the Temporal Echoes. In order to fix it, I have to remove all memories they have of this event. They will go back to before the nightmares happened, and they will never experience them. So, I gain nothing, and lose everything."
Gabriel was quiet for a few minutes, and then he said slowly, "I'll do it."
Cole looked down at him, and Gabriel said, "Whatever the cost, I will send them back." He then got up and walked back towards the clearing.
***
When Gabriel and Cole walked back into the clearing, the sisters felt hope bloom again. Gabriel looked at them, and then said, "I'll do it." The sister's broke out in smiles, and then Piper said, "What do you need to do?"
"I need to touch each of you," Gabriel said. One by one, he reached out and touched the sisters on the forehead. When he got to Phoebe, he lingered on the necklace, and said, "I always loved this necklace. Please, never take it off." When he finished, he turned and gestured, and the sisters could feel a portal open behind them. Within seconds, they were through it.
Melinda, Gabriel, and Cole watched them go through. As soon as they were gone, 8 figures appeared. Gabriel smiled, and said, "What took you so long?"
"You've broken the pact," Mortanos said, "and so have freed us. We can now rejoin our side, and crush you."
"Maybe so, but that has yet to be seen." Gabriel said. Melinda looked up, as she realized why Gabriel had been so distant and non-present. She reached up, touched his arm, and whispered, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"It doesn't matter if you get involved," Moebi, Guardian of Time said with a snarl, "I can now go back through time and alter it how we see fit. You have doomed the world."
Gabriel smiled a sad smile, and said, "I don't think so." He then screamed, and exploded. White energy burst forth in every direction, passing over Guardians, who fell back in shock. As Melinda and Cole felt the energy go over them, they heard Gabriel's voice whisper, "I'm sorry, I can't help you now. I have to protect the past. I love you both."
After the wave had passed, the Guardians got up with a sneer. "Well, that was pointless," Mortanos said. "It didn't even faze us. Moebi, go back and alter history." Moebi smiled, and gestured. When nothing happened, his frowned and tried again. After several attempts, he went pale. "I.I can't."
"WHAT!" Mortanos shouted.
"He has sealed it somehow," Moebi said desparately, "I can't travel through time!"
Mortanos looked back at Cole, and said, "He may have protected his past, but he doomed you all." Mortanos gestured, and Cole and Melinda fell to the ground, dead. Mortanos looked at the others and said, "Let the slaughter begin."
***
Piper woke up with a scream, feeling.nothing. No nightmare, no fear. She actually felt happy. Piper wondered what had come over her, as Leo put his arms around her. "Is everything alright honey?"
"Yeah, it's nothing. Just a weird dream or something. I don't know, I can't remember." Piper said, and then they both went back to sleep. Everything was normal in the Halliwell manor, except for one thing. In Phoebe's room, all were sleeping. Cole and Phoebe were asleep in each other's arms, and Gabriel was asleep in the crib. Since they were all sleeping, no one saw Phoebe's necklace flash white once, and then stop.
THE END