Returning Evil Part 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).
The sisters reappeared on a hill overlooking a valley.
"Where are we?" Phoebe asked.
"In the south of France," Mortanos replied. "I picked somewhere at random, so it will take him a few moments to track us. It will give us time to talk. We need to plan."
"Why did we have to run? We could have tried to take him." Paige asked.
"We were at a serious disadvantage," Mortanos said. "Your powers didn't work correctly down there, and you didn't know what you were dealing with. You need information before we can make our move."
"Where are the other Guardians?" Piper asked.
Mortanos looked around, and then he went pale. "It can't be.he couldn't have.he can't have become that strong."
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked.
Mortanos looked over, and said, "I need to go; I have things to check on. Find somewhere to get the information you need." He then faded before the sisters could say anything.
"Well, that's just great," Piper said. "So, where can we go to get info on the Founder?"
"What about Michael," Paige suggested, "He knows more about the magical world than anyone I know, so maybe he can help."
"It's worth a shot," Phoebe replied. "Why don't you orb us there now?"
Paige nodded, and then they all orbed out.
***
When Mortanos reappeared, the island had undergone vast changes. Before the island was only a few hundred feet around, but now it stretched for over a mile. In the center was a throne, and sitting on it was the Founder. He looked up at Mortanos and smiled. "Well, well. Look who it is.Mortanos, isn't it?" When Mortanos nodded, the Founder smiled, "You're looking well. I must say your new name doesn't suit you. I prefer the old one."
"You're looking well, Kain." Mortanos replied.
"Please Mortanos. No one has called me Kain in a very long time." Kain replied.
"Well, what other name would you like," Mortanos asked.
"'Master' has a nice ring to it, and your fellow Guardians took to it very nicely." Kain said sardonically. He snapped his fingers, and seven figures appeared. They were his fellow Guardians, but at the same time they weren't. Black veins lined their body, and they each wore a blank expression. Mortanos turned to Fiona and said, "Fire, it is good to see you are unharmed."
An expression of rapture came over Fiona's face, and she said, "I am better than fine, Mortanos my friend. The Master has shown me the light. I have seen the error of my ways, as have we all. We serve the righteous one now."
Mortanos turned to Kain and said, "You've changed."
Kain smiled, and replied, "Don't mince words. I've grown far stronger than you or God can even imagine. My time in exile has strengthened me beyond your comprehension, and this time God can't interfere. Good is doomed, so just give up."
"Why don't you just take me if you want me to give up," Mortanos smiled.
"Please, it is not yet time in this confrontation to do such a thing. You and I have just made our opening moves, and I have been waiting for this for too long to end it quickly. Leave me; I have many things to do. I'll let you go this time, but never come back here. My generosity will no longer protect you."
Mortanos shook his head, and said, "You are still arrogant Kain. And that is why you will lose again." He then faded.
Kain looked over at Fiona, and said, "I know 'Mortanos' well, but tell me about the last Guardian. Tell me everything you know about Life."
***
"I'm afraid I cannot provide you with much help," Michael confessed as they walked into the Library. "All the information we have on the Founder would be myth at best, and most likely a lie."
"Well, anything you tell us can help," Piper said. "After all, we don't know what could provide the breaking point in this confrontation."
"We know he is very strong, so we can skip that point," Gabriel interjected. "He knocked my fellow Guardians back without trying, and that worries me."
"I know. But at least Leo and Melinda are rounding up every agent of Good they can and spreading the word," Phoebe said.
"It won't matter," Cole said darkly. "When the Founder surfaces, nothing can stop him."
"Be pessimistic later," Paige said angrily, "We have work to do. Michael, what do you know?"
"The Founder appeared somewhere around the beginning of history, and founded evil," Michael began. "His main power is called the Touch of Darkness. According to legend, it can bring out the evil in any being that has a dark side, no matter how pure. That is how he started. The only other information I have on him is that he can boost the powers of any demon to unimaginable scales. Keep in mind though, who knows what new powers he may have now that he is back. As to the how and why he left, it is still a mystery to us, as is the reason God didn't get rid of him."
"God didn't because the cost would be too great," a new voice said, and the sisters turned as Mortanos appeared. He looked weary, and at the end of his strength. While his voice sounded strained, it still carried weight. "God did not kill the Founder because he knew that the Founder would destroy all of humanity in the battle. God wanted his children to grow, and decided to trust in them. He made a pact, where the Founder would leave for a period only he and the Founder knew. In exchange, God would not take part in any events that happened after his return unless the Founder was killed."
"I can't believe any being would make such a deal," Cole said, "Whatever possessed him to do such a thing."
"God decided to trust in the powers of man. He was and is confident we can handle it." Mortanos replied.
"Wait, how do you know about all of this?" Phoebe asked.
Mortanos looked at her for a few moments, and then said, "I was there."
"But, the last record of the Founder is over 10,000 years ago," Michael stammered. "How old ARE you?"
"It's not important. What matters is the fact that the Founder's powers have grown, and we have to deal with them. His Touch is stronger, and now he can affect anyone." Mortanos said.
"Affect how?" Piper asked.
Mortanos sighed, and said, "In non-magical beings, the touch inspired brutality and violence. If the Founder touches enough people, the world will plunge forever into darkness and chaos."
"That's bad.wait, what about magical beings?" Cole asked.
"Their fate is even worse. Any being with magic in them touched by the Founder becomes his servant forever. It isn't even slavery, they feel that the Founder is right, and they would willingly kill anyone if the Founder even barely indicated it."
"Wait, does that mean the other Guardians." Paige began. When Mortanos nodded sadly, she said, "We have to save them!"
"You can't," Mortanos said in a grief-stricken voice, "Any magical being touched by the Founder is lost forever. None can defy him ever again, and they are not salvageable. Believe me, I tried back then, and he is much stronger now. Just consider them casualties of war, and you will be close to the truth."
As Mortanos sank to the floor, Piper voiced what they all were thinking, "So, we now not only have to do with The Founder, but 7 of the Guardians as well." She and her sisters shared a look, a look that said profoundly, "What can we do?"
"There has to be something," Gabriel said suddenly. When the sisters turned to look at him, he continued, "What if we use the banishment spell you used on my evil side? I may be able to hold him still long enough."
"What do you think," Phoebe said as she turned to her sisters.
"It's our best shot." Paige said.
"We'll have to go back to the manor and get the Book. I don't remember it off the top of my head." Piper mentioned.
"Before you go," Mortanos said, "Let's get Leo and Melinda back and take them with us. We may need the extra firepower. I also need to rest for a few seconds before we go. Michael, can you take me into the back so I can recover?" Mortanos continued. Michael nodded, and led him into a door in the back.
Phoebe turned to her sisters, and said, "This is the first time I've ever seen him look tired, and that worries me."
"We can't deal with that now," Piper interjected. "LEO! MELINDA!"
***
As Mortanos slowly sat down, he said, "You are curious, aren't you Michael?"
Michael started, and began to turn red, "I'm sorry. I was just wondering."
"What I did to wear me out?" Mortanos finished. He looked at Michael steadily for a few moments, as if measuring his worth. He then said, "I was making this." Mortanos pulled out a small orb, about the size of a child's fist. It glowed softly with a black light, and seemed to suck all the light into it.
Michael looked at it, and paled. "Is that what I think it is?" When Mortanos nodded, he said, "I think I see what you're planning, and I want to you why would you even CONSIDER such a thing. You know better than anyone what it would do if used. Destroy it!"
Mortanos smiled, and said, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Which reminds me, I apologize for doing this." Before Michael could say anything, Mortanos waved his hand and said, "Insidius Vldar." Michael felt the world slip away, and then all was dark.
***
When Leo and Melinda orbed in, the sisters exclaimed, "What happened?" Both Leo and Melinda were covered in small wounds, and appeared to have been in a fight. Leo looked the worse for wear, but Melinda was not unfazed.
"Demons are attacking every witch and agent of good they can find," Melinda said, "We were ambushed by three of them at one of Leo's charge's house. Leo stepped in front of the first blast, and then I beat them back. But we lost the charge."
Piper walked over to Leo without speaking, pulled him into a hug, and said, "I'm sorry."
"I know," Leo said in a broken voice. "Evil is resurfacing with a vengeance."
"It will only get worse," Mortanos said from the doorway. The sisters turned as he and Michael stepped in. Mortanos seemed slightly more alert, and he said, "This is just the preliminaries. The Founder is still getting his grasp over the Underworld. Once he surfaces, the world will fall into chaos very quickly. We need to hurry."
As the sisters prepared to orb, Mortanos continued, "One more thing. If this goes bad, I want all of you to orb up to Heaven."
"If Heaven is so safe, why didn't we orb up there to start with?" Paige asked.
"Because he could have followed my teleportation up there, but he can't follow an orb. It isn't powerful enough to 'piggyback' on," Mortanos said.
"Well, why doesn't he just have one of the other Guardians take him there?" Piper asked.
"Because they lose their ability to enter heaven when they fall to evil, " Mortanos said irritably. "Now, come on, let's do it."
Mortanos grabbed everyone, and they then faded.
***
When the group appeared in the manor, Paige felt something was very wrong. She could feel it, and she said, "Something doesn't feel right."
Suddenly, the windows darkened, and a black field appeared over the door. "It's a trap!" Leo said. Clapping began to reverberate throughout the manor, and then the Founder appeared. He smiled, and said, "Very good. But it sure took you long enough to get here. Get caught in traffic?"
"VAETOS KAZARIAS!" Michael shouted, and an energy ball flew from him and hit the Founder. The Founder looked down at his clothes, made a sweeping motion, and then said, "Wow, that was impressive. You almost singed my clothes. Good has gotten more aggressive since I was last here, hasn't it Mortanos?"
Mortanos looked at him for a moment, and then said, "Good has done more than that, Kain. It has found a way to destroy you."
Kain's smile widened, and he said, "You mean this?" He held out his hand, and the Book of Shadows appeared in it.
"Hey, how are you." Paige began.
"How am I what? Touching it? Please," Kain interrupted with a snort, "Your measly protections are nothing to me. I must say, this Book is very interesting reading, though. Let me guess, you were going to use the spell to trap me in Tartarus, right?"
"How." Mortanos began.
"You're slipping in your old age," Kain said with a smirk. "What did you think was the first thing I asked your old comrades? Once I knew about the Charmed Ones and their annoying powers, I could easily guess your next step. Well, shall we get this over with?" Kain snapped his fingers, Fiona appeared. Fiona turned to Kain and said, "You summoned us Master?"
Kain replied, "They haven't seen the light yet. Please, introduce them to it."
Fiona bowed, and said, "As you wish." She then held her hand out, and fire erupted from it. Gabriel and Mortanos reacted instantly, and two fields appeared in front of the groups. The flames dissipated harmlessly. Kain smiled, and said, "So, this is the illustrious Life? I must say, you are a little shorter than I would have thought."
Gabriel didn't respond. Instead, he pointed at Kain, and a white bolt of lightning left his hand and hit Kain. Kain took it, but actually fell back a step. He looked at Life, and said, "You are very strong, even stronger than Mortanos is, but it isn't enough. Now it's my turn." Kain thrust both hands out, and two black lightning bolts came out. They hit Gabriel and Mortanos in the chest, and sent them crashing against the walls.
Phoebe ran over and put her hand to Gabriel's neck. "He's got a pulse." She then looked up at an energy ball coming at her. Cole stepped in front of her and gestured, and it was deflected. "We have to get out of here, this is getting us nowhere. You grab Gabriel. We're leaving now."
"And how exactly were you planning on getting out of here?" Kain asked in amusement. He slowly began to walk towards the group, and held out his hands. Before he got too close, Mortanos stood up and gestured towards a wall. The wall exploded, and Mortanos shouted, "Let's go, NOW!"
As the group closed in around Leo, Paige, and Melinda, Kain shouted, "I don't think so." Three black tentacles shot out of his hand towards the group. Before anyone could react, Cole dove forward and grabbed them all. The group could feel energy emanating from the tentacles.
"COLE!" Phoebe shouted, and Cole looked back. Phoebe watched with dawning horror as black veins began to appear on him. He looked at her, and said, "I'll always love you.now, get our son out." The world then disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs.
TO BE CONTINUED.
(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).
The sisters reappeared on a hill overlooking a valley.
"Where are we?" Phoebe asked.
"In the south of France," Mortanos replied. "I picked somewhere at random, so it will take him a few moments to track us. It will give us time to talk. We need to plan."
"Why did we have to run? We could have tried to take him." Paige asked.
"We were at a serious disadvantage," Mortanos said. "Your powers didn't work correctly down there, and you didn't know what you were dealing with. You need information before we can make our move."
"Where are the other Guardians?" Piper asked.
Mortanos looked around, and then he went pale. "It can't be.he couldn't have.he can't have become that strong."
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked.
Mortanos looked over, and said, "I need to go; I have things to check on. Find somewhere to get the information you need." He then faded before the sisters could say anything.
"Well, that's just great," Piper said. "So, where can we go to get info on the Founder?"
"What about Michael," Paige suggested, "He knows more about the magical world than anyone I know, so maybe he can help."
"It's worth a shot," Phoebe replied. "Why don't you orb us there now?"
Paige nodded, and then they all orbed out.
***
When Mortanos reappeared, the island had undergone vast changes. Before the island was only a few hundred feet around, but now it stretched for over a mile. In the center was a throne, and sitting on it was the Founder. He looked up at Mortanos and smiled. "Well, well. Look who it is.Mortanos, isn't it?" When Mortanos nodded, the Founder smiled, "You're looking well. I must say your new name doesn't suit you. I prefer the old one."
"You're looking well, Kain." Mortanos replied.
"Please Mortanos. No one has called me Kain in a very long time." Kain replied.
"Well, what other name would you like," Mortanos asked.
"'Master' has a nice ring to it, and your fellow Guardians took to it very nicely." Kain said sardonically. He snapped his fingers, and seven figures appeared. They were his fellow Guardians, but at the same time they weren't. Black veins lined their body, and they each wore a blank expression. Mortanos turned to Fiona and said, "Fire, it is good to see you are unharmed."
An expression of rapture came over Fiona's face, and she said, "I am better than fine, Mortanos my friend. The Master has shown me the light. I have seen the error of my ways, as have we all. We serve the righteous one now."
Mortanos turned to Kain and said, "You've changed."
Kain smiled, and replied, "Don't mince words. I've grown far stronger than you or God can even imagine. My time in exile has strengthened me beyond your comprehension, and this time God can't interfere. Good is doomed, so just give up."
"Why don't you just take me if you want me to give up," Mortanos smiled.
"Please, it is not yet time in this confrontation to do such a thing. You and I have just made our opening moves, and I have been waiting for this for too long to end it quickly. Leave me; I have many things to do. I'll let you go this time, but never come back here. My generosity will no longer protect you."
Mortanos shook his head, and said, "You are still arrogant Kain. And that is why you will lose again." He then faded.
Kain looked over at Fiona, and said, "I know 'Mortanos' well, but tell me about the last Guardian. Tell me everything you know about Life."
***
"I'm afraid I cannot provide you with much help," Michael confessed as they walked into the Library. "All the information we have on the Founder would be myth at best, and most likely a lie."
"Well, anything you tell us can help," Piper said. "After all, we don't know what could provide the breaking point in this confrontation."
"We know he is very strong, so we can skip that point," Gabriel interjected. "He knocked my fellow Guardians back without trying, and that worries me."
"I know. But at least Leo and Melinda are rounding up every agent of Good they can and spreading the word," Phoebe said.
"It won't matter," Cole said darkly. "When the Founder surfaces, nothing can stop him."
"Be pessimistic later," Paige said angrily, "We have work to do. Michael, what do you know?"
"The Founder appeared somewhere around the beginning of history, and founded evil," Michael began. "His main power is called the Touch of Darkness. According to legend, it can bring out the evil in any being that has a dark side, no matter how pure. That is how he started. The only other information I have on him is that he can boost the powers of any demon to unimaginable scales. Keep in mind though, who knows what new powers he may have now that he is back. As to the how and why he left, it is still a mystery to us, as is the reason God didn't get rid of him."
"God didn't because the cost would be too great," a new voice said, and the sisters turned as Mortanos appeared. He looked weary, and at the end of his strength. While his voice sounded strained, it still carried weight. "God did not kill the Founder because he knew that the Founder would destroy all of humanity in the battle. God wanted his children to grow, and decided to trust in them. He made a pact, where the Founder would leave for a period only he and the Founder knew. In exchange, God would not take part in any events that happened after his return unless the Founder was killed."
"I can't believe any being would make such a deal," Cole said, "Whatever possessed him to do such a thing."
"God decided to trust in the powers of man. He was and is confident we can handle it." Mortanos replied.
"Wait, how do you know about all of this?" Phoebe asked.
Mortanos looked at her for a few moments, and then said, "I was there."
"But, the last record of the Founder is over 10,000 years ago," Michael stammered. "How old ARE you?"
"It's not important. What matters is the fact that the Founder's powers have grown, and we have to deal with them. His Touch is stronger, and now he can affect anyone." Mortanos said.
"Affect how?" Piper asked.
Mortanos sighed, and said, "In non-magical beings, the touch inspired brutality and violence. If the Founder touches enough people, the world will plunge forever into darkness and chaos."
"That's bad.wait, what about magical beings?" Cole asked.
"Their fate is even worse. Any being with magic in them touched by the Founder becomes his servant forever. It isn't even slavery, they feel that the Founder is right, and they would willingly kill anyone if the Founder even barely indicated it."
"Wait, does that mean the other Guardians." Paige began. When Mortanos nodded sadly, she said, "We have to save them!"
"You can't," Mortanos said in a grief-stricken voice, "Any magical being touched by the Founder is lost forever. None can defy him ever again, and they are not salvageable. Believe me, I tried back then, and he is much stronger now. Just consider them casualties of war, and you will be close to the truth."
As Mortanos sank to the floor, Piper voiced what they all were thinking, "So, we now not only have to do with The Founder, but 7 of the Guardians as well." She and her sisters shared a look, a look that said profoundly, "What can we do?"
"There has to be something," Gabriel said suddenly. When the sisters turned to look at him, he continued, "What if we use the banishment spell you used on my evil side? I may be able to hold him still long enough."
"What do you think," Phoebe said as she turned to her sisters.
"It's our best shot." Paige said.
"We'll have to go back to the manor and get the Book. I don't remember it off the top of my head." Piper mentioned.
"Before you go," Mortanos said, "Let's get Leo and Melinda back and take them with us. We may need the extra firepower. I also need to rest for a few seconds before we go. Michael, can you take me into the back so I can recover?" Mortanos continued. Michael nodded, and led him into a door in the back.
Phoebe turned to her sisters, and said, "This is the first time I've ever seen him look tired, and that worries me."
"We can't deal with that now," Piper interjected. "LEO! MELINDA!"
***
As Mortanos slowly sat down, he said, "You are curious, aren't you Michael?"
Michael started, and began to turn red, "I'm sorry. I was just wondering."
"What I did to wear me out?" Mortanos finished. He looked at Michael steadily for a few moments, as if measuring his worth. He then said, "I was making this." Mortanos pulled out a small orb, about the size of a child's fist. It glowed softly with a black light, and seemed to suck all the light into it.
Michael looked at it, and paled. "Is that what I think it is?" When Mortanos nodded, he said, "I think I see what you're planning, and I want to you why would you even CONSIDER such a thing. You know better than anyone what it would do if used. Destroy it!"
Mortanos smiled, and said, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Which reminds me, I apologize for doing this." Before Michael could say anything, Mortanos waved his hand and said, "Insidius Vldar." Michael felt the world slip away, and then all was dark.
***
When Leo and Melinda orbed in, the sisters exclaimed, "What happened?" Both Leo and Melinda were covered in small wounds, and appeared to have been in a fight. Leo looked the worse for wear, but Melinda was not unfazed.
"Demons are attacking every witch and agent of good they can find," Melinda said, "We were ambushed by three of them at one of Leo's charge's house. Leo stepped in front of the first blast, and then I beat them back. But we lost the charge."
Piper walked over to Leo without speaking, pulled him into a hug, and said, "I'm sorry."
"I know," Leo said in a broken voice. "Evil is resurfacing with a vengeance."
"It will only get worse," Mortanos said from the doorway. The sisters turned as he and Michael stepped in. Mortanos seemed slightly more alert, and he said, "This is just the preliminaries. The Founder is still getting his grasp over the Underworld. Once he surfaces, the world will fall into chaos very quickly. We need to hurry."
As the sisters prepared to orb, Mortanos continued, "One more thing. If this goes bad, I want all of you to orb up to Heaven."
"If Heaven is so safe, why didn't we orb up there to start with?" Paige asked.
"Because he could have followed my teleportation up there, but he can't follow an orb. It isn't powerful enough to 'piggyback' on," Mortanos said.
"Well, why doesn't he just have one of the other Guardians take him there?" Piper asked.
"Because they lose their ability to enter heaven when they fall to evil, " Mortanos said irritably. "Now, come on, let's do it."
Mortanos grabbed everyone, and they then faded.
***
When the group appeared in the manor, Paige felt something was very wrong. She could feel it, and she said, "Something doesn't feel right."
Suddenly, the windows darkened, and a black field appeared over the door. "It's a trap!" Leo said. Clapping began to reverberate throughout the manor, and then the Founder appeared. He smiled, and said, "Very good. But it sure took you long enough to get here. Get caught in traffic?"
"VAETOS KAZARIAS!" Michael shouted, and an energy ball flew from him and hit the Founder. The Founder looked down at his clothes, made a sweeping motion, and then said, "Wow, that was impressive. You almost singed my clothes. Good has gotten more aggressive since I was last here, hasn't it Mortanos?"
Mortanos looked at him for a moment, and then said, "Good has done more than that, Kain. It has found a way to destroy you."
Kain's smile widened, and he said, "You mean this?" He held out his hand, and the Book of Shadows appeared in it.
"Hey, how are you." Paige began.
"How am I what? Touching it? Please," Kain interrupted with a snort, "Your measly protections are nothing to me. I must say, this Book is very interesting reading, though. Let me guess, you were going to use the spell to trap me in Tartarus, right?"
"How." Mortanos began.
"You're slipping in your old age," Kain said with a smirk. "What did you think was the first thing I asked your old comrades? Once I knew about the Charmed Ones and their annoying powers, I could easily guess your next step. Well, shall we get this over with?" Kain snapped his fingers, Fiona appeared. Fiona turned to Kain and said, "You summoned us Master?"
Kain replied, "They haven't seen the light yet. Please, introduce them to it."
Fiona bowed, and said, "As you wish." She then held her hand out, and fire erupted from it. Gabriel and Mortanos reacted instantly, and two fields appeared in front of the groups. The flames dissipated harmlessly. Kain smiled, and said, "So, this is the illustrious Life? I must say, you are a little shorter than I would have thought."
Gabriel didn't respond. Instead, he pointed at Kain, and a white bolt of lightning left his hand and hit Kain. Kain took it, but actually fell back a step. He looked at Life, and said, "You are very strong, even stronger than Mortanos is, but it isn't enough. Now it's my turn." Kain thrust both hands out, and two black lightning bolts came out. They hit Gabriel and Mortanos in the chest, and sent them crashing against the walls.
Phoebe ran over and put her hand to Gabriel's neck. "He's got a pulse." She then looked up at an energy ball coming at her. Cole stepped in front of her and gestured, and it was deflected. "We have to get out of here, this is getting us nowhere. You grab Gabriel. We're leaving now."
"And how exactly were you planning on getting out of here?" Kain asked in amusement. He slowly began to walk towards the group, and held out his hands. Before he got too close, Mortanos stood up and gestured towards a wall. The wall exploded, and Mortanos shouted, "Let's go, NOW!"
As the group closed in around Leo, Paige, and Melinda, Kain shouted, "I don't think so." Three black tentacles shot out of his hand towards the group. Before anyone could react, Cole dove forward and grabbed them all. The group could feel energy emanating from the tentacles.
"COLE!" Phoebe shouted, and Cole looked back. Phoebe watched with dawning horror as black veins began to appear on him. He looked at her, and said, "I'll always love you.now, get our son out." The world then disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs.
TO BE CONTINUED.