Title: And Then There Were Three
Author: the weeping willow
Chapter: 7- "The Trial"
Rating: PG (possibly to change) for violence, swearing, etc.
Spoilers: Up until the end of season four
Setting: season 5 AU
Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of its associates, etc.
Description: The witches finally face their actions and go against the Elders once more.
Distribution: Not without asking. Get permission first, or put a link back to this page.
Contact: queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com
Author's Notes: The last chapter! *cheers* I still have to decide whether or not to add this last bit in at the end. I'm still planning to write another story featuring Alex, Felicity, and Maple, and I'm going to use that certain bit as a beginning. Hmmm... maybe I'll add it in as sort of an epilogue. I'll decide once I'm done typing this, anyhow. LOL! Well, enjoy, and thanks for sticking with me this whole time! :)
And Then There Were Three
Chapter Seven: "The Trial"
Alex cursed to herself. "Welcome back," the eerie male Elder from before sneered. He smiled, but there was no depth, nothing underneath.
Without warning the six witches were tied at the wrists by ropes of energy. A protective bubble closed around them, trapping them entirely. "Leo! Let us go!" called Piper in frustration. Leo backed away, distressed.
As if nothing had happened, the Elder continued his speech. "You are to be tried for betrayal and endangerment of the Council. The trial shall begin exactly 48 hours from now."
Alex ran forward, ready to attack. But when she hit the wall of the energy field it shocked her, knocking her back on the ground painfully. "Dammit!" she muttered as she stood up, rubbing her back. She turned fiercely to Piper. "This is all your fault! You did this! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" Alex shrieked, then kneeled down, sobbing.
Paige pleaded timidly, "Please, our sisters are dying."
The Elder rubbed his forehead and sighed. "They are healed," he muttered reluctantly.
True to his word, the unconscious witches began to wake. It took several moments for them to figure out what had happened. Once Phoebe realized, she tried to stand up. "Leo..." she pleaded. When he didn't react, Phoebe became angry. "Ass!" she muttered to herself.
Maple observed the scene with a darkening look on her face, furious at the betrayal. Felicity scooted over to Alex to comfort her, a sad, beaten look upon her face.
*~*~*~*~*
They stayed motionless for hours, until merciful sleep finally overtook them. Time passed slowly; each minute that crawled by seemed to be a lifetime. They were locked up for days. Their captors provided no food or drink, and by the time they were summoned the witches were far too weak to inflict any sort of damage. Still, eight whitelighters came to fetch them, showing the Elders still feared the Charmed Ones and the Halliwells.
The room the trial was to be held in was practically bare. Only marble benches filled its interior, occupied by the members of the Council. Leo was nowhere to be seen, as he had left long before back to Earth.
Maple, Piper, Felicity, Phoebe, Alex, and Paige were forced to the front of the room, where they stood before the Elders. The man from before stood and spoke again.
"You have been accused of betrayal and endangerment of the Council. Endangerment is punishable by death; betrayal by eternal damnation. What do you plead?"
Alex snorted derisively. "We have done nothing!" she shouted.
"So you plead innocent, then?" He waved his hand, and a translucent model of the room they were "trained" in appeared. Images began to play, showing how they escaped. After the miniature witches had orbed out, he waved his hand again and it disappeared. "We have just witnessed once more what you have done. Have you anything to say for yourselves, witches?"
Not one of them spoke, although Alex stuck her tongue out as the Elder turned to face the Council. "I ask of you to pass judgment. If you think them innocent, remain as you are. If you believe they require punishment for their deeds, stand."
Slowly, one by one the Council members stood up. Soon only five were left sitting as they were before. Fury showed in the male's face, for if three or more did not agree, the verdict was naught, and a lesser punishment must be given. "You are sentenced to stay here for a term of at least 20 years!" he snapped.
One of the ones still sitting, a woman of about 30 years, protested. "If they are stuck up here, then who knows what shall happen? It's too dangerous. All forces are needed to protect the mortals from the evil that lurks below. A simple mistake is not worth the entire destruction of the human race!"
The others, including those standing, started murmuring and nodding in agreement. They all sat down, changing their vote.
"Silence!" commanded the Elder through clenched teeth. He turned fiercely on the girls. "They don't want to destroy you- so I will!" On his last words, his voice growled several octaves lower than normal; sounding truly demonic. Then he morphed into a sickening slimy demon- it was seven feet tall, with huge dripping fangs and purple skin secreting poisonous yellow ooze. As it lunged at the girls, it let out an inhuman shriek of fury.
They ducked, falling on the ground, and were barely able to avoid the demon's slimy claws. Paige yelled out "Bench!", gesturing to the back. Maple understood and together they each lifted one of the empty benches and threw it at the demon telekinetically. They hit its head with a sickening thunk.
The demon seemed only slightly fazed, however. Alex cursed under her breath and called out, "Untie us already!" Although slightly shaken, the woman that had spoken in their defense waved her hand, setting them free.
Alex and Phoebe sprang up from the ground and threw themselves at the demon. Together they managed to break the demon's neck. Then Felicity evaporated the ooze from their hands gently, and Piper finished it off by exploding it into dust, leaving no sign that it'd ever been there, except for the broken benches on the ground.
Applause broke out, slowly at first but gaining strength and momentum. The panting witches turned to look at them in disbelief. The Elders stood up, and a thundering standing ovation was given. "You've proven your worth," the kind woman told them as the clapping died down. "You are free to go."
The Warrens and the Halliwells stared at each other, grins slowly spreading out on their faces. They formed a circle, holding hands, and Paige orbed them back to the manor.
*~*~*~*~*
"Par-ty!" Alex cried, and held up her glass of champagne. Piper carried trays of food into the living room, and the Charmed Ones and the Halliwells, newly best friends, celebrated.