FOUR
Leo, Piper, Phoebe, and Cole orbed into the spot where they had
occupied the first time they had come to the ranch. They looked
around carefully to make sure that no one had observed them appear.
Apparently, Santerra was unconcerned with any other attacks from them
since their appearance went completely unnoticed.
"Well, it seems we got back unnoticed," said Piper. "The ranch
doesn't look any different. You'd think after learning she'd been
found out Santerra would put up a few more defenses."
"Not as long as she has the philosopher's stone," said Cole.
"She knows it will protect her. But you need to be careful. I'm sure
she's told her zombies to notify her the instant you return."
"Okay," said Leo, "Cole is going to wait here in case we run
into any trouble. Piper, Phoebe, and I will go down there and put our
plan into action."
"I still don't understand what you think Cole can do if we
fail," said Phoebe. "He's no longer Belthazor. He has no powers.
Against Santerra, he's less of a danger than we are."
"Just a little back up plan," said Leo. "Nothing to be
concerned about. I'm sure we won't have to use it. But Cole and I
thought we should have a backup plan just in case we failed."
"What kind of backup plan?" asked Piper.
"It's probably best if you don't know at this moment," said
Cole. "Just trust Leo and me. If we don't need it, it won't matter
anyway."
"Okay," said Piper. "Leo, are you sure this is going to work?"
"Reasonably sure," said Leo.
"Then let's get this over with," said Piper.
Leo, Piper, and Phoebe moved from their hiding place toward the
ranch. As they moved toward the ranch, Cole reached behind him and
pulled out a pistol. He checked it yet again to make sure that it was
loaded. His and Leo's backup plan was simple. Knowing him to be
Belthazor, Santerra would accept him when he entered the ranch. Then,
a couple of well placed shots, and Santerra would be dead. With her
control over the philosophers stone gone, the magic she had used with
it would dissipate almost instantly. The souls trapped inside would
be freed, including Prues' and Paige's.
Leo and the sisters were only halfway to the ranch house when
virtually all of the zombies in the yard looked up at them. All but
one simply stood in the yard staring at the three. That one turned
and moved into the house.
"Well, she knows we're here," said Leo. "We're committed now."
"That's fine with me," said Piper. "It's time that bitch got
what she deserved."
Leo just glanced at Piper. She was still seething with anger at
what Santerra had done to Prue. And, now, there was the added
incentive of her having taken Paige as well. Leo's plan may not work,
but he knew the three would not go down without a fight.
They cautiously moved into the yard expecting the zombies to
converge on them. The zombies didn't move. They simply stood
watching them as they walked toward the house. No doubt Santerra
would use them without hesitation if she thought it would help her.
For the moment, they didn't pose a threat. As they approached the
house, Santerra came out, smiling. Behind her were Prue and Paige.
"Well, well, well," said Santerra, "I expected to meet up with
you again, but not so soon. And certainly not here at my home.
Didn't the last encounter teach you anything? You can't oppose me.
Your power is nothing compared to mine."
"We know," said Leo. "That's why we're here. We know you have
the philosopher's stone. That's how you were able to trap the souls
you have. How you created the zombies you have here. Including Prue
and Paige."
"So," said Santerra, "if you know about the philosophers stone,
you know what I can do with it. You also know that your power can't
stop me."
"Yes, we do," said Piper. "We're not here to stop you. We just
want Prue and Paige back. That's all. Give them to us and we'll
leave you here in peace."
"And if I don't?" asked Santerra. "You'll do what? You can't
threaten me. Nothing you can do will stop me. There's no reason I
should return them to you. However, there are plenty of reasons for
me to take you two. And the White Lighter. I wonder how much power
he'll give me?"
"Not much," said Leo. "Yes, I'm a White Lighter. Which means
that I'm not subject to the same restrictions as they are. I'll orb
away before you have a chance to do anything to me and you won't be
able to stop it. No matter how much power you have."
"That still leaves the two of them," said Santerra. "You can't
protect them all the time. Even if you orb them away, as you call it,
all I have to do is bide my time. Eventually, I'll get them. I have
the time. I have all the time in the world."
"We know," said Leo. "That's why we're willing to offer you a
deal."
"A deal?" asked Santerra. "What kind of a deal? What can you
offer me that I don't already have? Except their powers, of course."
"From what we understand," said Phoebe, "you use the souls you
capture to stay young."
"That's one reason," said Santerra. "Not the only one, I can
assure you."
"What if you didn't need the souls to stay young?" asked Leo.
"What if you could stay young without the souls?"
"Interesting idea," said Santerra. "I could use the souls I
take to increase my power. The portion I use to stay young could
increase my power even faster. But, how would you propose to
accomplish this miraculous feat?"
"With me," said Leo. "As you know, I'm a White Lighter. I'm
not sure how much you know about White Lighters, but one of our
attributes is a sort of immortality. I've been a White Lighter for
more than sixty years and I haven't aged a day since I became one.
And I won't age, no matter how long I live."
"Good for you," said Santerra. "How does that help me?"
"With the philosophers stone," said Leo, "you can tap into that
immortality. Transfer a small portion of it to you. You wouldn't
have to worry about aging ever again. And you wouldn't have to worry
about taking souls to keep you young."
Leo, Piper, Phoebe, and Cole orbed into the spot where they had
occupied the first time they had come to the ranch. They looked
around carefully to make sure that no one had observed them appear.
Apparently, Santerra was unconcerned with any other attacks from them
since their appearance went completely unnoticed.
"Well, it seems we got back unnoticed," said Piper. "The ranch
doesn't look any different. You'd think after learning she'd been
found out Santerra would put up a few more defenses."
"Not as long as she has the philosopher's stone," said Cole.
"She knows it will protect her. But you need to be careful. I'm sure
she's told her zombies to notify her the instant you return."
"Okay," said Leo, "Cole is going to wait here in case we run
into any trouble. Piper, Phoebe, and I will go down there and put our
plan into action."
"I still don't understand what you think Cole can do if we
fail," said Phoebe. "He's no longer Belthazor. He has no powers.
Against Santerra, he's less of a danger than we are."
"Just a little back up plan," said Leo. "Nothing to be
concerned about. I'm sure we won't have to use it. But Cole and I
thought we should have a backup plan just in case we failed."
"What kind of backup plan?" asked Piper.
"It's probably best if you don't know at this moment," said
Cole. "Just trust Leo and me. If we don't need it, it won't matter
anyway."
"Okay," said Piper. "Leo, are you sure this is going to work?"
"Reasonably sure," said Leo.
"Then let's get this over with," said Piper.
Leo, Piper, and Phoebe moved from their hiding place toward the
ranch. As they moved toward the ranch, Cole reached behind him and
pulled out a pistol. He checked it yet again to make sure that it was
loaded. His and Leo's backup plan was simple. Knowing him to be
Belthazor, Santerra would accept him when he entered the ranch. Then,
a couple of well placed shots, and Santerra would be dead. With her
control over the philosophers stone gone, the magic she had used with
it would dissipate almost instantly. The souls trapped inside would
be freed, including Prues' and Paige's.
Leo and the sisters were only halfway to the ranch house when
virtually all of the zombies in the yard looked up at them. All but
one simply stood in the yard staring at the three. That one turned
and moved into the house.
"Well, she knows we're here," said Leo. "We're committed now."
"That's fine with me," said Piper. "It's time that bitch got
what she deserved."
Leo just glanced at Piper. She was still seething with anger at
what Santerra had done to Prue. And, now, there was the added
incentive of her having taken Paige as well. Leo's plan may not work,
but he knew the three would not go down without a fight.
They cautiously moved into the yard expecting the zombies to
converge on them. The zombies didn't move. They simply stood
watching them as they walked toward the house. No doubt Santerra
would use them without hesitation if she thought it would help her.
For the moment, they didn't pose a threat. As they approached the
house, Santerra came out, smiling. Behind her were Prue and Paige.
"Well, well, well," said Santerra, "I expected to meet up with
you again, but not so soon. And certainly not here at my home.
Didn't the last encounter teach you anything? You can't oppose me.
Your power is nothing compared to mine."
"We know," said Leo. "That's why we're here. We know you have
the philosopher's stone. That's how you were able to trap the souls
you have. How you created the zombies you have here. Including Prue
and Paige."
"So," said Santerra, "if you know about the philosophers stone,
you know what I can do with it. You also know that your power can't
stop me."
"Yes, we do," said Piper. "We're not here to stop you. We just
want Prue and Paige back. That's all. Give them to us and we'll
leave you here in peace."
"And if I don't?" asked Santerra. "You'll do what? You can't
threaten me. Nothing you can do will stop me. There's no reason I
should return them to you. However, there are plenty of reasons for
me to take you two. And the White Lighter. I wonder how much power
he'll give me?"
"Not much," said Leo. "Yes, I'm a White Lighter. Which means
that I'm not subject to the same restrictions as they are. I'll orb
away before you have a chance to do anything to me and you won't be
able to stop it. No matter how much power you have."
"That still leaves the two of them," said Santerra. "You can't
protect them all the time. Even if you orb them away, as you call it,
all I have to do is bide my time. Eventually, I'll get them. I have
the time. I have all the time in the world."
"We know," said Leo. "That's why we're willing to offer you a
deal."
"A deal?" asked Santerra. "What kind of a deal? What can you
offer me that I don't already have? Except their powers, of course."
"From what we understand," said Phoebe, "you use the souls you
capture to stay young."
"That's one reason," said Santerra. "Not the only one, I can
assure you."
"What if you didn't need the souls to stay young?" asked Leo.
"What if you could stay young without the souls?"
"Interesting idea," said Santerra. "I could use the souls I
take to increase my power. The portion I use to stay young could
increase my power even faster. But, how would you propose to
accomplish this miraculous feat?"
"With me," said Leo. "As you know, I'm a White Lighter. I'm
not sure how much you know about White Lighters, but one of our
attributes is a sort of immortality. I've been a White Lighter for
more than sixty years and I haven't aged a day since I became one.
And I won't age, no matter how long I live."
"Good for you," said Santerra. "How does that help me?"
"With the philosophers stone," said Leo, "you can tap into that
immortality. Transfer a small portion of it to you. You wouldn't
have to worry about aging ever again. And you wouldn't have to worry
about taking souls to keep you young."