CHARMED
" PIPER, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER?"
(A CHARMED/BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER CROSSOVER)
by J. B. Tilton
email: aramath@isot.com
Rating: PG-13
PART 3: LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL
While everyone searches for a way to send Piper home and return
their Piper to them, Angel finds one possible solution. The news is
not all good however, when they learn to do it, they must locate
Collier. And their time may be running out.
* * *
ONE
Their search to find a way to return Piper to her own dimension
was not going well. Giles' books and the ones he had managed to
borrow from a local library gave little concrete information on
dimensional travel. Most seemed to indicate that it was tricky under
the best of conditions.
The Book of Shadows was of little help. There was nothing
specifically about dimensional travel in the book. The few demons it
made reference to were not likely to provide them with any help. Even
assuming they could find one of them.
Piper did notice that the Book of Shadows was somewhat different
from her own. Nothing major, just creatures she had never heard of
and a few missing that she knew had been in her Book of Shadows.
While looking through the book, she came across the entry for
Belthazor.
"Well, now," said Piper. "He might be able to help if he was my
Belthazor."
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe. "According to this entry,
this Belthazor is a demonic mercenary. One who specializes in
destroying witches. More than likely he'd tried to kill us instead of
helping us."
"He did," said Piper.
"Really?" asked Phoebe. "So you've encountered him before?
Well, considering you're still alive, I assume you vanquished him."
"Not exactly," said Piper. "At least, not in the normal sense
of vanquishing."
"I don't understand," said Phoebe. "What do you mean not in the
normal sense of vanquishing? Just exactly how did you defeat him?"
'You married him, sweetie," said Piper. "Oh, I'm sorry. I call
my Phoebe that. It's just so natural for me."
"That's okay, I don't mind," said Phoebe. "After all, in a way,
you are kind of my sister. But what do you mean I married him?"
Piper told Phoebe about their encounters with the Belthazor of
her dimension. She ended with the very strange wedding between Cole
and Phoebe in a graveyard in the middle of the night.
"Whoa," said Phoebe, "that is so weird. I married a demon. It
seems so unlikely."
"It's unlikely that a witch would marry a White Lighter, too,"
said Piper. "But we both did."
"I see your point," said Phoebe. "I know ADA Turner. We had
the same encounter with the demonic judge you mentioned. But Turner
has never posed a threat to us. As far as I know, he's just another
innocent in this dimension."
"Maybe he is here," said Piper. "Or maybe he's just biding his
time. I'd keep an eye on him if I were you. Our Cole Turner was born
over one hundred twenty years ago. My Phoebe found out about him by
checking public birth records."
"When this is all over," said Phoebe, "I think I'll do the same
thing. If the Turner of this dimension is Belthazor, we need to know
about it. He could be a threat."
"Well, it's unlikely you'll be able to stop him the way we did,"
said Piper. "I doubt your husband would approve of you becoming
involved with anyone else, least of all an upper level demon sent to
kill you."
"You're right about that," said Phoebe. "You seem to be taking
this pretty well. Leo and me, I mean."
"Well," said Piper, "I understand he's not really my Leo. It
was hard at first. But you and he seem as happy as my Leo and I are.
And I know we'll find a way to put things right and I'll be back with
my Leo in no time."
"I hope you're right," said Phoebe. "We haven't found much
that's of any help yet. But we'll keep looking."
"Excuse me," said Leo, sticking his head in the door. "I hate
to break up this bonding session, but Giles says he's found
something."
"Coming, honey," said Piper and Phoebe in unison.
The two just giggled as Leo looked at them perplexed. When they
go to the living room, everyone else was already there. Everyone but
Angel. It was still dark out and he was still searching the demonic
underground for any leads or help.
"Leo said you found something," Piper said to Giles.
"Yes," said Giles. "One of the books I borrowed from the
library has some fascinating information on cross dimensional
exchange. According to the theory, a person is anchored, so to speak,
in his or her own dimension. It's theorized some form of a silver
cord keeps that person anchored so they don't end up between
dimensions."
"And that's good?" asked Buffy.
"Oh, absolutely," said Giles. "Without this cord, there's no
way to move into another dimension. The person would be trapped
forever between all the dimensions in a sort of limbo."
"Okay," said Prue, "so we just figure out a way to find this
cord and trace it back to Pipers' dimension. Then we know where to
send her."
"That could be a problem," said Giles. "The longer a person is
out of their own dimension, the more strain the cord is under.
Something akin to steadily stretching elastic band longer and longer.
It's only a matter of time before that cord snaps under the strain.
If that happens, Piper will be lost forever."
TWO
"How long," asked Phoebe, "before this silver cord breaks?"
"I'm not sure," said Giles. "There doesn't seem to be a
consensus on that. Anywhere from a few minutes to several months or
possibly longer. I'll keep looking to see if I can narrow it down.
But at any rate, we're running out of time."
"That means we could also lose our Piper," said Prue.
"Assuming that both of these silver cords react the same. When this
Pipers' cord snaps, our Pipers' cord will snap at the same time."
"That's a reasonable assumption," said Giles.
"I remember when a warlock stole Prue's body while she was
astral projecting," said Piper. "We only had twenty-four hours to get
her back."
"That was different," said Leo. "Prue had left her body.
You've moved between dimensions. I'll let the Elders know what we've
found out. Maybe that will give them some ideas about what we can do
next."
Leo had no sooner orbed out than the front door to the manor
opened. The sun would be up in a few minutes and Angel walked in. He
was not alone. A small creature stood next to Angel. It was about
three feet tall and was covered in fur. Its' tail twitched like a
cats' tail. Its' face was very human-like and reminded everyone of a
small child.
"This is Salos," said Angel. "I think he can help us, but he
won't talk to me. He'll only talk to Piper."
"A Trinsor demon," said Giles. "Harmless for the most part.
But they do have one remarkable trait. They can move freely into
other dimensions. It's very rare to find one outside their own
dimension."
"You want to talk to me, Salos?" asked Piper. "Okay, talk."
"Slayer," said Salos. "Blood drinker bring Salos to Slayer.
Slayer need Salos help. Slayer help Salos. Salos help Slayer."
"He sounds like a child," said Buffy.
"He's not much more than that," said Angel. "That's why they
stay in their own dimension. No natural predators there."
"Okay, Salos," said Piper, "you say you need my help. What do
you need?"
The little demon kept rubbing his head on his shoulders. First
it would rub the left side and then it would rub the right side.
Piper couldn't help but like the little creature even if it was a
demon.
"Slayer want evil man witch," said Salos. "Salos find for
Slayer. Not hard. Slayer help Salos."
"Evil man witch?" questioned Prue. "Accurate enough description
for a warlock, I guess."
"Okay, Salos," said Piper. "What do you need my help with?"
"Mate," said Salos.
"Excuse me?" asked Buffy.
"Mate," repeated Salos.
"Is he saying what I think he's saying?" asked Phoebe. "Does he
want to mate with Piper?"
"That's NOT going to happen," said Piper.
"I think he means something else," said Giles. "Salos, what
about your mate?"
"Mate taken," said Salos. "Evil thing keep. Slayer get mate.
Salos find evil man witch."
"He wants you to free his mate," said Giles. "Apparently, she's
being held captive by someone or something."
"Oh, that's different," said Piper. "Salos, who has your mate?"
"Evil thing," said Salos. "Big evil. Salos no fight. Salos
not strong. Slayer strong. Kill much evil things. Slayer stop evil
thing. No eat mate."
"Eat mate?" asked Piper. "No, Salos, we would never eat your
mate."
"That's not what he means," said Angel. "I think I know who
might be holding his mate. It's a demon named Malcor. He runs what
you might call the demonic mafia. They operate outside the normal
demonic rules."
"So where is this Malcor?" asked Prue. "In the underworld?"
"No, he wouldn't dare show his face there," said Angel.
"Regular demons despise him. But he does have a taste for Trinsor
demons. When he captures one he fattens it up and then . . . well, I
think you get the picture."
"Okay, so where do we find this Malcor?" asked Buffy.
"I know where he hangs out," said Angel. "But I guarantee you
he knows who you are Piper. At least, who our Piper is. He'll be
ready for you."
"Except we have an ace up our sleeve," said Piper.
"What's that?" asked Angel.
"He'll be expecting the Slayer," said Piper, "not a witch.
Besides, I have an idea for how to get Salos' mate back with a minimum
of trouble. Now, Angel. Tell us everything you know about this
Malcor."
THREE
Piper, Angel, and Salos cautiously walked into an abandoned
warehouse. From all outward appearances, it looked as if no one had
bee in the building for years. Angel assured Piper that its' looks
were deceiving.
Suddenly two vampires stepped out of the shadows. They stood
facing the three. One, with stark white hair looked at Angel.
"Well, Angelous," said the white haired vampire with a distinct
British accent, "it's been a while."
"Hello, Spike," said Angel. "We're here to see Malcor. We have
business with him."
"'Ello, love," said Spike, looking at Piper. "What 'ave we
'ere? A human and a Trinsor. Bringing a peace offering to Malcor are
we mate?"
"I'm no peace offering," said Piper. "And unless you want to
become a pile of dust, I suggest you back off."
"Feisty, isn't she?" asked Spike.
"Slayers always are," said Angel.
"The Slayer?" questioned Spike. "You brought the Slayer here?"
"Like I said," said Angel, "we have business with Malcor. Just
tell him we're here."
"Friend of yours?" asked Piper as Spike went to inform Malcor.
"We ran together for a while," said Angel. "It was a long time
ago. Over one hundred years."
"The term 'old friend' takes on a whole new meaning with you,
doesn't it?" asked Piper.
Angel just smiled. Spike came out and told them that Malcor
would see them. They walked into the large adjoining room and Malcor
was sitting on a chair that was more than reminiscent of a throne.
Malcor was a disgusting sight. Weighing nearly three hundred
pounds, his reptile-like skin was a dull yellow. His eyes were green
with white pupils. He was pug nosed and his eyelids were transparent
and when he blinked it produced a very strange effect.
Six vampires stood around him. It was clear all of the vampires
had open contempt for what they perceived as the Slayer. In one
corner of the room hung a cage. Inside the cage was a Trinsor demon.
"Angelous," said Malcor, "you've been away for much too long.
Spike tells me you brought me a gift. Another Trinsor and the Slayer.
How very thoughtful of you."
"Like I told your boy," said Piper, "I'm no ones gift."
"Watch it, sister," said Spike behind her. "I'm no ones boy."
"You'd do well to heed Spike," said Malcor. "You may be the
Slayer but I doubt even you are any match for eight vampires. Not to
mention me, of course."
"Give mate," insisted Salos. "You give, you no die."
"You give, you no die," mocked Malcor, chuckling. "Really, do
you think that you frighten me? You pathetic little creature. Keep
your mouth shut and I might forget I'm supposed to be a genial host.
"Now, Angelous, Spike said you had business with me. What
possible business could I have with a vampire that has a soul? You're
not much better than these puny humans."
"Actually," said Angel, "we came for the Trinsor. We want her
back."
Malcor laughed.
"You're joking, right?" asked Malcor. "She's almost ready. Why
should I give her up?"
"Salos told you," said Angel. "Give her back and we'll let you
live."
"Oh, you are funny today," said Malcor. "The three of you are
threatening me? I guess I should say the two of you. That little
Trinsor isn't much of a threat."
"You know," said Piper, "demons have underestimated me before."
"I'm no vampire, sweetheart," said Malcor. "And you're
beginning to bore me. Spike, take out the trash, will you?'
Spike smiled as the eight vampires began to move on the three.
FOUR
"First of all," said Piper, "I'm not your sweetheart. Second,
if you think a couple of vampires frighten me, you are sorely
mistaken. Third, there's one little detail I neglected to mention."
"And just what might that be?" asked Malcor.
"Leo," Piper called into the air.
Leo immediately orbed into the room. With him were Prue,
Phoebe, and Buffy. They each stood ready to do battle.
"We're not exactly alone," said Piper.
"White Lighter," gasped Malcor. "And three witches, no doubt.
Still, we have your outnumbered. And as I said, I'm no vampire."
The vampires suddenly moved on the group. Angel didn't
hesitate. He moved up to the nearest two and brought his hands up.
As he did, a wooden stake popped out from his wrists. The two
vampires vanished into piles of dust.
Piper dived, narrowly avoiding one of the vampires. She rolled
and came up on her knees with a vial in her hands. She pulled the
stopper out of the vial and threw the contents into the vampires'
face. The vampire grabbed its' face and backed away, screaming in
pain.
"Oh, sorry," said Piper, "I guess you don't like holy water."
Phoebe turned on one of the vampires and raised her hands. The
vampire exploded and vanished into a pile of dust. Meanwhile, Prue
raised her hands and three of the vampires were thrown back across the
room from her telekinetic power.
Buffy faced off against Spike. The white haired vampire
obviously thought she would be an easy mark. But her martial arts
skill took him by surprise. She kicked him several times, driving him
back from the ferocity of her attacks.
"What's the matter, whitey?" asked Buffy. "You don't like
aggressive women?"
"I like them just fine, love," said Spike, wiping blood from his
mouth. "But they always lose in the end."
"Well, I may not be the slayer, love," said Buffy, "but I think
I can hold my own with the likes of you."
"Enough," bellowed Malcor, rising to his full height of seven
feet. "As I told you, I'm no vampire."
He reached out and cast a fireball at Prue. She only barely
managed to dive out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack. Phoebe
turned and cast her explosive power at Malcor. He simply reached out
and plucked the attack out of the air, extinguishing it.
"Fools," said Malcor. "Did you honestly think that vampires
were the only thing you'd have to face in here? I'm surprised,
Angelous. You, most of all, should have understood what you were
walking into and been more prepared. I'm very disappointed in you."
"Well," said Piper, "let me see if I can't change that for you."
Without turning, she pointed behind her. The vampire she had
thrown the holy water on suddenly exploded and vanished into a pile of
dust. Piper just smiled at Malcor.
"Surprise," she said.
"But . . . but you're the Slayer," stammered Malcor. "The
Slayer doesn't have power like that."
"Oh, you'd be surprised what I can do," said Piper. "Now, do we
get the Trinsor demon? Or shall we see if you can catch both Phoebe's
and my explosive powers at the same time?"
"Take it," snapped Malcor angrily. "But this isn't ended.
Count on that."
Angel walked over and released the Trinsor demon from her cage.
Together, the group backed out of the room. Prue and Phoebe went
ahead to make sure there weren't any surprises waiting for them. Just
as Piper was about to leave the room, she looked at Malcor.
"Oh," she said, "just one last thing."
"What is it?" snarled Malcor.
Piper brought her hands up so quickly that the demon was caught
completely off guard. Everyone watched as Malcor exploded and
evaporated away.
"I don't like to be threatened," she said.
FIVE
"Did everything go as planned?" asked Giles when the others
returned to the manor.
"More or less," said Angel. "Salos took his mate back to their
dimension where she'll be safe. He said as soon as he can locate
Collier, he'll let us know."
"I just hope we can trust him," said Piper.
"I don't think we have much of a choice, actually," said Giles.
"But I have discovered a thing or two in your absence."
"Good news, I hope," said Piper. "I could use some right about
now."
"Well, it's sort of a good news bad news type of thing,"
responded Giles. "They're sort of interconnected."
"Great," said Buffy. "Well, what have you got?"
"The amulet that this Collier has," said Giles. "The one that
protects him from a witches power. It's also the source of his
dimensional shifting ability. It's how he's able to travel between
dimensions. It's also how he is able to move others through other
dimensions."
"Is that the good news or the bad news?" asked Prue.
"Oh, it's quite good," said Giles. "It let's us know how he
does what he does. By better understanding his power, it helps us
fight him.
"But there's more. He can do what he does because the amulet is
made from about two-dozen different metals. Each metal is from a
different dimension. This special alloy helps him to focus his power
and send someone, or himself, to a specific dimension."
"How does that help us?" asked Phoebe.
"It narrows down the possible dimensions considerably," said
Giles. "Collier can only send someone to a dimension of one of the
metals contained in the alloy. It should be difficult to determine
which dimensions the metals were collected from. It would be even
faster to do that if these Elders can find out for us."
"I'm sure they will if they can," said Leo.
"This is great," said Piper. "It should be easy to determine
where I belong from only two dozen dimensions."
"Yes, well," said Giles.
"Uh oh," said Buffy. "Now for the bad news."
"When Collier switched you and our Piper," said Giles, "the best
that I can determine is that your silver cords somehow became
intertwined. That's why you have your Charmed powers and no Slayer
abilities. I would imagine it's much the same with our Piper in your
dimension."
"Okay," said Piper. "So we just untangle them. Maybe when I
return to my dimension and she returns here, they'll untangle."
"Or perhaps not," said Giles. "At any rate, we can't even think
of returning you to your own dimension just yet."
"Why not?" asked Prue. "If we figure out a way to return her,
then we can use the same method to return our Piper. Problem solved."
"Not exactly," said Giles. "With the silver cords intertwined,
this Piper would return to the exact place where our Piper is in her
dimension."
"So?" asked Piper. "That just means I won't have to go looking
for her. She'll be right there when I return. That should make it
easier for us to return her here."
"You don't understand," said Giles. "I mean EXACTLY the same
spot. There's no telling what the consequences of that would be. In
all likelihood, the two of you would merge together and neither would
survive."
"Oh," said Piper. "Yeah, I guess that is different."
"Quite," said Giles. "What about this Power of Three you
mentioned? Would it be powerful enough to return the two Pipers to
their own dimensions and untangle the cords?"
'I don't know," said Prue. "The Power of Three is the most
powerful magic for good in history. But as Leo said, it's not all-
powerful. It would be risky at best."
"Too risky," said Leo. "If it was off by even a little bit,
we'd lose both of them. You know how unpredictable spells and magic
can be. I don't think it's worth the risk unless we have no other
options open to us."
"I don't know if I have a say in this," said Angel. "But it
sounds too dangerous to me. We should find another way."
Suddenly Piper doubled over from pain. She held her stomach as
the others gathered around her to see if they could help. Just as
suddenly the pain subsided.
"Are you okay?" asked Phoebe.
"Yeah, I think so," said Piper. "It felt like my insides were
being ripped out. It was a strange sensation. No pain, really. More
like very intense pressure."
"I was afraid of that," said Giles.
"What?" asked Prue. "What is it, Giles?"
"The strain on her silver cord is increasing," said Giles.
"This is probably only the first symptom. They will probably increase
the longer it goes on. We're starting to run out of time. If we
don't find a way to return Piper to her own dimension soon, we're
going to lose her."
SIX
Pipers' "episode" didn't seem to have any lasting affects.
Giles said that would change. She would probably have more
"episodes". They would probably become more frequent and last longer
each time until the strain was just too great. Then the silver cord
anchoring her t her own dimension would snap like a rubber band,
catapulting her into the nether area between dimensions.
"That's only a theory, of course," said Prue.
"Not one I'd care to test if you don't mind," said Piper. "So,
what are we going to do now?"
"There appears to be only one course of action," said Giles.
"We need to find Collier."
"Easier said than done," said Phoebe.
"What good would that do anyway?" asked Buffy. "He wants to
kill her. It's not like he's about to help return her to where she
belongs."
"No," said Giles, "but if we can get his amulet, perhaps the
sisters can figure out how to use it and return the Pipers' to their
own dimensions."
"Good luck with that one," said Piper. "We'd have to get close
enough to him to get it. He was immune to my power, remember? He
said the amulet shielded him from a witch's powers. It's not like
he's just going to let us walk up and take it off him."
"It won't protect him from me," said Angel.
"First things first," said Giles. "Our first order of business
is to locate him. What about this Salos? Any idea when he's likely
to return?"
'Whenever he locates Collier," said Angel.
"Assuming he does even then," said Buffy. "He is a demon after
all. We might have seen the last of him."
"A Power of Three spell," said Phoebe suddenly.
"We've already considered that, remember?" said Prue. "But only
as a last resort."
"No," said Phoebe, "I mean we use a Power of Three spell to
bring Collier to us. It's too risky to use it on Piper, but I have no
qualms about using it on a warlock."
"That won't work," said Piper. "Remember the amulet? He's
immune to our powers. Which probably means spells, too."
"Maybe we can't forcibly bring him here," said Phoebe. "But it
just might get his attention. You intimated he was some kind of
mercenary or bounty hunter. Well, the people who hire him have to get
hold of him somehow. If we can get his attention, maybe he'll come
here to find out who's trying to get hold of him."
"That's not a bad idea," said Prue.
"I suppose it's worth a try," said Giles.
"And if we plan it right," said Prue, "we just might be able to
get that amulet away from him. Without it, he's as susceptible to our
powers as anyone else. I'll bet he'll be more than happy to tell us
how to return the two Pipers' to their own dimensions."
"I'll get started on the spell," said Buffy. "With any luck,
I'll have something soon."
"When he finds out who's summoning him," said Giles, "at the
very least he'll be suspicious. He's sure to be on his guard."
"Just leave that to me," said Angel. "I'll just need him
distracted for a second."
"I think we can handle that," said Phoebe.
"It's very likely that we'll only get one chance at this," said
Giles. "We'd best not mess this up."
"Don't try anything before I get back," said Angel, heading for
the front door.
"Where are you going?" asked Giles.
"There's something I need to take care of first," said Angel.
"I won't be long."
"Is he always so mysterious?" asked Buffy after Angel had left.
"Usually," said Giles. "He's a very complicated individual."
"Okay," said Piper, "we get Collier here. Then we get the
amulet away from him. Then all you have to do is use it to untangle
our silver cords and return us to our own dimensions, right?"
"Me?" asked Giles. "Oh no, I'm afraid I can't use it. I don't
know how. You'll have to do that yourselves. You and the sisters."
"Okay," said Piper. "So, tell me how this amulet works."
"You mean you don't know?" asked Giles. "I assumed you would
know how since you were witches. Oh dead. I seemed to have made a
dreadful error."
"Witches aren't omnipotent," said Prue. "Looks like we have
some studying to do. While Buffy works on the spell, and Angel is
doing whatever he's doing, the rest of us will see if we can figure
out how the amulet works."
"Gee, I guess I'm back in high school," joked Piper. "It's been
a long time since I had to hit the books. Not counting spell research
and such."
"It's going to be a very long night," said Giles to no one in
particular."
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss Part 4: Reunion Or Oblivion? When the group
finally confronts Collier, they learn he's been looking for Piper
since their first encounter. Immune to the sisters' and Pipers'
powers, and ready for the confrontation, Collier appears unstoppable.
Can our heroes defeat him and set things right again?
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed"
stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/ . You can also
post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction.
" PIPER, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER?"
(A CHARMED/BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER CROSSOVER)
by J. B. Tilton
email: aramath@isot.com
Rating: PG-13
PART 3: LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL
While everyone searches for a way to send Piper home and return
their Piper to them, Angel finds one possible solution. The news is
not all good however, when they learn to do it, they must locate
Collier. And their time may be running out.
* * *
ONE
Their search to find a way to return Piper to her own dimension
was not going well. Giles' books and the ones he had managed to
borrow from a local library gave little concrete information on
dimensional travel. Most seemed to indicate that it was tricky under
the best of conditions.
The Book of Shadows was of little help. There was nothing
specifically about dimensional travel in the book. The few demons it
made reference to were not likely to provide them with any help. Even
assuming they could find one of them.
Piper did notice that the Book of Shadows was somewhat different
from her own. Nothing major, just creatures she had never heard of
and a few missing that she knew had been in her Book of Shadows.
While looking through the book, she came across the entry for
Belthazor.
"Well, now," said Piper. "He might be able to help if he was my
Belthazor."
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe. "According to this entry,
this Belthazor is a demonic mercenary. One who specializes in
destroying witches. More than likely he'd tried to kill us instead of
helping us."
"He did," said Piper.
"Really?" asked Phoebe. "So you've encountered him before?
Well, considering you're still alive, I assume you vanquished him."
"Not exactly," said Piper. "At least, not in the normal sense
of vanquishing."
"I don't understand," said Phoebe. "What do you mean not in the
normal sense of vanquishing? Just exactly how did you defeat him?"
'You married him, sweetie," said Piper. "Oh, I'm sorry. I call
my Phoebe that. It's just so natural for me."
"That's okay, I don't mind," said Phoebe. "After all, in a way,
you are kind of my sister. But what do you mean I married him?"
Piper told Phoebe about their encounters with the Belthazor of
her dimension. She ended with the very strange wedding between Cole
and Phoebe in a graveyard in the middle of the night.
"Whoa," said Phoebe, "that is so weird. I married a demon. It
seems so unlikely."
"It's unlikely that a witch would marry a White Lighter, too,"
said Piper. "But we both did."
"I see your point," said Phoebe. "I know ADA Turner. We had
the same encounter with the demonic judge you mentioned. But Turner
has never posed a threat to us. As far as I know, he's just another
innocent in this dimension."
"Maybe he is here," said Piper. "Or maybe he's just biding his
time. I'd keep an eye on him if I were you. Our Cole Turner was born
over one hundred twenty years ago. My Phoebe found out about him by
checking public birth records."
"When this is all over," said Phoebe, "I think I'll do the same
thing. If the Turner of this dimension is Belthazor, we need to know
about it. He could be a threat."
"Well, it's unlikely you'll be able to stop him the way we did,"
said Piper. "I doubt your husband would approve of you becoming
involved with anyone else, least of all an upper level demon sent to
kill you."
"You're right about that," said Phoebe. "You seem to be taking
this pretty well. Leo and me, I mean."
"Well," said Piper, "I understand he's not really my Leo. It
was hard at first. But you and he seem as happy as my Leo and I are.
And I know we'll find a way to put things right and I'll be back with
my Leo in no time."
"I hope you're right," said Phoebe. "We haven't found much
that's of any help yet. But we'll keep looking."
"Excuse me," said Leo, sticking his head in the door. "I hate
to break up this bonding session, but Giles says he's found
something."
"Coming, honey," said Piper and Phoebe in unison.
The two just giggled as Leo looked at them perplexed. When they
go to the living room, everyone else was already there. Everyone but
Angel. It was still dark out and he was still searching the demonic
underground for any leads or help.
"Leo said you found something," Piper said to Giles.
"Yes," said Giles. "One of the books I borrowed from the
library has some fascinating information on cross dimensional
exchange. According to the theory, a person is anchored, so to speak,
in his or her own dimension. It's theorized some form of a silver
cord keeps that person anchored so they don't end up between
dimensions."
"And that's good?" asked Buffy.
"Oh, absolutely," said Giles. "Without this cord, there's no
way to move into another dimension. The person would be trapped
forever between all the dimensions in a sort of limbo."
"Okay," said Prue, "so we just figure out a way to find this
cord and trace it back to Pipers' dimension. Then we know where to
send her."
"That could be a problem," said Giles. "The longer a person is
out of their own dimension, the more strain the cord is under.
Something akin to steadily stretching elastic band longer and longer.
It's only a matter of time before that cord snaps under the strain.
If that happens, Piper will be lost forever."
TWO
"How long," asked Phoebe, "before this silver cord breaks?"
"I'm not sure," said Giles. "There doesn't seem to be a
consensus on that. Anywhere from a few minutes to several months or
possibly longer. I'll keep looking to see if I can narrow it down.
But at any rate, we're running out of time."
"That means we could also lose our Piper," said Prue.
"Assuming that both of these silver cords react the same. When this
Pipers' cord snaps, our Pipers' cord will snap at the same time."
"That's a reasonable assumption," said Giles.
"I remember when a warlock stole Prue's body while she was
astral projecting," said Piper. "We only had twenty-four hours to get
her back."
"That was different," said Leo. "Prue had left her body.
You've moved between dimensions. I'll let the Elders know what we've
found out. Maybe that will give them some ideas about what we can do
next."
Leo had no sooner orbed out than the front door to the manor
opened. The sun would be up in a few minutes and Angel walked in. He
was not alone. A small creature stood next to Angel. It was about
three feet tall and was covered in fur. Its' tail twitched like a
cats' tail. Its' face was very human-like and reminded everyone of a
small child.
"This is Salos," said Angel. "I think he can help us, but he
won't talk to me. He'll only talk to Piper."
"A Trinsor demon," said Giles. "Harmless for the most part.
But they do have one remarkable trait. They can move freely into
other dimensions. It's very rare to find one outside their own
dimension."
"You want to talk to me, Salos?" asked Piper. "Okay, talk."
"Slayer," said Salos. "Blood drinker bring Salos to Slayer.
Slayer need Salos help. Slayer help Salos. Salos help Slayer."
"He sounds like a child," said Buffy.
"He's not much more than that," said Angel. "That's why they
stay in their own dimension. No natural predators there."
"Okay, Salos," said Piper, "you say you need my help. What do
you need?"
The little demon kept rubbing his head on his shoulders. First
it would rub the left side and then it would rub the right side.
Piper couldn't help but like the little creature even if it was a
demon.
"Slayer want evil man witch," said Salos. "Salos find for
Slayer. Not hard. Slayer help Salos."
"Evil man witch?" questioned Prue. "Accurate enough description
for a warlock, I guess."
"Okay, Salos," said Piper. "What do you need my help with?"
"Mate," said Salos.
"Excuse me?" asked Buffy.
"Mate," repeated Salos.
"Is he saying what I think he's saying?" asked Phoebe. "Does he
want to mate with Piper?"
"That's NOT going to happen," said Piper.
"I think he means something else," said Giles. "Salos, what
about your mate?"
"Mate taken," said Salos. "Evil thing keep. Slayer get mate.
Salos find evil man witch."
"He wants you to free his mate," said Giles. "Apparently, she's
being held captive by someone or something."
"Oh, that's different," said Piper. "Salos, who has your mate?"
"Evil thing," said Salos. "Big evil. Salos no fight. Salos
not strong. Slayer strong. Kill much evil things. Slayer stop evil
thing. No eat mate."
"Eat mate?" asked Piper. "No, Salos, we would never eat your
mate."
"That's not what he means," said Angel. "I think I know who
might be holding his mate. It's a demon named Malcor. He runs what
you might call the demonic mafia. They operate outside the normal
demonic rules."
"So where is this Malcor?" asked Prue. "In the underworld?"
"No, he wouldn't dare show his face there," said Angel.
"Regular demons despise him. But he does have a taste for Trinsor
demons. When he captures one he fattens it up and then . . . well, I
think you get the picture."
"Okay, so where do we find this Malcor?" asked Buffy.
"I know where he hangs out," said Angel. "But I guarantee you
he knows who you are Piper. At least, who our Piper is. He'll be
ready for you."
"Except we have an ace up our sleeve," said Piper.
"What's that?" asked Angel.
"He'll be expecting the Slayer," said Piper, "not a witch.
Besides, I have an idea for how to get Salos' mate back with a minimum
of trouble. Now, Angel. Tell us everything you know about this
Malcor."
THREE
Piper, Angel, and Salos cautiously walked into an abandoned
warehouse. From all outward appearances, it looked as if no one had
bee in the building for years. Angel assured Piper that its' looks
were deceiving.
Suddenly two vampires stepped out of the shadows. They stood
facing the three. One, with stark white hair looked at Angel.
"Well, Angelous," said the white haired vampire with a distinct
British accent, "it's been a while."
"Hello, Spike," said Angel. "We're here to see Malcor. We have
business with him."
"'Ello, love," said Spike, looking at Piper. "What 'ave we
'ere? A human and a Trinsor. Bringing a peace offering to Malcor are
we mate?"
"I'm no peace offering," said Piper. "And unless you want to
become a pile of dust, I suggest you back off."
"Feisty, isn't she?" asked Spike.
"Slayers always are," said Angel.
"The Slayer?" questioned Spike. "You brought the Slayer here?"
"Like I said," said Angel, "we have business with Malcor. Just
tell him we're here."
"Friend of yours?" asked Piper as Spike went to inform Malcor.
"We ran together for a while," said Angel. "It was a long time
ago. Over one hundred years."
"The term 'old friend' takes on a whole new meaning with you,
doesn't it?" asked Piper.
Angel just smiled. Spike came out and told them that Malcor
would see them. They walked into the large adjoining room and Malcor
was sitting on a chair that was more than reminiscent of a throne.
Malcor was a disgusting sight. Weighing nearly three hundred
pounds, his reptile-like skin was a dull yellow. His eyes were green
with white pupils. He was pug nosed and his eyelids were transparent
and when he blinked it produced a very strange effect.
Six vampires stood around him. It was clear all of the vampires
had open contempt for what they perceived as the Slayer. In one
corner of the room hung a cage. Inside the cage was a Trinsor demon.
"Angelous," said Malcor, "you've been away for much too long.
Spike tells me you brought me a gift. Another Trinsor and the Slayer.
How very thoughtful of you."
"Like I told your boy," said Piper, "I'm no ones gift."
"Watch it, sister," said Spike behind her. "I'm no ones boy."
"You'd do well to heed Spike," said Malcor. "You may be the
Slayer but I doubt even you are any match for eight vampires. Not to
mention me, of course."
"Give mate," insisted Salos. "You give, you no die."
"You give, you no die," mocked Malcor, chuckling. "Really, do
you think that you frighten me? You pathetic little creature. Keep
your mouth shut and I might forget I'm supposed to be a genial host.
"Now, Angelous, Spike said you had business with me. What
possible business could I have with a vampire that has a soul? You're
not much better than these puny humans."
"Actually," said Angel, "we came for the Trinsor. We want her
back."
Malcor laughed.
"You're joking, right?" asked Malcor. "She's almost ready. Why
should I give her up?"
"Salos told you," said Angel. "Give her back and we'll let you
live."
"Oh, you are funny today," said Malcor. "The three of you are
threatening me? I guess I should say the two of you. That little
Trinsor isn't much of a threat."
"You know," said Piper, "demons have underestimated me before."
"I'm no vampire, sweetheart," said Malcor. "And you're
beginning to bore me. Spike, take out the trash, will you?'
Spike smiled as the eight vampires began to move on the three.
FOUR
"First of all," said Piper, "I'm not your sweetheart. Second,
if you think a couple of vampires frighten me, you are sorely
mistaken. Third, there's one little detail I neglected to mention."
"And just what might that be?" asked Malcor.
"Leo," Piper called into the air.
Leo immediately orbed into the room. With him were Prue,
Phoebe, and Buffy. They each stood ready to do battle.
"We're not exactly alone," said Piper.
"White Lighter," gasped Malcor. "And three witches, no doubt.
Still, we have your outnumbered. And as I said, I'm no vampire."
The vampires suddenly moved on the group. Angel didn't
hesitate. He moved up to the nearest two and brought his hands up.
As he did, a wooden stake popped out from his wrists. The two
vampires vanished into piles of dust.
Piper dived, narrowly avoiding one of the vampires. She rolled
and came up on her knees with a vial in her hands. She pulled the
stopper out of the vial and threw the contents into the vampires'
face. The vampire grabbed its' face and backed away, screaming in
pain.
"Oh, sorry," said Piper, "I guess you don't like holy water."
Phoebe turned on one of the vampires and raised her hands. The
vampire exploded and vanished into a pile of dust. Meanwhile, Prue
raised her hands and three of the vampires were thrown back across the
room from her telekinetic power.
Buffy faced off against Spike. The white haired vampire
obviously thought she would be an easy mark. But her martial arts
skill took him by surprise. She kicked him several times, driving him
back from the ferocity of her attacks.
"What's the matter, whitey?" asked Buffy. "You don't like
aggressive women?"
"I like them just fine, love," said Spike, wiping blood from his
mouth. "But they always lose in the end."
"Well, I may not be the slayer, love," said Buffy, "but I think
I can hold my own with the likes of you."
"Enough," bellowed Malcor, rising to his full height of seven
feet. "As I told you, I'm no vampire."
He reached out and cast a fireball at Prue. She only barely
managed to dive out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack. Phoebe
turned and cast her explosive power at Malcor. He simply reached out
and plucked the attack out of the air, extinguishing it.
"Fools," said Malcor. "Did you honestly think that vampires
were the only thing you'd have to face in here? I'm surprised,
Angelous. You, most of all, should have understood what you were
walking into and been more prepared. I'm very disappointed in you."
"Well," said Piper, "let me see if I can't change that for you."
Without turning, she pointed behind her. The vampire she had
thrown the holy water on suddenly exploded and vanished into a pile of
dust. Piper just smiled at Malcor.
"Surprise," she said.
"But . . . but you're the Slayer," stammered Malcor. "The
Slayer doesn't have power like that."
"Oh, you'd be surprised what I can do," said Piper. "Now, do we
get the Trinsor demon? Or shall we see if you can catch both Phoebe's
and my explosive powers at the same time?"
"Take it," snapped Malcor angrily. "But this isn't ended.
Count on that."
Angel walked over and released the Trinsor demon from her cage.
Together, the group backed out of the room. Prue and Phoebe went
ahead to make sure there weren't any surprises waiting for them. Just
as Piper was about to leave the room, she looked at Malcor.
"Oh," she said, "just one last thing."
"What is it?" snarled Malcor.
Piper brought her hands up so quickly that the demon was caught
completely off guard. Everyone watched as Malcor exploded and
evaporated away.
"I don't like to be threatened," she said.
FIVE
"Did everything go as planned?" asked Giles when the others
returned to the manor.
"More or less," said Angel. "Salos took his mate back to their
dimension where she'll be safe. He said as soon as he can locate
Collier, he'll let us know."
"I just hope we can trust him," said Piper.
"I don't think we have much of a choice, actually," said Giles.
"But I have discovered a thing or two in your absence."
"Good news, I hope," said Piper. "I could use some right about
now."
"Well, it's sort of a good news bad news type of thing,"
responded Giles. "They're sort of interconnected."
"Great," said Buffy. "Well, what have you got?"
"The amulet that this Collier has," said Giles. "The one that
protects him from a witches power. It's also the source of his
dimensional shifting ability. It's how he's able to travel between
dimensions. It's also how he is able to move others through other
dimensions."
"Is that the good news or the bad news?" asked Prue.
"Oh, it's quite good," said Giles. "It let's us know how he
does what he does. By better understanding his power, it helps us
fight him.
"But there's more. He can do what he does because the amulet is
made from about two-dozen different metals. Each metal is from a
different dimension. This special alloy helps him to focus his power
and send someone, or himself, to a specific dimension."
"How does that help us?" asked Phoebe.
"It narrows down the possible dimensions considerably," said
Giles. "Collier can only send someone to a dimension of one of the
metals contained in the alloy. It should be difficult to determine
which dimensions the metals were collected from. It would be even
faster to do that if these Elders can find out for us."
"I'm sure they will if they can," said Leo.
"This is great," said Piper. "It should be easy to determine
where I belong from only two dozen dimensions."
"Yes, well," said Giles.
"Uh oh," said Buffy. "Now for the bad news."
"When Collier switched you and our Piper," said Giles, "the best
that I can determine is that your silver cords somehow became
intertwined. That's why you have your Charmed powers and no Slayer
abilities. I would imagine it's much the same with our Piper in your
dimension."
"Okay," said Piper. "So we just untangle them. Maybe when I
return to my dimension and she returns here, they'll untangle."
"Or perhaps not," said Giles. "At any rate, we can't even think
of returning you to your own dimension just yet."
"Why not?" asked Prue. "If we figure out a way to return her,
then we can use the same method to return our Piper. Problem solved."
"Not exactly," said Giles. "With the silver cords intertwined,
this Piper would return to the exact place where our Piper is in her
dimension."
"So?" asked Piper. "That just means I won't have to go looking
for her. She'll be right there when I return. That should make it
easier for us to return her here."
"You don't understand," said Giles. "I mean EXACTLY the same
spot. There's no telling what the consequences of that would be. In
all likelihood, the two of you would merge together and neither would
survive."
"Oh," said Piper. "Yeah, I guess that is different."
"Quite," said Giles. "What about this Power of Three you
mentioned? Would it be powerful enough to return the two Pipers to
their own dimensions and untangle the cords?"
'I don't know," said Prue. "The Power of Three is the most
powerful magic for good in history. But as Leo said, it's not all-
powerful. It would be risky at best."
"Too risky," said Leo. "If it was off by even a little bit,
we'd lose both of them. You know how unpredictable spells and magic
can be. I don't think it's worth the risk unless we have no other
options open to us."
"I don't know if I have a say in this," said Angel. "But it
sounds too dangerous to me. We should find another way."
Suddenly Piper doubled over from pain. She held her stomach as
the others gathered around her to see if they could help. Just as
suddenly the pain subsided.
"Are you okay?" asked Phoebe.
"Yeah, I think so," said Piper. "It felt like my insides were
being ripped out. It was a strange sensation. No pain, really. More
like very intense pressure."
"I was afraid of that," said Giles.
"What?" asked Prue. "What is it, Giles?"
"The strain on her silver cord is increasing," said Giles.
"This is probably only the first symptom. They will probably increase
the longer it goes on. We're starting to run out of time. If we
don't find a way to return Piper to her own dimension soon, we're
going to lose her."
SIX
Pipers' "episode" didn't seem to have any lasting affects.
Giles said that would change. She would probably have more
"episodes". They would probably become more frequent and last longer
each time until the strain was just too great. Then the silver cord
anchoring her t her own dimension would snap like a rubber band,
catapulting her into the nether area between dimensions.
"That's only a theory, of course," said Prue.
"Not one I'd care to test if you don't mind," said Piper. "So,
what are we going to do now?"
"There appears to be only one course of action," said Giles.
"We need to find Collier."
"Easier said than done," said Phoebe.
"What good would that do anyway?" asked Buffy. "He wants to
kill her. It's not like he's about to help return her to where she
belongs."
"No," said Giles, "but if we can get his amulet, perhaps the
sisters can figure out how to use it and return the Pipers' to their
own dimensions."
"Good luck with that one," said Piper. "We'd have to get close
enough to him to get it. He was immune to my power, remember? He
said the amulet shielded him from a witch's powers. It's not like
he's just going to let us walk up and take it off him."
"It won't protect him from me," said Angel.
"First things first," said Giles. "Our first order of business
is to locate him. What about this Salos? Any idea when he's likely
to return?"
'Whenever he locates Collier," said Angel.
"Assuming he does even then," said Buffy. "He is a demon after
all. We might have seen the last of him."
"A Power of Three spell," said Phoebe suddenly.
"We've already considered that, remember?" said Prue. "But only
as a last resort."
"No," said Phoebe, "I mean we use a Power of Three spell to
bring Collier to us. It's too risky to use it on Piper, but I have no
qualms about using it on a warlock."
"That won't work," said Piper. "Remember the amulet? He's
immune to our powers. Which probably means spells, too."
"Maybe we can't forcibly bring him here," said Phoebe. "But it
just might get his attention. You intimated he was some kind of
mercenary or bounty hunter. Well, the people who hire him have to get
hold of him somehow. If we can get his attention, maybe he'll come
here to find out who's trying to get hold of him."
"That's not a bad idea," said Prue.
"I suppose it's worth a try," said Giles.
"And if we plan it right," said Prue, "we just might be able to
get that amulet away from him. Without it, he's as susceptible to our
powers as anyone else. I'll bet he'll be more than happy to tell us
how to return the two Pipers' to their own dimensions."
"I'll get started on the spell," said Buffy. "With any luck,
I'll have something soon."
"When he finds out who's summoning him," said Giles, "at the
very least he'll be suspicious. He's sure to be on his guard."
"Just leave that to me," said Angel. "I'll just need him
distracted for a second."
"I think we can handle that," said Phoebe.
"It's very likely that we'll only get one chance at this," said
Giles. "We'd best not mess this up."
"Don't try anything before I get back," said Angel, heading for
the front door.
"Where are you going?" asked Giles.
"There's something I need to take care of first," said Angel.
"I won't be long."
"Is he always so mysterious?" asked Buffy after Angel had left.
"Usually," said Giles. "He's a very complicated individual."
"Okay," said Piper, "we get Collier here. Then we get the
amulet away from him. Then all you have to do is use it to untangle
our silver cords and return us to our own dimensions, right?"
"Me?" asked Giles. "Oh no, I'm afraid I can't use it. I don't
know how. You'll have to do that yourselves. You and the sisters."
"Okay," said Piper. "So, tell me how this amulet works."
"You mean you don't know?" asked Giles. "I assumed you would
know how since you were witches. Oh dead. I seemed to have made a
dreadful error."
"Witches aren't omnipotent," said Prue. "Looks like we have
some studying to do. While Buffy works on the spell, and Angel is
doing whatever he's doing, the rest of us will see if we can figure
out how the amulet works."
"Gee, I guess I'm back in high school," joked Piper. "It's been
a long time since I had to hit the books. Not counting spell research
and such."
"It's going to be a very long night," said Giles to no one in
particular."
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss Part 4: Reunion Or Oblivion? When the group
finally confronts Collier, they learn he's been looking for Piper
since their first encounter. Immune to the sisters' and Pipers'
powers, and ready for the confrontation, Collier appears unstoppable.
Can our heroes defeat him and set things right again?
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed"
stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/ . You can also
post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction.