"Where are we going?" Piper asked when they were halfway down the street.
"Not far," Molly promised. "There's this place across town, not many people know about it, but it's an awesome hangout. I go there sometimes, to get away from Louis."
Piper looked away, feeling another pang of guilt at the thought that her daughter would have to get away from anyone. They walked the rest of the way in silence. The streets were dirty, broken, almost unrecognisable, but still, Piper knew almost automatically how to get to wherever Molly was taking them. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they arrived, standing right in front of a building Piper immedeately knew.
"P3!" she exclaimed. The building they stood in front of now was undiscernable as Piper's meticulous, well-kept nightclub. Paradoxically, this place was near collapse. There was litter all over, the walls were covered with graffiti, and the sign had long ago fallen down. Piper walked slowly around her beloved club, wondering what happened but not daring to ask.
Molly led them in through the back entrance. Once their eyes adjusted to the light, Piper realized the place was half-full of people, most of them Molly's age or older. Her daughter went over to one man, off by himself, who, even in the dim light, didn't look quite human.
"Adam, this is my family." she introduced. "Mom, Dad, Aunt Phoebe, Aunt Paige, this is Adam. He's a Caninate."
Piper's eyes narrowed. "Caninate?"
"A new breed of mythical creatures." Molly explained. "When everything started falling apart, They were desperate to find something, anything, that could help restore peace. They started experimenting, trying to manipulate magic into new, powerful beings. Adam was the first. He's part dog, and part... magic."
"Hello." Adam said. His voice was deep and rough, and he appeared to be a bit slow. Molly patted his head affectionately.
"Uhh, hi," Paige responded. Piper, Leo, and Phoebe merely stared.
"Don't worry, he's harmless," Molly assured them. "Well, unless we make him mad by forgetting to feed him or walk him, or if somebody hides his painting supplies. See, his magic is tied to his emotions just like ours, so when he gets upset, things tend to get... interesting."
"Sounds like someone else we know," Phoebe quipped, nudging Piper, who glared at her.
Molly grinned. "Mom's exploding power always was the most fun to watch."
"Uh-huh, okay, let's just stick to figuring out how the hell to keep this from happening," Piper cut in.
"Molly, you're more familiar with what goes on around here than us," Leo started, putting his arms around his wife. "Do you have any suggestions on how to change what happens?"
Molly thought for a minute, her expression becoming serious. "Well, you guys weren't prepared for this particular demon," she said. "Maybe if we can figure out who he was, then you'll be able to vanquish him in your time."
Piper nodded. "Sounds reasonable. Okay, describe him to us, and then Leo and Paige can orb up and see what the Elders know-"
She was interrupted by Molly shaking her head. "That won't work," she said miserably. "The Elders are pretty much useless now. The ones that are still alive are hiding, and I'm not sure even They know much of anything anymore."
"Okay, well then there must be another source of infor-"
Piper was once again interrupted, this time by Paige. "Wait, the Elders are only useless in this time. What if we go back?"
"Yeah, but we need Molly to describe the demon so we have something to tell the Elders," Phoebe pointed out.
"So we bring her back with us," Piper suggested, finally able to complete a thought.
Leo looked to his daughter. "Will that work?"
Molly nodded. "I don't see why not."
"It's settled, then," Piper said. "Where's the return spell?"
"You never wrote one," Molly told her.
Piper frowned. "All right, I'll write one now."
"Bring us back through the gates of time,
To help us preserve our magical line,
We've gotten what we came here for
Now bring us back through time once more."
Leo, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Molly suddenly found themselves bathed in a bright light. Piper instinctively grabbed on to Molly as they all lost their balance, and everything went dark.
"Not far," Molly promised. "There's this place across town, not many people know about it, but it's an awesome hangout. I go there sometimes, to get away from Louis."
Piper looked away, feeling another pang of guilt at the thought that her daughter would have to get away from anyone. They walked the rest of the way in silence. The streets were dirty, broken, almost unrecognisable, but still, Piper knew almost automatically how to get to wherever Molly was taking them. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they arrived, standing right in front of a building Piper immedeately knew.
"P3!" she exclaimed. The building they stood in front of now was undiscernable as Piper's meticulous, well-kept nightclub. Paradoxically, this place was near collapse. There was litter all over, the walls were covered with graffiti, and the sign had long ago fallen down. Piper walked slowly around her beloved club, wondering what happened but not daring to ask.
Molly led them in through the back entrance. Once their eyes adjusted to the light, Piper realized the place was half-full of people, most of them Molly's age or older. Her daughter went over to one man, off by himself, who, even in the dim light, didn't look quite human.
"Adam, this is my family." she introduced. "Mom, Dad, Aunt Phoebe, Aunt Paige, this is Adam. He's a Caninate."
Piper's eyes narrowed. "Caninate?"
"A new breed of mythical creatures." Molly explained. "When everything started falling apart, They were desperate to find something, anything, that could help restore peace. They started experimenting, trying to manipulate magic into new, powerful beings. Adam was the first. He's part dog, and part... magic."
"Hello." Adam said. His voice was deep and rough, and he appeared to be a bit slow. Molly patted his head affectionately.
"Uhh, hi," Paige responded. Piper, Leo, and Phoebe merely stared.
"Don't worry, he's harmless," Molly assured them. "Well, unless we make him mad by forgetting to feed him or walk him, or if somebody hides his painting supplies. See, his magic is tied to his emotions just like ours, so when he gets upset, things tend to get... interesting."
"Sounds like someone else we know," Phoebe quipped, nudging Piper, who glared at her.
Molly grinned. "Mom's exploding power always was the most fun to watch."
"Uh-huh, okay, let's just stick to figuring out how the hell to keep this from happening," Piper cut in.
"Molly, you're more familiar with what goes on around here than us," Leo started, putting his arms around his wife. "Do you have any suggestions on how to change what happens?"
Molly thought for a minute, her expression becoming serious. "Well, you guys weren't prepared for this particular demon," she said. "Maybe if we can figure out who he was, then you'll be able to vanquish him in your time."
Piper nodded. "Sounds reasonable. Okay, describe him to us, and then Leo and Paige can orb up and see what the Elders know-"
She was interrupted by Molly shaking her head. "That won't work," she said miserably. "The Elders are pretty much useless now. The ones that are still alive are hiding, and I'm not sure even They know much of anything anymore."
"Okay, well then there must be another source of infor-"
Piper was once again interrupted, this time by Paige. "Wait, the Elders are only useless in this time. What if we go back?"
"Yeah, but we need Molly to describe the demon so we have something to tell the Elders," Phoebe pointed out.
"So we bring her back with us," Piper suggested, finally able to complete a thought.
Leo looked to his daughter. "Will that work?"
Molly nodded. "I don't see why not."
"It's settled, then," Piper said. "Where's the return spell?"
"You never wrote one," Molly told her.
Piper frowned. "All right, I'll write one now."
"Bring us back through the gates of time,
To help us preserve our magical line,
We've gotten what we came here for
Now bring us back through time once more."
Leo, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Molly suddenly found themselves bathed in a bright light. Piper instinctively grabbed on to Molly as they all lost their balance, and everything went dark.