Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the television show Charmed.
All characters belong to Spelling Television, and The WB.
This is my first Charmed fic. I apologize if I get any of the show's details wrong. I'd love to get feedback! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. Please continue to review the story or e-mail me at jeff_langdon@hotmail.com!
Note: I guess I miscalculated my long-windedness again. This will definitely be the 2nd last chapter. Chapter 35 will end off the story.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Anguished Soul - Chapter 34
The distant look in Chris' eyes was haunting as he relived those moments of his life.
"So who exactly did that voice belong to?" Phoebe asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer."
"Arkon."
There was a collective gasp as Chris revealed that he had worked with the demon they had just vanquished.
"Arkon trained me and gave me new powers. I excelled in his training and soon, I had more power than everyone except for Arkon and his son. At that point, he began to send me out on missions to consolidate his power."
"What kind of missions?" Piper asked.
"It began with vanquishing other demons who were opposed to him. Basically, anyone who would not submit to him were chased down and destroyed."
"How long did that last?"
"Not long. Very soon, the remaining demons were so scared that they willingly submitted to Arkon."
"And then what happened?" Paige asked.
"That's when he assigned me to destroying rebel witches and Whitelighters."
~ flash forward ~
"Sir, we've located him," one of the lowly demons said to Chris. "He's hiding in the cabin on the other side of the forest."
"Let's go pay him a surprise visit then," Chris smirked as he led his legion of demons towards the cabin.
Upon reaching the cabin, Chris knocked down the door and moved inside. It wasn't difficult to locate the target. The young man stood in front of Chris, petrified at his fate. Desperate, the Whitelighter lashed out at Chris, only to be hit by three fireballs the demons launched. The Whitelighter collapsed on the floor, severely injured and facing certain death.
Chris walked over to the dying Whitelighter and raised his arm, ready for the final kill. For a moment, Chris hesitated as a strange feeling overwhelmed him. Shaking clear of the thoughts, Chris summoned his powers. At the last possible moment, he whipped around and unleashed his powers on his legion of demons, annihilating them completely.
The Whitelighter stared in shock, not knowing what was happening. Chris knelt down and using his powers, healed the Whitelighter.
"I.I.don't understand," the bewildered Whitelighter stuttered.
"There's nothing to understand," Chris answered. "Just go, before Arkon finds out where you are."
"But what about you?"
"That's not for you to worry about. Just go."
The Whitelighter smiled a grateful smile before leaving. Alone again, Chris knew that his actions would arouse the wrath of Arkon, but he didn't care. First of all, there was no way that he could kill good witches and Whitelighters. Secondly, he had finally come to realize that Arkon was lying to him all along about bringing back his family. His real plan was to corrupt Chris with evil powers in hopes of turning him once and for all.
Chris sighed as he weighed his options. There was no way that he could go back to Arkon unless he wanted to die a very painful death. On the other hand, the fact that he was Arkon's right hand man meant that he was also wanted by the forces of good. It was a hopeless situation, Chris thought. Either way, he was doomed.
Before Chris could formulate another thought, he found himself surrounded by another group of demons - Arkon's special corps of demons. They were the elite of the elite.
"Come back with us now, Chris. Arkon demands your presence immediately."
"Tell him that I have some things to finish up and I will return as soon as I'm done."
"Arkon wants to see you NOW!"
Chris unleashed a fireball and engulfed two demons in flames. The other demons immediately counterattacked. Even though Chris was powerful, he could not overpower a whole legion of elite demons. One particularly eager demon subdued Chris with a particularly powerful fireball. It wasn't enough to kill or even seriously hurt Chris, but it was just enough to knock the wind out of him long enough for the demons to secure him. The leader of the group smirked as Chris struggled against his captors.
"Well, Christopher, I guess the day has finally come," he sneered. "I knew you were trouble from the day you showed up. Luckily, you won't be an annoyance for much longer. I'm sure Arkon will not be pleased by your treachery." With that, he inserted a poison needle into Chris, to prevent him from using his powers against them.
Chris put on a brave face, but he knew that the demon was right. Arkon didn't take disloyalty lightly, as he himself had witnessed on multiple occasions.
In a last ditch attempt, Chris tried to orb away, knowing that doing so would drain his powers even faster. Luckily, he succeeded in escaping and soon, he found himself on the run. He could feel the entire legion of demons on his tail, and the poison was quickly taking effect. He found his legs getting heavier. He tripped on a rock and crashed to the ground. This delay was just enough for the demons to catch up to him.
"That was a really stupid thing to do, Christopher."
Chris tried to get up, but the pain in body was too much. As he resigned himself to his fate, the demons suddenly disappeared with a cry of agony amidst a thick layer of smoke. As the smoke cleared, he saw Afilla and the other gods.
~ end flash forward ~
"I thought for sure that I was going to die, even though the demons didn't kill me. I knew that Afilla and Arkon were sworn enemies."
"But they didn't kill you."
"No, they actually healed me," Chris answered.
"Why?"
"Because apparently they saw good in me," Chris whispered. "Then I saw him."
"Who?"
"The Whitelighter that I saved. Apparently he persuaded the gods to help me, knowing that Arkon would destroy me if they didn't intervene."
"What happened after that?" Paige asked as she wiped the perspiration from Chris' forehead.
"The gods tried to bind the demonic powers that Arkon gave me because they couldn't take it away. And I promised them not to ever use them again. For the most part, I kept my promise." Chris shivered as his body began to lose more energy. His actions brought another wave of fear on the sisters and caused Paige to hug him tightly, trying to keep him warm. "The first time I broke the vow was when I killed Arkon's son. This was one of the reasons why the gods sent me back to the present."
The Charmed Ones nodded as they finally understood Chris Perry. They knew his story and why he came to help them. And now, they felt even more helpless, knowing that they can't help him in return.
"I broke my promise three more times during the course of the last few months. And tonight," he grimaced in pain as he felt his wounds intensifying. "And tonight," he gasped, "was the fifth, and probably last, time."
Paige held onto Chris for her dear life. "You'll be okay, Chris. Don't give up," she cried.
Chris smiled weakly and squeezed Paige's hand. His eyelids were heavy and he became very tired. Despite his desire to stay awake, he was fighting a losing battle. Before long, he had settled into a deep sleep. As he drifted off to sleep, the Charmed Ones let loose the emotions that they had been struggling to keep inside. They had tried to appear strong and controlled in front of Chris, not wanting to upset him, but in reality, they were an emotional wreck, not able to believe that things had taken such a drastic turn for the worst.
After a lot of crying and hugging, Phoebe and Piper went down to the kitchen to make dinner. It was also a chance to give Paige some time alone with Chris. It was clear that the potion that Phoebe made earlier was beginning to wear off and that very soon, the agony and pain would become increasingly unbearable for Chris.
As Piper busied herself at the stove, Phoebe tried once again to look through the Book of Shadows, hoping against the odds that she could find a way to save Chris. She got Piper's attention when she tried to stifle a sob.
"What's the matter, Phoebe?" Piper asked as she joined her at the kitchen table. "Did you find something?"
"I know what Arkon did to Chris," Phoebe answered, her words muddled by her sobs.
"Then we should know how to save him," Piper concluded.
Phoebe buried her face in her hands. "Only Chris can save himself," she continued. "And there are only two ways."
"What are they?"
"Either he would have to sell his soul to Hades and assume Arkon's position."
"That's out of the question. And the second way?"
"He would have to kill three witches before the poison destroys him. And these three witches must be related by blood."
~ to be continued ~
This is my first Charmed fic. I apologize if I get any of the show's details wrong. I'd love to get feedback! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. Please continue to review the story or e-mail me at jeff_langdon@hotmail.com!
Note: I guess I miscalculated my long-windedness again. This will definitely be the 2nd last chapter. Chapter 35 will end off the story.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Anguished Soul - Chapter 34
The distant look in Chris' eyes was haunting as he relived those moments of his life.
"So who exactly did that voice belong to?" Phoebe asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer."
"Arkon."
There was a collective gasp as Chris revealed that he had worked with the demon they had just vanquished.
"Arkon trained me and gave me new powers. I excelled in his training and soon, I had more power than everyone except for Arkon and his son. At that point, he began to send me out on missions to consolidate his power."
"What kind of missions?" Piper asked.
"It began with vanquishing other demons who were opposed to him. Basically, anyone who would not submit to him were chased down and destroyed."
"How long did that last?"
"Not long. Very soon, the remaining demons were so scared that they willingly submitted to Arkon."
"And then what happened?" Paige asked.
"That's when he assigned me to destroying rebel witches and Whitelighters."
~ flash forward ~
"Sir, we've located him," one of the lowly demons said to Chris. "He's hiding in the cabin on the other side of the forest."
"Let's go pay him a surprise visit then," Chris smirked as he led his legion of demons towards the cabin.
Upon reaching the cabin, Chris knocked down the door and moved inside. It wasn't difficult to locate the target. The young man stood in front of Chris, petrified at his fate. Desperate, the Whitelighter lashed out at Chris, only to be hit by three fireballs the demons launched. The Whitelighter collapsed on the floor, severely injured and facing certain death.
Chris walked over to the dying Whitelighter and raised his arm, ready for the final kill. For a moment, Chris hesitated as a strange feeling overwhelmed him. Shaking clear of the thoughts, Chris summoned his powers. At the last possible moment, he whipped around and unleashed his powers on his legion of demons, annihilating them completely.
The Whitelighter stared in shock, not knowing what was happening. Chris knelt down and using his powers, healed the Whitelighter.
"I.I.don't understand," the bewildered Whitelighter stuttered.
"There's nothing to understand," Chris answered. "Just go, before Arkon finds out where you are."
"But what about you?"
"That's not for you to worry about. Just go."
The Whitelighter smiled a grateful smile before leaving. Alone again, Chris knew that his actions would arouse the wrath of Arkon, but he didn't care. First of all, there was no way that he could kill good witches and Whitelighters. Secondly, he had finally come to realize that Arkon was lying to him all along about bringing back his family. His real plan was to corrupt Chris with evil powers in hopes of turning him once and for all.
Chris sighed as he weighed his options. There was no way that he could go back to Arkon unless he wanted to die a very painful death. On the other hand, the fact that he was Arkon's right hand man meant that he was also wanted by the forces of good. It was a hopeless situation, Chris thought. Either way, he was doomed.
Before Chris could formulate another thought, he found himself surrounded by another group of demons - Arkon's special corps of demons. They were the elite of the elite.
"Come back with us now, Chris. Arkon demands your presence immediately."
"Tell him that I have some things to finish up and I will return as soon as I'm done."
"Arkon wants to see you NOW!"
Chris unleashed a fireball and engulfed two demons in flames. The other demons immediately counterattacked. Even though Chris was powerful, he could not overpower a whole legion of elite demons. One particularly eager demon subdued Chris with a particularly powerful fireball. It wasn't enough to kill or even seriously hurt Chris, but it was just enough to knock the wind out of him long enough for the demons to secure him. The leader of the group smirked as Chris struggled against his captors.
"Well, Christopher, I guess the day has finally come," he sneered. "I knew you were trouble from the day you showed up. Luckily, you won't be an annoyance for much longer. I'm sure Arkon will not be pleased by your treachery." With that, he inserted a poison needle into Chris, to prevent him from using his powers against them.
Chris put on a brave face, but he knew that the demon was right. Arkon didn't take disloyalty lightly, as he himself had witnessed on multiple occasions.
In a last ditch attempt, Chris tried to orb away, knowing that doing so would drain his powers even faster. Luckily, he succeeded in escaping and soon, he found himself on the run. He could feel the entire legion of demons on his tail, and the poison was quickly taking effect. He found his legs getting heavier. He tripped on a rock and crashed to the ground. This delay was just enough for the demons to catch up to him.
"That was a really stupid thing to do, Christopher."
Chris tried to get up, but the pain in body was too much. As he resigned himself to his fate, the demons suddenly disappeared with a cry of agony amidst a thick layer of smoke. As the smoke cleared, he saw Afilla and the other gods.
~ end flash forward ~
"I thought for sure that I was going to die, even though the demons didn't kill me. I knew that Afilla and Arkon were sworn enemies."
"But they didn't kill you."
"No, they actually healed me," Chris answered.
"Why?"
"Because apparently they saw good in me," Chris whispered. "Then I saw him."
"Who?"
"The Whitelighter that I saved. Apparently he persuaded the gods to help me, knowing that Arkon would destroy me if they didn't intervene."
"What happened after that?" Paige asked as she wiped the perspiration from Chris' forehead.
"The gods tried to bind the demonic powers that Arkon gave me because they couldn't take it away. And I promised them not to ever use them again. For the most part, I kept my promise." Chris shivered as his body began to lose more energy. His actions brought another wave of fear on the sisters and caused Paige to hug him tightly, trying to keep him warm. "The first time I broke the vow was when I killed Arkon's son. This was one of the reasons why the gods sent me back to the present."
The Charmed Ones nodded as they finally understood Chris Perry. They knew his story and why he came to help them. And now, they felt even more helpless, knowing that they can't help him in return.
"I broke my promise three more times during the course of the last few months. And tonight," he grimaced in pain as he felt his wounds intensifying. "And tonight," he gasped, "was the fifth, and probably last, time."
Paige held onto Chris for her dear life. "You'll be okay, Chris. Don't give up," she cried.
Chris smiled weakly and squeezed Paige's hand. His eyelids were heavy and he became very tired. Despite his desire to stay awake, he was fighting a losing battle. Before long, he had settled into a deep sleep. As he drifted off to sleep, the Charmed Ones let loose the emotions that they had been struggling to keep inside. They had tried to appear strong and controlled in front of Chris, not wanting to upset him, but in reality, they were an emotional wreck, not able to believe that things had taken such a drastic turn for the worst.
After a lot of crying and hugging, Phoebe and Piper went down to the kitchen to make dinner. It was also a chance to give Paige some time alone with Chris. It was clear that the potion that Phoebe made earlier was beginning to wear off and that very soon, the agony and pain would become increasingly unbearable for Chris.
As Piper busied herself at the stove, Phoebe tried once again to look through the Book of Shadows, hoping against the odds that she could find a way to save Chris. She got Piper's attention when she tried to stifle a sob.
"What's the matter, Phoebe?" Piper asked as she joined her at the kitchen table. "Did you find something?"
"I know what Arkon did to Chris," Phoebe answered, her words muddled by her sobs.
"Then we should know how to save him," Piper concluded.
Phoebe buried her face in her hands. "Only Chris can save himself," she continued. "And there are only two ways."
"What are they?"
"Either he would have to sell his soul to Hades and assume Arkon's position."
"That's out of the question. And the second way?"
"He would have to kill three witches before the poison destroys him. And these three witches must be related by blood."
~ to be continued ~
