SIX
As The First reached for the young child, baby Wyatt suddenly orbed and was gone.
"No," screamed The First.
"Relax," said Wyatt. "He's upstairs in his crib. It's where he feels the safest. He won't be able to use his force shield for a while. Just get up there and finish the job. Leave these others to us."
"I'm afraid we can't allow that," said a voice from the foyer.
Everyone turned to see Lucan, Mellock, and Trembor standing together. The First looked at them, contempt in its eyes, and hissed "Avatars". Wyatt just smiled.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," he said. "I knew you'd try to stop me. Just as you did the first time. Only you're too late. Not even you power can stand up to the power I wield."
"We cannot allow this joining," said Lucan. "It would further upset the balance between good and evil. For too long has that balance been corrupted. When the Charmed Ones received their powers, they provided a distinct unfair advantage to the side of good. When The First attempted to take over the world in Sunnydale, we knew that evil would eventually come here. The resulting destruction during that conflict would have been catastrophic."
"You have no say here, Dark Mage," said Wyatt. "You couldn't stand against me before and you can't stand against me now.
"The Dark Mages," Chris whispered to Leo. "Wyatt is right. Not even they have the power to stand against him. The first time he nearly destroyed them."
"That's right, little brother," said Wyatt. "And I will this time, too. Only now I know where they make their home. The first time I didn't know that until our battle was nearly over. I'll take the fight to them, there. The destruction won't be as bad that way."
"Restin has failed," said Mellock, looking at Buffy. "The Slayer is not unconscious."
"You mean Cole Turner?" asked Buffy. "Oh yeah, we know who he really is. And why you wanted me to drink that potion. But that ain't gonna happen. And we may not win today but we're going to take a lot of you with is."
"Amen sister," said Paige. "This is starting to give me a headache. Everyone is standing here talking about what's going to happen to Piper's baby. Well, in case you all hadn't noticed, you don't have a say in it. She's his mother. She makes the decisions what happens to him. And I'll be damned if I'm going to just stand by and watch as anyone corrupts him to evil."
"Brave words, Auntie Paige," said Wyatt. "Especially from someone who's about to die. Do you really think I care what you think? You're not really even a part of this family. Just a half sister of a witch and a White Lighter who couldn't follow the rules. Now, Prue. There was a true Charmed One. You could never live up to her."
"And I stopped trying a long time ago," said Paige. "I'm not Prue. I never could be. And I may be only a half sister but I've never been treated as anything but a sister. So come on, boy. Let's see what you have. Give us your best shot."
"As I said," said Lucan, forming an energy ball in his hand, "we cannot allow that. You're all too powerful. Good and evil were never meant to have such power. There can never truly be a winner to this conflict. If evil should ultimately win, it would not stop with good. It would devour everything in its path until it turns on itself.
"If good should ultimately prove victorious, it would become complacent in its victory. Pat itself on the back, so to speak, for vanquishing evil and protecting humanity. But humanity is both good and evil. Eventually that evil would rear its head again and the battle would begin anew."
"And what do you plan to do about it?" Wyatt asked. "You don't really think an energy ball is a threat to me, do you?"
"Not to you," said Lucan, "but to the child it is. Without his force shield he can't defend against it. And none of you are fast enough to get to him in time. With the child dead, your power will be gone. The first will not be able to possess the child thus preventing you from ever coming to power. And we can dispose of all of you and finally restore the true balance nature intended there to be between good and evil. You've lost, Wyatt Halliwell. You've all lost. And humanity will be saved in the process."
Suddenly the energy ball leapt off his hand and shot up the stairs, disappearing around the corner. Piper screamed knowing that her son lay defenseless in his crib. Leo orbed out immediately in what he knew was a vain attempt to protect his son.
The First howled in anger and turned to face Lucan. Each of the defenders turned to face the demons next to them. Piper collapsed on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. Phoebe and Paige moved in to protect her knowing that her anguish would be all consuming. As it would be for any mother who had just lost her only child.
Furious, Wyatt seemed to ignore everyone as he turned and began to move toward Lucan. He would be protected from any changes as long as he remained in the past. Which meant he would retain the power granted him by the original fusion of himself and The First. But Lucan and the others weren't so lucky. They would pay for their interference.
The battle that would spell the end to the Charmed Ones, Wyatt, Chris, and all the others gathered in the room was about to begin in earners. And most of them knew they probably weren't going to survive it.
As The First reached for the young child, baby Wyatt suddenly orbed and was gone.
"No," screamed The First.
"Relax," said Wyatt. "He's upstairs in his crib. It's where he feels the safest. He won't be able to use his force shield for a while. Just get up there and finish the job. Leave these others to us."
"I'm afraid we can't allow that," said a voice from the foyer.
Everyone turned to see Lucan, Mellock, and Trembor standing together. The First looked at them, contempt in its eyes, and hissed "Avatars". Wyatt just smiled.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," he said. "I knew you'd try to stop me. Just as you did the first time. Only you're too late. Not even you power can stand up to the power I wield."
"We cannot allow this joining," said Lucan. "It would further upset the balance between good and evil. For too long has that balance been corrupted. When the Charmed Ones received their powers, they provided a distinct unfair advantage to the side of good. When The First attempted to take over the world in Sunnydale, we knew that evil would eventually come here. The resulting destruction during that conflict would have been catastrophic."
"You have no say here, Dark Mage," said Wyatt. "You couldn't stand against me before and you can't stand against me now.
"The Dark Mages," Chris whispered to Leo. "Wyatt is right. Not even they have the power to stand against him. The first time he nearly destroyed them."
"That's right, little brother," said Wyatt. "And I will this time, too. Only now I know where they make their home. The first time I didn't know that until our battle was nearly over. I'll take the fight to them, there. The destruction won't be as bad that way."
"Restin has failed," said Mellock, looking at Buffy. "The Slayer is not unconscious."
"You mean Cole Turner?" asked Buffy. "Oh yeah, we know who he really is. And why you wanted me to drink that potion. But that ain't gonna happen. And we may not win today but we're going to take a lot of you with is."
"Amen sister," said Paige. "This is starting to give me a headache. Everyone is standing here talking about what's going to happen to Piper's baby. Well, in case you all hadn't noticed, you don't have a say in it. She's his mother. She makes the decisions what happens to him. And I'll be damned if I'm going to just stand by and watch as anyone corrupts him to evil."
"Brave words, Auntie Paige," said Wyatt. "Especially from someone who's about to die. Do you really think I care what you think? You're not really even a part of this family. Just a half sister of a witch and a White Lighter who couldn't follow the rules. Now, Prue. There was a true Charmed One. You could never live up to her."
"And I stopped trying a long time ago," said Paige. "I'm not Prue. I never could be. And I may be only a half sister but I've never been treated as anything but a sister. So come on, boy. Let's see what you have. Give us your best shot."
"As I said," said Lucan, forming an energy ball in his hand, "we cannot allow that. You're all too powerful. Good and evil were never meant to have such power. There can never truly be a winner to this conflict. If evil should ultimately win, it would not stop with good. It would devour everything in its path until it turns on itself.
"If good should ultimately prove victorious, it would become complacent in its victory. Pat itself on the back, so to speak, for vanquishing evil and protecting humanity. But humanity is both good and evil. Eventually that evil would rear its head again and the battle would begin anew."
"And what do you plan to do about it?" Wyatt asked. "You don't really think an energy ball is a threat to me, do you?"
"Not to you," said Lucan, "but to the child it is. Without his force shield he can't defend against it. And none of you are fast enough to get to him in time. With the child dead, your power will be gone. The first will not be able to possess the child thus preventing you from ever coming to power. And we can dispose of all of you and finally restore the true balance nature intended there to be between good and evil. You've lost, Wyatt Halliwell. You've all lost. And humanity will be saved in the process."
Suddenly the energy ball leapt off his hand and shot up the stairs, disappearing around the corner. Piper screamed knowing that her son lay defenseless in his crib. Leo orbed out immediately in what he knew was a vain attempt to protect his son.
The First howled in anger and turned to face Lucan. Each of the defenders turned to face the demons next to them. Piper collapsed on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. Phoebe and Paige moved in to protect her knowing that her anguish would be all consuming. As it would be for any mother who had just lost her only child.
Furious, Wyatt seemed to ignore everyone as he turned and began to move toward Lucan. He would be protected from any changes as long as he remained in the past. Which meant he would retain the power granted him by the original fusion of himself and The First. But Lucan and the others weren't so lucky. They would pay for their interference.
The battle that would spell the end to the Charmed Ones, Wyatt, Chris, and all the others gathered in the room was about to begin in earners. And most of them knew they probably weren't going to survive it.
