THREE
"This doesn't make any sense," said Piper.
"Let me explain," Destiny said. "Some years ago there was a man named Dr. Andre Harris. He was a college professor of some renown."
"I've heard of him," said Phoebe. "Some of my old college professors used to talk about him. He taught about ancient and lost cultures at some prestigious university. He's practically a legend in the field."
"Exactly," Destiny said. "During his thirty plus years of teaching he stumbled across a very closely guarded secret. The secret of astral projection."
"I thought that was a magical power," said Paige. "Was this Dr. Harris a witch or a warlock?"
"No," Destiny said. "He was just a regular mortal. But with proper discipline, many magical powers can be duplicated. Dr. Harris discovered an ancient manuscript that gave him the secret.
"Once he mastered the ability, he began to use it to visit sites unavailable by other means. Sealed tombs with no way in, undiscovered archeological sites, even ancient temples no one even knew existed. He was able to gather a great deal of information unavailable to his colleagues. Some of which was not meant for mortals to find."
"That would explain a lot of things," said Phoebe. "No wonder he was such an authority."
"Precisely," Destiny said.
"So what does any of this have to do with us?" Piper asked again.
"A number of years ago," Destiny continued. "Dr. Harris began to approach mandatory retirement age. He began to contemplate his own mortality. That he would one day die, as all mortals do."
"Like many of you," interjected Death, "he was simply unwilling to accept this eventuality"
"Well, no one wants to die," said Paige.
"Of course not," Destiny said. "But it does happen to everyone. Except Dr. Harris refused to accept this eventuality, as Death has said. He began to look for a way to cheat Death."
"I'm assuming he found a way to do that," Piper said. "That's why you're here."
"Yes," Destiny said. "Using his ability to astral project, Dr. Harris found a long hidden cache of ancient knowledge. Something that was never meant for mortals to possess. This cache contained some very powerful dark magic that in the wrong hands could be very destructive."
"Does he plan to use this magic?" asked Phoebe.
"He already has," Samuel said. "About ten years ago he used it to physically move himself to the other plane we mentioned. A plane where death has no meaning because he doesn't exist there."
"He found he way to cheat death," said Piper
"Yes, he did," said Death. "Since I do not exist there I cannot enter that plane or I will cease to exist.
"Okay, we're with you so far." Piper said. "That still doesn't explain what this has to do with us."
"It is quite simple." Said Destiny. "Magic, as you understand it does not exist on that plane. Since we are all beings of magic, so to speak, we cannot go there. As Death said, if we do, we would simply cease to exist. Even Leo would suffer this fate since a White Lighter is a being of magic,"
"But as humans," Samuel said. "You don't suffer from this restriction. You can enter the plane with little or no affect on you."
"You're going to all this trouble for just one guy who figured out a way to cheat Death?" Piper asked.
"Hardly," Destiny said. "One individual is of no great concern in the grand scheme. But the affect he is having is. If Dr. Harris does not return to the mortal plane soon, there will never be another human birth on Earth."
"This doesn't make any sense," said Piper.
"Let me explain," Destiny said. "Some years ago there was a man named Dr. Andre Harris. He was a college professor of some renown."
"I've heard of him," said Phoebe. "Some of my old college professors used to talk about him. He taught about ancient and lost cultures at some prestigious university. He's practically a legend in the field."
"Exactly," Destiny said. "During his thirty plus years of teaching he stumbled across a very closely guarded secret. The secret of astral projection."
"I thought that was a magical power," said Paige. "Was this Dr. Harris a witch or a warlock?"
"No," Destiny said. "He was just a regular mortal. But with proper discipline, many magical powers can be duplicated. Dr. Harris discovered an ancient manuscript that gave him the secret.
"Once he mastered the ability, he began to use it to visit sites unavailable by other means. Sealed tombs with no way in, undiscovered archeological sites, even ancient temples no one even knew existed. He was able to gather a great deal of information unavailable to his colleagues. Some of which was not meant for mortals to find."
"That would explain a lot of things," said Phoebe. "No wonder he was such an authority."
"Precisely," Destiny said.
"So what does any of this have to do with us?" Piper asked again.
"A number of years ago," Destiny continued. "Dr. Harris began to approach mandatory retirement age. He began to contemplate his own mortality. That he would one day die, as all mortals do."
"Like many of you," interjected Death, "he was simply unwilling to accept this eventuality"
"Well, no one wants to die," said Paige.
"Of course not," Destiny said. "But it does happen to everyone. Except Dr. Harris refused to accept this eventuality, as Death has said. He began to look for a way to cheat Death."
"I'm assuming he found a way to do that," Piper said. "That's why you're here."
"Yes," Destiny said. "Using his ability to astral project, Dr. Harris found a long hidden cache of ancient knowledge. Something that was never meant for mortals to possess. This cache contained some very powerful dark magic that in the wrong hands could be very destructive."
"Does he plan to use this magic?" asked Phoebe.
"He already has," Samuel said. "About ten years ago he used it to physically move himself to the other plane we mentioned. A plane where death has no meaning because he doesn't exist there."
"He found he way to cheat death," said Piper
"Yes, he did," said Death. "Since I do not exist there I cannot enter that plane or I will cease to exist.
"Okay, we're with you so far." Piper said. "That still doesn't explain what this has to do with us."
"It is quite simple." Said Destiny. "Magic, as you understand it does not exist on that plane. Since we are all beings of magic, so to speak, we cannot go there. As Death said, if we do, we would simply cease to exist. Even Leo would suffer this fate since a White Lighter is a being of magic,"
"But as humans," Samuel said. "You don't suffer from this restriction. You can enter the plane with little or no affect on you."
"You're going to all this trouble for just one guy who figured out a way to cheat Death?" Piper asked.
"Hardly," Destiny said. "One individual is of no great concern in the grand scheme. But the affect he is having is. If Dr. Harris does not return to the mortal plane soon, there will never be another human birth on Earth."
