NINE
Michael was gone for more than an hour, much longer than Piper thought he should have been gone. This time she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. She could think of arguments both ways.
While he was gone, the others discussed the turn of events. Why would someone evil be using the symbol of the Charmed Ones? Could the necklace be some form of trophy? Had she defeated them and wore the necklace as a sign of her success? That seemed unlikely. Especially since it apparently wasn't even the same necklace.
They got no answers to their questions. All they got were more questions. Nothing seemed to make any sense. Their only hope was that Michael would return with some good news. And maybe a few answers.
Michael finally orbed back into the manor. They couldn't tell from the look on his face if he had good news or not. He sat down at the table.
"Well," he said, "it was quite a visit. I told the Elders of the difference in the necklaces. The point was raised that this seemed like a very minor point."
"How could they think that?" demanded Leo. "Kiethran said the details of a premonition are very important."
"Which was also brought up," said Michael. "Some of the Elders said it wasn't enough to forego their decision."
"No," whimpered Piper.
"Piper," said Michael, "don't become discouraged. In any discussion among the Elders, some always play Devils' Advocate, so to speak. Even if they don't agree with that position, they bring up opposing points of view. To make sure they look at all sides of an issue."
"Michael," said Kiethran, "I think you'd better cut to the chase."
"I'm sorry," said Michael. "In the end they all agreed. Their decision to terminate Pipers' pregnancy has been at least postponed. For the moment, they aren't going to do anything about it."
"Thank God," said Paige. "It's none of their business anyway."
"They all agree," continued Michael, "that no matter how minor, anything that seems out of place warrants investigation. They're going to give us time to check into it."
"How do we do that?" asked Phoebe.
"There has to be a reason you're getting these premonitions and the Elders aren't," said Kiethran. "If we can find out why you're having them, it might help us figure out who's doing it."
"What about the sycophant?" Piper asked. "Do we have to worry about her being inhabited by it?"
"I don't think so," said Michael. "Since the necklace is different, I don't think the woman is your daughter. So I don't think your daughter is in any danger of being taken over by a sycophant."
"But we have to prove it," said Kiethran. "The Elders are going to want to know for sure that there's no danger of that happening."
"So," said Leo, "where do we start?"
"Phoebe," said Kiethran, "how many premonitions have you had about Pipers' baby?"
"Four," said Phoebe. "It all started when I got home from work and found out that Leo had gotten the necklace for the baby."
"That's the one where you saw the necklace being put on the baby?" asked Kiethran.
"Yes," said Phoebe.
"What about the next one?" asked Kiethran.
"Well," said Phoebe, "I was asleep. My premonition was in the form of a dream. I saw a little girl wearing the necklace incinerate another little girl with a fireball."
"That's when she called me," said Michael. "I'm afraid I didn't take her premonition as seriously as I should have."
"What about the third one?" asked Kiethran.
"I was in the attic sorting pictures," said Phoebe. "I saw the woman wearing the necklace vanquish a demon with a fireball. And the demon was calling her mistress."
"And the fourth one was the one I saw with my telepathic link?" asked Kiethran.
"Yes," said Phoebe, "when we were sitting in the living room."
"Okay," said Kiethran, "but there's something I don't understand. Phoebe, you once told me that your premonitions come when you touch something."
"Yes," said Phoebe. "I've had one or two without touching something, but that was because of a powerful psychic impression left behind. But usually I have to touch something to have a premonition."
"So, what were you touching when you had your second premonition?" asked Kiethran. "You said you were asleep in bed."
"You're right," said Phoebe. "I was so upset about the premonition itself it never occurred to me that I wasn't touching anything I hadn't touched a hundred times before."
"And the fourth premonition," said Piper. "You were just sitting on the sofa next to Kiethran. You weren't touching anything then, either."
"So why is Phoebe having premonitions without touching anything?" asked Kiethran.
"Phoebes' power has increased lately," said Leo. "Maybe that's part of her improved premonitions."
"I don't think so," said Kiethran. "That's not how her premonitions work. She may get improved premonitions, but the basic workings for them shouldn't change. No, I think something else is going on here. Maybe they aren't premonitions at all."
"What do you mean?" asked Michael. "If they aren't premonitions, what are they?"
"Implanted visions," suggested Kiethran. "What if someone is planting false visions in her mind masquerading them as premonitions?"
"Why would someone do that?" asked Paige. "What would be the purpose for doing something like that?"
"To get the Elders to do exactly what they almost did," said Michael. "To get them to terminate Pipers' pregnancy and destroy the baby's power. All while they think they're protecting humanity."
"So whoever it is gets the Elders to do their work for them," said Leo. "They put an end to the Halliwell line without ever making a single attack."
"I think this is something more than that," said Kiethran. "I think this is aimed directly at Piper through Phoebe."
"Okay, so now we know why," said Leo. "It explains how Phoebe can have premonitions not even the Elders have. They aren't really premonitions, so no one else would have them. Now the question is, who's doing it?"
"It has to be someone or something capable of implanting visions from a distance," said Michael. "Someone or something that knows Phoebe has premonitions but not necessarily how they work."
"That narrows the list down a bit," said Leo. "There aren't that many demons who can do that. And even fewer humans who can."
"This may take a while to figure out," said Michael. "We have to narrow down not only the type of creature it is but also the specific creature. It may be difficult to figure out just which specific creature it is."
"I'm willing to bet whoever it is isn't human," said Kiethran. "Most humans aren't capable of implanting such specific and detailed memories in another person. It has to be something with an unusually strong telepathic ability."
"You're talking about a demon," said Phoebe.
"Probably," said Kiethran. "But there are a number of demons with an ability like this. We need a way to narrow it down as far as possible."
"We can use the Book of Shadows," said Piper. "That should have all the information we need."
"That will help," said Kiethran, "but what we need is something that can give us specific information on specific creatures. To find out just who or what would do something like this."
"So what we need," said Phoebe, "is an expert in demons."
"Exactly," said Kiethran. "And I'm not sure any of us qualifies in that respect. Even Michael and I don't know everything about demons."
"I know someone who may be able to help us," said Phoebe hesitantly. "Someone who is an expert in all types of demons."
Michael was gone for more than an hour, much longer than Piper thought he should have been gone. This time she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. She could think of arguments both ways.
While he was gone, the others discussed the turn of events. Why would someone evil be using the symbol of the Charmed Ones? Could the necklace be some form of trophy? Had she defeated them and wore the necklace as a sign of her success? That seemed unlikely. Especially since it apparently wasn't even the same necklace.
They got no answers to their questions. All they got were more questions. Nothing seemed to make any sense. Their only hope was that Michael would return with some good news. And maybe a few answers.
Michael finally orbed back into the manor. They couldn't tell from the look on his face if he had good news or not. He sat down at the table.
"Well," he said, "it was quite a visit. I told the Elders of the difference in the necklaces. The point was raised that this seemed like a very minor point."
"How could they think that?" demanded Leo. "Kiethran said the details of a premonition are very important."
"Which was also brought up," said Michael. "Some of the Elders said it wasn't enough to forego their decision."
"No," whimpered Piper.
"Piper," said Michael, "don't become discouraged. In any discussion among the Elders, some always play Devils' Advocate, so to speak. Even if they don't agree with that position, they bring up opposing points of view. To make sure they look at all sides of an issue."
"Michael," said Kiethran, "I think you'd better cut to the chase."
"I'm sorry," said Michael. "In the end they all agreed. Their decision to terminate Pipers' pregnancy has been at least postponed. For the moment, they aren't going to do anything about it."
"Thank God," said Paige. "It's none of their business anyway."
"They all agree," continued Michael, "that no matter how minor, anything that seems out of place warrants investigation. They're going to give us time to check into it."
"How do we do that?" asked Phoebe.
"There has to be a reason you're getting these premonitions and the Elders aren't," said Kiethran. "If we can find out why you're having them, it might help us figure out who's doing it."
"What about the sycophant?" Piper asked. "Do we have to worry about her being inhabited by it?"
"I don't think so," said Michael. "Since the necklace is different, I don't think the woman is your daughter. So I don't think your daughter is in any danger of being taken over by a sycophant."
"But we have to prove it," said Kiethran. "The Elders are going to want to know for sure that there's no danger of that happening."
"So," said Leo, "where do we start?"
"Phoebe," said Kiethran, "how many premonitions have you had about Pipers' baby?"
"Four," said Phoebe. "It all started when I got home from work and found out that Leo had gotten the necklace for the baby."
"That's the one where you saw the necklace being put on the baby?" asked Kiethran.
"Yes," said Phoebe.
"What about the next one?" asked Kiethran.
"Well," said Phoebe, "I was asleep. My premonition was in the form of a dream. I saw a little girl wearing the necklace incinerate another little girl with a fireball."
"That's when she called me," said Michael. "I'm afraid I didn't take her premonition as seriously as I should have."
"What about the third one?" asked Kiethran.
"I was in the attic sorting pictures," said Phoebe. "I saw the woman wearing the necklace vanquish a demon with a fireball. And the demon was calling her mistress."
"And the fourth one was the one I saw with my telepathic link?" asked Kiethran.
"Yes," said Phoebe, "when we were sitting in the living room."
"Okay," said Kiethran, "but there's something I don't understand. Phoebe, you once told me that your premonitions come when you touch something."
"Yes," said Phoebe. "I've had one or two without touching something, but that was because of a powerful psychic impression left behind. But usually I have to touch something to have a premonition."
"So, what were you touching when you had your second premonition?" asked Kiethran. "You said you were asleep in bed."
"You're right," said Phoebe. "I was so upset about the premonition itself it never occurred to me that I wasn't touching anything I hadn't touched a hundred times before."
"And the fourth premonition," said Piper. "You were just sitting on the sofa next to Kiethran. You weren't touching anything then, either."
"So why is Phoebe having premonitions without touching anything?" asked Kiethran.
"Phoebes' power has increased lately," said Leo. "Maybe that's part of her improved premonitions."
"I don't think so," said Kiethran. "That's not how her premonitions work. She may get improved premonitions, but the basic workings for them shouldn't change. No, I think something else is going on here. Maybe they aren't premonitions at all."
"What do you mean?" asked Michael. "If they aren't premonitions, what are they?"
"Implanted visions," suggested Kiethran. "What if someone is planting false visions in her mind masquerading them as premonitions?"
"Why would someone do that?" asked Paige. "What would be the purpose for doing something like that?"
"To get the Elders to do exactly what they almost did," said Michael. "To get them to terminate Pipers' pregnancy and destroy the baby's power. All while they think they're protecting humanity."
"So whoever it is gets the Elders to do their work for them," said Leo. "They put an end to the Halliwell line without ever making a single attack."
"I think this is something more than that," said Kiethran. "I think this is aimed directly at Piper through Phoebe."
"Okay, so now we know why," said Leo. "It explains how Phoebe can have premonitions not even the Elders have. They aren't really premonitions, so no one else would have them. Now the question is, who's doing it?"
"It has to be someone or something capable of implanting visions from a distance," said Michael. "Someone or something that knows Phoebe has premonitions but not necessarily how they work."
"That narrows the list down a bit," said Leo. "There aren't that many demons who can do that. And even fewer humans who can."
"This may take a while to figure out," said Michael. "We have to narrow down not only the type of creature it is but also the specific creature. It may be difficult to figure out just which specific creature it is."
"I'm willing to bet whoever it is isn't human," said Kiethran. "Most humans aren't capable of implanting such specific and detailed memories in another person. It has to be something with an unusually strong telepathic ability."
"You're talking about a demon," said Phoebe.
"Probably," said Kiethran. "But there are a number of demons with an ability like this. We need a way to narrow it down as far as possible."
"We can use the Book of Shadows," said Piper. "That should have all the information we need."
"That will help," said Kiethran, "but what we need is something that can give us specific information on specific creatures. To find out just who or what would do something like this."
"So what we need," said Phoebe, "is an expert in demons."
"Exactly," said Kiethran. "And I'm not sure any of us qualifies in that respect. Even Michael and I don't know everything about demons."
"I know someone who may be able to help us," said Phoebe hesitantly. "Someone who is an expert in all types of demons."