Hopefully someone is reading this and you haven't given up on me in disgust due to the long wait. Thank you again for the reviews, I do really appreciate them, although I am hoping that Calen meant the cliff hanger rather than chapter itself sucked.
Chris is sat in the conservatory rewinding Wyatt's conversation over and over in his head. It worries him, he knows that Wyatt is wrong, that he must be wrong, but what can he do? Some whitelighter I am. Feeling totally out of his depth he is delighted when Leo unexpectedly orbs in and welcomes his father with an unusually enthusiastic. "Hey Dad"
Leo,distracted, doesn't notice, "Chris, do you know where Wyatt is?
"He went out" knowing that he can't let this opportunity go Chris quickly continues. "Dad, I need to talk to you about the rules. Say someone....... Simon, said the rules were stupid and thought that it was acceptable to obtain demonic powers what would I..."
"I'm really sorry Chris I have to go, it's important, I'll come back and talk to you later" noticing his son's face for the first time he adds more strongly, "I promise."
Then he's gone, leaving Chris crushed, again, just staring at the space where his father had stood.
"LEO" Paige's exasperated voice calls out from the kitchen. They have been calling for him for an hour. "Piper where exactly is he?"
Piper shrugs, and is beginning to look concerned when Phoebe quickly changes the subject. "So ok, we've got the potion for Riama and we're sure, well fairly sure, that vanquishing him will restore the whitelighters, so the only question left is what do we do about the innocents?"
Piper looks at her in amazement unable to believe what she is hearing. "By innocents do you mean the people that aided and abetted the kidnapping, brain washing and exploitation of my husband? Because I've got a very good idea what we can do about them."
Phoebe squeezes her hand "I take your point honey I really do, but I'm serious, its not as though we can hand them over to the police. We can't use our powers to punish them and we certainly can't vanquish them".
Piper rolls her eyes at sister, as if to indicate that this is debatable, however, Paige interrupts before she can make a case. "Not wanting to get all Negative Nancy about this but its pretty academic if LEO doesn't get his orbs down here and take us back to where this demon hangs out. LEO".
Leo arrives suddenly, looking preoccupied. Paying no attention to Paige's sarcastic comments, he quickly takes Pipers arm; at the same time subtly shaking his head at Phoebe's unvoiced question "OK everyone ready to go? Paige you get Phoebe" and they orb out.
They orb back in to a stark, white dormitory, lined with empty beds. "Well, its not exactly your typical demon lair. Are you sure this is the right place Leo?"
He looks around feeling ill at ease "Very. Trust me, being kidnapped and imprisoned is something that makes an impression. Ok Ramia's rooms are quite close by, if you need me just call" and he leaves
They are all taken aback by his abrupt departure and Piper is about to demand his return, when Phoebe stops her.
"No time for a domestic, Demons to vanquish, whitelighters to save and innocents to argue about" and she ushers them out of the door. ...............
They find Raima in a room close by and are surprised by how unconcerned their appearance makes him. "My, the charmed ones themselves, I am flattered" He gives them a warm and welcoming smile.
"Please forgive my human colleagues, in their ignorance they are regrettably less impressed", As he speaks he gestures to a display screen similar to the one in Cavendish's office and the women can see themselves on it, looking small and unthreatening besides the awe-inspiring demon. The surrounding human faces look at best curious. Raima shrugs apologetically "Mortals, what can you do?"
Slightly unnerved by this welcome they move closer together, Paige whispers "Ok, so not the effect we were looking for, what now?"
"How about this!" Phoebe throws the Book of Shadows potion they've prepared at Raima, who is instantly encased in a massive explosion of fire, his blood curdling screams echo around and round the room.
Piper turns to the mortals on the screen "Impressed now?" Several of the occupants have half risen in alarm, all look frightened, but suddenly they settle down again, as though making themselves comfortable for the next act, a couple even snicker. Confused, Piper looks back to see Riama emerging from clouds of smoke, delicately wafting them from his face.
"Dear, dear, a vanquishing potion of mandrake and oooh don't tell me pigs feet, am I right? I haven't been vulnerable to anything that primitive for years. Is that really the best you've got because I am insulted by your lack of effort" This affectation over he snarls, "I'll think you will find that it's my turn"
He pulls back his hands and streams of fire roar from his fingers towards Piper, Paige orbs her sister to safety before she can react. While he is distracted Phoebe puts her hands to her temple causing Riama to fall to his knees crying out in pain and surprise as he clutches his head, he struggles through it and he is up, telekinetically smashing Phoebe against the wall. As she slumps into a crumpled heap he glares at her with rage "Stay out of my head witch", raising his hands to finish her off. Then suddenly he freezes.
There is a shocked pause, a moment of silence until Piper calmly walks from behind Riama, her attention on the horrified people on the screen. "I think that the mistake you made was believing that he was scarier than us because he is evil, it's a common misconception. As she talks she walks around the frozen demon, exploding each of his fingers in turn. They shatter, splattering blood and bone around the room, the humans watch her mesmerized.
"I think for your future health and careers, it might be a good idea if you came to appreciate how truly inspiring only the good can be". With all the fingers gone, Piper, explodes both arms. Sounds of retching and weeping can be heard from the screen. She carries on regardless, "I would hope that this demonstration of our goodness will inspire you to introduced some element of bonefide work for the needy." In a quick movement Raima's head then torso blow up. "We will of course by happy to encourage you on a more personal level should you require it in the future.
Standing over the remains of her vanquished victim she turns back to the screen and smiles innocently "I'm not sure you heard me when I originally asked, are you impressed now?"
They all nod dumbly, too terrified to speak.
As he orbs in Leo instinctively cowers, his senses reeling from the onslaught on all sides. A wall of sheer noise crashes down on him grating against an overwhelming smell of rancid demon flesh, making him gag. The crush of bodies jostles him back to reality and he is alarmed to see the scum of the demon world that surrounds him. He quickly glamours into a more appropriate demonic form, but he needn't have bothered, no one is looking at him, Braxton, Glagie, Movien, Slgggh.....the list of demons seems endless but, one and all they are concentrating on an arena in front of him where two fighters are battling to the death. The crowds individual baying gradually merges into a collective deafening chant as they shout, hiss, whistle and clack in a nightmare chorus goading on their champion.
Leo alone has no eyes for the fight. He is desperately looking for Wyatt. He tries again to sense him, knowing it will be futile now as it has been all day, as a final resort he had been forced to follow his son's orb trail but with the magical and demonic interference now around him he can follow no further. His nose wrinkles in distaste as a waft of particularly pungent demon assails it. Why would Wyatt come here? to this cesspit of life. He had never been interested in violent sports, Leo finds himself, for the first time ever, feeling a sense of disappointment in his eldest son. He might as well leave, if he where still here, Wyatt, like Leo would have glamoured into some other form. A surprised ooooh escapes from the audience and despite himself Leo looks at the ring as his world and everything he has ever known falls apart.
"NO!" A wail of anguish pours from him as he stares at the centre of the arena, there, being blasted by fireball after fireball is his little boy. Terror like he has never known overcomes him and he tries to orb into the ring, desperate to get between Wyatt and the missiles, desperate to save his son. His orb cloud hits the wall of an invisible magical barrier and he slides down it back into the crowd barely conscious, a roar from the mob rouses him and to his disbelief he hears the compare announce that his son is victorious and the legitimate possessor of the defeated Shakkar demons powers. Leo drags himself to his feet to see his child now stood exultant, over the remains of his vanquished victim, his arms raised in triumph as he drinks in the adulation of the demon horde crying out his name.
I have a confession to make, I am finding the end really difficult to write. I am stuck between what I think should happen and what I want to happen. Its pretty much a choice between sad or positive. I realise its a cheek, but if you care and have a preference one way or another let me know, that way I can blame you if it turns out a pig's ear..