Chapter Eighteen

"Not nice," Piper chastised her younger sister, though Leo's comment bothered her too. She never liked putting Leo on the spot, forcing him to choose between her family and his calling, but Phoebe's life was on the line.

"Make it quick, Leo," Cole impatiently suggested.

"Think about it, Cole," Leo urged. "You know what an Avatar can do when it comes to manipulating time and space. And I know you're all too familiar with every choice you make having a consequence."

"Get to it," Cole practically snarled. He had no desire to rehash the past with any of them, certainly not now when Phoebe was in such danger.

"He's trying, rather delicately, to tell you," a new voice revealed, "that if you save Phoebe, you will kill her."

"Great," Paige muttered, "now Mr. Avatar really is here."

"Well, we've got no intention of killing our sister," Piper declared, "so unless you've got another fairy tale --"

"Hear him out," Leo interrupted before apologizing to his wife, "please, Piper, you need to be prepared…"

"It's no fairy tale," the head Avatar maintained. "It's tragic but it will happen if you go after her."

"Then," Cole decided, "I won't go. Besides, now that they have the potion, they won't need me." He watched the sisters' jaws drop and explained, "We all know he means I'm the one who'll kill her. Phoebe's right about me and what I am and I refuse to put her, or you, in any more danger because of it. I'll wait here for you, just in case, and then I'll leave…for good."

"Phoebe's rubbed off on you," Paige mused. "And that's not necessarily a good thing."

'Insulting both me and Phoebe, that's different,' Cole thought. "You're running out of time and I'm not going to arg--"

"Running away isn't the answer," Piper interrupted. And before Cole could deny her comment, she continued, "I know you don't want to hurt her but Phoebe's decided she wants you in her life and that means living and dealing with all the consequences that come with you, including Belthazor."

'She decided what?' Cole was taken aback by the revelation. He knew Phoebe still cared but was positive it wasn't enough to change her mind about their future once the danger passed. Now he was torn between desire and practicality. Did she really want him? Was she really willing to risk her life for all the dangers he brings? Could he test her resolve at the risk of her own life? Or would it be better for all of them if he left voluntarily?

"Besides," Paige added, "I've got a bad feeling we will need you. So maybe," she glared at the Avatar, "Phoebe will die if you don't come with us. Isn't it better that we at least try to save her?"

"What did you see?" Cole asked the Avatar.

"You find Phoebe and free her and then proceed to twist her neck until it snaps," he answered gravely. "This is not like the world you created, Cole, where life returns to normal if you fail. If Phoebe dies, it is permanent and not even we will be able to bring her back."

"You've the power," Cole countered as he weighed the odds.

"True," the Avatar conceded, "but when we're so close to achieving Utopia and after having just lost one of our own, we won't be able to expend the massive quantity of energy required for such a task and still achieve our goals."

"Understood," Cole nodded. "Let's go," he told the others.

"Wait," Leo called out as he grabbed Piper by the elbow, "you're still going to risk Phoebe's life?"

"Do you have a better idea?" She sighed, "I don't want to lose my sister, Leo, but the only chance we have at saving her and stopping Zankou is if we all go."

"One last thing," Cole suddenly questioned his briefly former colleague, "why did Phoebe have a vision of a demon-free utopia? Are all demons immediately vanquished when the change occurs?"

The avatar stroked his beard before replying, "Perhaps we should save that conversation for the proper time."

Why would Cole have suddenly asked about it and why didn't the Avatar give a straight answer? Paige didn't like the scenarios running through her mind and requested, "How about now? You need our help so badly, answer the demon. What happens when the world turns into a utopia? And what exactly do you expect us to do to make it happen?"

"Nothing dangerous," the Avatar assured her. "We will simply add your powers to ours as we work the spell."

"And the demons?" Piper wondered, growing more suspicious about the Avatars than she'd been the day before.

"Shall be trapped below," he answered simply. "And those that are above at the time of the change shall be rendered powerless with no means to return. They will be easily vanquished by witches and the like."

Paige was still trying to figure out the downside to that part when Cole spoke.

"And what about humans who behave like demons? What about the abusers, thieves, rapists, and murderers?"

"They shall be dealt with," the Avatar responded. "Don't let it worry you. The world will be a peaceful place."

But if anything, Piper was more worried. "Dealt with, how?"

"Peace can't exist without conflict," Cole shook his head, "and it seems to me that you'll be playing gods in order to determine that conflict won't exist."

The Avatar glanced from one face to another, "We will only step in when conflict reaches a boiling point, if you will. Minor arguments, of course, will still exist. But full-scale fights and wars will cease to be."

"Because you'll make the dissenters cease to be?" Cole accused. "Will you really wait until a boiling point to intervene?" Without waiting to hear an answer, he ordered the sisters, "Let's go. We'll deal with this later…if there is a later."

"We cannot allow there to be dissension," the Avatar called out, "else Utopia cannot be maintained."

"And that's why there's no such thing as true utopia," Cole disagreed as he turned to the witches. "You'll be losing your free will which --"

"It isn't like that," the Avatar interrupted. "There is beauty awaiting every living being in Utopia."

"It's your beauty and it isn't real," Cole argued. "The hypocrisy of you warning me against changing the world…"

Piper watched the Avatar wordlessly disappear and she hesitantly kissed Leo's cheek and softly told him, "We have to talk later."

"Be careful," he whispered to her before stealing another kiss. "I love you…"

Piper gazed at him a moment before turning back to Paige and Cole. "Give me your vials so I can fill them with the new potion." She filled up her own two before filling up Cole's.

"Damn, I almost forgot," Paige exclaimed when she pulled her vial from her pocket. She handed her vial to Piper and then showed the amulet she'd pocketed earlier to Cole. "I forgot to give this to you before. I got the instructions from one of the basic protection spell books at school."

"You made it for me?"

Paige shrugged as she handed it to him, "Piper was busy with the potion and Phoebe was busy, uh, with you." She watched him examine it and advised, "It should be strong enough especially now that Phoebe, uh…"

Cole's eyes narrowed their gaze on her when Paige abruptly stopped speaking. "Now that Phoebe what?"

"Nothing," Piper quickly assured him. "Phoebe just added her own spell to the amulet, don't worry."

Even through his T-shirt, the crystal felt warm against his chest. It felt like Phoebe. 'What did you do, Phoebe?' And why was he suddenly scared? "Piper?"

"Later, Cole," she firmly told him as she handed Paige the last vial and linked arms with her sister.

Resisting temptation to dwell on it, he transformed into Belthazor. "Let's go."

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They entered the cavernous chamber and Paige and Piper rushed to their sister who was chained to the ground.

Phoebe raised her head and smiled wanly, "Took you long enough."

"Oh, Pheebs, we've been looking for almost an hour…" To Piper's relief, the cuts and bruises on Phoebe's face and arms seemed superficial and she turned to Belthazor, "Can you do something about those chains?"

When Piper stepped aside, Phoebe saw who approached. Unable to keep from gasping and shrinking back from him, she quickly apologized, "You took me by surprise."

Unwilling to show any emotion to her immediate reaction, he simply said, "I understand." Holding her wrists by the shackles, he yanked hard and pulled the chains free from the ground.

"Ow," Phoebe quietly uttered. "What now? I can't exactly go dragging these around as we go for Zankou."

"An energy ball might still incinerate your hands," he gruffly told her. "Piper?"

"I've never been quite so specific before," Piper worried. "And with my powers weakened down here, I might not be able to focus enough and I'll blow up her hands too."

"Let me try," Paige suggested. When no one argued, she stepped back from her sister and held out her hands in front of her, "Phoebe's chains." In a moment, the chains appeared in her hands. Caught off-guard by their weight, she nearly dropped them as she teetered for a moment trying to maintain her balance.

Piper hugged her freed sister, "You don't know how scared I was, especially after the Avatar made that prediction about us killing you."

"Well I'm still here so leave the predictions to me," Phoebe laughingly suggested before pushing herself free from Piper's arms. "Now we'd better move while we still have the chance to get Zankou."

"You know where he is?" Paige asked as she tossed the chains to the ground.

"He said he'd be waiting in one of the Source's chambers for some report on the Avatars," Phoebe replied as she hurried to the doorway and slowly peered into the corridor.

"The guards are dead," Belthazor announced. She'd barely looked at him. Either he was overreacting to her behavior or she was really afraid of him now that she'd seen him again.

"Of course they are," she commented with a slight smile, "I know you're good at what you do. Sorry, nerves…"

"So how do we find the Source's chambers?" Piper wondered before sheepishly looking at both Belthazor and Phoebe. "Sorry, I guess we can't put some things to rest yet."

"I guess not," was all he replied as he stepped over a demon's body and led the way.

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They'd been walking for nearly twenty minutes when Phoebe suddenly stopped short in front of a doorway to a dark chamber. "Wait. In there…"

"I don't think we should be stopping," Paige warned her sister.

"No, something's there," Phoebe insisted. "Don't you feel it? We have to go in."

"Don't get distracted, Pheebs," Piper told her as she tried to peer into the blackness. "It's too dangerous."

"If it makes you feel better, why don't you," Phoebe indicated to Belthazor, "go first?"

"It's probably a trap, Phoebe," Piper suggested. "We've been lucky 'til now so let's not push it and just get to Zankou before we're discovered."

"No," Phoebe refused to move. "We need to go in here first. I'm telling you, it's safe. I can feel it…"

"Fine," Belthazor growled, "wait here."

But when Piper noticed that his amulet had begun to glow a deep shade pink, she grabbed his arm to stop him. It would only glow if he was about to be put in danger. "Phoebe, wait…Don't go in there."

"Don't be silly," Phoebe smiled as she moved past Belthazor, "I'll show you there's nothing to be afr--"

Belthazor cut off her comment by grabbing her back. As she struggled in his grip, he ordered Paige to throw a rock into the chamber. When Paige quickly complied, they were thrown back off their feet by an explosion.

Coughing and getting to her feet, Piper stared at her younger sister in surprise, "Phoebe, what the hell were you thinking? I told you not to go in there."

Phoebe had barely gotten to her feet when Belthazor had her in a chokehold. "What the hell's wrong with you?" she hoarsely demanded. "Now the vanquish for Zankou's gone. Let go of me."

"What vanquish?" Paige wondered. "Did Zankou tell you it was there? Phoebe, it was a trap. He was using you to bait us. We'd've been killed if we'd gone in there."

"No," Phoebe rasped. "I fought him, fought them all. It was safe to go in there. The vanquish was there…"

"The only vanquish for Zankou," Belthazor harshly informed her, "is the one we've created." He tightened his grip around her throat, "What did Zankou do to you?"

"Nothing…He did nothing…And you're insane," she accused. "Vanquish him, Piper. He's evil and I wan--"

"Do it, Cole," Piper interrupted in a tearful whisper. The Avatar warned them what would happen. It was obviously too late. Phoebe was already lost the time they made it to the Underworld to save her.

Paige realized what her older sister meant and gasped, "Piper, no…"

Piper gazed directly at Belthazor and pleaded simply, "Just do it."

He didn't hesitate and twisted Phoebe's neck with a snap. He let her body drop to the ground and braced himself for her sisters' reactions.

Paige's knees buckled and she sank to the ground in shock, "My God, Piper, what have we done?"

Belthazor stared at Phoebe's body and tried to reign in his emotions. "We did what we had to do. What I'd promised her I'd do."

"Which was what, exactly?" Paige asked as she hesitantly reached out and brushed a lock from Phoebe's face.

"That I'd let her die before I'd turn evil or let her turn evil," he confessed tonelessly.

"What makes you think you're not evil?" But even Paige didn't quite believe her own question. She knew he'd been in danger as an innocent or the crystal would never have glowed as it did. Phoebe meant for him to enter that room, meant for them all to enter. "Maybe she didn't know what she was doing. We didn't even try to save her. Maybe there was something we could've done…"

Piper, standing behind both sisters, couldn't handle the thought of second guessing her decision and she numbly asked Belthazor, "What now?"

"We go after Zankou," he stated. "We go after him and destroy him."

"And then we'll come back for you," Paige promised her sister before gently kissing Phoebe's forehead.

"Maybe we can convince the Avatar to change his mind," Piper whispered as she hugged Paige when Paige stood. "Maybe if we agree to create a utopia, he'll bring her back."

Paige glanced down at Phoebe's body, "I hope so, Piper, because I don't know what we'll do without her."

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They walked along the corridor each lost in personal thoughts about Phoebe. As they approached the wide opening to another dark cavernous chamber, Belthazor motioned for the sisters to remain flush against the wall. He armed himself with energy balls and entered. "What the hell?"

Paige and Piper quickly followed and, when their eyes grew accustomed to the dim torch light, they gasped in surprise and cautiously neared the figure chained to the ground.

She slowly raised her head and smiled wanly at her visitors, "Sure took you long enough."

"Phoebe?" Piper uttered in shock as she and Paige hovered in front of the prisoner.

"In the flesh," Phoebe groaned, "sore as it is. So how 'bout some help now," she rattled her chains, "so I can go and kick some demonic butt."

"Shapeshifter," Belthazor growled as he remained standing in the shadows just inside the doorway. He knew how good shapeshifters could be and was determined not to let this one's act get to him. And yet they could use her to get to Zankou. "Free her, Paige." When she hesitated, he held up the crystal, "No danger now. Go."

"It took a while the last time," Paige resisted.

"Guys, what's the hold-up?"

"Go ahead," Piper softly encouraged. "One step at a time."

Paige repeated her earlier performance although this time she was prepared for the weight of the chains. She stared at Phoebe before tossing the chains to the side. While a part of her wanted to believe this was her sister alive and well, there was another, louder, part screaming that Cole was right about it being a shapeshifter. Maybe this time they'd play along longer and find out information about Zankou's plans.

Piper reached for Paige's hand and clenched it. She was so afraid of believing that this was really Phoebe. The Avatar was adamant they'd kill their sister which they've already done. He didn't say they'd kill a shapeshifter so this Phoebe in front of them had to be a shapeshifter. But how much danger would she put them in before they could get to Zankou? 'Or will we have to kill her first? I don't know that I can watch my sister die again even if it isn't really her.'

Phoebe sat where she was and rubbed her newly freed raw wrists. She looked up at her sisters in annoyance, "Y'know, even a little hug might be nice about now…I swear I ache in places I didn't even know existed."

She complained like Phoebe but Piper was still afraid to believe. "Get up, Phoebe, and let's get going."

"Figures you're mad at me for something…" Phoebe grumbled as she got to her feet by herself. She almost lost her balance when she suddenly realized Belthazor was guarding the doorway. Her hand covering her heart she quickly apologized, "You took me by surprise."

"Likewise."

"Huh?" Phoebe glanced in confusion from one to the next. "All right, why're you all acting so weird?"

"Phoebe, go to your safe place," Piper instructed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paige's eyes widened, "Piper, we can't let her go. She's probably a de--"

"I know what I'm doing," Piper interrupted as her heart pounded in her chest with hope.

Phoebe hesitated, "Piper, I don't think this's the time…"

"Just go to your safe place," Piper demanded. "Now!"

Phoebe took a moment before she stood in front of Belthazor who remained motionless. She gazed up at him and slowly leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Oh, thank God," Piper sighed in relief as she wiped away a tear from her cheek.

Only the real Phoebe would have known about that safe place so Belthazor was convinced of her identity. He'd almost forgotten how small she could seem to him while he was in this form. When she sighed quietly, he slowly allowed himself to relax and return her embrace. Phoebe was alive and, for the moment, that was all that mattered.

Frustrated by Phoebe's snuggle-time-out with Cole, Paige exclaimed, "Will someone tell me what's going on?"

"I've got no idea," Phoebe replied as she pulled away and patted Belthazor's chest, "but we don't have time. Zankou's waiting for a report on the Avatars and then he's gonna move."

"Where've we heard that before?" Paige worried. "I suppose he's waiting in the Source's chamber…"

"How'd you know?" Phoebe wondered in surprise. She looked up at Belthazor, "I think he deliberately chose it and was gauging my reaction. He thinks I'm going to become his new seer."

"Oh, I know you will," Zankou commented with confidence when he flamed into the chamber. "The oracle may not be entirely accurate but each reading she did had you at my side." He noticed the way Phoebe stepped closer to the demon at her side. 'She doesn't even realize she's doing it. Of course, as it is Belthazor, perhaps she does.' He smiled at the demon and greeted, "Welcome home, Belthazor. Perhaps you can convince your mate of the benefits of being at the top."

"And perhaps you should say hello to the Source when you meet him in hell," Belthazor spat as his hands clenched into fists.

"I might, if I were headed there," Zankou smiled knowingly, "as I'm not…"

"Says who?" Piper challenged as she showed him her two vials of potion.

"Interesting," he acknowledged. "However, which is more important to you? Vanquishing me or saving an innocent?"

"What innocent?" Paige asked, her stomach turning in knots at the thought of him referring to Kyle.

"And so," Zankou folded his arms across his chest in satisfaction, "we arrive at your test. Will the Charmed Ones fight for the greater good or will they risk everything for one neophyte demon?"

"Where's Kyle?" Paige demanded.

Zankou glanced at his wrist to a watch he didn't wear, "Right now, I'd say he's about to vanquish an Avatar."

"You're lying," Phoebe accused with quickly waning confidence.

"Ah, Phoebe," he grinned, "you know me better than that. Now make your choice. Time is running out."

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