Chapter 8: The First Try
A/n: I've been working on this chapter since forever, I'm so glad to finally post! Thanks to those few who reviewed! I love you! I don't own Charmed, by the way.
Starry Sky 44: I'd never risk my favorite magical babies being hurt! You'll find out what everyone knows.
Alyssa Halliwell: I loved writing Bridgette. She's exactly like my little sister :p
JadeAlmasy: I love it too!
Piper was still sitting in the attic, content to watch her children play. She had prepared a stockpile of generic vanquishing potions, but she wasn't convinced that they would be of any use. The demons they were facing were powerful, so she had prepared a power of three spell for good measure. The rhyming wasn't exact, but it would work. She waited for her sisters to come back. She hoped they knew something. Without their knowledge what she had done would be useless.
Paige appeared in a swirl of blue-white lights. She looked flushed, and she had an excited expression. "I found one of the ingredients. The elders found out about a witch who went missing about a week ago", Paige said in a single breath. Piper did her best to digest this new information. There was a high likelihood that this woman was dead.
"What's her name?" Piper asked softly.
"Kylie Carter", Paige said. Paige began talking rather quickly again, "I didn't tell you the best part. I spoke with her whitelighter, and she gave me a locket that belongs to Kylie, so we can scry with it." Paige always got excited when they discovered crucial information that could help them save the world. Paige handed Piper the golden chain with the small heart shaped locket. Piper took it without hesitation.
She went to the place where they kept the Wicca supplies and took out several maps, and a crystal on a string. In one hand, she held the locket, and in the other, she spun the crystal just above the map. Paige pocketed a few of the potions and walked over to entertain Wyatt and Chris. Piper had been spinning the crystal for less than a minute when she heard the crunch of gravel from the driveway.
"Phoebe's home", Paige said.
Sure enough they heard Phoebe call, "Guys, I'm home, and I found something!" Paige and Piper heard thunderous footfalls up the attic stairs, and a moment later, Phoebe was in the attic. She was carrying a large folder, and several items in labeled plastic bags. She placed the items on the floor next to Piper.
"Darryl was kind of reluctant to tell me anything, but when I told him that there was a little kid involved, he gave me these", Phoebe said gesturing to the items on the floor. "Here's a file on a five year old girl named Bridgette Thompson. She went missing 3 days ago. Darryl also let me have some of her personal items to see if I can get a premonition", Phoebe said.
"Okay, so, we find where Bridgette is being held, and we use the potions and spell Piper prepared to vanquish these creeps. Simple", Paige said, loving the clarity of this mission.
Piper continued spinning the crystal over the map for several minutes. In her left hand, she held the necklace. Phoebe took several items out of their plastic evidence bags. First she held a teddy bear, concentrated, yet yielded no result. Next she picked up a Barbie doll, a blanket and a toothbrush. Phoebe was about to pick up a hairbrush when the crystal was pulled to the map.
"We've got them!" Piper said triumphantly.
At that moment, Phoebe picked up the hairbrush and gasped. Her whole body convulsed as she was thrown into a premonition.
She saw a dark cave full of the same kind of demon. They were all muscular, and vaguely human, but most certainly demonic. They were a very distinctive shade of lime green. Black stripes covered their arms and legs, and Phoebe could see their razor sharp teeth and long sharp talons. They were very animalistic looking. Phoebe had seen many terrifying creatures, and looks wise, these demons were among the worse.
In the center of the cave where the demons congregated, there was a circle of crystals forming a cage. In the center of the cage sat a little girl. She wore pink overalls, and her brown hair was worn in pigtails. It was identical to a picture of Bridgette she had seen in the file. She was looking at the demons with a defiant look on her face. Phoebe took the time to memorize the image, and imprint it on her psyche.
With a gasp Phoebe returned to the attic. Piper and Paige were instantly at her side. "What did you see?" Piper asked.
"I saw Bridgette, I know where she is", Phoebe replied. She pointed to the map, at the exact place the crystal had landed. "There", she said.
"That's where the new witch is too", Piper said. "That's where the demon will be. Let's go", Piper said, putting a few of the potions in her pocket and handing the rest to her sisters. Paige held out her hands, and her sisters took them. They started to orb, but then stopped.
"Are you sure we're ready?" Paige asked.
Piper nodded emphatically. "We're ready", Piper said surely. Paige nodded unsurely, and the Charmed Ones disappeared in a swirl of light.
They reappeared in a dark cave. 'They always live in caves!' Phoebe thought irritably. In the center of the cave was a crystal cave surrounded by demons. They could see the little girl trapped inside. On the far wall of the cave, they could see an altar draped in black. Surrounding the altar were several black pillar candles. They couldn't make out what was on the alter, but they saw something that looked suspiciously like blood.
"Hey tall dark and ugly!" Phoebe yelled to the demons. They turned to face them, and Piper and Paige saw for the first time how hideous they really were. Piper gripped the cool vial of crimson potion in her hand. Her sisters each had an identical vial. For the concoction she had created, they needed to throw the potions in unison.
"Ready?" Piper asked. Her sisters silently nodded. They pulled their arms back and pitched the potions in the center of the demon horde. The demons were thrown backwards, and obscured by thick red smoke. Piper took the paper with the spell on it out of her pocket and smoothed it flat. Phoebe and Paige gathered close so they could see the spell and say it together. The Charmed Ones chanted.
"Demon from down bellow,
You fell so many years ago.
With this heinous ritual you want glory,
But you crossed us so you'll be sorry.
We call upon our ancient power
To vanquish you in this darkest hour!"
The spell had no effect whatsoever. The smoke was beginning to clear. Out of desperation, the Charmed Ones repeated the spell twice, and then thrice. By this time, the smoke had cleared, and they had succeeded in nothing but pissing the demons off.
The closest demon growled, and began to walk forward.
"Foolish witches!" the demon snarled. "You dare try and stop our ritual. In 36 hours the world will end, and now we will kill you!" The demons at once waved their arms and sent the Charmed Ones flying in the cave wall. Phoebe and Paige managed to pick themselves up with only minor bruising, but Piper remained unmoving on the cave floor. There was a small trickle of blood coming out of a wound on her head.
Phoebe kneeled down and felt Piper's wrist. She was relieved to find that her sister still had a pulse, however faint. Paige saw the demon that appeared to be the leader advance towards them with a fireball formed in his hand. Paige grabbed Piper's unconscious hand, and Phoebe was still holding on to Piper. Paige orbed them all out a second before being hit by the fireball…
TBC…