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And The Hourglass Shatters...

Part 2

Colors are returning to the world and you see it reforming again as it takes the shape of a cave. Kyla's cave, you suddenly understand and wonder why Hell took this form to torture you. You are sure that there are more fitting ways.

You hear a strange voice proclaims, "You summoned me." The masculine voice sounds familiar but you cannot pinpoint from where or when. The man is arrogant, yet not confident enough to reveal his face and chooses instead to hide under a black robe.

You choke out, "Me?" but no voice comes out. In fact, the man doesn't even seem to mind you; you are ghost to him. A frightening idea comes to your mind- what if you are a ghost?

"Yes, I have," replies Kyla's silky voice.

The last shred of sanity you possessed is now floating away and you can't even detect it fast enough to catch it and put it back in its rightful place.

"Why?"

If you hadn't known better you would've assumed that this was a leader of some kind, but then how would he have been summoned in this manner?

"Because I need you and it's in your best interest to help me."

"I don't need your help!" he spits.

"Oh, but you do. You could have resisted my calling, couldn't you?"

"It's not that simple…" he sighs. It is strange, hearing him do that. As if he has feelings. As if anyone in Hell can be seen as human.

"I know you, Belthazor." Something in that name lights something in your heart. You've heard that name before, but where?

"Only by reputation."

"Oh, but this is so much more. I now things about you that no one else can. I know about your father, Cole, and your little witch." Kyla says cocily and without wanting to, you suddenly shudder.

"Anyone in the underworld that was around long enough knows about that." He sounds controlled, but you can detect the slight quiver in his voice.So can she.

"I haven't summoned you to exchange barbs with you, Belthazore. Your precious witch needs help and you and I are the only ones who can give it to her."

"I don't care anymore." He sounds genuinely tired and you can relate to that. But why, why for all the demons in hell, are you being shown this? What is the purpose of this theater? Where's the punishment?
Where are the flames?

"I think you do. Hear me till the end. If you don't want to do it, you can go back to your…life."

"I'm listening."

"First, let me update you on some…occurrences. Piper Halliwell has two sons now. One of them is the Twice Blessed and the other one named Christopher. . ." She's not talking about what you think she's taking…right? "Now, an older Christopher came back in time to save his big brother, succeeded and returned home. The details are a bit vague here, but what will really interest you is that three months later another Christopher comes; only this time he's on the side of evil."

"All very interesting, but why am I being told all this?"

"Patience is a virtue, haven't you heard?
"Anyway, it seems that the Other Christopher's memories are tempering this one's. And now for your excellent question as to what's your business in this- you go back and kill the Other Christopher before his psyche can be embalmed in the world. That way no memories will be set aloft in the air and this…more desirable version of Christopher will not be . . . poisoned."

He grunts, "What am I getting out from all this?"

"Power. Respect. Your life back."

"If I wanted that I would have come back by myself."

"I can make your little witch die with him!"

"You wouldn't dare!" His fist almost hits her but she only smiles.

"I will do everything necessary to save Christopher and Evil."

"You want to save him by killing him?"

"Only another version of him, one that weakens him, that doesn't let him grows and be what he can be- a powerful leader of the underworld. He can save us all, Belthazore. As a son of the Charmed One he has the power to do anything."

"All very altruistic and everything, but where do you come into the equation?"

"That's not for you to know!"

"Hit a sensitive spot, have I? Nevertheless, I don't see much gain from doing as you want. The Charmed Ones dealt with demons more powerful than you before, there's no chance of Phoebe getting hurt. And even if there was, I don't care about these kinds of things anymore."

"You're lying. You care, more than you are willing to admit. I know what love is, Belthazore, even though they say demons can't love."

"This is why you are doing this? For love?"

"No . . ." she says but she's not really convincing.

"I think that's it. Who could have guessed, the big bad Kyla fell in love? So let me tell you something about love- don't play with it. It hurts, more than anything you have ever experienced. Even death can't overcome love. And he will never love you back. That's the way things are. Face it."

She takes big breathes and pales. "What gives you the right to educate me, you fool of a demon? I will not make your mistakes!"

"Yet you need my help." He answers calmly.

"Just like you need mine to win her back."

"She's not something that can be regained." Then his gaze falls on the empty corner where you are hiding and for a moment you forget to breathe, but then his gaze leaves you and you feel free once again. "But I will help you."

"Thank you." Surprisingly, there is no arrogance in her voice.

He studies her and nods. Then says in a rough voice, "Now leave me, I need to prepare myself for the battle."

She's hesitant for a minute, but then shrugs and leaves him alone, her steps echoing until they disappear entirely. Only then does Belthazore open his eyes, his gaze holding yours as if he knows you are there. "I can see that you disapprove. No need to scowl so theatrically."

"You . . .can see me?" you shriek in a none too dignifying manner, still trying to come to terms with what was happening and with the betrayal.

"Of course I can. In order to come forward I had to have the power to see through the different layers of reality."

"So why didn't you say anything?"

"Did you want me to? She was talking about you after all, wasn't she?"

"So why are you talking to me now?" You try to understand but your brain and the heart you never even knew you had hurt too much.

"I wanted to get your opinion." He shrugs as if it's nothing important. "This is your life we were discussing, after all."

"You wouldn't kill the Other Me if I asked you to?" you stutter like a small child but you forgive yourself because for now it's ok to break down.

"I might. Are you asking?"

You stare at him, open your mouth to say something but nothing comes out. You have no idea anymore what's your own good, and what's the Other Chris' good. No one has ever bothered to ask you what you wanted so you just got used to it. So now when you have a opportunity to influence a decision about you, you're not sure anymore what to do and if he really means what he says- that he will hear you. He said that since it's your life that's on the line you deserve to be heard as well. Where was he all these years? Where was he when you were forced to become you and kill your bothers? Now you have a chance to redeem yourself in your own eyes, to make a difference, to make a stand that will change your own life instead of clinging on to other lives, to change, simply because you never could influence yours. You want to believe that you can do it, that you won't be so dependant on the world's blame but do something about it. But can't. Maybe Kyla's right; perhaps inhaling the essence of the Other Chris has weakened you so much that you don't know what the right path is any longer.

"Look at you," he shakes his head arrogantly, but beneath the surface you can see emotions deeper than he will ever dare show. "You don't even have an idea of what you want."

"This isn't that simple." It's an excuse. So what?

"I'll simplify it for you- do you want the reminder of the other Chris gone, or not? Do you want to change, or stay as you are; hurt, in love, human?"

You raise your eyes to match his and whisper, "Will the pain go away then?"

He studies you and there's pity in his eyes but also understanding so deep that it cuts through your heart. "Nothing can make the pain go away, Chris. Your aunt hurt me more than anything in this world, just like your family's love hurt you. It's because we were raised differently, as demons- beings that aren't supposed to love. The other ones…they just don't get it. It's not that simple to just choose the right side when in both ways you can lose someone's love, is it? But I can't make that choice for you. I wish I could, though."

"You love Phoebe." A tear escapes, leaving a trail of wetness and sorrow to be forever imprinted on your face. You finally followed the dots. This is the Belthazore. Cole. The one Phoebe used to love. "And I love Bianca. Does good and evil have a chance to ever be together, or are Romeo and Juliet the world's way of laughing at us?"

He comes closer and claps his hand on your shoulder. For a minute there's hollowness in the place warmth should have been but maybe it's more appropriate that way, he's a ghost, after all. So how can you ask for help from a being that no longer exists

"I will only help you if you want me to. I swore once to your mother that I would take care of her family and you are family. So I'll tell you the truth:sometimes love isn't enough. I loved Phoebe more than life itself. I came back for her from the grave but in the end, all it did was hurt her.So I stopped. Don't hurt Bianca by being with her because you died avenging her. She wouldn't have wanted that."

"I will never know what she wanted now, will I?" you scream like a hurt animal, andin a way you are because so far you have lived for the sake of the plan, only…you haven't. You forgot about it somewhere along the way while being with your family. Kyla's right, you suddenly realize with horror. You abandoned Bianca's memory. You forgot about her. You don't remember anymore the last time you thought about her. In the beginning, it was all you could think of but lately others have stolen your thoughts. Bianca's probably raging in Heaven right now.

"I can make the pain go away," he promises. "But you have to forgive me."

"I will always forgive you. You were almost my uncle." you say and can swear that you can feel the begining of a smile rising.

"Then promise me something in a vow that you will never break- you will not die for her. Nothing is worth it. Nothing, not even her. Trust me, I know."

You want to promise to live for her. You really do, but something stops you in the last minute. Instead, you whisper, "I promise I won't kill myself for her."
When the time's right, you'll let others do it.

He nods and motions you to close your eyes.

From Before Night Awakens:

The seventh wheel of eternity starts circling as the fires of doom rise from every corner, making the door of the damned open with scorch marks. One by one, as Pandora box is being opened, a wave of demons are resurrected from the underworld for a reason that was better stayed buried within the hearts of the deceivers.
The outer walls of the house shivers, ready to protect their habitants even in the cost of their lives. This isn't a mere battle this time, the clouds whisper to each other as they grow solemn in the sight of the massacre that is about to be held, this is a war

The earth is shaking furiously, opening its vast pharynx in hunger. It will return to its sleep only once sacrifice is made.

While everything is happening, you watch incredulously at what seems to be taken from the Tales of Armageddon, and you simply don't know how you are going to save the world this time.

You see a creature hurrying toward Wyatt in his weakened form after healing you, and even while struggling to get up, you simply cannot.

Time freezes and then fastens again as there's nothing you can do. You're helpless, and that weakness has cost Wyatt his life. Now you know why he was turned. You.

He's being taken. There's nothing you can do about it.

You lost.

Outraged, your feverish body abandons this earthly plain and forgets the pains and the aches that are all over you, and you run. Wyatt may have been taken, but you won't let your family be killed as well.

Tears blind you and you don't see where you need to go. It doesn't matter, from every corner there are demons attacking you, and you fight each of them with equal determination, not ready to lose. You have already lost one thing, you will be damned if you'll let the universe win again.

But as it seems, you have no choice. Mom…Piper…is not looking as the blue Garlik demon is ready to hit her with his venom.

Without wasting time, you step in front of her ready to protect her against all costs.

A loud gong is heard and the demons disappear. The offering was accepted.

Your life.

Now bitterly, you fall on your knees ready for your grand end. Death.

"Thank you," you whisper as you feel something inside you changing, the emotions being sucked away and your heart breaking apart to tiny pieces, smaller than the molecules that are building your body. You want to scream from pain, pain that you don't even know it's origin. So you scream, and the ages of the world passes and comes again as the voice echoes to immeasurable lengths, and then you breathe in and then…

Silence.

When you open your eyes again you find yourself in the manor.

"What happened?" you ask Phoebe's concerned eyes.

"You were possessed. You're ok now." She whispers and you inwardly smirk. She thinks this was a mere possession, that this wasn't really you all along. This is good; it means your plan is working and all cards will soon be played out.

"Do you remember anything?" Dad comes and puts his hand on your forehead checking for a fever.

"No, nothing," you reply and realize that it's the truth; only fractured memories are coming forth, of hate and rebellion in the demons' forces, the plan…and Bianca's death.

You will retrieve your lost memories, but you aren't in a hurry. There are greater objectives to conquer, things that must come first.
Speaking of which. . .

"I need to go to the book." You smile innocently enough and indeed they buy it.mYour emotional side has awakened in a roar,and it will not be obliterated by common sense. It is common. You are a king- one of a kind. One who loved and was loved by someone who was more worthy than god himself was, not mentioning mere humans. You simply forgot that.
You will not forget again.

Maybe they see the stubborness. "Scoot along. You know where it is, though only god knows why you need it right now," Mom's voice breaks through your thoughts. She won't be alive for long.

You have a feeling you forgot something, that something has changed, but you don't have a clue what it is. So you tuck those feelings away, for now. Let the crows have their feast on the graveyard of what your emotions once were. All the love, the trust, the pain, all that you don't know its origins are now in you and you need to get rid of them. You need to get rid of all emotions for the greater good, for the sake of the plan, for her sake.

Don't die for her, you hear a voice echoing in the wind. You don't know whose it is or why it haunts you. It doesn't matter. You let go, yet hate scalds even the most unsuspecting hearts. It is neither merciful nor forgiving, but comes as a storm that leaves in its wake only pain and destruction. For who could have known that this is the way of the hearts, to bleed?
Maybe when they stop fighting the bleeding, the pain, will finally stop.