Angelically Charmed: Scar of the Scarab
"Who-who- are you?" Piper's voice quavered.
"Who am I?" The other Piper's eyes darted about. "I'm you or well part of you." The other Piper stepped further from the shadows walking straight up to the original version of herself. "I think the correct psychological term however is disassociation. At least that's the term Phoebe would use if she would have become a pyschologist like she was suppose too".
"Disa-whose-a-what?" The original Piper repeated.
"Disassociation," the second Piper repeated. "It's when part of your personality separates from the rest of your body"
The chained Piper thought about this for a moment, "Sort of like when my wedding was ruined by Prue's ID?"
"Exactly" the second Piper confirmed, "Only I'm not your inner desires. I'm your means to survival"
"My means to survival?" The first Piper repeated, confused. "I don't understand"
"Im a defense mechanism" the second one exclaimed, "And Magic had nothing to do with it. You sister's have deserted you, and I'm here to get you out of this"
The chained Piper shook her head, "No…no…my sisters wouldn't do that. They'll come for me, I know they will"
Second Piper lowered her head slightly, "Don't you think they would have been here by now if that was gonna happen? Look I know we've always counted on Prue to be there for us, but this time-" The second Piper shook her head. "No, we're in this all on our own. No Power of Three, no magical Whitelighter orbing to our rescue…nothing, Charmed magic has left the building!"
"You're wrong" Piper's nostrils flared making her new counterparts eyes go wide.
"Am I?" Second Piper pursed her lips. "Come on, look what Jeric did to us, how he made us feel? Don't you think our precious Leo would have felt that by now if he could?" Hearing the return of footsteps, the second Piper whirled her head. Jeric was coming back.
"He's coming back" Before she knew it, the other Piper disappeared in a blur.
"Wait- Please don't go!" Piper begged tugging on her chains as Jeric approached her with an elusive grin.
"I thought you'd change you mind about me," Reaching out he pulled a scarab from the grid and promptly ate it. He then moved towards Piper preparing to unlock her shackles. "You sisters should have received my little calling cards by now, so it's time that we called on Isis"
"Bite me!" Piper hissed spitting at the demon
Jeric wiped his left cheek, looking almost pleased "I don't have too" he grinned, plucking another scarab from the grid and setting on it Piper's left cheek. He then watched as the creature sank its tiny fangs into her flesh prompting the witch to howl in agony.
At the manor, Prue stomped her foot on the red Persian rug trying to stamp out the barrage of scarabs that had just appeared from out of nowhere, hundreds of them scrurry all
"Paige!"
"Where did they come from?" Leo swallowed kicking at the one that was trying to scurry up his leg.
"I don't know" Prue ground, "but I think we are need of a supernatural exterminator!" The super witch drew back her arm telekinetically throwing several of the ancient bugs into the wall.
"Paige!" Prue shouted as orbs formed beside her depositing Paige wrapped in nothing but a fluffy white towel.
"Geez, you don't have to shout" The Witch-Guardian flinched at the sound of her older sister's voice ricocheting off of her ear drums.
"Oh..sorry" Prue frowned watching a scarab run over the top of Paige's bare toes. Instantly the Charmed-One jumped at the feel of the creatures hairy legs brushing up against her flesh.
"Eight legs and creepy"
"Mmm…tell me about it" Prue pulled back her foot giving kick with a telekinetic boost. "Is there anyway you can use your force field to contain them?" Prue was referring to the time, when she and Andy had been arguing on the beach and had come under attack from the Sand Demons.
"I'll try" Paige commented flicking her wrist like Prue. "Force Field" Much to her surprise a thin blue barrier fell over the top of the floor entrapping the majority of the remaining scarabs.
"Mmm…your getting better" Prue smiled with Pride. "Now to find out what these things are doing here" The super-witch knelt down and carefully plucked up one of the remaining scarabs from the floor" On it's back was a holographic image of Piper chained to the grid wall. Scarabs were all around her.
"Jeric has Piper" Prue breathed feeling a sick pit form in her stomach.
"I guess he didn't take to kindly to you putting your part of the deal on hold" Paige returned watching shimmers fill the air. Cole and Phoebe appeared, looking refreshed.
"What did I miss?" The original youngest asked leaving Cole's side.
"Jeric has Piper" Prue held out the scarab for Phoebe to inspect.
Jeric? Jeric the Egyptian demon?"
"Prue made a deal with him and then reneged" Cole offered in his usual, I hate Prue tone.
"Prue made a deal with Jeric?" Phoebe cocked her head in confusion, first looking and Cole and then Prue. "Why would you make a deal with a demon?"
"I did it to protect Andy" Prue said solemnly "and instead of protecting him like I wanted, I put Piper in danger"
"You can't blame yourself Sweetie" Paige replied adjusting her towel as Drake appeared at the top of the stairs donning a shower cap and a back scrubber. "Not now" Paige hissed softly, "Sister Business"
"You have lead on Piper?" Drake started down the stairs in a towel that matched Paige's securely wrapped about his washboard waist.
"Nice shower cap" Cole quipped earning a swat from Phoebe.
"Thank you, it's pure Egyptian linen" Drake fired back patting the top of his head.
Her mind whirling, Phoebe started to shake her hands in the air, enough towel business, let's just concentrate on finding Piper…if Jeric has her how do we get to her?
"I know exactly how to get to her" Prue replied crushing the scarab in her palm.
Glowing white bursts illuminating the tomb dropping the sisters, Cole and Drake into position. The air in the tomb had turned rank since their last visit, now smelling like rotting flesh.
"What's that smell?" Phoebe coughed covering her nose as Cole looked up through the thick air. Tombs, which had previously been sealed, were now opened, exposing the corpses of several mummies
"Flesh, someone or something has just died"
Paige looked to Prue feeling her stomach flip-flop. "I hope its not Piper or Andy" Carefully she laced her fingers with her older sister, earning a look of glower.
"They aren't dead until we find their bodies" Prue walked swiftly through the tunnel leading to Jeric's lair shouting the demons name all of the way. They were nearly to the center of the room when Paige stopped short.
"Piper" she breathed seeing her middle sister hanging lifeless from the grid.
"Pipeeer" Prue started to run, with Phoebe and Paige fast on her heels. "Cole get her down!" Phoebe shouted positioning herself underneath Piper's left arm for support while Leo took the right
"Stand back" Cole motioned forming two tennis ball sized energy balls. Taking a pitcher's stance the demon took careful aim and flung the glowing ball at the shackle's on Piper's left side and then right.
Responding to gravity, Piper's body fell limp and lifeless against Leo. "Piper sweetie," Phoebe pleaded brushing long stands of hair from her fallen sister's face. "Oh God Leo" Phoebe's heart stopped at the sight of what appeared to be blackened bumpy growth on her left cheek. "Leo what is that?"
"It's the mark of the scarab" Drake put in before the white lighter could answer. "The ancient Egyptians used it as a way to brand tomb raiders. It's an equivalent to a moral being bitten by a brown recluse."
"The scar will never go away" Leo choked, knowing that it was beyond his method of healing.
"We'll worry about the scar later," Prue returning taking charge. "Leo, Drake you take Piper home, where she'll be safe." The oldest Halliwell had nothing but vengeance on her mind as she watched Leo and Drake orb out with Piper in their arms. Stealthily she then moved towards the area where Jeric had Andy's tomb stored. The oldest Charmed one felt her heart sink with anguish as they rounded the corner, and saw a pile of scarabs devouring the inside.
"It's empty" Paige dared to point out noting the absence of Andy's sarcophagus
"Looking for something?" Jeric stepped out from the shadows looking smug as Prue's face started to twitch. "Don't blame me". He added facetiously, stroking his chin. "Something with the power to open the tomb blew in while I was having my way with Isis, or should I say your sister?"
"You Bastard!" Prue's arms reared back unleashing a mammoth force. Ripples of telekinetic energy flew through the air like a tornado sending the demon through several layers of wall.
Prue kicked her way through the rubble tossing aside pieces of concrete and rock with a wave of her hand "Get up!" she demanded as Jeric lay in the aftermath rubbing his sore jaw.
"That was quite punch" he grinned. "To bad you're not ready to vanquish me"
"Don't tempt us," Phoebe growled pulling out a potion bottle of black liquid.
"You won't use that on me, I'm the only one with the knowledge of how to remove that hideous scar from your sister"
"Oh, I think we can find another way to obtain that information" Waving her fingers Prue picked a jagged piece of wood in shape of stake and flung it at Jeric, impaling his left leg.
"Get ready for a long painful death" Paige added using her power to orb in the scarabs she'd trapped inside of her force field. "Demon" she called, opening the force field just long enough to capture Jeric inside.
The demon screamed as the scarabs attacked his body inflicting a vanquishing poison with every nibble.
Phoebe wrapped her arm in the crook of Cole's elbow as they watched the scarabs pick Jeric's skin clean until nothing was left but a skeleton.
"Shield you eyes," Cole warned covering Phoebe's face with his hand as the bones explode d into a pile of dust.
"Ewe…what a way to go" Paige commented jerking up the left side of her lip.
"It's better than what he deserved," Prue returned distant, staring into Andy's empty tomb. The look on her face told everyone she felt hopelessly defeated. "C'mon, let's go home"
A small antique lamp provided the only light in Piper's room as Leo held his healing hands over the side of her face, desperately trying to rid her of the scar. Piper laid still and unresponsive under the sheets of her bed, looking pale against the hideous mark the sacarb had planted on the left side of her cheek.
"It's no use," Leo told Prue who was standing in the corner near the door picking her cuticles.
"Gently, Leo leaned over and kissed Piper's forehead, "I'm going to go up there for while and see what else the Elders might know about supernatural scarabs" he told her before rising to his feet and exploding into a set of blue and white orbs.
Prue quietly moved towards the bed, pulling up the comforter as she went. There, she thought pulling the large fluffly down cover up to Piper's neck and tucking down the sides just like she had when Piper was little.
Lowering herself into the chair, Prue gently stroked Piper's forehead. It had always been her job to protect her sisters; therefore she would stay with Piper offering comfort until Leo could return.
Hot tears stung her eyes as she thought of what her younger sister had endured all in the name of Prue's attempt to save Andy. "I am so sorry" Prue swallowed, choking back emotion. "What he did to you…" Unable to say anymore, Prue clamped her hand over her mouth letting silent sobs flow.
From the shadows, Phoebe and Paige stepped up. Paige stood behind Prue, wrapping her arms around her neck while Phoebe climbed into the bed, winding her body around Piper, tears leaking from her eyes.
In the dark corner of the room a projection appeared; the projection of Piper's I.D.