Disclaimer: Well this is the close to being the last chapter and neither Chris nor Wyatt are mine yet, so I must have failed in my evil plot. Oh well. It was well worth the try.
A/N: Okay some of those guesses are just completely crazy but I love hearing them anyway. But the correct guesser is StoryGirl83 even if you did discount it as not possible after you suggested it. I will be explaining how it is possible though. So here we go.
This was meant to be the last chapter of the story but somehow the events took much longer than I thought they would so there will in fact be one more chapter after this one. So it's not over yet. I hope you all enjoy this.
Chapter 18 : To Belong
"Are you sure Zankou can get in here, Chris?" Phoebe asked looking around the large library in magic school. She had to admit that it was a good choice for facing him. There wasn't enough room in the Manor to really have any sort of large scale battle, which they were all sure this would end up being and besides they wanted to keep Zankou away from Dark Chris just as much as they wanted to keep him away from baby Chris, not to mention the Nexus and the Book of Shadows too.
"Well in my original timeline Gideon stepped down from being headmaster of Magic School just about the time he figured out that he couldn't kill Wyatt. Paige convinced the Elders to let her keep Magic School open after Gideon left and between the other Elders and the Power of Three it remained protected for some time but with the crisis over mini-me well…" Chris pointed out staring at his Aunt Paige who had adopted a sad look.
"I never had a chance to convince the Elders to save Magic School, so all of the enchantments that protected it are gone now," she finished for him.
"Sorry, Aunt Paige," Chris said wincing slightly as she sighed heavily.
Phoebe could feel the sadness that this brought her sister and nephew so she crossed over next to Paige wanting to comfort her. "Hey after this is over you will reopen Magic School. Remember I saw it in my vision quest."
She just nodded at Phoebe and smiled at her nephew. "Don't worry about it, Chris. Right now you are a lot more important than this building is to me."
"Thanks," he answered her and turned to his mother and Wyatt who were waiting not so patiently. "All right, lets get ready."
"By the way, Chris, can you use your powers while you are a projection?" Wyatt asked in hopes that his brother wouldn't be in danger by being there to help him.
"Well I can orb and shimmer, so I don't see why not. I wonder though…" With that he held out one hand and was surprised to see a fireball appear in it. "Ha, my darker self's powers might come in handy after all."
Almost everyone around the room had to smile appreciatively at the power boost that Chris' powers would give them. Piper though seemed worried about it. "Don't get used to that, Mister. The demonic powers go 'bye bye' once this is over."
Chris smirked at that. "Yes Mom," he said in a slightly petulant voice trying to lighten the dour mood they all seemed to be sinking into.
She rolled her eyes and crossed over next to her sisters. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"
Wyatt and he took up places that would give them a clear view to protect the sisters as all three of them gathered together and began to read a spell they had wrote.
The power of the witches rise
Send to him across the skies
That which we now envision
To bring about our salvation
Give to him what we wish him to see
And not what really has come to be.
With those words Phoebe concentrated on her powers of premonition, not to receive a vision but to send one to Zankou. A vision of just Piper taking baby Chris to the Magic School in hopes that he would be safe there and Leo orbing Wyatt 'up there' for his own safety, knowing the temptation would be too great for him to withstand. With only Piper to protect the baby he should be a sitting duck and as soon as it was said Piper called out, "Now, Leo!" Then there was complete silence.
"So did it work?" Paige asked after a few moments of nothing happening at all.
But just as her words died away several demons shimmered or flamed into the room ready to attack with Zankou being the last one to arrive.
Not a soul moved though as Zankou stood in place glancing at the extra four people he had not expected to be there, and the one who was not there who should have been. "Where is the baby?" he asked calmly.
"Somewhere that you will never get him," Piper called out reaching her hands up trying to use her powers to blow him up. Unfortunately it just did not work but did manage to bounce off of him and blast the demon standing beside him.
That was the spark that started the full out battle as demon after demon appeared before them. Piper's hands flicked out time and time again as she vanquished any demon that was foolish enough to get near her, while Paige orbed anything she could into the monsters along with their own fire and energy balls. Phoebe took a more hands on approach as she faced several of them in hand to hand combat but eventually fell back to just using potions to blow them up.
Chris at first had been hesitant to use his demonic powers, worried about drawing Zankou's attention but it eventually became a necessity as more and more of the monsters kept forming in front of him. Once he did let loose with the fireballs several looks of surprise were cast his way by the demons surrounding him and especially by Zankou.
"Stop this!" Zankou's booming voice flew through the room and it was as if every demon present just fell still hearing his command.
Piper flicked her hands out and blew up one of the demons afterwards and gave Zankou a contemptuous look as he growled at her. "What, I don't take orders from you."
"This is useless. Do any of you truly think that you can vanquish me?" he called out in a commanding voice.
Wyatt had been stealthily moving through the demon ranks stabbing as many of them as he could before Zankou's order had frozen them all. He was not yet close enough to make an attempt on the demon though.
"Maybe not right now, but eventually we will. You won't take my son," Piper vowed glaring at the demon.
Zankou smirked at her overconfidence. "I've already foreseen it, my lady. Your son will be mine."
"You might want to use that little power of premonition to look further ahead, demon," Chris interrupted not able to hold his tongue any longer. "You may get him, but you won't rule him forever."
Zankou looked towards Chris with an expression of puzzlement. "You seem familiar." He squinted at the witch who had been using demonic powers to vanquish his minions. "You use demonic powers, yet you fight on their side. This I find curious."
Piper could see the wheels turning inside the demon's head and felt fear grip her heart. What would Zankou do if he realized who Chris was? "Hey, demon. Stay on target here. Who we choose to fight on out side is our business," she called out trying to distract the demon from her son.
Zankou turned back to Piper and smiled at her. "But a demon fighting along side the Charmed Ones. That hasn't happened since Balthazor and after seeing how that turned out, I'm surprised you'd tempt fate again."
Wyatt had been stopped in his tracks when the demons had frozen at their master's command but he knew he'd have to somehow manage to get to Zankou without being noticed. 'Thank god for orbing', he thought concentrating his powers and disappeared into bright lights reforming directly behind Zankou. He immediately struck out with Excalibur in hopes of destroying the demon or at the very least wounding him with the legendary sword.
But Zankou had been prepared for such an event and sidestepped the blow grasping Wyatt's arm and twisting it up pulling the blade with it. He glanced at the sword and a smile touched his lips. "My, my, what do we have here? The legendary Excalibur. I take it you must be Wyatt, then. You really should learn how to use a blade properly before you attempt something so foolish."
Piper and Chris had both stepped forward in fear for Wyatt as they watched the powerful demon disarm him. "Let go of my son," Piper warned her hands up and at the ready. She knew she couldn't destroy the demon with her powers but she might actually be able to wound him if she blasted him enough times.
Zankou ignored her though and turned to face Chris as he thrust Excalibur against Wyatt's throat. "If this one is Wyatt, then that must make you… but how is that possible? I know I shall succeed. I've seen it but I sense no evil in you."
"Let's just say that time travel is complicated," Chris answered cryptically.
Zankou thought about that answer but still seemed skeptical. "I have the feeling that there is so much more to it than you say, but for now I shall work with what I have and that my friend is your brother."
Piper had moved even closer but was too frightened for Wyatt to attempt rushing the demon. Phoebe and Paige had remained quiet but an idea struck Paige. "Excalibur will not allow you to kill its ruler." She could see the pressure that the demon was exerting on the sword to keep it pressed against Wyatt's throat.
"Ah, you are almost correct, Paige," Zankou answered glancing at the sword which was vibrating in his grasp. "The sword senses its true master, yes. But it will not serve a master who is not worthy of it. And I'm afraid your dear nephew does not have the confidence enough in himself to control it. I can feel the blade's reluctance to fight me even as we speak."
Chris could see everything falling apart right before his eyes. Wyatt wasn't ready for this. Zankou was right. Even if he was beginning to overcome his insecurities it just wasn't enough to defeat such a powerful demon. It wasn't even enough to control the sword, which was his own birthright. He knew he'd have to do something to distract the demon and one thing did come to mind. "Why me?"
This confused almost everyone present but Zankou seemed to understand the question. "Why did I choose you instead of your brother?" Chris nodded and waited for the demon to answer the question.
"There have been many rumors floating around the underworld recently about the Charmed Ones' whitelighter. A whitelighter who was also a witch. The rumors spoke of time travel and of future knowledge. It didn't take too much thought to discern that you had to be a Halliwell," Zankou began to explain but the statement struck a cord with the Charmed Ones. They had lived months with Chris and none of them had even considered the possibility until Phoebe's vision quest. How exactly had a demon realized it more readily than they did?
But Zankou wasn't done with his explanation. "It takes a lot of backbone and ingenuity to survive in enemy territory. But you not only survived in it, but seemed almost at home in my realm. That piqued my interest more than anything else. How exactly could a being who was so good maneuver so well through evil? It led me to the conclusion that just maybe you were meant for my world all along."
Chris had to hold back a chuckle at that thought. He really didn't want to admit to the demon that he had seen both he and Wyatt as evil and Wyatt had made a much better Evil ruler than he did. What he did want to do was to draw the demon away from his brother. "You never know. You could be right about that, but that remains to be seen," he said smirking deviously himself.
"Chris, that's not funny," Piper warned not exactly sure what her son was playing at.
"Do I look like I'm laughing, Piper?" He deliberately used his mother's given name knowing how it would sound to Zankou. If he were right Zankou would believe that he was evil, because that was what the demon wanted most. "He may actually be onto something."
Wyatt's eyes widened at his brother's cold tone and Phoebe gasped hearing it. "Chris, what's wrong with you?" she asked in confusion.
"Maybe I'm just beginning to wise up some. Maybe I'm tired of all this constant fighting for a world that doesn't give a damn about me. I'm tired of vanquishing demons, goblins, trolls and every other magical suxen that gets in our way. Well from now on you can do it by yourselves," he answered her giving her a scathing look and then turned back to Zankou. "You want to see if I belong in your world? Follow me and we'll find out once and for all."
With that Chris shimmered out and Zankou smiled knowingly. "Guess I was slightly more effective than you might have thought." He glanced at the sword in his hand that was still fighting his grip and made a split second decision. He shimmered away letting the sword clang noisily to the floor. The other demons in the room took up the fight again knowing that their master would need a distraction.
"Oh my god, Chris, get your ass back here!" Piper screamed in outrage as she threw her hands out blowing up the nearest demon.
Chris shimmered into the attic and knew he'd have to work quickly. Zankou wouldn't be too far behind him. "Dad, we need the time travel potion, now!" he called before he had even fully reformed.
Leo turned to him in slight surprise and felt fear grip him at his son's hurried statement. "What's wrong, Chris?"
"We don't have time to talk. Give me the potions. All of them," Chris called striding to his father's side and holding his hand out.
This confused Leo but he did as his son asked and handed him both of the time travel potions and the source vanquishing potion. "Where are Piper and Wyatt and your aunts?" Leo asked in even more concern.
"Busy," he answered and then another figure shimmered in a few feet behind him.
Leo's eyes widened as he saw Zankou directly behind his son. "Chris, move," he called trying to shove his son out of the demon's path but Chris didn't budge and shook his head at his father.
"Sorry, Dad," Chris said backing away from his father a few steps and glancing over his shoulder at the demon.
"Chris, what's going on here?" Leo asked seeing that Zankou was just standing there with his arms folded over his chest as if he was waiting for something.
Zankou quirked an eyebrow and addressed Chris with a question. "Will you kill him?"
Chris took an unsteady breath and looked back to his father. Leo's eyes doubled in size as he realized that the demon was speaking of him. "What happened to you, Chris?"
The darker version of Chris had been watching the exchange and he started to laugh hysterically. "I knew I wasn't some weak goodie-goodie. It's about time you showed your true colors."
Chris ignored his darker self's comment and looked very thoughtfully at his father. "It won't do any good to kill this version of him. He's from my timeline and he's powerless. So…" Chris flung his arm out and one of the time travel potions crashed against the wall opening a portal directly behind his father. As the portal opened Chris threw out his arm knocking his father backwards into the portal and watched as it swallowed him and then closed in upon itself. The last vision he had of his father was one that nearly broke his heart. He would think that Chris had betrayed them. But it was the only way to save him and he had to try.
"Where did you send him," Zankou asked suspiciously.
Chris seemed to think for a moment and then turned to face Zankou. "Honestly I'm not sure where I was thinking when I opened that portal. Since it's supposed to open to whenever you are thinking of, I wonder how that will come out? Oh well, he'll show up somewhere. I just hope he doesn't end up as dinosaur kibble this time."
The demon gave him a questioning look and Chris just smirked. "It's a long story. Let's just say that he might not do so well since I won't be there to save his ass this time."
"But why not kill him?" Zankou asked still slightly suspicious.
Chris glanced to his darker self and it struck him what to answer. "You see that over there?" he said motioning to his darker self.
Zankou glanced at the dark being still locked in the crystal cage and nodded.
"That is the Chris that was raised by you. And in his ultimate goal to gain power he managed to lock you away, just like the former Source did," Chris said taking a shot that this wouldn't completely anger the demon. Zankou scowled at that notion but kept quiet as Chris continued. "I asked him why he didn't just vanquish you and he wouldn't answer me. I know now that he felt enough loyalty and maybe even some affection towards you because he sees you as a father figure."
Zankou glanced again at the darker version of Chris and could understand the notion. Demons, though they didn't exactly feel love, did at times become attached to their fellow demons, mentors, siblings, and even parents.
Chris could see the wheels spinning in his mind and finished the explanation. "Just as he could not vanquish you, I can not kill the man who raised me either. Well not on purpose that is. I gave him his one chance at survival. We'll see how he does with it."
"I see. I'm assuming you are an astral projection and that is your real body?" Zankou asked nodding towards the crystal cage.
Chris nodded and he knew exactly where the demon's thoughts were going but he kept silent letting Zankou work it out on his own. "I'm guessing you don't get along too well with your alter personality then either."
Chris chuckled at that. "You can say that."
"But he is the one who possesses the spirit of the Source. So if I were to blast you with an energy ball you'd just merge with him again. Then he'd be in full control and I don't see that as being a good thing for you," Zankou had started to form a plan of his own. With the help of his future pupil it would be simple to take down the Charmed Ones and the Elder and then he'd have whatever he wanted.
Chris smiled at that and turned walking towards the podium that held the Book of Shadows. He moved around behind it and placed both hands on the tome smiling like the cat that ate the canary. "But if you do that, how will you get to the Nexus?"
Piper's hands flew up one final time as she blew up the last demon in the magic school and then she collapsed in exhaustion on the floor. She glanced up and saw that Wyatt was healing a shoulder wound Phoebe had taken and Paige was slumped on what was left of a couch that had seen too many energy balls that day.
After Chris and Zankou had departed the demons had not stopped to even let them catch their breaths until they had all been destroyed. Chris, god what was he doing? "We have to find Chris and figure out what he's up to."
"What he's up to! Piper, didn't you hear him? Did you see his face? It sure looked like he was siding with the demon to me," Paige said in disgust. She didn't want to believe that her nephew would do such a thing but she was beginning to wonder if just maybe Chris had spent too much time merged with his evil self.
"No, Chris wouldn't do that," Wyatt said very quietly. He had seen the look on his brother's face and it had frightened him. It reminded him so much of the evil version who had tormented the world in his timeline but that couldn't be Chris. He couldn't believe that the person who he had come to think of as his true brother would ever become that.
"You didn't hear him, did you?" Phoebe asked in a knowing tone.
They all looked to her in confusion not realizing what she was getting at. She just shook her head and smiled. "My nephew is a genius."
"You are going to have to explain that to me, Sis, because I'm still not getting it," Piper said in exasperation.
"He said suxen!" she informed them as if it was the most important thing in the world.
Piper's head weaved back and forth and her face clearly had a 'so what' look plastered to it. She had heard Chris' statement about them having to take care of their own demon hunts from then on. They'd vanquished so many demons over the years that it didn't matter which ones her son was tired of vanquishing.
But Paige's eyes widened at the word. "What did Leo say about a spell to vanquish a suxen?"
Wyatt caught on then and his eyes widened. "Suxen spelled backwards is Nexus!"
Piper's eyes matched her son's and her head started nodding back and forth fiercely. "Are you saying that Chris wants us to vanquish the Nexus?"
"But didn't Chris think it was a bad idea earlier?" Paige asked remembering the conversation they had shared.
"Maybe he's just realizing that it's the only way to kill Zankou," Wyatt suggested. "Face it, I don't have enough skill and ability to face Zankou myself. Chris knows that."
Piper stared in worry at her oldest son. None of them had even guessed what effect not having his little brother around would have on her older son. It didn't seem fair that Wyatt couldn't live up to his full potential without Chris there to push him. But none the less that was how things had worked out. "But in the future it didn't work. We didn't vanquish Zankou."
"Maybe Chris has something in mind that will help that too," Phoebe suggested. She knew that they were taking a leap of faith with this but she couldn't believe that Chris had just all of a sudden changed evil.
Piper shrugged not sure what else to do. "Well if we are gonna do this, we'll need Leo's help… Leo!"
A/N: Well that it for this chapter. Chris can be so devious when he wants to be, can't he? Anyhow, next chapter will be the last chapter and we'll get to see exactly how things play out for our heroes. I hope to get it done soon but that all depends on how my muse treats me and how many other storylines she thrusts into my head between now and then.