Chapter 17: Battling Belthazor

A/N: Wow, this took me a long time. At least I know how I'm going to end this now. I like this chapter cause it's a really great fight scene. And there's great emotional moments too. I still unfortunately don't own Charmed. I wish i could still write this in class. This chapter-y is dedicated to Carmy!

It took me all of a moment to size up the demons around me. They were surrounding us, and there was no hope of escape. I didn't really have much more time to think, which in a way, was a good thing. It took only a vague hand gesture from my father, and the demons attacked.

It was hard to fight when demons were coming at me from every which way, but I did the best I could. Three demons rushed towards me, one from the front, one from behind, and one from the side. My eyes wanted to go everywhere at once. My instinct was to shimmer, but I remembered that I couldn't. Instead I used the only active power I had inherited from my mother, and levitated up in the air.

The two demons that had charged for me looked up at me, a confused expression on their ugly faces. I was very lucky to have ended up with stupid demons. The third demon, however, was much smarter than his fellows. I hadn't yet managed levitate out of harms way when he managed to grab onto my leg. I tried to struggle to stay afloat, but it was no use. He pulled me down to the ground, and hard.

I landed with a thump that was as painful as it sounded. I felt a surge of panic as the demon loomed over with a fireball in hand. I could do nothing but squirm. Stars danced in front of my eyes. I head a loud and clear voice shout "Fireball!" The deadly ball of fire orbed away and into my cousin's hand. She used it to vanquish one of the four demons she was facing.

I got up and shook my head vigorously as I tried to regain my bearings. I wanted to thank Melinda, but she had some of her own demons to battle; as did I. The two demons I had previously thought of as stupid were still ready for a fight. They two had the power to make fireballs, such a common power on demons like this. They threw them at me, and as if in slow motion, I did a series of acrobatic flips through the air, just narrowly missing getting hit each time.

I was determined not to use my demonic powers, for fear of what they would do to me. I chose a more human way of fighting, using my expertise at martial arts, as taught to me by my mother. I levitated again, this time aiming at stinging snap kick at the demons face. I heard a satisfying crack, which means I had broken something. Did demons even have bones?

I had no time to think of that, for that demon was injured, but both were pissed. They charged for me, but not before I had let down my guard. In a fraction of a second, I chose to look at my father. He chose not to take part in the fighting, although Melinda, Aidan and I each battled multiple demons. He looked at the battle before him with an expression that was like he was enjoying this.

I couldn't believe what he was doing! All of this was part of his master plan, even to have us battle against lesser demons. I dodged the demon that lunged for me, and then I saw something that made my heart stop. Aidan was fighting three demons of his own, and for the moment, he seemed to be doing pretty well. He was setting the demon's various limbs on fire, causing them to shriek in pain, but it wasn't doing much permanent damage. At least he was holding his own. Only, he didn't see the demon sneaking up behind him. I didn't have time to think anything; only to react.

"Aidan, duck!" I yelled.

Luckily, he complied by ducking low, and the demon did not. I let out all of the energy I had into using the only demonic power I was sure I could use; creating fireballs. I thought of nothing but saving Aidan. I was afraid that if I thought less noble thoughts, my demonic nature would overcome me again.

Instead of a fireball like I expected, a stream of fire came out of my hands, heading straight towards the demons. Although I was scared to death, the fire was hauntingly beautiful to look at. As the three demons burst into flames, I saw nothing but the fire, and Aidan's face. He was looking at me with a strange sort of admiration. He stood up very quickly, ready for the other demons that were sure to come.

"You have to go", he urged me. I had been standing there staring at him for a while. He was right, of course. My father, who had been standing there so still for some time, finally ran towards me. The other demons were no longer of any consequence. I was up against the legendary Belthazor. If I vanquished him, it would be the equivalent of vanquishing myself.

He charged towards me, but I was ready for him. I crouched low, using his own massive size against him. If I transformed into my demonic self, I would nearly equal him in size, but I would avoid that at any cost. As he charged for me, I grabbed his legs and flipped him clean over my head. He was momentarily stunned. He didn't seem to expect that I would be able to take him. Most demons didn't. I may look small, but I do have power.

My father-no Belthazor, I had to differentiate the two – got up and dusted himself off. He looked at me with his pitch black eyes, looking mildly impressed. "You really are you father's daughter", he growled. I shook my head. He couldn't be more wrong. I was nothing like him. Nothing. Belthazor had caused all of my repressed anger to come boiling to the surface.

I threw fireball after fireball at his chest. They each exploded harmlessly as the made contact. They did nothing more than cause him to stumble a little. He wasn't even so much as trying to fight back anymore. It was as if I wasn't worth it. "Good try, daughter dear", Belthazor said with a smirk.

I had had enough. "Don't…you…ever…CALL ME THAT!" I roared. Every syllable was infused with anger. He had no right to refer to me as his daughter. I was nothing like him; I couldn't be. It was happening again. She was much to angry to even try to control it. Her skin changed to a brilliant red, her teeth became fangs, and her fingers became claws.

I couldn't control myself, I couldn't stop it. The palm of my newly demonic hand felt suddenly hot. A stream of pure fire shot forth, catching me off guard. It hit Belthazor square on, knocking him over. He didn't get up as I expected. Fear flooded me. That fear was enough to force me to let go of my anger. I morphed quickly into my human form. So quickly, in fact, that I felt a little nauseous.

He was an awful, evil, vile and horrible man. That didn't mean I wanted him dead. Okay, I did want him dead, but I needed him alive. Killing him, at least now, would be the equivalent of killing me. Cautiously I approached his prone body. For a moment, I wondered if he was faking it. It certainly seemed to be the evil demonic type thing he would do. I shook that thought from my head. That fire seemed like it really worked.

I inched over to him until he was nearly next to me. I took an athame from my pocket, just in case. It was Melinda's, but she wouldn't mind that I borrowed it. Belthazor was much too predictable. The moment I gently tapped him with my foot, he sprang up, his claws aiming for my throat. I was quick to react.

I drew the athame back, and struck, stopping a fraction of an inch away from his throat. My aim was always perfect. "You are like me", he said, sounding mildly impressed. I kept my expression neutral, determined not to let it affect me. I turned, just in time to see Melinda running towards me. "Patience, quick! Hold my hand!" I didn't question her, and I did as she said.

Quickly she chanted, "We call the power of the Halliwells, Death will take you with this spell!" She chanted the spell once, twice and then thrice, adding my power to her own. All of the demons in the room, except of course my father, began screaming in agony. In a burst of light and color, they were gone. "Now time for my plan!" she shouted above the noise. This was my cousin in her element.

"Keep him busy", she added telepathically. I nodded discreetly in her direction. Once again, I turned to face my father. "So your stupid little cousin thinks she can destroy me", he said menacingly. I merely nodded, determined not to let him see my true feelings. The only thing that I ever remembered my father telling me was that to a demon, feelings were equal to weakness.

We circled each other, never turning our backs. That was one of the primary rules of fighting; never turn your back. "She really is stupid you know", he continued. Keeping with my plan, I showed no reaction. The next thing he said was the last straw. "Your pretty little boyfriend isn't doing too well, and you won't either, not when I rip your cousin limb from limb."

I noticed Aidan then, slumped against the wall. He was unconscious, but still alive. What he had said about Melinda pushed my resolve not to show how I felt right out the window. I wouldn't even let him think about doing something so horrible. I clutched the athame. It felt cold and powerful in my hand. I rushed towards him, forgetting all the rules, forgetting all the consequences. With one movement, I cut a large chunk of his flesh from his arm.

"You know what this means, don't you", I said, adopting his mocking tone, "With your flesh, I can vanquish you." Much to my satisfaction, I saw him cringe visibly. At that moment, Melinda came running down the stairs. I saw the crystals in her arms, and I knew what she was going to do. I jumped out of the way just in time.

With her arm outstretched, Melinda said loudly and clearly, "Crystals. Circle." There was the tinkling sound of orbs, and the protective crystals formed a circle around my father. He was trapped. Melinda orbed from her place on the stairs, to right in front of the cage. In typical demon fashion, my father tried to escape. The cage was activated, electrocuting him and throwing him backwards. "He knows how to get us home", Melinda explained, " He'll need a little persuasion."

I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about torture, even for horrible demons like him. When I remembered what he said about Melinda, however, I had no objections. I nodded where my father could see, indicating to Melinda to go ahead. "How can we get back to our time?" Melinda asked sharply.

Belthazor got up shakily and looked at her defiantly. " Even if I knew, I would never tell you", he said defiantly. She picked up one of the crystals, and he shrieked in agony. In that moment, I didn't know why, but I felt his pain. I clutched my chest; it felt like it was on fire. Melinda and my father seemed very far away. My cousin heard me; my screams mingling in with my father's.

"Patience…speak to me…should I stop?" she asked frantically. Her voice seemed to be coming from somewhere very far away. I shook my head, for speech at the moment seemed next to impossible. She had to get him to tell us what he knew, not matter what it took. Despite what I said, Melinda put the crystal on the ground. Both my father and I fell to the ground.

Belthazor struggled to his feet. "I will speak only…to my daughter", he said. Melinda looked at me uncertainly. I nodded slowly to her. I could handle him….I needed to handle him. Extremely reluctantly, she walked over to the prone body of Aidan, and orbed out with him. I was left alone with my father. I took a few shaky steps towards him. He was locked in the cage, I reminded myself, and he couldn't hurt me.

"What do you want to ask me?" he asked. I may have imagined it, but I could swear his voice sounded almost human. Suddenly, he transformed into Cole Turner, the human version of himself, the one that had made my mother fall in love with him. I opened my mouth to ask him how to get back to my time. I couldn't do it. Now that I had him here, like this, I had to ask him one of the thousands of questions that had been on my mind since he had walked out of my life when I was five.

I decided to ask him the question I had wanted to ask him since I had killed that man, or what I thought was a man. I took a deep breath and asked, "How do you feel when you kill?" Nervously I awaited his answer, hoping he wouldn't confirm my greatest fears.

He threw his head back and answered almost defiantly, "I feel nothing."

I could tell by his tone that he didn't really mean it. I put my hand over one of the crystals in the cage. I looked into his face, so similar to my own. "I'll pick this up if you don't tell me the truth. I don't care what happens to me, I need the truth." I was begging him. I had made myself vulnerable, simply because I needed to know.

He eyed the crystal apprehensively, but didn't say anything. I picked one up, a fraction of an inch off the ground. He screamed in pain and so did I. I put the crystal back before I caused myself to pass out. He looked at me, his face more human-like than I had ever seen it. "You want the truth?" he asked softly. I thought for a second that he was going to cry. "Every time I kill, every single time, it tears half of me up inside."

It felt like all the wind had been knocked out of me. Whatever I had expected, it was not this. It was as if I was seeing my father clearly for the first time. He was not a soulless monster, and he was not as horrible as he seemed. He was a man, made what he was by his circumstances. Nothing more, and nothing less.

"I'll tell you what you need to know", he said. This was what I was waiting for the endless number of days that we had been trapped here.

"I'm listening", I said.

"There is only one way that you'll be able to get to your time. It is the only way you can travel that far forward in time. You might not like it, since it requires evil magic, but it's the only way. You need a very old spell from the Grimoir. You also need a blessing with the blood of the charmed ones. Only then can you return to your time."

I ran through what he said in my head over and over. The Grimoir would be a very hard book to get. While in my time it was in the center of a volcano, thanks to my uncle Leo, in this time it was always in the possession of the source. The blood would be another problem. The charmed ones technically existed in this time, and they were technically witches, but I couldn't imagine how I could get them to give me their blood.

"This is going to be very difficult", I thought to myself, "Difficult, but not impossible."

TBC…