"Replace the Charmed Ones," said the demon, "Use their powers. And take over their lives." Fire rose from the ground, and engulfed the replicas, who disappeared. Leaving nothing in their wake, reappearing where they left.
"Let us out!" Yelled Piper. She opened her hands, thrusting her arms forward. The side of the cage exploded, leaving no damage. "Damn it!"
"Piper, calm down. We're not going to get out that way," said Prue.
"Can't you just...astral projected to the manor?"
"She tried," Paige said, "More than once. She can't. We can't call for Leo because we're in the Underworld."
"Leo!" Called Piper to the ceiling of the cave. Water dripped in a passage way near by. "Leo!"
"Piper," said Prue, "He can't hear you. No one can."
"Paige, you're half white-lighter. Can't you —,"
"No, Piper. I can't orb. I've never been trained."
"The card!" Prue said, "Paige, do you still have that card. If you rip it, we can get an Elder down here."
"No, I left it in the manor."
"Paige!" Piper yelled.
"It's not my fault! I still haven't decided whether I want to, or not."
"Paige —,"
"Piper, I'm sorry. I —,"
"Paige —,"
"Piper, please. You don't have to yell at me I know I —,"
"PAIGE!!!"
"What? Sheesh, Piper. You don't have to yell."
"Can you call for the card? Orb it down here?"
"I — I don't know. Lemme try. Card." Orbs appeared in her hand. When they subsided, a tiny golden card sat in her hand. She ripped it. The two pieces of the gold card glowed gold and rose from her hands, went through the bars, and light changed into a silhouette of a person appeared, the glow subsided, leaving an Elder standing in it's wake. It looked around for a moment.
"Paige, what on Earth are you doing here? In the Underworld?"
"We're trapped," said Piper, "And we would like you to orb us out!"
"Certainly," said the Elder. He walked up to the cage and extended his hand out. Paige took it, but pulled her arm back quickly for the Elder burst into flame, screamed, and exploded.
"Don't you just, hate, unexpected visitors? I know I do...."
Replica-Piper picked up the phone.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Mommy! Where are you? The demon's in the attic...."
"I'm on my way, honey." Replica-Piper flamed out, reappearing at the manor. She opened the door and ran in. The demon was coming down the stairs. She stretched out her arms, her hands open. The demon exploded. Melinda ran to Replica-Piper and hugged her.
"It's okay, Honey," said Replica-Piper, "He's gone now. You don't have to worry." Leo fell from the top of the stair. Replica-Piper screamed as Leo orbed. A demon jumped down from the banister. Replica-Piper blew him up as well.
"Leo," she said, "Who the hell was that?"
"That was a demon...a Kallis demon —,"
"Kallis —,"
"Yes. A Kallis demon. They have super strength and they can smoke in and out."
"God! Where's Prue and Paige?" Leo closed his eyes.
"Paige is at work," he said, "Prue is in her darkroom."
"Prue!" Replica-Piper said. Replica-Prue came running up into the foyer.
"What?" She yelled. "Is there a demon?"
"No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Melinda said you weren't here."
"I wasn't. I just self-projected in."
"Oh —,"
"I'm sorry. I got held up at my —,"
"Camera!" Melinda yelled. Prue's camera orbed into her hand. The lens was broken.
"Freeze Leo!" said Replica-Prue. Replica-Piper stretched out her hands. Leo froze. Replica-Prue flung her hand, a wave of energy shot from her hand, hit Melinda, and she hit the wall, sliding down it, unconscious. "We'll have to wipe their memories," she said, doing the same to Leo, "We can say the Kallis demon did it. Where's Paige?"
"Leo said she was at work. She wouldn't risk flaming here. We shouldn't risk it. I don't want them to get suspicious. Let's go get the book, wipe their memories, and plant false ones." The two replicas walked upstairs.
"Paige if I don't get those files, you're fi —,"
"Here you are, Mr Cowan," said Replica-Paige, handing a stack of files to Mr Cowan, "I'm done with all the cases I've been presented with this week and even some of the ones for next week. I'll be taking the rest of the day off. Goodbye." Replica-Paige left Mr Cowan standing, holding the stack of files.
"Paige," said Replica-Piper, "We need you to say this spell with us. It requires the power of three." Replica-Paige, Replica-Prue, and Replica-Piper crouched down in front of Melinda and Leo. In unison, they chanted:
"We call upon The Power of Three
To change what these to have seen
To make us now become freemen
Make them remember getting knocked out by demons."
Lights spun around Melinda's and Leo's head.
"Nice spell," said Replica-Paige, "The last line was a little long. But, good." Leo and Melinda woke up. "Leo. Melinda." Leo and Melinda orbed up from the spots into the living room. They stirred, and started to come around.
"Think they'll ever figure us out?" Replica-Prue asked.
"I don't know. Let's just do what Oshy asks," said Replica-Piper, "Or she'll kill us —,"
"Piper!" Leo said. Replica-Piper walked in beside Leo.
"Yeah, Honey," said Replica-Piper, "I'm here." Leo looked into Replica-Piper's eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her. Melinda sat up, and stood up, as Paige and Prue walked into the room.
"Piper stop!" Said Prue, "Before you kill us."
"Can't you project out?" Said Piper, attempting to blow the cage up once again.
"Piper," said Prue, "I've tried. Paige has tried to orb. We've tried to cast spells, summon Leo, even one of the replicas. We can't try anything else."
"Melinda —,"
"I'm sure she's fine. They've got to replace us."
"Melinda —,"
"Piper. She's going to be —,"
"No, Prue. We've tried to summon a white-lighter. What about a witch?"
"Summon a random witch? Doesn't sound very safe to me."
"No — not a random witch. Melinda. We can summon Melinda."
"Power of Three?"
"Sure." In unison, the Charmed Ones chanted:
"Powers of Melinda rise,
Course unseen across the skies,
Come to us,
We call you near,
Come to us and settle here." White-lights appeared and subsided, leaving Melinda standing in the cage.
"Oh!" Said Oshy, "Another little witch." Oshy waved her hand, and a column of fire appeared. A Replica-Melinda standing in it's place. She flamed from the cave, into her room at the manor.
"The Elders want me," said Leo and he orbed out.
"Prue! Paige! Melinda!" Replica-Piper called. The three came into the room.
"What are we going to do," asked Replica-Prue, "I don't want to hurt them. It's not fair. They're the Charmed Ones. I have all of Prue's emotions and personality. So, I feel — scared, hurt, even guilty that I'm letting three woman die to give their powers to us —."
"What?" Asked Replica-Piper.
"I'm just thinking," said Replica-Prue, "We have Oshy's and the Charmed Ones' powers? Right?"
"Yeah. So?"
"We could go down to the cave and re-clone them. Then, we bring the real ones up here and leave the clones in the cage. Then, we help them defeat Oshy."
"Or — Oshy defeats us —,"
"Are you crazy?" Asked Paige.
"No. I'm not. If we're part of Oshy, and she defeats us, she'll die too."
"Let's go." The four of them stood up and flamed out, reappearing in the cave.
"What the Hell are you doing here?"
"Shh," said Replica-Prue, "We've come to save you." Replica-Prue flamed the real Charmed Ones out of the cage, cloned them, and put the clones in the cage. Then, flamed the real Charmed Ones to the manor.
A knock came from the door. The real Prue opened it, to find Nathanial Pratt standing behind the threshold.