A/N Paige refers to her past life as The Evil Enchantress, a fairy tale and she intended to kill the Princess and used Magic to seduce the Prince with the intention of getting pregnant, then killing him and ruling the kingdom herself. When Piper is pregnant Grams is summoned and the girls are attacked by fairy tale villains, Grams tells them that many tales are retellings of ancient battles between good and evil.
I've read some of the original forms of fairy tales, the ones told to kids are seriously cleaned up versions and the ones Disney makes are even cleaner.
That being said, Cordelia's past life isn't based on a specific fairy tale, just could be considered the premise of one of those good verses evil retellings.
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A space above their heads opened and they could see people in strange clothes on the other side.
"Weird clothes." Cordelia commented. "But definitely not modern. Even if they are wearing short skirts."
"Given that the men seem to be wearing some kind of skirt too, I'd definitely say so." Xander agreed. "Chances are though, Phoebe's right and this is a past life thing. We already know the soul is a repository for every lifetime, so if this is one of Cordelia's, it's a long ago lifetime. I wonder what it is about this lifetime that would bother her in her current lifetime."
"You think we'll recognize ourselves? Phoebe's soul recognized ours when she checked out her past life." Piper reminded them.
"If you were a part of her past life, you should." Leo agreed.
"It's like watching a magical movie." Andy joked. "We forgot popcorn."
"If the feelings I've been having in the dream and when I wake up from it are any indication," Cordelia said dryly. "you might regret eating anything once we know what I enjoyed so much that makes me feel so bad when I wake up."
And then they saw Cordelia. "Well, I guess you are recognizable." Xander joked. "And I like the outfit, it definitely works for you, Cordy."
"Well, of course it does, I can make anything look good." She grinned back at him.
"I wonder if the length has anything to do with status?" Prue asked. "Because there's one woman over there," she pointed. "who's wearing a long skirt and a lot of jewelry."
"I think the men are actually wearing shorts of some kind, not skirts." Daryl decided. "It must be warm where and whenever this is. So far Cordelia is the only person I recognize."
"I recognize someone." Xander sounded odd and the others turned to look at him, as he stared at the picture playing out in front of them. "That's Ampata, the life sucking mummy girl." He pointed at a young girl about sixteen, being carried though the streets on a litter in a procession that probably included priests and priestesses. "She was mummified alive by her people, probably about 500 years ago."
"Sacrificed to a god." Andy looked sympathetic. "I remember you mentioning her once. Because of what was done to her, when she was accidentally freed from her imprisonment, she had to drain other people of their lives to survive."
"She didn't want to hurt anyone, but was hurting and scared." Xander said softly.
"I don't think she's the reason we're seeing this." Phoebe offered. "And she doesn't look like she's in any distress, in fact she looks like she's a Queen or something. This might be an earlier lifetime for her as well. We have no way of knowing unless we see her being sacrificed. But souls do tend to meet up in different lifetimes and it's possible past you knew her or your soul recognized her. The procession is passing and Cordelia's moving away from it, she's doing something else."
They watched as Cordelia made her way to a very large structure and entered it. A woman looked up from her work. "Ah, my dear, thank you for being so quick. Are you ready for your lesson?"
"Yes." Cordelia nodded and she settled down to learn what the older woman was teaching. The scene shifted and Cordelia now looked a little older and was smiling as a man approached her. It was Xander.
"Well," Xander said as the couple in the scene began to kiss. "it's good to know I have the good taste to recognize the gorgeous perfection that is Cordelia in any lifetime."
"Shows you have brains." Cordelia agreed.
A gasp separated the couple and they turned and saw another girl their own age looking horrified and than her expression changed to one of glee.
"You've betrayed your calling." She gloated. "The Emperor will not want you now."
Past Cordelia didn't hesitate, she flung out her hand and something flew through the air and impacted the girl from behind. "You won't be telling anyone. You certainly won't be spoiling my plans."
"Oh gods!" Cordelia gasped. "I used Magic to kill her!"
"And I let you." Xander looked equally as stunned. "Not even an attempt at a protest."
The scene shifted again and Cordelia was dressed in the longer skirt and draped in jewels as a ceremony was being performed.
"It reminds me of a wedding." Piper decided. "But she's not marrying Xander if that's what it is." The scene shifted again and Cordelia and the man were now alone and he reached for her. He suddenly stiffened and soundlessly dropped to the floor. Xander was standing a few feet away. As they watched he waved a hand over the dead man and his face changed. "I'll dispose of him."
"I'll be waiting for you to return, My King." Cordelia smiled at him.
"Political assassination using Magic?" Xander theorized. He past counterpart returned. The scene shifted again and Xander and Cordelia appeared in public together, but to the people silently watching they could clearly see he was glamoured to look like the man he'd killed. "I killed him and took his place."
"We used Magic to kill and rise up in that society." Cordelia realized. "And we seemed to enjoy using Magic to do evil things. No wonder I feel bad when I wake up if I'm being haunted by my choices in this past life. I don't want to do evil things, especially with Magic. But why am I being haunted right now by it?"
The scene shifted again and they had an answer to the question.
