Munchkin ‘Cisco (Sequel to “The Unwonderful Wizard

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"Munchkin ‘Cisco"
(Sequel to the story “The Unwonderful Wizard Of Charmed”)
By J. B. Tilton and Angela Roche
email: [e-mail]
Rating: K+ (for mild language)

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes “A Paige From The Past” and “Trial By Magic”.)

* * *

When everyone else inexplicably begins reverting to the characters they portrayed in the movie “The Wizard Of Oz”, Phoebe finds herself alone facing the warlock that originally put them there.

* * *

ONE

Phoebe walked into the kitchen with Cole close at hand. Piper, Paige, and Leo were all ready there just beginning breakfast.

“Morning, sleepy heads,” said Piper. “I guess nearly getting married must have really wiped you out.”

“I did get shot,” said Cole. “I’m just glad Leo and Paige got back from the past in time to heal me.”

“Lucky for you you’re fully human now,” said Leo. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to heal you completely.”

“He was pretty worn out after that,” said Phoebe. “So we decided to sleep in for a bit.”

“Well, I can heal the damage,” said Leo. “But I can’t do anything about some of the side affects. Like draining your strength. That has to be replenished normally.”

“Nothing wrong in sleeping late,” said Paige. “We all deserve it now and again.”

“And if you don’t head for work,” said Piper, looking at her watch, “your boss might think you deserve to be fired for being late again.”

“Right,” said Paige, getting up from the table. “Well, off to the salt mines.”

“I’d hardly call the work you do salt mines,” said Cole.

“Maybe,” said Paige. “It’s still not easy work.”

“Yeah, right,” said Phoebe, smiling. “You probably just sit around at your desk all day and drink coffee.”

“Better be careful,” said Paige with a mock cackle in her voice, “or I’ll have to deal with you, my pretty. And your little dog, too.”

“Yeah, yeah, real funny,” laughed Phoebe. “You’d better get to work while you still have a job to go to.”

“On my way,” said Paige, as she breezed out of the kitchen.

“I’d better get going, too,” said Piper. “Today is when the distributor makes his deliveries and I need to make sure everything is there.”

“Want me to orb you there?” Leo asked.

“No,” said Piper, “I’ll drive. It’s a nice day out today.”

“This is San Francisco,” said Phoebe. “It’s always a nice day out.”

“All the more reason to enjoy it,” said Piper.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight,” said Phoebe as Piper left the kitchen. Phoebe turned to Cole. “So, what do you want to do this afternoon? We could go see a movie. Or maybe we could have lunch at one of the restaurants downtown.”

“Hmmm,” said Cole. “That’s a hard one. Both sound like fun. I’m not sure which one appeals to me more.”

“Let’s go see a movie, then,” said Phoebe. “After we have lunch at a restaurant.”

“A decisive woman,” joked Cole. “I love that.”

“What’s that?” Leo asked, suddenly looking into the entryway.

“What’s what?” Cole asked.

“Oh, nothing,” said Leo. “I just thought I heard something, that’s all.”

“Well,” said Phoebe, “Piper and Paige are busy for the day. Come on, Cole. Let’s go find something to occupy our time.”

As Phoebe and Cole left the manor Leo began to look around. He was sure he had heard something. But neither Phoebe nor Cole had apparently heard it. And nothing seemed out of place in the manor. After a while he decided it must have been his imagination. As everyone went about their business none of them noticed a slight red glow coming from the back of Phoebe’s closet.

[noazmale]

TWO

Phoebe and Cole came out of a restaurant downtown. It was just past noon and it was a beautiful day, as usual, in San Francisco. In the middle of the afternoon on a crowded street in San Francisco it was unlikely that a demon would attack.

“That’s odd,” said Phoebe.

“What?” Cole asked.

“That building across the street,” said Phoebe. “I’ve eaten here at least a dozen times. I never noticed that building was green before.”

“Maybe they just painted it,” suggested Cole. “In fact, it looks like a lot of the buildings are getting a new paint job.”

Phoebe looked up and down the street. Several buildings along the street were the same shade of green as the one across the street. She also noted that all of the buildings were city government buildings of one type or another.

“Maybe the city decided to paint all government buildings green,” she said. “To make them easier to distinguish from the surrounding buildings.”

“You think so?” Cole asked. “Maybe you’re right. But it’s just strange they’d pick such an unusual emerald green for the color. Still you’re probably right.”

“So, what kind of movie shall we see?” Phoebe asked.

“Well, I know how much you like those romantic comedies,” Cole said. “Of course, we haven’t seen a good psychological thriller lately. And a sci-fi movie can be good. Or maybe a murder mystery.”

“Come on,’ said Phoebe. “Let’s go see what’s playing. We can decide after that.”

* * *

Phoebe and Cole walked into the manor. It was clear Phoebe was not happy. Cole, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Phoebe’s mood. He seemed not to have a care in the world.

“I’m going to see what Piper’s up to,” Phoebe said to Cole. “Her car is out front so I guess she decided to come home early. Why don’t you see what’s on TV?”

“Sure thing,” said Cole as he headed for the living room.

Phoebe headed for the kitchen. She stopped at the door and looked back at Cole in the living room. He sat on the sofa with the remote control in his hand. He was flipping through the channels as if he couldn’t decide what to watch. Phoebe just sighed and walked into the kitchen.

“I think Cole has finally lost it,” Phoebe said, walking into the kitchen. “He couldn’t decide what he wanted for lunch, he couldn’t make up his mind what movie to see, and now he’s sitting in the living room flipping through the channels.”

Phoebe stopped short as she looked around the kitchen. The entire room was filled with cakes, pies, pastries, and all other sorts of baked goods. The table and every bit of counter space, even the chairs, were filled to capacity.

“Piper, what’s going on?” Phoebe asked, looking around.

“Nothing, dear, why?” Piper asked as she took yet another pie out of the oven.

“Baking much?” Phoebe asked. “Piper, what’s all this?”

“It was just such a beautiful day, I felt like making a special dessert,” Piper said.

Her voice was high pitched, almost as if she were singing. She moved around the kitchen in a flowing motion as if she were dancing instead of carrying an extremely hot pan. She was definitely not acting like Piper Halliwell.

“Piper, are you okay?” Phoebe asked.

“Of course, dear,” said Piper. “I’m fine.”

“Okay, this is strange,” said Phoebe. “First Cole can’t seem to make even the simplest decisions. And now you’re here acting all Mary Poppiny. What’s going on around this house?”

“Pssst, over here.”

Phoebe turned to see Leo cowering in the corner behind a cabinet. His eyes darted around as if he were looking for something. And there was a look of fear on Leo’s face.

“She’s coming,” Leo whispered. “When she finds us we’re all going to die.”

“Who?” Phoebe asked. “Leo, what’s the matter with you?”

“The witch,” said Leo. “She’s coming. When she finds us we’ll all die.”

“There you are,” cackled a voice from the kitchen door. “Give me what I want and maybe I’ll let you live.”

Phoebe turned to see Paige standing in the kitchen doorway. She was dressed completely in black and was holding a broom. Phoebe looked around at her family wondering if the entire world had suddenly gone crazy.

[noazmale]

THREE

“Paige, what’s wrong with you?” Phoebe asked.

“Don’t play games with me,” Paige cackled. “You have something that belongs to me. Give them back or what happens to you won’t be pretty.”

Phoebe looked at her family suddenly realizing what was going on. Leo was jumping at every little sound, scared of anything that moved. Piper was acting uncharacteristically optimistic and convinced that everything would work out. Paige was acting like an evil warlock bent on recovering something she believed Phoebe had. Leo was the cowardly lion, Piper was Glenda the good witch, and Paige was the Wicked Witch of the West. They were all changing into characters from the movie “The Wizard Of Oz”.

That would also explain Cole’s recent behavior. If he were changing into the scarecrow he would be incapable of making a decision. The scarecrow didn’t have a brain and couldn’t make up his mind.

Cole. Phoebe brushed past Paige and ran into the living room. The wicked witch in the movie had threatened to stuff a mattress with the scarecrow. She had even set fire to him near the end of the movie. If Paige was converting to that character there’s no telling what she might have done to Cole before coming into the kitchen. Phoebe found Cole still sitting on the sofa flipping through the TV channels. She grabbed him and hugged him close.

“Thank goodness you’re okay,” Phoebe said.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Cole asked. Suddenly Cole saw Paige who had followed Phoebe into the living room. “Dorothy, the witch.”

“You called me Dorothy,” Phoebe said.

“That is your name, isn’t it?” Cole asked.

Phoebe’s head was starting to swim. This could not be happening. It had been months since their encounter with that warlock. He had cast a spell that had put them in the movie “The Wizard Of Oz”. But they had escaped the movie and vanquished the warlock. And they hadn’t even known Paige yet. How could this be happening now?

Phoebe moved hurriedly to the front door. She hesitated for a minute and then opened the door. The sight that greeted her chilled her blood. She no longer saw Prescott Street. Everywhere she looked she saw tall green spirals and pillars. They were in the Emerald City from the movie.

People walked the streets but they weren’t the normal type Phoebe was used to seeing. Many were no more than two feet tall dressed in gaudy, outlandish clothes. Overly exaggerated colors and overly emphasized clothes could be seen everywhere. They all looked exactly like the Munchkins in the movie.

There were no cars but there were several carriages being drawn by horses. One in particular drew Phoebe’s attention. As Phoebe watched, the horse changed from white to purple to red and finally to yellow. The horse of a different color from the movie.

Phoebe looked around. Everywhere she looked she saw the Emerald City from “The Wizard Of Oz”. Everywhere except the manor. For some reason it remained unchanged. Phoebe wasn’t sure why the manor was unaffected but at least for the moment it remained unchanged.

But why had her sisters, Leo, and Cole been affected when the manor wasn’t? She knew why she had not been affected. Her precognitive ability had partially protected her from the warlock’s spell. She had been sucked into the movie like everyone else but her special sight had kept the spell from changing her into Dorothy. Presumably it was also protecting her from this whatever this was. But that didn’t explain why the manor was unchanged but the people weren’t.

“Give me the slippers,” cackled Paige. “Only I can use their magic. They’re of no use to you.”

“Stow it, sis,” said Phoebe. “No one gets anything until I figure out just what the hell is going on here.”

“My, my a bit testy this morning, aren’t we?” asked a voice from the living room.

Phoebe spun to face the living room. A man was on the edge of the sofa sitting on the arm. The man appeared to be about thirty years old. He had blonde hair and mustache but was otherwise clean-shaven. He was dressed in a suit but wore no tie. Phoebe recognized the man instantly. It was the warlock that had trapped them in the movie. A warlock she had believed been vanquished once the movie had ended and the warlock was still trapped in the movie.

[noazmale]

FOUR

“You’re dead,” said Phoebe. “We vanquished you.”

“Don’t you just hate it when you think everything is taken care of and then it comes back to bite you in the ass?” asked the warlock smiling at her.

“Whatever you’re doing,” said Phoebe, “I want you to stop it right now.”

“Or what, sweetheart?” asked the warlock. “You can’t get close enough to me to use your martial arts. I’d just blink away. And you don’t have the powers your sisters have. Let’s face it. There’s not a whole lot you can threaten me with. But in all fairness I really can’t do anything about it.”

“Can’t or won’t?” asked Phoebe.

“You don’t understand,” said the warlock. “This isn’t my doing. No, honey, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere for the culprit. I wish I could take credit for all this, I really do. This has gone well beyond what I had originally intended. But I gotta admit I kind of like it.”

“What are you talking about?” Phoebe demanded. “If you’re not doing this then who is?”

“You really haven’t figured this out yet, have you?” questioned the warlock. “I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised.”

“Why?” Phoebe asked. “You think I’m too stupid or something like that?”

“Oh, no, quite the contrary,” said the warlock. “You and your sisters have all demonstrated you’re more than resourceful enough. Even the younger one who hasn’t been at this game as long as the other two of you. Why do you think I used that spell? Anything else would have been much too risky.

“No, this has nothing to do with intelligence. It has more to do with experience. And knowledge. You haven’t figured it out because there’s still so much about magic you don’t know. Things that take time to learn. You just haven’t learned them yet, that’s all.”

“Okay, smart guy,” said Phoebe. “Just what is it I don’t know yet, then?”

“Oh, no, not yet,’ said the warlock smiling again. “It’s much too early for the ‘since you’re going to die anyway’ speech.”

“I see,” said Phoebe. “Which means you don’t know either.”

“Bravo,” said the warlock, clapping his hands, “pushing all the right buttons. I’m impressed. This would be the part of the story where I’m supposed to become outraged because you’ve insulted me. The part where I’m supposed to prove I’m smarter than you by telling you everything I know.

“Sorry to disappoint you, love. But you’ll have to figure this one out for yourself. It’s a shame the White Lighter and the demon are caught up in the magic. I’m sure they could be of immense help. They have been around a bit longer than you.”

“We stopped you before,” said Phoebe. “We’ll do it again.”

“Not this time, darlin’,” said the warlock. “As I said, I’m not the one who’s doing it. I’m afraid going after me will do you absolutely no good at all. Even if you should manage to vanquish me by some miracle, it really won’t do you any good. Nothing at all would change. And soon your friends will be so totally immersed in their roles there will be no way to save them. They will become their characters forever.”

“I’ll save them,” Phoebe said. “I’ll find who’s doing this and vanquish them. Then I’m coming after you.”

“That would be a very nice trick,’ said the warlock. “And also a promise you can’t possibly keep.”

“Why not?” Phoebe asked. “Once I vanquish whomever’s doing this everything returns to normal. And there’s nothing to stop me from coming after you.”

“There’s one reason I can think of,’ said the warlock. “I told you I’m not doing this and I was being honest when I said that. But I do know who is doing it. Unfortunately, you’ve not about to vanquish the person who is really responsible.”

”And just why not?” Phoebe asked.

“Because,” said the warlock, “most people don’t have it in them. And I’m sure you don’t either. You see, in order to stop this, you’d have to commit suicide. I’m not the one who’s doing this. You are.”

[noazmale]

FIVE

“You’re lying,” said Phoebe.

“Oh, I can assure you,’ said the warlock, “I have absolutely no reason to lie.”

“That’s impossible,” said Phoebe. “I haven’t done anything that would cause something like this. In fact, I don’t have that kind of power.”

“It’s quite true,” said the warlock. “All of this is courtesy of you. And the longer it continues the stronger the magic gets until eventually it will be so strong nothing will be able to stop it. At that point this reality will become the Land of Oz permanently. Nothing will be able to change it back.”

“I’ll find a way,” said Phoebe. “My sisters may not remember who they are but they are still the Charmed Ones. Remember how we got out of that movie? Even without their memories the Power of Three still functions. All I have to do is have them help me cast a spell to undo all this.”

“Nice thought,” said the warlock, “but it won’t work.” He moved over and pulled back the drapes on the front windows to expose the Emerald City outside. “Look around you. This is no longer San Francisco. It’s the Land of Oz. Which means magic must now operate based on those rules. And that means you can never defeat me.”

“It’ll be a cold day when we can’t defeat a warlock,” said Phoebe.

“My point exactly,” said the warlock. “Since we are now literally in the Land of Oz, everyone is reverting to the roles assigned them when they were in the movie, your younger sister taking the older ones place. Call her an understudy if you will. That being the case, I’m sure you remember which role I was cast in.”

“The wizard,” gasped Phoebe.

“Precisely,” said the warlock. “The great and powerful Oz. The ultimate force in the Land of Oz. The one being that no other being compares to in power. I have ceased to be a warlock. I am now the Wizard Oz. And Oz cannot be defeated in his own land.”

“You’re forgetting something,” said Phoebe. “Oz turned out to be a charlatan. A con artist with no real power.”

“True,” said the warlock, “at the end of the movie. But this is no movie. It’s real. And since there’s no end to come, Oz remains the ultimate force in this land. A force greater than the Power of Three.”

Phoebe looked at the others. She could tell the warlock was right. Even Paige, the powerful Wicked Witch of the West, was cowering in fear before the warlock. If even half of what the warlock was saying was true even the Power of Three might not be able to change things back to the way they were supposed to be.

“I must really thank you,” said the warlock. “I only had thought to steal your powers. In this altered reality not even the Source nor the Elders are a match for me. So I have to thank you for allowing me to gain even more power than I thought possible.

“Once the magic has altered things enough I’ll be able to kill even you and take your powers. The only way to stop me is to end this before that happens. And there’s only one way to do that. But even then that will allow me to kill your sisters and take their powers. So no matter what you do, I win.”

The warlock just laughed and then suddenly blinked out of the manor. Phoebe looked at the others who relaxed noticeably when the “wizard” was no longer there. Phoebe had no idea what she was going to do. She didn’t even know what was causing all this.

The warlock said she was doing this. But that didn’t make any sense. As she had told the warlock she hadn’t done anything. She hadn’t even cast a spell in the last few days that might have caused this. She wasn’t even sure a Power of Three spell could accomplish what was going on. And she had no idea how to fix things.

“Dorothy,” Cole asked, “are you okay? You look unhappy.”

“I just don’t know what to do,” said Phoebe. “This isn’t a movie so we can’t even use a Power of Three spell to get us out like we did last time. I don’t know how to undo the magic that’s causing all this.”

“I do,” cackled Paige. “Give me the ruby slippers. I can use their magic. They are of no use to you. Give me the slippers and I can use their magic to set things right again.”

The ruby slippers, thought Phoebe. That’s it. They were supposed to contain great magic. Maybe the greatest magic in Oz. She could use their magic to turn everything back.

Phoebe ran to her room as fast as she could and threw the closet door open. She noticed the red glow in the back of the closet. She immediately located the glowing slippers and ran from her room.

Once back in the living room she placed the slippers on the coffee table. It was all so simple. She could use the magic of the slippers to counter whatever magic was doing this. As the warlock had said, this was no longer San Francisco. It was the Land of Oz and magic had to operate on the rules for Oz. Phoebe looked at the ruby slippers sitting on the coffee table and suddenly made a terrible realization.

She didn’t have the first clue how to use the magic of the slippers.

[noazmale]

SIX

“Dorothy, are you okay?” Cole asked her again.

“For the third time I’m fine,” said Phoebe. “I just need to think.”

“Give me the slippers,” cackled Paige. “I can use their magic.”

“How?” Phoebe asked.

“What?” Paige asked.

“How do you use the magic of the slippers?” Phoebe asked. “How does the magic work?”

Paige just stared at Phoebe with a blank look on her face. Phoebe turned to Piper.

“I don’t suppose you know, do you?” Phoebe asked.

“Click your heels together three times,” said Piper, “and say, ‘there’s no place like home’.”

“Great,” said Phoebe. “I know how to teleport myself to Kansas. Of course you don’t know how the magic works. They never explained that in the movie. And we can’t use the same Power of Three spell that we did before because we aren’t in the movie this time.”

“Maybe the wizard can help,” suggest Leo.

“Unlikely,” said Phoebe. “He’s the one who caused this mess in the first place. But he said I was the one causing it this time. What did he mean by that? If this is like the last time he’ll tell me just enough of the truth to try and confuse me. So how can I be causing this?”

“Causing what?” Cole asked.

“Causing everything to change into Munchkin Land,” said Phoebe. “I didn’t think even the Power of Three could do that. How could I do it by myself?”

She looked at the ruby slippers sitting on the coffee table.

“Unless that’s what he was talking about,” said Phoebe. “The slippers are supposed to be great magic. Maybe by bringing them out of the movie with me they’re somehow causing all of this to happen.”

“They are powerful magic,” said Paige. “The most powerful in all of Oz.”

“I know,” said Phoebe. “They’re made out of rubies. That’s why they’re called ruby slippers. I can’t smash them with a hammer. They’re too hard.”

She looked at Piper.

“To bad your memory is all jumbled up,” said Phoebe. “You could just blow them up.”

“They’re magic is very strong,” Paige repeated.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Phoebe. “Which means I have to find some way to stop that magic. Now it’s a safe bet I won’t be able to counter its magic with a spell if it’s powerful enough to alter all of reality. But maybe I can selectively counter some of the magic.”

She looked at Piper and Paige.

“When we were stuck in the movie,” said Phoebe, “you still had your magic even if you didn’t remember it. So there’s no reason to think that’s changed. You’re both witches in Oz. And my precognitive ability is protecting me. Which means we all still have our powers.

“All I have to do is come up with a Power of Three spell to protect you from the slippers’ magic. That should put your memories back and then maybe we can figure a way out of this.”

“Dorothy, can we help?” Leo asked.

“No,” said Phoebe. “Unfortunately I don’t know if the spell is going to work. And I don’t know if it will affect you and Cole.”

Phoebe sat down and began to compose the spell. She knew she was working against a time constraint but she didn’t know how much time she actually had. She could only hope there was time to complete the spell before it was too late.

“Well,” said Phoebe after a while, “I guess this will have to do.”

“What will have to do, my pretty?” Paige asked.

“This spell,” said Phoebe. “Now, all we have to do is cast it and with a little luck you’ll all be back to your old selves again. At least Piper and Paige will be, hopefully.”

“What do you want us to do?” Piper asked.

“Just read this with me,” Phoebe said.

Phoebe held up the piece of paper with the spell on it. Piper and Paige looked at it and then the three read the spell in unison.

“Powers of goodness hear our plea. Restore to us the sisters three.”

As soon as they finished reciting the spell the magic flashed and Phoebe immediately lost consciousness.

[noazmale]

SEVEN

“Phoebe, wake up,” Phoebe heard Cole saying.

Phoebe opened her eyes and looked around. She seemed to be lying on the floor. Everyone else was gathered around her. She sat up.

“Are you okay?” Piper asked. “We just found you unconscious on the floor.”

“Yeah, I think I’m all right,” said Phoebe. “Are you okay, Piper?”

“I’m fine,” said Piper. “Then again, I’m not the one unconscious on the living room floor.”

“What the heck am I wearing?” Paige asked looking at the black dress she had on. “The last thing I remember was heading for work. Then suddenly we’re finding Phoebe lying on the floor and I’m dressed like Elvira.”

“Leo, Cole,” said Phoebe. “How do you guys feel?”

“I feel okay,” said Cole.

“I feel fine,” Leo said. “But something isn’t right. I’m not sensing any of my other charges.”

“The spell must have worked,” said Phoebe.

“What spell?” Piper asked, picking up the ruby slippers. “And what are these doing down here.”

“Everyone sit down,” said Phoebe. “I need to fill you in on what’s been going on.”

* * *

“Well, it certainly is green,” said Paige looking out the front window.

“It’s the Emerald City,” said Piper. She turned back to Phoebe. “This warlock didn’t tell you anything that might suggest how this happened?”

“Nothing,” said Phoebe. “Just that I was doing it. I figured it was because I brought the slippers out of the movie with me.”

“That would make sense,” said Cole. “The slippers are supposed to be pretty powerful magic. By bringing them out of the movie you must have released that magic.”

“But why now?” Paige asked. “I wasn’t even here when you were sucked into that movie. I wasn’t even a witch yet. Why is it doing this now?”

“That’s a good question,” said Cole. “Whatever was holding the magic in check must have been weakened somehow. That’s why it’s happening now. But nothing has changed recently.”

“Yes it has,” said Phoebe. “We all know that a witches spells are negated when she dies. We used a Power of Three spell to get out of the movie. Only Prue was part of that spell. When she died her part of the spell was negated weakening it some.”

“I don’t understand what that has to do with it,” said Leo.

“She’s making sense,” said Piper. “The spell that brought us out f the move was meant to bring us back home. To the San Francisco we know. So the power of the spell kept the magic of the slippers in check.”

“Right,” said Phoebe. “With Prue no longer here the magic of the slippers began to bleed through, so to speak. When enough of it seeped out it started changing things. And now the magic has grown to where it’s strong than ever, changing everything in this reality to the reality it came from.”

“Can it do that?” Paige asked. “Change one reality for another?”

“Yes, it can,” said Cole. “This is fantasy magic we’re dealing with. Fantasy magic is the most powerful kind of magic there is.”

“Well,” said Piper, “we have to find a way to stop it and put everything back the way it’s supposed to be.”

“I figure if we destroy the slippers it should stop the magic and reverse everything that’s been changed,” said Phoebe. “Only I need your explosive power to do that. We don’t have anything else strong enough to destroy a ruby.”

“You can’t do that,” said Cole.

“Why not?” Phoebe asked.

“As powerful as the slippers appear to be,” Leo said, “if you destroy them it will release their magic all at one time.”

“If it doesn’t destroy everything first,” continued Cole, “it will permanently change everything almost instantly. There will be no way to every change things back.”

“It may all ready be too late,” said Leo. “It’s overcome the spell the girls used to get out of the move. That means it’s all ready overcome the Power of Three. And from what the warlock told Phoebe, it’s only going to get stronger.”

[noazmale]

EIGHT

“Okay, I’m confused,” said Paige. “Cole said this is fantasy magic, right?”

“Right,” said Cole.

“But fantasy magic isn’t real,” said Paige. “It only exists in someone’s imagination. So how can it be affecting anything let alone doing everything it’s doing? It doesn’t even exist.”

“Normally that’s true,” said Cole. “But in this case Phoebe was able to bring fantasy magic into the real world when she brought the slippers with her. That makes it real. I know a few demons that have been looking for the secret to that for centuries.”

“And the magic is so powerful nothing can resist it,” said Leo.

“Why?” Paige asked.

“Because there’s nothing more powerful than fantasy magic,” said Cole. “Not even the Power of Three. Remember when you were a little girl? Do you remember what your fantasies were like?”

‘Yeah, I guess so,” said Paige.

“There’s nothing you can’t do in your imagination,” said Cole. “You’re bigger, stronger, more powerful than anyone or anything. That’s because it’s your fantasy. You’re the hero. Nobody can stop you because it’s your imagination.”

“And the fantasy magic here is reinforcing the warlocks spell,” said Piper. “Since he was originally cast as the wizard that makes him undefeatable in this reality.”

“Exactly,” said Leo. “It’s also altering our reality to conform with its magic. That’s why we all reverted to the roles we had been cast in for the movie.”

“But the manor hasn’t changed,” said Phoebe. “And we were able to change everyone back with my spell. How come the slippers didn’t change any of that?”

“It will,” said Cole. “It’s only temporary. Eventually the magic will become so strong nothing will be able to resist it. You’re strongest here at the manor. And the power of the Nexus is probably holding the fantasy magic back some. But it won’t take long before the slippers’ magic will overwhelm even that. Just like in a real fantasy, if you need more power you simply get it.”

“So how do we stop it?” Piper asked. “You said we couldn’t destroy the slippers. How do we put things back the way they’re supposed to be?”

“I don’t know,” said Cole. “I’m not sure anyone knows. As far as I know no one has successfully moved fantasy magic into the real world”

“I brought the slippers out with me,” said Phoebe. “Wouldn’t that have done it?’

“Not really,” said Leo. “The slippers aren’t really magical. They only exist that way in the movie. Which means they shouldn’t be magical in the real world.”

“Unless the Power of Three that brought us out of the movie also brought the magic with us,” said Cole.

“You think that’s possible?” Paige asked.

“It makes sense,” said Cole. “Look the slippers are magical in the movie. The Power of Three spell you girls cast created a bubble of sorts around us so that we could be extricated from the movie.”

“Except I was wearing the ruby slippers at the time,” said Phoebe.

“Right,” said Cole. “So when you left the movie this bubble kept the slippers intact including their magic. When Prue died the bubble was weakened allowing the magic to begin seeping out and begin altering everything.”

“And the magic is reacting to the spell cast by the warlock,’ said Leo, “just as it was designed to do. Which also explains how the warlock is still alive. He was trapped in the magic of the slippers until the bubble weakened enough to allow him to escape.”

“That’s what I figure,” said Cole. “Now the magic is expanding, altering everything. It may be in the real world but it’s still fantasy magic operating on the rules of fantasy magic.”

“There’s our solution,” said Piper. “If the magic is reacting with the warlock’s spell we just vanquish the warlock. Once we do that his spell will be negated and everything returns to normal.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” said Cole. “Fantasy magic has a life of its own. It’s partially responsible for why people dream when they sleep. The magic dictates what the dreams are. Which means that in order to stop this the warlock is gong to have to agree to do it. Since it’s his spell that’s doing this he’ll have to cooperate. Otherwise there’s no way to stop it.”

[noazmale]

NINE

“I don’t like this,” said Phoebe as they entered the great castle where the wizard lived. “According to what you’ve said this should be the place where the warlock is the most powerful.”

“Can’t be helped,” said Piper. “If we’re going to convince him to help us change things back then we have to go see him.”

“And just how do we convince him?” Paige asked. “Seems to me he doesn’t have much incentive to change things back. Here he’s undefeatable.”

“One problem at a time,” said Piper.

“We have to think of something,” said Leo. “The longer this goes on the harder it’s going to be.”

“Oh, thank goodness I found you, Dorothy,” said a voice behind them. “I can’t find the scarecrow or the lion anywhere. I was beginning to think I’d never find you. Who are your friends?”

They all turned around to see Darryl standing behind them. Except that Darryl had been changed by the magic that was even now changing all of reality. Darryl was once again the tin woodsman, complete with axe.

“I had forgotten about Darryl,” gasped Phoebe.

“Darryl who?” Darryl asked.

“Never mind,” said Piper. “We’re friends of Dorothy. She’s taking us to see the wizard.”

“Great,” said Darryl. “I’m getting a heart. We really need to find the others so we can go see him.”

“Yeah, well,’ said Phoebe, “you really can’t go like that. We need to be looking our best, you know. Why don’t you go over to the machine shop or whatever and get all polished up for our visit? We’re headed for the salon to get all spruced up. Then we’ll meet you back here and go see the wizard. I’m sure the lion and the scarecrow will be back by then.”

“Good idea,” said Darryl. “I’ll be back in a bit then.”

“He didn’t recognize us,” said Paige. “Only Phoebe. And he thinks she’s Dorothy.”

“That’s because he’s caught up in the magic,” said Cole. “We’re still protected because of the spell you three cast. Eventually that’s going to happen to all of us. And not even Phoebe’s precognitive power will protect her indefinitely.”

“We’d better get moving,” said Piper. “We’re running out of time.”

They hurried through the castle to the door that would allow them access to the wizard. Strangely there was no guard at the door. And the door opened easily allowing them admittance.

“This is weird,” said Phoebe. “This isn’t in the movie. There’s supposed to be a guard here who won’t admit us until he hears my sob story about not being able to get home.”

“We’re not in the movie any longer,” said Cole. “And there’s no telling what the warlock may have changed. Everyone else considers him the wizard. He can pretty much do anything he wants with impunity.”

They moved cautiously through the corridor heading for the audience chamber. They knew the warlock would be there. Their only hope was that he would listen to reason and help set things right again.

“Well, well, look who came for a visit,’ said the warlock standing up from a large throw where the dais used to be. “I actually expected you a lot sooner. And you brought your little friends with you. How quaint.”

“Save it,” said Piper. “We aren’t here for a social visit.”

“I see you were able to free your friends from the spell,” said the warlock. “It’s only temporary, you know. Soon the magic will become so powerful none of you will be able to resist it. Then you’ll become just more of my loyal subjects.”

“We aren’t going to let that happen,” said Piper. “We’re putting an end to this now.”

“Oh, I know why you’re here,” said the warlock. “You need my help to put things back the way they were. Only that’s not going to happen. Once the magic is strong enough I can kill you and take your powers without fear of altering anything. Then I can end all this and return to the real world where not even the Source will be able to oppose me. And nothing you can say or do is going to change that.”

The warlock just laughed at the group as they stared at him.

[Esmeralda]

Um, Jerry... ;D I don't quite think this fits with Munchkin 'Cisco as interesting as it is!

noazmale said:

SEVEN

“Well, I’m not finding anything that looks even remotely like what Jessica described,” said Piper as she went through a dresser in the attic for the third time. “We’ve found two athames but they aren’t anything special. Just regular athames that Grams probably used in her rituals and incantations.”

“Maybe it’s not here,” said Phoebe. “Just because that warlock was looking up here doesn’t mean it’s here. Maybe Grams hid it somewhere else.”

“Maybe,” said Prue. “I’ve been wondering why the warlock waited so long to come looking for it. Grams died twenty months ago. Now I can understand the first six months. No one could get into the attic until Phoebe came home. But why did he wait the other fourteen months before he came searching for it?”

“He said something about making a deal with her,” said Piper. “Frankly, I can’t imagine Grams making a deal with a warlock for anything.”

“Well, mom did,” said Phoebe. “Remember that warlock that tried to kill us for our powers? When we cast that time travel spell and went back in time? Mom made a deal with him.”

“Yeah, but that was to protect us,” said Prue. “The same reason Grams bound our powers.”

“Maybe Penny made a similar deal for the same reasons,” said Leo. “She was a powerful witch but she wasn’t invulnerable. And with you girls having no powers, you would have been unable to defend yourselves against a warlock. Especially since you didn’t even know they existed.”

“He did seem to know our powers had been bound,” said Phoebe. “He said Grams had told him that. But he seemed surprised that we had our powers back. And he asked where Grams was. As if he didn’t know she had died.”

“But that brings us back to our original question?” said Prue. “Why wait so many months before coming after that athame? Assuming that’s what he was after.”

“Jessica seemed to think it was,” said Piper. “What she said makes sense. But why go through the hassle of trying to find it? Why not just enchant another one?”

“That might not be possible,” said Leo. “It would depend on the enchantment. It might be easier to get the old one back instead of trying to enchant a new one. Plus, it might be a special athame. From what we know it seems he went to a lot of trouble for these murders. It makes sense he’d use an athame that had some significant meaning. Which means he’d have to get it back instead of using another one.”

“Leo,” said Phoebe, “do you have any idea where Grams might have hidden something? We’ve been through everything in the attic at least twice. I’ve even searched the chest where she kept the Book of Shadows three times, going to far as to empty it completely just to make sure I didn’t overlook anything. Did Grams have any kind of special hiding place or something?”

“I don’t know,” said Leo. “Like I said, I wasn’t her White Lighter. I did come by from time to time but I rarely stayed long. And she never really confided in me.”

“Well,” said Phoebe, “there has to be someplace where she would….”

Her statement went unfinished as she stumbled suddenly. Leo was able to catch her from falling to the floor. Phoebe looked back at where she had stumbled. One of the floorboards was loose. Cautiously, she walked back over and bent down.

“Look what we have here,” she said. “A hiding place. It looks like the floorboard was pried up and then replaced.”

She pulled the floorboard up and reached in the hole. When she brought her hand out, she was holding a small metal box.

“That could be what we’re looking for,” said Prue. “Phoebe, bring the box over to the table. Let’s see what’s inside it.”

Phoebe put the box on the table and stood looking at it for a moment. It looked like the type of metal boxes sold at many stores. The type people kept valuable in. When Phoebe tried to open it, they discovered it was locked.

“Okay,” said Piper, “what now? I don’t remember seeing a key anywhere that might fit that box.”

“Easy,” said Prue.

She tapped into her telekinetic power and the hasp on the box suddenly sprang open, breaking the lock.

“That was almost too easy,” she said. “Now, let’s see what we have inside.”

Prue opened the lid and everyone looked inside. There was a small notebook, a pile of papers, a small pendant, and an athame. The handle of the athame looked like two snakes intertwined and the handle guard curved back toward the handle. There was a dark substance dried on the blade of the athame that looked suspiciously like blood.”

“Bingo,” said Phoebe, taking the notebook out and flipping through it. “There are a bunch of notes in here in reference to the Salem witch hunts. And several pages of names. It looks like she had them categorized. Victims, accusers, participants, bystanders, all sorts of lists. The entire notebook is practically full.”

“Okay,” said Piper picking up the athame. “This looks like what Jessica described. It’s very ornate and probably has some significance to the witch trials. I’d say it’s a pretty good bet we found what the warlock was after.”

“I think you’re right,” said Prue, looking over the papers in the box. “These papers are mostly news clippings. Obituaries, reports of car accidents, deaths by natural causes, missing people, all sorts of new clippings. I’d say we found what we were looking for. Let’s get this stuff downstairs so we can go through it. Maybe now we’ll start to get some answers.”

Prue picked up the box as the four headed downstairs.

* * *

“Well,” said Prue after they had gone through the box thoroughly, “this is definitely the list of names that Grams asked to Jessica check out. According to what Phoebe found in that notebook, Grams was trying to track down the descendents of those involved with the prosecution of the accused witches in Salem. And the news clippings correspond with the names on the list. Everyone one of them is about the death of someone descended from one of the prosecutors or accusers.”

“This athame is certainly unusual,” said Piper. “It has some weird markings on the blade.”

“Let me see it,” said Leo, taking the dagger and looking at it. “This is a rare one. It’s a sacrificial athame.”

“Sacrificial?” questioned Phoebe.

“Yes,” said Leo. “It’s used only by the most powerful warlocks. It’s used when they go against a particularly powerful witch. These types of athames usually have a special enchantment on them to make them even more affective against a witch than normal. Penny must have taken it from the warlock.”

“So why didn’t she just vanquish the warlock?” Piper asked. “Why take the athame from him and hide it?”

“Guys,” said Prue, pulling a news clipping out of the box, “you’d better have a look at this. I thought the photograph on this one was odd but I couldn’t figure out why until just now. Look at it.”

“Okay,” said Piper as she, Phoebe, and Leo looked at the photo. “What’s so odd about it?”

“Look at that person in the background,” said Prue. “Right behind what looks like a paramedic.”

Piper, Phoebe, and Leo looked closer at the photo. Piper even pulled out a magnifying glass to get a closer look at it. What they saw startled them. Standing in the background of the photo was a woman. A woman that looked remarkably like Grams.

“Is that Grams in the photo?” Phoebe asked. “Where was the photo taken?”

“According to the article,” said Piper, “it was taken in Seattle, Washington at the scene of a double murder. A murder on September 19, 1995. Mark Preston and his wife were stabbed to death during a suspected robbery attempt. The robber was never caught. And no murder weapon was ever found.”

“Preston?” questioned Phoebe, looking through a stack of papers. “That’s one of the names on the list. Mark Preston was a descendent Thomas Preston. Thomas Preston was one of the men who swore out a complaint of witchcraft against Swore complaints against Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. He was the fifth victim of the warlock.”

“That’s not all,” said Prue. “Look at what Grams has in her hand.”

They all looked closer at the figure of Grams in the background. In one hand, partially obscured by another figure standing next to her, was what appeared to be a large knife. A knife that looked suspiciously like the athame that Leo was holding.

[Esmeralda]

Yikes, Jerry! You gotta finish this thing! Although the logic for why things are happening the way they are makes as much sense as the logic for some of the plots on the show (your logic/plots are usually better than that ), I'm still dying to find out how the heck they get themselves out of this mess! How can the possibly convince the Warlock/Wizard to undo his spell??

PLEEEEEEEEEEASE update soon!!

[noazmale]

esmeralda said:

Um, Jerry... ;D I don't quite think this fits with Munchkin 'Cisco as interesting as it is!

Oops. Seems I accidentally posted a chapter from another story by mistake. I'm going to delete that post and then post the next chapter to this story. Thanks for letting me know about it. I usually check it a lot closer but seem to have messed up this time. lol.

Jerry

[noazmale]

esmeralda said:

Yikes, Jerry! You gotta finish this thing! Although the logic for why things are happening the way they are makes as much sense as the logic for some of the plots on the show (your logic/plots are usually better than that ), I'm still dying to find out how the heck they get themselves out of this mess! How can the possibly convince the Warlock/Wizard to undo his spell??

PLEEEEEEEEEEASE update soon!!

Well, Esmeralda, things are not always as they appear. Especially in my stories. Just keep reading as I post and I'm sure you'll find things beginning to make more sense.

Jerry

[noazmale]

TEN

“Are you insane?” Paige asked. “Do you have any idea what’s going on out there? Everything is changing into the Land of Oz. Leo and Cole tell us that eventually everything will be affected. And once the magic is strong enough nothing will be able to change it back.”

“Of course I know what’s going on,” said the warlock. “I’m a Mystic Warlock. I know exactly what’s happening.”

“That explains how he was able to so completely submerge us in the movie in the first place,” said Cole. “Mystic Warlocks are a specialized type of warlock. Their magic affects peoples’ dreams, fantasies, and imagination. They can actually make a person’s dreams become real, at least to a point.”

“Or put living beings into a fantasy,” said the warlock. “That’s how I was able to put you in the movie to begin with.”

“It’s getting out of hand,” said Piper. “It’s not just us that’s being affected. It’s everything, this entire reality. You need to help us put things back while we still can.”

“Why should I?” the warlock asked. “This way I get your power without a struggle. Something I could never do ordinarily. You’re much too powerful. This way the magic does all the work. I just step in and reap the benefits.”

“That’s right,” said Cole. “Their magic protects them. You’d need a stronger magic to get around that protection. Something you don’t have.”

“Exactly,” said the warlock. “A direct confrontation would have been suicide. Many of my colleagues discovered that the hard way. So did my younger brother, Jeremy.”

“That’s right,” said Piper. “You said Jeremy was your brother the last time we met.”

“That’s right,” said the warlock. “Oh, as I said then, I’m not upset you vanquished him. But I had to come up with a way to get your power that didn’t include a direct confrontation. That’s why I came up with the idea of putting you in the movie. This particular movie is a fantasy. I knew its magic would accomplish what I could never do. But the movie wasn’t the real world. Your Power of Three was able to draw you out of the movie back to the real world.

“But you took the slippers with you. And all the fantasy magic of Oz is contained in those slippers. I knew it was only a matter of time before that magic began to assert itself. And as I’m sure your friends have told you, nothing is more powerful than fantasy magic.”

“And you’re willing to destroy everything just to get their powers?” Leo asked. “That’s cold even for a warlock.”

“Save your breath, Leo,” said Cole. “He’s right. There’s nothing any of us can do that’s going to change his mind. We all might as well just go home and wait for the magic to overtake us.”

“I can’t believe you’re just giving up,” said Phoebe. “Cole, there has to be some way out of this.”

“There isn’t,” said Cole. “You heard him. It took a power a lot stronger than the three of you to do this. And you can’t force him to help. Nothing can stop this without his help. Leo and I will soon be overcome. And eventually even the three of you will be. You’ll probably be the last ones because of the power that protects you. But in the end everyone will be permanently changed. And I mean everyone.”

“Your demon friend is right,” said the warlock. “Your power will protect you right up to the very end. But you can’t prevent it. None of you can. Once the magic is powerful enough it will…. Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?” Paige asked. “What do you mean uh oh?’

“I was wondering how long it would take before that dawned on you,” said Cole.

“What dawned on him?” Phoebe asked.

“He can’t take your power until the magic overtakes you,” said Cole. “Until it turns you into your characters. The problem is that once the magic is that powerful, no being will be able to resist it. Not even the warlock who’s feeding it. And it’s only a matter of time before even he becomes the character he was cast as. Our characters will replace whom and what we all are. Including the wizard.”

“It seems I made a slight miscalculation,” said the warlock.

“You think?” Cole asked. “It seems to me you now have a choice to make. Help us stop this now or eventually become the wizard. With no memory of who or what you were before.”

“Are you ready to cooperate now?” Piper asked.

“It was a good idea,” said the warlock. “Just one tiny little flaw that I forgot to account for.”

“You can analyze later,” said Phoebe. “Let’s just figure out a way to put things back like they’re supposed to be while we still can.”

“That’s easy,” said the warlock. “The magic is fueling my spell. Once I cancel the spell everything will revert back to normal.”

“Then do it,” said Paige.

The warlock just smiled and closed his eyes. He concentrated for several minutes. Suddenly the smile faded from his face.

“How long is this going to take?” Piper asked.

“Longer than I originally thought,” said the warlock. “We have a problem. I can’t end my spell. The magic has gotten too strong. The magic is continuing to alter things and will continue to do so until we’ve all been changed. And there’s no one who can stop it.”

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

“This is ridiculous,” said Piper. “There has to be some way to counter this magic.”

“I wish that were true,” said the warlock. “Believe me, honey, I have no more wish to permanently become the wizard than you have of becoming Glenda the good witch.”

“Don’t honey me,” said Piper. “What do we call you, anyway?”

“My name is Jerrod,” said the warlock. “As I told you, the magic is too strong. I’m sure your White Lighter and the demon have told you about fantasy magic. It just gets stronger. It’s too strong for even me to control now. There’s nothing I can do.”

“You’d better think of something fast,” said Piper, “because before I turn into a falsetto Wicca wannabe I can promise you I’ll make sure you’re vanquished.”

“It won’t do you any good,” said Jerrod. “Remember, I’m the wizard. There’s no one more powerful in Oz than I am.”

“What about the Elders?” Paige asked Leo. “Surely there’s something they can do.”

“Maybe,” said Leo, “except that I can’t seem to contact them.”

“Of course you can’t,” said Jerrod. “There are no Elders in OZ. And no demons either. Which means no underworld. The only reason the two of your are still around is because you were caught in the power of my spell. That and you’re integrated as important characters in the story.”

“What are our options?” Piper asked. “There are always options.”

“Well,” said Jerrod, “ordinarily a Mystic spell can be broken if the victim wakes up from their dream. Only no one’s asleep in this case so that won’t work.”

“You’re only thinking about affecting someone’s dreams?” Paige asked.

“That’s where my power lies,” said Jerrod. “A Mystic Warlock has mastery over dreams, imagination, anything that involves fantasy. But we aren’t that powerful in the real world. Why do you think I wanted your power? It would make me as powerful in the real world as I am in the fantasy world.”

“But all of this is affecting the real world,” said Phoebe. “How is that possible?”

“Because the real world and the fantasy world are merging,” said Jerrod. “It’s allowing the fantasy magic to become real magic. Only fantasy magic just keeps getting stronger.”

“Power increase,” said Cole. “Maybe that’s the key.”

“What do you mean?” Jerrod asked.

“We’ve been trying to change things back,” said Cole. “But it’s obvious we can’t. What if we could interrupt the power source that’s changing all this?”

“I’ve all ready tried that,” said Jerrod. “I’ve tried to stop the spell but the magic is just too great. It won’t let me.”

“No,” said Cole, “the spell is only the mechanics of the changes. The mechanism that dictates what changes occur. It’s the magic behind the spell that makes the actual changes. It’s why mortals can’t cast spells. They have the mechanical means but no power to activate the mechanism.”

“You’re right,” said Jerrod. “And in this case the magic behind the mechanism would be the ruby slippers. It’s why everything remained intact after the movie ended. If I had the ruby slippers I might be able to use their magic to change things back. At the very least I should be able to interrupt the power flow. Once I do that reality should reassert itself.”

“They’re sitting on the coffee table in the living room,” said Phoebe.

“I’ll orb over and get them,” said Leo. “I should be right back.”

Leo stood very still for several minutes but nothing happened.

“Well?” questioned Jerrod. “Orb all ready.”

“I can’t,” said Leo. “It’s not working.”

“Of course not,” said Jerrod. “The cowardly lion couldn’t orb in the movie. And the scarecrow couldn’t shimmer so I’m betting Turner’s power isn’t working either. The magic is beginning to overtake you.”

“I guess we do this the old fashioned way,” said Phoebe.

The group hurried out of the audience chamber heading back to the manor. It would only take them a few minutes to reach the manor. And Jerrod could then use the slippers to reset reality.

After more than half an hour searching Jerrod suddenly stopped. He sad down on a bench on one of the streets made of yellow bricks.

“It’s too late,” he said. “Your manor has been altered by the magic. It’s now part of the Emerald City. We have no way of knowing where the ruby slippers are. And by the time we find them it will be too late to do anything about it.”

[Esmeralda]

Fantastically done, Jerry!

I'm proud of myself--I figured out that the slippers were the key behind this when you first mentioned the red glow in the closet. The warlock, I mean Jerrod (good name for Jeremy's brother!), was side-tracking them and now it appears to be too late! Although I do understand what type of demon he is and how his powers work--the warlock version of the demon in the Chick Flick episode!

I giggled over Piper's reaction towards becoming Glinda! I must admit it's *very* hard thinking of her that way!

What's fascinating me is that you talked about a trilogy, so that's gotta mean they somehow get out of this. Somehow, they're going to find those !@#$%$#@! slippers!

Hmmm. Wonder where in the movie they now are and whether the sliipers are sitting on the feet of the Wicked Witch of the East... Since Paige is now the Wicked Witch of the West, does that make PRUE the Witch of the East?? Especially since both died early in the story... Oh, would that make a twist!!

I'm still not triple-sure if I buy this fantasy-magic-is-more-powerful-than-real-magic bit (I still think that those who have said so are overexaggerating it), but if it is, the Witch of the West *really* meant it when she said that those things are powerful! Hmmm. Maybe those shoes won't end up on Dorothy, I mean Phoebe, or the Wizard, I mean, Jerrod, but on the feet of the one who knows how to use them--Piper! If like your original story, they can become the characters JUST enough to be able to tap into their character's magic while still staying Charmed....

Oh, I'm sure I'm WAY off, but by now you know how much I love to speculate and show what's in my mind so you can laugh over how far off I am or be amazed (yeah, right!) how my mind is on the same track!

At any rate, I'm DYING to find out how *YOU* got them out of this, so please update soon!

[noazmale]

Thank you Esmeralda. I never laugh at people who speculate on my stories. But I am sometimes amazed at how accurate some people can be with their speculation. And I'm not saying how accurate you are on this story but I can say that you have some times guessed parts of my stories as I post them. I'm glad you like this story and I'll be posting the next chapter right away.

Jerry

[noazmale]

TWELVE

“We can’t just give up,” said Piper. “We have to look for them.”

“Where would you suggest?” asked Jerrod. “Look around you. Every building looks like all the others. All the streets are the same. Exactly the same. We can’t even be sure we’re in the right part of the city. And the stronger the magic gets the more the city is going to change. To conform to the actual Emerald City in the movie.”

“There must be something we can do,” said Leo. “We haven’t been affected completely yet so the magic must still be reversible.”

“”I wouldn’t say that exactly,” said Cole.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Piper asked.

“Piper,” said Phoebe, “your hair is blonde. Just like Glinda’s in the movie.”

“She’s right,” said Paige. “Looks like the magic is starting to affect you.”

“I’m not the only one,” said Piper, looking at Paige. “Paige, you’re green. Just like the wicked witch.”

“Oh, green is so not my color,” said Paige looking at her hands. “I look like Kermit the frog.”

“Well, at least I’m not the blonde this time,” said Phoebe.

“I probably look like a bimbo,” said Piper.

“Now you know how I feel every time it happens to me,” said Phoebe.

“This is no time for jokes,” said Cole. “If it’s overcoming your magic it won’t be long until everything changes and there won’t be any way to change it back.”

“Wait,” said Paige. “I should still be able to orb things. I know orbing doesn’t exist in Oz, but I’m supposed to be the Wicked Witch of the West. Maybe that will allow me to keep my orbing power a bit longer.”

“It’s worth a shot,” said Piper. “You plan to orb the slippers to you?”

“I’m going to try,” said Paige.

Paige held out her hands and called for the ruby slippers. Almost instantly the slippers began to orb into her hands. Just as quickly the orb suddenly ceased leaving Paige’s hands empty.

“I guess the magic is too strong,’ said Paige. “I can’t complete the orb.”

“That’s not it,” said Jerrod. “If that were the case your power wouldn’t have worked at all.”

“Are you sure?” Piper asked.

“I’m a Mystic Warlock,” said Jerrod. “I know how my power works. I think it didn’t work because the slippers don’t belong to her. Just like in the movie she can’t just take the slippers. They have to be freely given. That’s the way I’ve always interpreted it since the wicked witch didn’t just kill Dorothy and take them. She kept asking Dorothy to give them to her.

“But in the movie they belonged to Dorothy. And since Phoebe is cast as Dorothy then the slippers rightfully belong to her. They can’t be taken from her. She has to give them to someone in order for that person to take them. That’s why your orbing failed. Too bad Phoebe doesn’t have that ability. She could just orb them to herself.”

“Maybe she doesn’t have to,” said Paige. “Phoebe, hold out your hands.”

Phoebe held out her hands and Paige did the same. Once again Paige called for the slippers and just as before they began to orb into her hands. Paige immediately redirected the orb to Phoebe and the slippers orbed unhindered to Phoebe’s hand. Phoebe stood holding the ruby slippers.

“It worked,” said Jerrod. “Now, you have to freely give me the slippers if I’m going to use their magic. But this should help me put everything back the way it’s supposed to be.”

Phoebe hesitated for a minute. Trusting a warlock was not exactly in Phoebe’s nature.

“Look,” said Jerrod, “I know you don’t completely trust me. I can’t say I blame you. But I want out of here as much as you do. And this is the only way.

Still hesitant Phoebe took the slippers and handed them to Jerrod. He smiled and then closed his eyes and concentrated. For several moments nothing happened. Suddenly Jerrod was cast several feet back by some powerful unseen force. The slippers clattered to the road.

“It’s too late,” said Jerrod. “The magic has become too strong. Not even I can control it any longer. In a few minutes the last of us will be overwhelmed by it and converted to our characters. When that happens the Land of Oz will take over completely and we will all disappear forever.”

[Esmeralda]

YIKES! This is getting scarey! Paige is turning green and Piper's turning blonde! Is Phoebe's surgically-enhanced chest getting smaller (oops! Sorry; wrong season!), but is she finding herself wearing in a blue-checked dress with her hair in braids, is Leo getting himself a tail and Cole suddenly getting dumb? And does that mean that somewhere poor Darryl is turning to tin??

Yep, sounds like I was on the right track regarding the slipper, but it's too late! I *really* didn't like the idea of giving Jerrod the slippers--him having that magic is just plain scarey!! I'm still hoping that Phoebe gives the shoes to Paige, since the Witch of the West seemed to know how to use the magic, but still wouldn't be surprised if I'm way off.

This has GOT to be getting near the end! PLEASE update soon!!

[noazmale]

Yes, Esmeralda, we are getting near the end of this story. But I think I still have a couple of surprises in store for you. As for Phoebe's chest, Teri (my co-writer) and I have discussed that Phoebe seemed to "grow" every season. And considering that each season she seemed to wear fewer and fewer clothes, maybe it's good thing the show ended after season 8. Things could have gotten a bit embarrassing if it had gone on like that for another season. rofl.

Jerry