Piper, The Vampire Slayer?

[noazmale]

SIXTEEN

Piper, Angel, and Salos cautiously walked into an abandoned warehouse. From all outward appearances, it looked as if no one had been in the building for years. Angel assured Piper that its’ looks were deceiving. Suddenly two vampires stepped out of the shadows. They stood facing the three. One, with stark white hair looked at Angel.

“Well, Angelus,” said the white haired vampire with a distinct British accent, “it’s been a while.”

“Hello, Spike,” said Angel. “We’re here to see Malcor. We have business with him.”

“’Ello, love,” said Spike, looking at Piper. “What ‘ave we ‘ere? A human and a Trinsor. Bringing a peace offering to Malcor are we mate?”

“I’m no peace offering,” said Piper. “And unless you want to become a pile of dust, I suggest you back off.”

“Feisty, isn’t she?” asked Spike.

“Slayers always are,” said Angel.

“The Slayer?” questioned Spike. “You brought the Slayer here?”

“Like I said,” said Angel, “we have business with Malcor. Just tell him we’re here.”

“Friend of yours?” asked Piper as Spike went to inform Malcor.

“We ran together for a while,” said Angel. “It was a long time ago. Over one hundred years.”

“The term ‘old friend’ takes on a whole new meaning with you, doesn’t it?” asked Piper.

Angel just smiled. Spike came out and told them that Malcor would see them. They walked into the large adjoining room and Malcor was sitting on a chair that was more than reminiscent of a throne.

Malcor was a disgusting sight. Weighing nearly three hundred pounds, his reptile-like skin was a dull yellow. His eyes were green with white pupils. He was pug nosed and his eyelids were transparent and when he blinked it produced a very strange effect.

Six vampires stood around him. It was clear all of the vampires had open contempt for what they perceived as the Slayer. In one corner of the room hung a cage. Inside the cage was a Trinsor demon.

“Angelus,” said Malcor, “you’ve been away for much too long. Spike tells me you brought me a gift. Another Trinsor and the Slayer. How very thoughtful of you.”

“Like I told your boy,” said Piper, “I’m no ones gift.”

“Watch it, sister,” said Spike behind her. “I’m no ones boy.”

“You’d do well to heed Spike,” said Malcor. “You may be the Slayer but I doubt even you are any match for eight vampires. Not to mention me, of course.”

“Give mate,” insisted Salos. “You give, you no die.”

“You give, you no die,” mocked Malcor, chuckling. “Really, do you think that you frighten me? You pathetic little creature. Keep your mouth shut and I might forget I’m supposed to be a genial host.

“Now, Angelus, Spike said you had business with me. What possible business could I have with a vampire that has a soul? You’re not much better than these puny humans.”

“Actually,” said Angel, “we came for the Trinsor. We want her back.”

Malcor laughed.

“You’re joking, right?” asked Malcor. “She’s almost ready. Why should I give her up?”

“Salos told you,” said Angel. “Give her back and we’ll let you live.”

“Oh, you are funny today,” said Malcor. “The three of you are threatening me? I guess I should say the two of you. That little Trinsor isn’t much of a threat.”

“You know,” said Piper, “demons have underestimated me before.”

“I’m no vampire, sweetheart,” said Malcor. “And you’re beginning to bore me. Spike, take out the trash, will you?’

Spike smiled as the eight vampires began to move on the three.

[noazmale]

SEVENTEEN

“First of all,” said Piper, “I’m not your sweetheart. Second, if you think a couple of vampires frighten me, you are sorely mistaken. Third, there’s one little detail I neglected to mention.”

“And just what might that be?” asked Malcor.

“Leo,” Piper called into the air.

Leo immediately orbed into the room. With him were Prue, Phoebe, and Buffy. They each stood ready to do battle.

“We’re not exactly alone,” said Piper.

“White Lighter,” gasped Malcor. “And three witches, no doubt. Still, we have your outnumbered. And as I said, I’m no vampire.”

The vampires suddenly moved on the group. Angel didn’t hesitate. He moved up to the nearest two and brought his hands up. As he did, a wooden stake popped out from his wrists. The two vampires vanished into piles of dust.

Piper dived, narrowly avoiding one of the vampires. She rolled and came up on her knees with a vial in her hands. She pulled the stopper out of the vial and threw the contents into the vampires’ face. The vampire grabbed its’ face and backed away, screaming in pain.

“Oh, sorry,” said Piper, “I guess you don’t like holy water.”

Phoebe turned on one of the vampires and raised her hands. The vampire exploded and vanished into a pile of dust. Meanwhile, Prue raised her hands and three of the vampires were thrown back across the room from her telekinetic power.

Buffy faced off against Spike. The white haired vampire obviously thought she would be an easy mark. But her martial arts skill took him by surprise. She kicked him several times, driving him back from the ferocity of her attacks.

“What’s the matter, whitey?” asked Buffy. “You don’t like aggressive women?”

“I like them just fine, love,” said Spike, wiping blood from his mouth. “But they always lose in the end.”

“Well, I may not be the slayer, love,” said Buffy, “but I think I can hold my own with the likes of you.”

“Enough,” bellowed Malcor, rising to his full height of seven feet. “As I told you, I’m no vampire.”

He reached out and cast a fireball at Prue. She only barely managed to dive out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack. Phoebe turned and cast her explosive power at Malcor. He simply reached out and plucked the attack out of the air, extinguishing it.

“Fools,” said Malcor. “Did you honestly think that vampires were the only thing you’d have to face in here? I’m surprised, Angelus. You, most of all, should have understood what you were walking into and been more prepared. I’m very disappointed in you.”

“Well,” said Piper, “let me see if I can’t change that for you.”

Without turning, she pointed behind her. The vampire she had thrown the holy water on suddenly exploded and vanished into a pile of dust. Piper just smiled at Malcor.

“Surprise,” she said.

“But . . . but you’re the Slayer,” stammered Malcor. “The Slayer doesn’t have power like that.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised what I can do,” said Piper. “Now, do we get the Trinsor demon? Or shall we see if you can catch both Phoebe’s and my explosive powers at the same time?”

“Take it,” snapped Malcor angrily. “But this isn’t ended. Count on that.”

Angel walked over and released the Trinsor demon from her cage. Together, the group backed out of the room. Prue and Phoebe went ahead to make sure there weren’t any surprises waiting for them. Just as Piper was about to leave the room, she looked at Malcor.

“Oh,” she said, “just one last thing.”

“What is it?” snarled Malcor.

Piper brought her hands up so quickly that the demon was caught completely off guard. Everyone watched as Malcor exploded and evaporated away.

“I don’t like to be threatened,” she said.

[AjentAnjel :)]

really like the story!!!

[noazmale]

EIGHTEEN

“Did everything go as planned?” asked Giles when the others returned to the manor.

“More or less,” said Angel. “Salos took his mate back to their dimension where she’ll be safe. He said as soon as he can locate Collier, he’ll let us know.”

“I just hope we can trust him,” said Piper.

“I don’t think we have much of a choice, actually,” said Giles. “But I have discovered a thing or two in your absence.”

“Good news, I hope,” said Piper. “I could use some right about now.”

“Well, it’s sort of a good news bad news type of thing,” responded Giles. “They’re sort of interconnected.”

“Great,” said Buffy. “Well, what have you got?”

“The amulet that this Collier has,” said Giles, “the one that protects him from a witches power. It’s also the source of his dimensional shifting ability. It’s how he’s able to travel between dimensions. It’s also how he is able to move others through other dimensions.”

“Is that the good news or the bad news?” asked Prue.

“Oh, it’s quite good,” said Giles. “It let’s us know how he does what he does. By better understanding his power, it helps us fight him.

“But there’s more. He can do what he does because the amulet is made from about two-dozen different metals. Each metal is from a different dimension. This special alloy helps him to focus his power and send someone, or himself, to a specific dimension.”

“How does that help us?” asked Phoebe.

“It narrows down the possible dimensions considerably,” said Giles. “Collier can only send someone to a dimension of one of the metals contained in the alloy. It shouldn’t be difficult to determine which dimensions the metals were collected from. It would be even faster to do that if these Elders can find out for us.”

“I’m sure they will if they can,” said Leo.

“This is great,” said Piper. “It should be easy to determine where I belong from only two dozen dimensions.”

“Yes, well,” said Giles.

“Uh oh,” said Buffy. “Now for the bad news.”

“When Collier switched you and our Piper,” said Giles, “the best that I can determine is that your silver cords somehow became intertwined. That’s why you have your Charmed powers and no Slayer abilities. I would imagine it’s much the same with our Piper in your dimension.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “So we just untangle them. Maybe when I return to my dimension and she returns here, they’ll untangle.”

“Or perhaps not,” said Giles. “At any rate, we can’t even think of returning you to your own dimension just yet.”

“Why not?” Prue asked. “If we figure out a way to return her, then we can use the same method to return our Piper. Problem solved.”

“Not exactly,” said Giles. “With the silver cords intertwined, this Piper would return to the exact place where our Piper is in her dimension.”

“So?” asked Piper. “That just means I won’t have to go looking for her. She’ll be right there when I return. That should make it easier for us to return her here.”

“You don’t understand,” said Giles. “I mean exactly the same spot. There’s no telling what the consequences of that would be. In all likelihood, the two of you would merge together and neither would survive.”

“Oh,” said Piper. “Yeah, I guess that is different.”

“Quite,” said Giles. “What about this Power of Three you mentioned? Would it be powerful enough to return the two Pipers to their own dimensions and untangle the cords?”

‘I don’t know,” said Prue. “The Power of Three is the most powerful magic for good in history. But as Leo said, it’s not all-powerful. It would be risky at best.”

“Too risky,” said Leo. “If it was off by even a little bit, we’d lose both of them. You know how unpredictable spells and magic can be. I don’t think it’s worth the risk unless we have no other options open to us.”

“I don’t know if I have a say in this,” said Angel. “But it sounds too dangerous to me. We should find another way.”

Suddenly Piper doubled over from pain. She held her stomach as the others gathered around her to see if they could help. Just as suddenly the pain subsided.

“Are you okay?” asked Phoebe.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Piper. “It felt like my insides were being ripped out. It was a strange sensation. No pain, really. More like very intense pressure.”

“I was afraid of that,” said Giles.

“What?” Prue asked. “What is it, Giles?”

“The strain on her silver cord is increasing,” said Giles. “This is probably only the first symptom. They will probably increase the longer it goes on. We’re starting to run out of time. If we don’t find a way to return Piper to her own dimension soon, we’re going to lose her.”

[noazmale]

NINETEEN

Pipers’ “episode” didn’t seem to have any lasting affects. Giles said that would change. She would probably have more “episodes”. They would probably become more frequent and last longer each time until the strain was just too great. Then the silver cord anchoring her to her own dimension would snap like a rubber band, catapulting her into the nether area between dimensions.

“That’s only a theory, of course,” said Prue.

“Not one I’d care to test if you don’t mind,” said Piper. “So, what are we going to do now?”

“There appears to be only one course of action,” said Giles. “We need to find Collier.”

“Easier said than done,” said Phoebe.

“What good would that do anyway?” asked Buffy. “He wants to kill her. It’s not like he’s about to help return her to where she belongs.”

“No,” said Giles, “but if we can get his amulet, perhaps the sisters can figure out how to use it and return the Pipers’ to their own dimensions.”

“Good luck with that one,” said Piper. “We’d have to get close enough to him to get it. He was immune to my power, remember? He said the amulet shielded him from a witch’s powers. It’s not like he’s just going to let us walk up and take it off him.”

“It won’t protect him from me,” said Angel.

“First things first,” said Giles. “Our first order of business is to locate him. What about this Salos? Any idea when he’s likely to return?”

‘Whenever he locates Collier,” said Angel.

“Assuming he does even then,” said Buffy. “He is a demon after all. We might have seen the last of him.”

“A Power of Three spell,” said Phoebe suddenly.

“We’ve already considered that, remember?” said Prue. “But only as a last resort.”

“No,” said Phoebe, “I mean we use a Power of Three spell to bring Collier to us. It’s too risky to use it on Piper, but I have no qualms about using it on a warlock.”

“That won’t work,” said Piper. “Remember the amulet? He’s immune to our powers. Which probably means spells, too.”

“Maybe we can’t forcibly bring him here,” said Phoebe. “But it just might get his attention. You intimated he was some kind of mercenary or bounty hunter. Well, the people who hire him have to get hold of him somehow. If we can get his attention, maybe he’ll come here to find out who’s trying to get hold of him.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” said Prue.

“I suppose it’s worth a try,” said Giles.

“And if we plan it right,” said Prue, “we just might be able to get that amulet away from him. Without it, he’s as susceptible to our powers as anyone else. I’ll bet he’ll be more than happy to tell us how to return the two Pipers’ to their own dimensions.”

“I’ll get started on the spell,” said Buffy. “With any luck, I’ll have something soon.”

“When he finds out who’s summoning him,” said Giles, “at the very least he’ll be suspicious. He’s sure to be on his guard.”

“Just leave that to me,” said Angel. “I’ll just need him distracted for a second.”

“I think we can handle that,” said Phoebe.

“It’s very likely that we’ll only get one chance at this,” said Giles. “We’d best not mess this up.”

“Don’t try anything before I get back,” said Angel, heading for the front door.

“Where are you going?” asked Giles.

“There’s something I need to take care of first,” said Angel. “I won’t be long.”

“Is he always so mysterious?” asked Buffy after Angel had left.

“Usually,” said Giles. “He’s a very complicated individual.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “we get Collier here. Then we get the amulet away from him. Then all you have to do is use it to untangle our silver cords and return us to our own dimensions, right?”

“Me?” asked Giles. “Oh no, I’m afraid I can’t use it. I don’t know how. You’ll have to do that yourselves. You and the sisters.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “So, tell me how this amulet works.”

“You mean you don’t know?” asked Giles. “I assumed you would know how since you were witches. Oh dear. I seemed to have made a dreadful error.”

“Witches aren’t omnipotent,” said Prue. “Looks like we have some studying to do. While Buffy works on the spell, and Angel is doing whatever he’s doing, the rest of us will see if we can figure out how the amulet works.”

“Gee, I guess I’m back in high school,” joked Piper. “It’s been a long time since I had to hit the books. Not counting spell research and such.”

“It’s going to be a very long night,” said Giles to no one in particular.”

[charminggrl]

the suspese is kiling me lol

[noazmale]

TWENTY

Their research on the amulet was not going well. They had learned a great deal about it, but nothing that hinted at how it operated. Or how to control it. It apparently had been made millennia ago by a powerful demon named Lishtak. Traveling to the various dimensions, Lishtak had collected sufficient metal from each of these dimensions to use for the amulet. The metals were all melted down and mixed together to create a special alloy.

Then, using ancient magic, the alloy was poured to create the star-shaped amulet. A single stone, gathered in the nether reaches between dimensions, was set in the center of the amulet. When it was completed, the amulets’ magic radiated into each of the dimensions from which the metals had been collected. Unlike normal magic, which was normally confined to its own dimension.

No one knew what purpose the amulet was to have served. Lishtak refused to say. Nor would anyone ever know. In his first attempt to harness the power of the amulet, Lishtak was consumed and the amulet lost. Both demon and the amulet vanished, presumably destroyed by the great magic of each.

Then, Collier simply appeared with it one day. Originally a witch, his only power had been the ability to change the color of inanimate objects. He was considered less than even a minor player in the battle of good versus evil. Seduced by the magic of the amulet, Collier turned evil and became a warlock. Able to use the powerful magic of the amulet, he became a powerful source of evil. And the bane to all witches in two-dozen dimensions.

“Apparently this Collier found the amulet,” said Giles. “He was able to learn how to control its’ magic.”

“That might have taken him years to do,” said Prue. “I don’t think we have that kind of time.”

“Then we’ll have to figure it out sooner,” said Buffy, coming into the room. “I’ve got the spell ready. We can use it as soon as Angel gets back.”

As if this were a cue, the front door flew open. Sunlight streamed in from the newly risen sun. Angel rushed in and slammed the door behind him, then rushed into the entryway, out of the sunlight. He was smoking.

“Wasn’t sure I was going to make it that time,” he said.

“Pew,” said Phoebe. “Put a fork in him. He’s done.”

“Hazard of being a vampire,” said Angel, smiling.

“I assume you finished whatever it was you went to do,” said Giles.

“Oh, yeah,” said Angel.

“Just what did you go do, anyway?” asked Piper.

Angel looked at Leo.

“Why don’t you do that orbing thing you do?” asked Angel.

Leo just looked at Angel for a moment and then shrugged. He stood in place for another moment but nothing happened.

“I can’t orb,” Leo announced finally.

“Only out,” said Angel. “It’s only temporary. I have some . . . friends who’ve put an enchantment around the house. It prevents anyone from magically leaving the building. They can get in okay, but to get out they have to do it the old fashioned way. Through a door.”

“Or a window,” said Prue, a bit angry. “You enchanted the manor?”

“Only temporarily,” said Angel. “It will wear off in a day or so. I figured we’d need some protection against this Collier’s blinking or whatever you call it. And he might detect it if you had done it. Besides, if he’s immune to your powers, it might not affect him if you had done it.”

“That was good thinking,” said Phoebe. “Only, next time, run it by us first. It is our house.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry about that,” said Angel. “It won’t prevent him from dimensional traveling, however. So we’ll need to get the amulet away from him as soon as possible.”

“Well, we have a summoning spell,” said Prue. “All we need now is to know where Collier is. Which means we need Salos. So where is he?”

“He’ll be here,” said Angel, “just as soon as he locates Collier. You helped free his mate. And Trinsor demons are very responsible about paying their debts.”

“He’d better be,” said Buffy. “We’re running out of time. If he doesn’t come through for us, I’m going to write a special spell just for him. And believe me, he won’t like it.”

“He’ll be here,” promised Angel.

“We’d better keep looking,” said Piper. “I’ll need to know how to use that amulet if I’m ever to get home.”

Phoebe went into the kitchen to put on some coffee as the rest went back to Giles’ books.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-ONE

Pipers’ second “episode” struck her at midmorning. This one was more intense than the first and lasted longer. Angel and Prue helped Piper to her feet as her head cleared.

“That was worse than the first one,” said Piper. “A couple of more like that and I don’t think I’m going to survive.”

“That’s not going to happen,” said Prue. “We’re going to get you home before that happens.”

“Slayer hurt?” questioned Salos, peering in from the entryway. “Salos help Slayer. Salos find evil male witch.”

“Salos,” said Piper. “You found him? You know where Collier is?”

“Salos knows,” said Salos. “Salos follow. Evil man witch in other same place. Then go to different other same place. Many times. Now, evil man witch this place.”

“Other same place?” questioned Buffy.

“A different dimension, I would gather,” said Giles. “Physically, they would probably all look the same. I suppose it’s the best explanation the little fellow can give because of his limited grasp on our language.”

“Different same place?” questioned Angel. “That probably means he’s been moving from dimension to dimension.”

“That would explain why the Elders can’t find him,” said Leo. “Moving from dimension to dimension would make it more difficult to locate him.”

“So, if he’s in ‘this place’ now,” said Phoebe, “that must mean he’s in this dimension. That’s good. It will make Buffys’ spell that much stronger.”

“We should use it as soon as possible,” said Giles. “The longer we wait, the greater the chance he’ll move into another dimension. That will make it harder to bring him here.”

“He’s right,” said Piper. “But we need to check something first. Just to be sure we’re ready. Leo, try to orb ‘up there’ and then back here.”

Leo closed his eyes and concentrated. Nothing happened for several moments.

“I can’t orb out,” he announced. “The enchantment must still be in place.”

“I was thinking,” said Buffy. “What about a power stripping potion? That would strip Collier of his powers and maybe make him easier to deal with.”

“I don’t think that will work in this case,” said Piper. “Collier seems to be getting his power directly from that amulet. Even if we strip what little power he actually has, he still has access to the amulet. Our best chance is to get that amulet away from him so he won’t be immune to our powers. Then we can get the answers from him we need.”

“Like I said,” said Angel, “leave that part to me.”

“How do you propose to get close enough to him to get it?” asked Giles.

“Let’s just say he’s probably not expecting it,” said Angel. “He’s used to dealing with witches and demons. I doubt he even knows about me.”

“What if he does?” asked Buffy.

“The we improvise,” said Piper. “My sisters and I are pretty good at that. Our opponents can’t guess what we’re up to since half the time we don’t usually know ourselves until we do it.”

“That’s kind of the way we work, too,” said Phoebe. “Okay. The enchantment is in place. We have Buffys’ spell that, hopefully, will bring Collier to us. Guess we’re about as ready as we’re ever going to be.”

“What if the spell doesn’t bring him here?” asked Prue.

“Then we get Salos to show us where he is and go to him,” said Piper. “I’m getting tired of all this. I want it over.”

“And the longer we wait,” said Giles, “the more likely we are to miss our opportunity.”

“He’s right,” said Phoebe. “Let’s do it.”

The three sisters removed pieces of paper from their pockets. They each looked over the spell quickly to make sure they were ready. Then they recited the spell in unison.

“Theodore Collier, we summon you here,

“We compel you to come, whether far or near.

“Across the dimensions, we send this plea,

“We summon this warlock, by the Power of Three.

Piper found it strange to have a Power of Three spell being cast without her. But these three were the Charmed Ones here. It was their responsibility to cast the spells and protect the innocent. They all waited impatiently to see what, if anything, would happen.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-TWO

Everyone waited to see if the spell would work. With any luck, Collier would appear and Angel could grab the amulet before he realized what was going on. They just had to wait until he blinked in. Which apparently wasn’t going to happen. After a few moments, Collier still hadn’t appeared.

“Looks like it didn’t work,” said Leo.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that exactly,” said a voice behind them.

They all turned to see Collier leaning against the fireplace. The amulet hung outside his shirt around his neck. He was smiling at them.

“You really didn’t expect that spell to bring me here, did you?” he asked. “Since you summoned me, you obviously know who I am. You must also have known the spell wouldn’t affect me.”

“It seems to have worked okay,” said Phoebe. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

“I’m here by choice,” said Collier. “The spell got my attention. I was curious why you were summoning me. Witches usually don’t summon me. I assume you want something.”

“Yeah,” said Piper. “Send me back where I belong.”

“Oh, so you’re here,” said Collier. “Your little defense in your club kind of took me by surprise. I didn’t think something like that was possible.

“I had no idea where you had gone. You certainly didn’t go where I had intended. I’ve spent a great deal of time looking for you. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to distinguish between you and the real Piper of a particular dimension? It can get frustrating, let me tell you.”

“I couldn’t care less,” said Piper. “Just send me back.”

“Or what?” asked Collier laughing. “You’ll use your powers on me? Well, even with four witches, I’m still immune to your powers. The Trinsor demon is no threat to me. Let’s see. We also have a White Lighter. But then, they’re pacifists in any dimension. So it’s unlikely he’ll try anything. It’s not in his nature.

“And finally there are two humans. No powers whatsoever. So they’re hardly a threat to me. I suppose you could try to overpower me. But I’d just blink away before you can even get to me. Let’s face it, honey. You’re not in much of a position to demand anything.”

“Don’t call me honey,” said Piper. “Think of the Piper who belongs here. She’s not even a witch. By leaving me here, you’re condemning her to death, too.”

“Collateral damage,” said Collier. “It happens sometimes. All I have to do is wait and my job is finished. Now, if that’s all you wanted, I really need to be going.”

He stood smiling at them for a moment. Then the smile faded replaced by a frown.

“What’s the matter?” asked Prue. “Having trouble blinking away?”

“Ingenious,” said Collier. “You get someone other than a witch to enchant the house to prevent me from blinking away. That way I’m stuck here. Very creative. Except that I doubt the enchantment can prevent me from moving interdimensionally.”

He reached up and grasped the amulet around his neck. Suddenly, Angel moved. With blinding speed, faster than anyone could see, he was just as quickly next to Collier. He held the warlock in the iron grasp of a vampires’ strength.

“See,” Angel said to the others, “I told you he wouldn’t be suspecting me.” He looked at Collier. “That little trinket might protect you against them, but I doubt it will protect you against a vampire. Now, we have a few questions for you. You’re going to tell us what we want to know. If you don’t, I might just rethink my policy about drinking human blood. I imagine you could last for a month or more.”

“You don’t frighten me,” said Collier. “Vampire or not, I know about you. The vampire with a soul who wants to be human again. You aren’t going to do anything to me and risk all that. You’re bluffing.”

‘Maybe you’re right,” said Angel, grabbing the amulet. “But without this, you aren’t immune to their powers. And they don’t have my restrictions.”

Angel yanked the amulet off of Collier’s neck.

“No,” screamed Collier in fear.

Everyone watched as Colliers’ body began to glow and fade at the same time. Within seconds he simply vanished, leaving Angel holding the amulet.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-THREE

“What happened?” asked Buffy.

“He must have used the amulet to move between dimensions,” said Giles. “The magic in the amulet probably acted like a booster of sorts. Providing a stable power source, so to speak, to the silver cord that anchored him to his own dimension.”

“So when Angel removed the amulet,” said Piper, “he cut the power to the silver cord.”

“Precisely,” said Giles. “Much like hooking up a spare battery to a car, I would imagine. As long as he wore the amulet, he was able to draw on its’ power.”

“So what happened to him?” asked Prue. “When Angel removed the amulet, did he return to his own dimension?”

‘I don’t think so,” said Giles. “Remember Salos said Collier had been moving from one dimension to another. That would increase the strain on his silver cord, causing it to weaken faster than normal. It was only the power of the amulet that kept it from snapping.”

“Which means without the amulet,” said Piper, “he didn’t have that extra power. All of the strain would have suddenly been dumped onto the cord.”

“That seems a reasonable assumption,” said Giles. “I suppose it’s not unlike two people carrying a very heavy object. If one person should just suddenly let go, the other would unexpectedly be forced to shoulder the burden alone.”

“And they wouldn’t be able to stand up with that,” said Angel. “With all that weight suddenly thrust upon them, they couldn’t possibly handle it.”

“Yes,” said Giles. “With that much strain on it, a silver cord would suddenly snap. Casting the person out of the dimension they were in.”

“Wait a minute,” said Buffy. “Didn’t you say if that happened he’d be trapped between dimension? Unable to enter any of them?”

“Yes, I did,” said Giles. “Which means that Mr. Collier is probably floating between dimensions at this very moment. Where he’ll remain forever. I think you’ve seen the last of this warlock.”

“You moved pretty fast,” Piper said to Angel. “I’ve never seen anyone move that fast before.”

“The benefits of being a vampire,” said Angel. “We can only do it in spurts and it’s very tiring. But it gave us the edge we needed.”

“Well, one problem is solved,” said Phoebe. “Collier’s no longer a threat and we have the amulet. But we still have the problem of how to use it.”

“We also didn’t find out who hired him,” said Prue. “When they find out he’s failed, they may send someone else after Piper.”

“It’s probably someone from my own dimension,” said Piper. “Once I get back, I can see if I can find out who it is. Our main problem now is learning how to use the amulet.”

“That might be a bit dicey,” said Giles. “We’ve gone through nearly everything we have on the amulet. Almost nothing is known about the amulet itself. Aside from what we’ve already learned.”

“”We’ll just have to keep looking,” said Piper. “The more time we waste, the less time we have. And the Piper who belongs here has. She may not even have any idea what’s going on.”

“Not necessarily,” said Angel, holding up the amulet.

“Of course,” said Giles. “If it protected Collier from the strain of interdimensional travel, it should also protect Piper. And with her cord intertwined with our Pipers’, that protection will probably cover her as well.”

“That’s only an assumption,” said Leo. “There’s no way to know for sure.”

“But I don’t even know how to use it,” said Piper. “How can I use it to protect myself without knowing how it works?”

“It’s possible that simply possessing the amulet will transfer that protection,” said Giles. “Similar to a charm or talisman. It did stop protecting Collier by simply removing it.”

“It’s worth a try,” said Piper. “I guess it can’t hurt.”

She reached out and took the amulet from Angel. As he released his hold on the star-shaped item, Piper blacked out.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-FOUR

Piper looked around. Everywhere she looked she saw only a field of gray. As if she were standing in a thick blanket of fog. But she wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable.

“Where am I?” she asked.

“You are in my domain,” responded a disembodied voice.

“Who are you?” asked Piper. “What domain are you talking about? How did I get here?”

“I am Lishtak,” said the voice. “And my domain is that area that exists between dimensions. Welcome, Charmed One.”

“Lishtak is dead,” said Piper. “How do you know who I am?”

‘I know all that happens in my domain,” said Lishtak. “That is how I know you.”

“You can read my mind?” asked Piper.

“No,” said Lishtak, “that is not one of my abilities. But I can sense that you are a powerful witch. A witch of such great power could only be one of the Charmed Ones. As for my death, my form was consumed by the power I unleashed. I underestimated it. But my essence continues on here, in this place.”

“How did I get here?” asked Piper.

“You touched the amulet,” said Lishtak. “The other who held it is of no use to me. His body is no longer alive. It cannot benefit me. When you took the amulet, I opened a door of sorts. To allow you to pass through. So that we could speak. You have not physically moved. This meeting is more in your mind than in reality. But it affords us the chance to talk.”

“Talk about what?” asked Piper. “What do you want from me?”

“Your body,” said Lishtak. “Or more correctly, partial use of it. My essence cannot leave this place. I must have a physical form for that. All I ask it that you allow me to share your form and take me from this place.”

“Why?” Piper asked.

“To help locate a suitable form for my essence,” said Lishtak. “A form I can assume and use to return to the mortal realm. To become what I once was.”

“Oh, yeah, now that’s going to happen,” said Piper sarcastically. “Now, why would I do that? If you know who I am, you also know I vanquish your kind. Why should I help you?”

“Survival,” said Lishtak. “Even now your physical form is dying. I can prevent that. And I can untangle your connection with the other one like you. Freeing both of you.”

“And let her die?” asked Piper. “You know I can’t do that. She’s an innocent. I can’t let her die to save myself.”

“Of course not,” said Lishtak. “I would also return both of you to where you belong. That will prevent both deaths.”

“So,” said Piper, “I just let you hitch a ride until you find the right body, and then you leave me for that body. Is that the deal?”

“Yes,” said Lishtak. “And I can anticipate your next objection. The body I choose will be one where the spirit has already left it, but the body still functions. What you would call brain dead. So no other innocents are put at risk.”

“And if I refuse?” asked Piper.

“I simply withhold my power to sustain you,” said Lishtak. “You, and the other like you, will die. I will simply withhold my power until your form ceases to function. At any rate, another will eventually find the amulet. And I would then use their form to return to the mortal realm.”

“You sort of got me over a barrel, don’t you?” asked Piper.

“In a manner of speaking,” said Lishtak. “I will give you time to consider my proposal. But not too much time. When you’re ready, you can return here and complete our bargain. Until then, wear the amulet so that my power can sustain you. In so doing, it will also sustain the other.”

Pipers’ vision blacked out again.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-FIVE

“You can’t trust him,” said Prue. “He’s a demon. He’ll say anything to get you to help him. More than likely, he’ll just try to take you over if you agree to this.”

“You’re probably right,” said Piper. “But I don’t seem to have another choice. There’s no telling how long it will take to find another way to get me back. Even assuming that’s even possible.”

“Plus there’s our Piper to consider,” said Phoebe. “To us, she’s an innocent. We can’t just let her die if there’s something we can do to save her.”

“As much as I’d hate to lose her,” said Giles, “she’s prepared to give her life to stop a demon. She is the Slayer, after all.”

“Except that it won’t be stopped,” said Angel. “She’d be dying for nothing. Like Lishtak told Piper, he’ll just use the next person who finds the amulet.”

“Angel’s right,” said Buffy. “What about Salos? He can travel between dimensions and apparently can take others with him. Can’t he just take Piper back where she belongs?”

‘Not until the cords are untangled,” said Giles. “And we have no way to do that.”

“I don’t see any other way,” said Piper. “I’ll have to agree to what he wants. Once I get home, maybe my sisters and I can figure out a way to stop him.”

“I’ll see that you have all the information we can find on Lishtak,” said Giles.

“I’ll check the Book of Shadows,” said Phoebe. “It might have something on him in there.”

“That’s unlikely,” said Leo. “Lishtak was believed to have been vanquished thousands of years ago. There wouldn’t be any reason for you to know about him. I’ll check with the Elders to see if they can help.”

“Well,” said Piper, “before I let him hitch a ride inside me, I’ll make sure your Piper is back here safe and sound first. That will be one last thing we will have to worry about.”

“All right then,” said Giles. “I suggest we all get ready. This is going to be tricky at best. We need to be prepared in case Lishtak tries something before Piper returns home.”

Leo turned and headed for the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” asked Phoebe.

“To see the Elders,” said Leo.

“Don’t you have to orb to do that?’ asked Phoebe.

“Yes, I do,” said Leo. “And until the enchantment on the manor runs out, I have to be outside to do that, remember? I just figured it was better if I orbed in the backyard where I’m not likely to be seen.”

“Oh, right,” said Phoebe. “I forgot.”

“I’m going to miss you,” Piper said to Prue as the others made their preparations. “It’s almost like loosing you all over again. It happened so quickly I never had a chance to say goodbye. I just wanted to say goodbye now unless there wasn’t an opportunity later.”

Prue hugged Piper.

“I can understand that,” said Prue. “I can imagine how I’d feel if I lost one of my sisters. I guess, in a way, we are sisters. And I’m going to miss you, too. I’ve kind of gotten used to having you around.”

“Well,” said Piper, “maybe you and the Piper who belongs here can stay in touch. I don’t know how much alike we are but I’m sure she’d appreciate the friendship of someone else magical. Being the Slayer must be trying on her at times. And Giles and her friends just can’t understand some things. They’re innocents. It’s not like having someone like us around.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” said Prue. “I’ll have to make sure to get her address and phone number before she leaves.”

“Well, once this is all settled,” said Piper, “I’m going to see if there’s a Slayer where I’m from. It might take some convincing but I’m sure I can persuade her what’s happened. Maybe she could use a magical shoulder from time to time.”

“You sound like Phoebe,” said Prue. “I guess we’d better check in with the others. Lishtak isn’t going to wait for your answer forever.”

The two went to the attic to see what Phoebe had learned from the Book of Shadows. For a while, at least, Piper almost felt as if Prue had never left her.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-SIX

“Are you sure about this?” asked Giles. “It’s a desperate gamble you’re taking.”

“I know,” said Piper, folding a piece of paper and putting it in her pocket. “But I don’t think we have any other choice. I think this is our only hope. I don’t believe for a second that Lishtak plans to leave my body once I get home. This is the only way.”

“You’re as gutsy as our Piper,” said Angel.

“Sort of a hazard of the profession,” said Piper. “Is the enchantment still on the manor?”

“No,” said Leo. “When I got back from the Elders I checked. I can orb out again.”

“Well, if what Lishtak said is true,” said Piper, “it won’t matter until he inhabits me.”

“There was nothing in the Book of Shadows,” said Phoebe, “just as Leo said.”

“The Elders didn’t know much more,” said Leo. “Lishtak was a high level demon. You pretty much know the rest.”

“From what we’ve learned,” said Giles, “Lishtak needs a living body to exist outside his domain. It would explain why he didn’t try talking to Angel when he held the amulet. As a vampire, Angel would be useless to him.”

“He told me as much,” said Piper. “And I think he needs me to cooperate before he can inhabit me. Otherwise, he’d just move in and take over.”

“Historically,” said Giles, “demonic possession involves the weak or impaired. Drug addicts, alcoholics, that sort. And there are some who just don’t have the strength of will to resist a possession. As a Charmed One, he could never inhabit you unless you allowed it. Your power is just too great.”

“He probably won’t be able to just force me out, either,” said Piper. “I think I’m going to have a fight on my hands before this is all over.”

“We may never know if you’re successful,” said Buffy. “Once you return to your own dimension, they’ll be no way to let us know.”

“Think positively,” said Prue. “We’ve kicked enough demon butt before. I’m sure Piper and her sisters can handle this one.”

“With Leo’s help, I’m sure we can,” said Piper. “My Leo, not you.”

“I understood that,” said Leo, smiling.

“There’s really no difference between the two of you,” said Piper. “Other than you’re Phoebe’s husband here. Besides that, you’re virtually identical.”

“Then I know he’ll be as glad to get you back as I would be to get Phoebe back if the situations were reversed,” said Leo.

“And I will be glad to have my Piper back as well,” said Giles. “She’s very much needed here. And I must confess I miss her more than I thought.”

“No matter how alike we may be,” said Piper, “she’s still your Piper. I’m not. She belongs here, I don’t.”

“So,” said Prue, “any idea how to get hold of Lishtak to let him know you’re going along with his deal?”

“It shouldn’t be hard,” said Piper. “I’m thinking if I concentrate hard enough, he’ll hear me and open that door he talked about.”

“Well, if it’s like the last time,” said Angel, “we won’t even realize it. It was only a brief moment for us. You’ll have to let us know if it works.”

“I will,” promised Piper. “I’m pretty sure he’ll go along with me. Especially if he thinks it’s a way out of that void area.”

“I suppose we’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” said Giles.

“Before I do,” said Piper, “I want to thank all of you for your help. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

“What are sister for?” asked Prue. “Even if we are sort of extended sisters.”

“Be careful,” said Giles.

“I will,” promised Piper.

Piper closed her eyes and concentrated on Lishtak.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-SEVEN

“Are you here?” asked Piper looking out into the field of gray all about her.

“Of course,” replied Lishtak.

“I’ve thought it over,” said Piper. “I’ll go along with this. But there are a couple of stipulations.”

“I thought as much,” said Lishtak.

“First,” said Piper, “you untangle the cords and put the other Piper back where she belongs. Before you send me back.”

“Acceptable,” said Lishtak.

“Second,” said Piper, “after that, I want a few minutes. To say goodbye to the others.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain if I do?” asked Lishtak.

“I’m a witch, remember?” said Piper. “One of the good guys? You have my word that if you do what I ask, I’ll let you hop a ride with me back to my own dimension.”

“Very well,” said Lishtak. “I suppose the word of a Charmed One is sufficient. Is that all?”

“No, one other thing,” said Piper. “I have to agree to the body you take over. I don’t want you trying to take over a body that’s already inhabited.”

“I accept,” said Lishtak. “Is there anything else?”

“Yeah,” said Piper. “Once we get back, I don’t want you trying to read my mind or anything like that. I need some privacy.”

“As I’ve said,” said Lishtak, “I can’t read your mind. It’s not one of my abilities. We will simply be occupying the same body for a time. Your thoughts are your own, as are mine.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “Now, what do I have to do?”

“Nothing,” said Lishtak. “I will separate the cords. When I am finished, you will return to your normal physical appearance. There will be no discomfort. You simply need to close your eyes.”

Piper didn’t fully trust the demon. She knew at the first opportunity, he’d turn on her. She also knew she had no choice. She could only hope her strength as a Charmed One would protect her. Piper closed her eyes and waited.

“Piper?” she heard Prue question after a moment. “Are you okay?”

Piper opened her eyes. Prue was standing in front of her, holding her by the shoulders. Everyone else stood around looking at her.

“I’m fine,” said Piper. “Lishtak agreed to everything. He’s supposed to untangle the cords and bring your Piper back here.”

“He did,” said Angel.

That’s when Piper noticed the young girl Angel had his arm around. She was a young Piper, about sixteen years old. Piper moved over to a mirror in the manor entryway and looked at it.

Her normal reflection stared back at her. She was no longer the sixteen-year-old girl she had been when she had arrived here. Apparently, Lishtak had kept his word. So far at least. Piper turned and looked at the group.

“So far, so good,” she said.

“It’s good to be back where I belong,” said the young Piper. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I’m glad it’s over. No offense, but your dimension is kind of screwed up.”

“That’s what I was thinking about yours,” said Piper. “I assume my sisters were able to figure out what was going on.”

“Not everything,” said the young Piper. “They knew I wasn’t you. And I was able to convince them I wasn’t a demon impersonating you. But they don’t know what happened. It was totally confusing.”

“I know the feeling,” said Piper. “I’ll be sure to fill them in when I get back. I’m sure Giles and the others will do the same with you.”

“We’ll fill Piper in on what’s been happening,” said Giles. “You should be going. Lishtak is bound to be very impatient.”

“Thanks,” said Piper, kissing him on the cheek. “For everything. Thanks to all of you. I couldn’t have done this without your help.”

“Thank us by vanquishing Lishtak,” said Phoebe. “Have a safe journey. And kick a lot of demon butt for us when you get back.”

“I will,” said Piper. “Well, I guess this is it. Another trip over the rainbow. Maybe some day we’ll get a chance to meet again.”

Piper closed her eyes to contact Lishtak. As she did, the younger Piper pulled Angel out of the living room.

“We need to talk,” she whispered to him. “Something about a moment of true happiness and the consequences.”

“Oh, that,” said Angel.

“Yeah,” said Piper, smiling at him, “that.”

[noazmale]

TWENTY-EIGHT

“It is actually a simple matter,” said Lishtak. “Moving from one dimension to another is as easy as opening a doorway. All one has to do is step through.”

“Well, you kept your part of the bargain,” said Piper. “I guess it’s time for me to keep mine. As soon as we get back, I’ll find a body for you.”

“That should not be difficult,” said Lishtak. “Any body should be adequate. Now, when my essence enters you, you must not resist. Once I enter you, I will be able to open the doorway to your dimension.”

“Just no tricks,” said Piper.

Lishtak didn’t respond. Piper could feel his essence beginning to enter her. She fought the impulse to resist. It was a natural reaction to being possessed. She had to resist the urge to shut Lishtak out. Within moments it was over. Piper could feel his presence in her mind. It was unsettling. She wasn’t sure if he had told the truth about not being able to read her mind.

“It’s done,” said Lishtak in her mind.

“Okay, now what?” she replied.

“I’ll use the power of the amulet,” said Lishtak. “As before, you may lose consciousness. It is a natural reaction to interdimensional travel until you become accustomed to it.”

Piper felt herself become dizzy. She didn’t like the risk of loosing consciousness with a demon inside her. But if she was to get home, it was a necessary evil. Suddenly, her vision blurred and she blacked out.

* * *

She was staring at a ceiling. That was Piper’s first thought when she opened her eyes. And from the looks of it, it was the ceiling of an attic. She sat up and looked around.

It took her only an instant to recognize where she was. She was in the attic of the manor, lying near the window. In the doorway stood Cole. He had apparently just been leaving the attic with a shoebox in his hand. He was half turned in the doorway, looking at Piper.

“Piper?” he questioned. “Phoebe, Paige, Leo, get up here.”

Cole put the shoebox on a table near the door and moved over to help Piper. As he pulled her to her feet, she pressed a piece of paper into his hand.

“Piper, are you okay?” asked Cole, as the others rushed into the attic.

“Piper, thank God you’re back,” said Leo. “We were afraid we might have lost you.”

“Leo, Phoebe,” said Piper, looking at her family. “Okay, before we go any further, are you two married?”

“What?” asked Paige, stepping into the room. “What makes you think they’re married?”

“Oh, thank goodness,” said Piper. “I just wanted to make sure Lishtak brought me back to the right place.”

“Lishtak?” questioned Cole. “He was vanquished thousands of years ago. Where did you hear his name? And what does he have to do with anything?”

“I’ll explain everything,” said Piper. “Just let me catch my breath.”

“Just so we’re all clear on just who is who,” said Paige, “you don’t have the urge to slay vampires, do you?”

“Not particularly,” said Piper, smiling. “I much prefer being a Charmed One to being the Slayer.”

“I guess this is our Piper,” said Leo, hugging his wife. “Looks like whatever happened has corrected itself.”

“Well, not exactly by itself,” said Piper. “It had some help. Let’s go to the living room and I’ll tell you all about it.”

She started to head for the attic door but found she couldn’t move.

“I don’t think so,” said Lishtak in her mind. “I find I like this body. It provides so much more power than that fool, Collier. Once I force your essence out, it will serve me well.”

“You lied to me,” Piper replied.

“I’m a demon,” said Lishtak. “You were a fool to trust me. Now, you will pay the price for that foolishness. Not even your power as a Charmed One can help you resist me for long. In a matter of moments you will be gone, and I shall be in control of your body.”

Piper knew he was right. Even now she could feel herself being forced out of her own body. It wouldn’t take long before she weakened and Lishtak would win.

[noazmale]

TWENTY-NINE

“We had a deal,” Piper said in her mind.

“I’m altering our deal,” said Lishtak. “Do you think if I could inhabit just any body I would still have been in Collier’s body? When he found the amulet, I made the same deal with him I made with you. He was easy to force out. His power was minor.”

”You’ll find me a bit harder,” said Piper. “I’m not just a witch. My power as a Charmed One is far from minor.”

“Which is why I’m so satisfied with your body,” said Lishtak. “Once I take over your body, I’ll gain that power. Added to my own, I will become nearly undefeatable.”

“You have to force me out first,” said Piper.

“I will eventually,” said Lishtak. “Your power is limited. I can replenish my power from two-dozen dimensions. As you grow weaker I grow stronger. Eventually, you will be unable to resist my power.”

“There’s no need for this,” said Piper. “We can find you a body.”

“Not like yours,” said Lishtak. “Outside my realm between dimensions, I cannot exist. I must have a physical form. But that form cannot be mortal. I must have a magical form or my magic would burn the body up within moments. The form of a witch is perfect.

“And the form of a Charmed One is even better. Even Collier’s form required me to recharge it, so to speak, from time to time. I won’t have that problem with your form. It has been prepared for generations to accept the power that is your birthright.”

“That’s why Collier couldn’t steal a witch’s power,” said Piper. “It wasn’t really him. It was you inside his body.”

“Yes,” said Lishtak. “But while his body provided me the necessary vessel to enter different dimensions, it was not strong enough to allow me to use my own powers. That will change when I have your body.”

“My sisters will stop you,” said Piper. “Once they figure out I’m not me, they’ll vanquish you.”

“Not while I have the amulet,” said Lishtak. “It will protect me from their power. I will use my power to absorb them. I will add the Power of Three to my power. And I will become invincible.”

Time was running out for Piper. She was stalling, trying to give her sisters the time they needed to help her. But every moment that passed she could feel herself slipping farther away. In a few moments, she’d be gone.

* * *

“Piper?” questioned Leo. “Piper, are you okay?”

Piper stood in front of the attic window. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be concentrating.

“She seemed okay when we came in,” said Phoebe. “I wonder what’s going on.”

“I think I know,” said Cole, shoving the paper Piper had given him into his pocket. “This should be easy to fix. Just stand back for a second.”

Everyone looked at each other and then took a step back. Cole looked at them and then took hold of Piper. Before any of them could react, he suddenly shoved Piper out the attic window.

“Cole,” screamed Phoebe.

“What are you doing?” shouted Leo.

“No time to explain,” said Cole. “You need to get down there now.”

Leo and Paige immediately orbed out. Cole and Phoebe turned and headed for the stairs. As Cole and Phoebe ran out into the yard, they saw Leo and Paige kneeling over Piper’s unmoving body.

“I can’t do anything,” said Leo, tears in his eyes. “Her neck is broken. She’s dead.”

[noazmale]

THIRTY

“Try,” said Cole, grabbing Leo’s shoulder.

“It won’t do any good,” screamed Leo. “I can’t raise the dead.”

“Then you don’t have anything to lose, do you?” asked Cole.

“Leo, he’s right,” said Phoebe. “It can’t hurt to try.”

Leo looked at Phoebe and then placed his hands over Pipers’ body. He activated his healing power and concentrated as hard as he could. For a few moments nothing happened. Then, suddenly, Piper opened her eyes and groaned.

“Oh, that hurt,” groaned Piper.

On the verge of rage, Leo jumped up. He grabbed Cole by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him up against the side of the house.

“What was that about?” demanded Leo. “She’s done everything she could to help you and you try to kill her? You’d better have a damn good reason for what you just did.”

“Leo, no,” said Piper sitting up. “He wasn’t attacking me. He was helping me.”

Leo let go of Cole and moved over to help Piper to her feet.

“I don’t think I understand,” said Leo.

“Let’s go back inside and I’ll explain,” said Piper.

* * *

“So, when Cole pushed me out the window,” finished Piper, “I died from a broken neck. Lishtak was forced out because he couldn’t inhabit a dead body.”

“But you were dead,” protested Leo. “I don’t understand how I was able to heal you. I can’t heal a dead body.”

“The amulet,” said Piper, holding it up. “It prevented me from moving on just as I suspected. The Leo in the other dimension said that even after someone dies, there are a few seconds afterward before the spirit leaves the body. If you could get to me in time, there was still a chance to save me.”

“Cole,” said Leo, “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand what was going on.”

“No need to apologize,” said Cole, taking the paper out of his pocket. “She explained it all in here. When she stopped responding to us, I figured she was fighting Lishtak. I couldn’t say anything for fear he might find out what she had planned. I can imagine what you thought when I pushed her out that window.”

“You took a hell of a risk,” said Paige to Piper.

“I didn’t see any other choice,” said Piper. “I had to get back here and Lishtak was my only option. That’s why I wrote it all down. I didn’t know if I’d be able to tell you what was going on. And Cole was the first one I saw when I returned.”

“I don’t ever want to go through something like this again,” said Phoebe. “Loosing one sister is enough.”

“Once we get rid of this amulet,” said Piper, “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that.”

“I’ll take care of it,” said Leo, taking the amulet.

“I want to take a trip to Sunnydale in the next few days,” said Piper. “I learned what it’s like to be the Slayer. I’d like to have a chat with our Slayer, if there is one. I think maybe she could use a friendly ear from time to time.”

“You won’t have to,” said Phoebe. “Buffy and Giles are staying in a hotel nearby. When you, or rather the other you, kept talking about being this Slayer, we contacted them. They’ve been helping us figure out what’s been going on.”

“They’re coming over later this afternoon,” said Paige.

“What about Angel?” Piper asked. “Is he here, too?”

“I guess we need to explain that to you,” said Leo. “Things aren’t quite the same as they were in the other dimension.”

“Maybe later,” said Piper. “Right now I want to make an entry in the Book of Shadows about Lishtak while it’s still fresh in my mind. We don’t know for sure if he was vanquished or just sent back to his domain. There should be an entry on him just in case.”

As Piper headed for the attic, Leo orbed out to dispose of the amulet.

[noazmale]

EPILOGUE

Cole shimmered into the underworld. Several demons stood in the chamber and turned to face him.
`
“Who’s in charge here?” demanded Cole.

“That would be me, Source,” said one demon with a smirk on his face.

Cole raised his hand and cast a fireball at the demon, incinerating it where it stood. The rest backed away in fear.

“Your meddling nearly ruined my plans,” spat out Cole. “By hiring Collier to go after the Charmed Ones you almost caused me to expose myself. I won’t tolerate that.”

“You saved the witch,” said the Seer, entering the chamber.

“Are you involved in this?” demanded Cole.

“Me?” questioned the Seer. “No. But like you, I knew where to look for those who were.”

“Yes, I saved her,” said Cole. “I need Phoebe’s power intact for my plans. Killing Piper would have changed that. And it would have hurt her to lose her sister. She’s to be my queen and I’ll not tolerate anyone hurting her.”

“Of course,” said the Seer. “The queen of the underworld must be kept happy if she is to provide you with an heir.”

“That’s right,” said Cole. “And killing her sister is not going to keep her happy.”

“They only sought to please you,” said the Seer. “By getting rid of your enemies for you.”

“If they want to please me,” said Cole, “they can do that best by staying away from Phoebe and her sisters. I’ll deal with them in my own way and my own time.”

“As you wish,” said the Seer.

“And you,” said Cole, turning to the remaining demons, “if I have to come down here again for something else like this, you’ll all regret it.”

The demons nodded, keeping their eyes on the floor. Cole looked at the Seer, and then simply shimmered out. The Seer smiled. Her plans were progressing nicely. Without a word to the demons she shimmered out leaving them alone in the chamber

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/ . You can also post your own “Charmed” stories if you like to write fan fiction.

[vanillabliss]

um...ok that was a short story.