|  Author | Topic: The Charmed Life of Zack and Cody (Read 112 times) |
tragicwitch
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Location: Here, there, everywhere.
Karma: 1 |  | Chapter 13
« Reply #15 on Jun 17, 2008, 1:21am » | |
Chapter Thirteen: Who’s Fight?
Everyone in the living room could scarcely breath, unable to take their eyes off the sorceress when Phoebe had finished explaining the premonition.
“Why didn’t you ever tell us about this?” Paige stammered.
“Because it was none of your business.” The sorceress answered bitingly.
“You being involved in a major battle against our destined enemy with our ancestor, I’d say that counts as our business.” Piper bit back.
Natalia’s eyes were downcast. They had never seen the sorceress so contrite. All her usual demeanor was nowhere to be found. “Because I knew that if you found out, you’d want to fight alongside me, just as Melinda had done. She died because of me.” If she weren’t a demon, the others could almost see where her tears would be. “I dragged Melinda into my fight, and she died for it.”
“But you said so yourself, that the seven have to fight him, and you know that includes us.” Phoebe pointed out.
“You’re correct. After research over the ages I discovered that the seven have to be connected by blood to the witches who fought The Source in that grove, and they must be powerful enough to cast a Power of Three spell. The only surviving bloodlines strong enough are Melinda Warren’s and Eva Proctor’s.”
“Where are you going with this?” Piper interjected.
“What I mean is that now I know that these boys are part of the seven as well. So tell me, are the three of you so ready to throw them into the lion’s den?” The three sister’s reaction answered Natalia’s question wordlessly. “Then you of all people should understand my actions.”
Piper spoke to the boys without looking away from Nat.“Zack, Cody, upstairs. We need to talk to Nat alone.” She told them. They both stood where they were, debating whether or not it would be wise to argue with her. “Now!” She barked again, prompting their immediate retreat.
“Come on.” Max beckoned. The three of them trudged up the stairs, but Cody waited at the top. Zack and Max tried to pull him along, but he just shook them off. Zack looked at Max with worry written on his face. It wasn’t like Cody to disobey. Come to think of it, it wasn’t much like himself to obey. He crouched by his brother, listening to the conversation.
“It doesn’t make much difference either way.” Natalia drawled, seeming back to her usual self. “I’ve only managed to locate five. The other two have eluded me.”
“What about Carey? Do you think that’s why The Heir took her?” Phoebe deduced.
“No, she’s not a witch. It skipped her generation. Besides, The Heir knows nothing of the seven. Not even The Elders know. I’ve had that page of the book enchanted to hide itself to prevent that. I still don’t know how it revealed itself.”
“Well whether she’s part of this or not, we still need to get her out of there.” Piper affirmed.
“What about the Call-A-Lost-Witch spell?” Paige interjected.
“I don’t think it’ll work.” Phoebe sighed. “Wherever they are, The Heir probably has it protected.”
“But you said you’ve reversed it before.” Natalia added. “Maybe it could take us to her.
“What about the boys?” Phoebe asked. “Shouldn’t they come with us?”
“No.” Piper shot at her sister, leaving no room for argument. “This isn’t their fight. We dragged them into this. We’ll find Carey, and try to take out The Heir the old fashioned way before he gets his power back.”
The twins and Max looked back at each other. Cody’s expression was unreadable. “Come on.” He motioned. The three of them met in the attic. “They’re wrong.” He grimaced. “It’s not their fight. She’s our mom.”
“I know.” Zack assured him. “But they’ve been at this longer than we have. Maybe we should let them help us.” He rubbed the long thin cut on his cheek where Helen had scratched him. It hadn’t healed yet, and would likely leave a scar.
“But they’re not going to help us. They’re going to fight our battles for us. We can’t let them do that.”
“So what are you planning?” Max asked, surprising both of them.
“Max, you’re not serious!” Zack stared at her in shock. “You’re supposed to be our guide, so guide him out of the crazy!”
“Yeah, but whitelighters are also supposed to trust their charges instincts, and I think Cody has a point. So what was your idea?” In truth she was still trying to make up for lying to him, still unsure if he had forgiven her.
Cody had similar feelings, still feeling guilt-ridden for the way he had treated her. He nodded, grateful for her support. “Zack, didn’t you and Phoebe make a vanquishing potion?”
Zack’s expression softened to one of curiosity. “Yeah, a powerful one. I can see why you tie your hair back now. I almost lost my facial hair.”
Cody nodded again, not bothering to point out that Zack still didn’t have any facial hair. “Alright, here’s my idea. If we reverse the Call-A-Lost-Witch spell like Natalia said, we might be able to find where The Heir is keeping mom. If he’s there, we can use the potion. If it doesn’t vanquish him, it might stun him long enough to get us out of there.”
Zack sighed. “Well at least you didn’t say we were going to take him on. Okay, I’m in.”
“Me too.” Max agreed. Cody’s face was still blank.
“Alright, Max, Zack, you orb to the kitchen and get that potion. We might need something else in there to get past the sisters. I’ll look for the spell and see what I can do with it.” The other two nodded again before Max took Zack’s hand and orbed out.
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“Zack, Cody, get down here!” Piper called. She turned back to her sisters who stood ready and waiting with Natalia seated casually on the couch next to a still frozen London. “So we’re all clear on the plan?”
“What plan?” Natalia drawled cynically. “We’re orbing into battle to hit him with everything we have and hope it’s enough. In other words ‘wing it’ like you always do.”
“Well it’s worked pretty d**n well so far.”
“How, may I ask? The Source has managed to resurface not once but twice under you noses. Only the seven can vanquish him for good.”
Phoebe threw her hands in the air as if cursing fate. “Well Nat, we don’t have time to wait for two more witches to just fall from the sky. I’m sorry about what happened between you and Melinda, okay. I really am, but we need to get Carey back, and I’m not about to send those boys to do our job.”
Natalia narrowed her eyes as their whites turned black. “Then all your ancestor’s efforts were wasted on you.”
“Enough with the melodrama Nat.” Piper ordered before turning to her husband who still had Wyatt in his arms. “Leo, keep the boys safe. Make sure they don’t try anything stupid.”
“Alright.” He answered, kissing her on the cheek. “Be careful.”
Before anyone else could say anything, Zack and Cody descended the stairs with Max trailing behind. All three had their hands behind their backs and their eyes trained to the floor. They were wearing new sets of street-clothes that Max had managed to purchase while the boys had written the new spell, since the ones they’d been wearing were the same ones they had escaped the Tipton in.
“You look like you’re going somewhere.” Piper remarked.
Cody looked up at her, his eyes apologetic before he had even done anything. “We’re going to get our mom.”
“That’s out of the question. It’s too dangerous.”
“We thought you’d say that. Max, now!” He shouted, prompting Max to whip her hand from behind her back to send a vial of gray potion spinning for Natalia. It shattered and puffed into a cloud of white smoke that filled the sorceress’ nostrils, knocking her out cold. Zack threw his next, this time at Paige before she could orb it. Cody pulled three from behind his back and telekinetically threw them at Piper, Leo, and Phoebe. Leo’s fall landed Wyatt hard on the floor. Seeing that his family was down for the count, he began to cry just as London unfroze.
“Get your hands off… me.” The poor girl looked from one fallen sister to the next, then back at the twins. “Zack, Cody… what’s going on?” The two simply looked at each other and nodded. CRASH! The last potion shattered at London’s feet. She slumped over on the couch, her head landing in Natalia’s lap.
Cody whistled admiringly. “Nice work Zack. Where did you get all the sleeping potions?”
“The kitchen cabinet. I guess they stockpile this stuff.”
“There’s no time to waste.” Max reminded them. “We don’t know how long this stuff lasts.”
Cody crossed the room to where Wyatt sat crying. “Hey, it’s okay buddy. It’ll all be okay.” He bent down and picked the toddler up carefully. He immediately stopped crying. “Listen, we need you to watch mommy and you’re aunties for awhile okay? You think you can do that?” As if to answer, the little boy orbed out of Cody’s arms and back onto the floor by his mother. “There’s a good boy.” Cody smiled.
“Come on, let’s go.” Max called again. The three of them raced up the staircase to the attic without another word.
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The small cauldron sat bubbling in the center of the short round table. “Okay.” Cody sighed, dreading what he was about to do. “Max, you need to stand over there, and Zack, you need to stand by me.” They both shrugged, but did as he directed. Cody nodded and stared at Max. “Max, I… I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”
Max blinked. “We’ll have time for that later.” She scolded, although she secretly hated to put this off.
Cody continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I know you’d never do anything to hurt me on purpose, and I shouldn’t have treated you that way. But I need you to know that I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you either. That’s why…” he trailed off, reaching into his jean pocket, “I have to do this.” Before either Max or Zack realized what he was doing, Cody had already thrown the last sleeping potion, and she fell to the hardwood floor unconscious. She lay catatonic on the floor with her twin braids strewn about her sleeping face.
“What did you do that for?!” Zack demanded.
His twin stared back at him with that same blank expression that had taken the place of his usual smile that Zack had come to miss. “This isn’t her fight either. We have to do this alone.” For once, Zack didn’t argue. Cody didn’t want to put anyone in danger for his sake, nevertheless he was glad to have his brother at his side.
The two knelt by the cauldron. Cody leaned over Max’s fallen form to draw out her athame. He pricked his own index finger with a grunt until he drew blood. Then he handed it to Zack who did the same. They held their fingers over the cauldron, forcing a few drops into it. It sparked in response. Cody drew out the paper with the spell written on it and held it so they both could read.
“Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies.
Take us to you where you lie. Let us be there at your side.
Blood to blood we summon thee, blood to blood return to me.”
A haze of white sparks swirled around the two, filling the entire attic with their glow. When they cleared, Max’s athame fell to the hardwood floor next to her with a clang.
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“Did we make it?” Zack’s voice whispered in the darkness. “Is this the right place?”
“I don’t—“ Cody began, but another voice laughed darkly from the shadows.
“Rest assured, this is the place.” The Heir taunted as he leapt from a cloud of flames. He was using his own body rather than Carlisle’s. His heavy boots made an intimidating thud as they touched the ground. It sounded like grass. They had made it to the park, but… where was their mom? Suddenly, the long neat cut on Zack’s cheek began to throb.
“Oh look.” Came Helen Stryker’s shrill cackling as she and her brother orbed in. She was holding her crossbow, and Rupert was dragging an unconscious captive by the collar. “They came to rescue their mommy, like good little boys.” Carey was unconscious, but other than that she seemed fine.
“So,” The Heir continued, “Where’s the heiress?”
“Not here.” Cody glowered, tightening his grip on the vial of silvery potion he held behind his back.
“I expected as much.” The Heir began to circle them, like a wolf around frightened sheep. “You know, you boys are quite resourceful. Such a shame you lack common sense. You see, I’m not interested in that brainless flower at all. By removing her from where the Nexus stands, as well as evacuating the guests, you and The Charmed Ones have done most of my work for me. Your coming here is the last piece of the puzzle. You played right into my hands.”
It was now or never. With telekinetically induced speed, Cody threw the potion. It spun through the air, sailing for the demon lord. Quicker than what is humanly possible, The Heir caught it an inch from his tattooed face.
“Impressive.” He remarked in his low slightly ravaged voice. “A word of advice; vanquishing potions are meant to be thrown in a manner that prevents the enemy from catching it. Like this.” It was all the warning he gave before tossing the potion back at them. Zack and Cody barely had time to dive out of the way before it exploded, alighting the entire park with fire. The flames parted briefly for The Heir to leap through them, his grey eyes intent on the young witches who were struggling to get to their feet.
Zack leapt back up, helping Cody to his feet before turning back to their adversary. He hurled fireball after fireball at The Heir with all the strength his young body possessed. The Heir simply knocked them away, closing the distance between him and the twins.
With his twin tiring, Cody moved his hand to throw The Heir backwards, but it was too late. He lunged them both, clamping his pale bony hands around their faces. His grip was like ice.
“I don’t remember the last time I was able to torture others myself. So much more exhilarating than having another demon do it for me.” The brothers tried to pull his hands off, but he was holding them a foot off the ground and his grip was suffocating them. They couldn’t even use their powers. “Did you know I need two sacrifices for the ritual to become what I once was? You see, your ancestor tried to stop me from regaining my power, and here you are to help me restore it again. The Grand Design has such a delicious sense of humor.”
Things started to go dark as Cody lost consciousness. He could hear Zack’s struggles cease. The Heir’s chilling voice was the last thing he heard before his mind plunged into nothingness.
“Now your mother shall bury her children, just like what happened to dear old Prue.”
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It must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain. Therefore let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
---William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" |
|
tragicwitch
New Member
member is offline
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Here, there, everywhere.
Karma: 1 | | Chapter 14
« Reply #16 on Jun 17, 2008, 11:02am » | |
Chapter Fourteen: A Stronger Bind
Natalia opened one eye slowly, making sure Max and the boys were gone. She supposed she’d given them enough time. The sisters were still out cold. It had been an impressive escape, one that deserved for her to at least pretend to be asleep. She rose to her feet, prompting little Wyatt to glare in her direction and raise his magical blue force field around his loved ones.
“How endearing, you think that would stop me.” She strode lithely across the room through Wyatt’s shield as easily as if it were mist. She stopped briefly to pat his head. “A boy. Melinda never saw that coming. But you have the strength of your ancestors, no doubt about that.” The boy never took his eyes off the demoness until she had stepped out of his shield and up the stairs.
Once Natalia reached the attic, she rolled her eyes. Max was lying unconscious on the floor with her athame lying a few feet away. “Amateurs. They left behind their fastest way out. Rise and shine.” The sorceress waved her black gloved hand over the young whitelighter’s slight form. Max gasped and lurched upright. “They’re gone, little one. Cody knocked you out.”
Max tossed a confused gaze around the attic, finding it vacant save for Natalia. “Why would he do that?” She breathed, hurt apparent in her voice.
“I think it would be obvious. For the same reason Melinda helped me. Why I’ve continued her work. Why the sisters do what they do for each other, and why you risked my anger to warn your charges.”
“Just get to the point.” Max groaned, starting to gather her senses.
Natalia sighed. “He loves you.”
“What?!”
“It’s true. I may not possess the gift of foresight, but I could still see that coming. You should consider yourself lucky. You two have found something most don’t even believe in these days.”
Max narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why are you doing this? Why now? Three days ago you seemed hell-bent on keeping us apart.”
Natalia’s smile was a cold one, as usual. “I needed to test it. There are few things in this world more powerful, but it must overcome trials to grow. By taking those risks for them you strengthened that bond, and in doing so you strengthened them. It’s that bond that truly strengthens power. That is why the sisters are so powerful. That is what will make the seven powerful enough to destroy The Source.”
Max just knew her mouth was hanging open, but she hadn’t found the will to close it. This woman--this demon, a being who should despise love above all else and work to destroy it, was saying that it would be the key to her victory. Not only that, she was speaking about it as if speaking of something sacred.
“I… I…” The girl stammered.
“I suggest you close your mouth and get moving. Your charges have been gone for about a half hour.”
“What?! Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?!”
“A simple thank you would suffice.” Natalia placed a hand on her hip. Max glowered. “I had a reason. There is another bond that still needed to be tested; one that they needed to strengthen on their own. But I think I’ve given them enough time. Wherever they are, they’re being shielded from orbing. You’ll have to orb as far as you can and go the rest on foot. That shouldn’t be a problem for you. You’ll need this.” She stretched her hand towards the dagger that sill lay on the floor, and it flew to her grasp. Max took it without taking her eyes off the violet eyed woman. Then, before either of them realized it, the young whitelighter wrapped her arms around Natalia’s waist.
In spite of herself, Nat ran her fingers through Max’s brown braids before dryly requesting, “Get off of me. You have work to do.”
The girl smiled up at her before letting go. She sheathed her athame, buttoned her jean coat, and orbed out.
Natalia returned to the living room where Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Leo and London still lay fast asleep. Wyatt noticed her return and put up his shield, more in defiance than defense. She stepped through it as easily as before, scooped the child up, and sat him on her lap on the couch. “Let’s not tell your mother about this.” She whispered.
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“Zack? Cody?!” His mother’s voice cut through the blackness in Cody’s mind. He felt like someone had taken a metal pipe and bruised every inch of his body. He felt himself being gathered up with his brother and squeezed tightly.
“I’m gonna hurl.” He heard Zack groan.
“Oh, my babies! I’m so sorry!” Their mother kept saying between smothering them with kisses. “Are you alright?”
“We’re fine mom.” Cody grunted, pushing her away. He crawled away from her grasping, finding himself unable to stand. He tried to get a better look at their surroundings. They were in an underground chamber, dimly lit by a multitude of candles, and a fire-pit in the middle. They were in a corner of the chamber surrounded by a cage made crudely with wooden poles. “Where are we?” He breathed with both fascination and horror.
“The Underworld.” Carey said sadly. “They’ve been keeping me here for a few days.
The Underworld, Cody thought in despair. That meant that no one would be able to sense them, and even if they did they’d risk fighting hordes of demons just to get there. To top it all off, with the only two whitelighters they knew of down for the count, they had no way of getting out of the cage, let alone the Underworld.
Zack stood up a little unsteadily, and dusted himself off. “Well we’re here now, so this cell should be cake.” He held out his hand, fire roaring to life in it.
“No don’t—“ But Zack threw the fireball before Cody could stop him. It was stopped by a flash of red that extended all along the cage, then it was thrown back, forcing Cody to shove his brother out of the way. Carey shrieked as it exploded against the wall.
Cody pulled himself and his brother to their feet. “Don’t you think they’d check that before they threw us in here?!” He chastised.
Zack looked apologetic. “It was worth a try.”
“If they put us in here without finding a way to block our powers they’d have to be stupider than you! I don’t even think that’s possible these days! Do you ever think ahead?!” Cody shoved Zack away.
Zack shoved his brother back. “I don’t see you coming up with any bright ideas, genius!”
“Zack, Cody!” Carey scolded. “Fighting each other isn’t going to help anyone.” She said it automatically.
Cody turned his venom to his mother. It seemed like a very long time since he had seen her, and all the resentment, hurt, and confusion was past its boiling point. “Don’t you DARE try to be our mom right now! You don’t know what we’ve been though in the past week! Not only are you not around when we get our powers, you try to keep them from us!”
Carey fell silent, unable to believe the rage her son was directing at her. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she refused to let them through. One of them had to be calm, and both Zack and Cody needed to understand why she had done what she’d done those years ago.
Zack was equally stunned by Cody’s anger at their own mom and tried to put a calming hand on his shoulder. “Cody—“
“NO!” Cody threw Zack’s hand off. Every pain he had experienced since getting his powers was culminating into his anger. His mother’s betrayal, his home being overrun by demons, Max’s true identity, and worst of all, having to confide these feelings in Natalia. His mother was going to hear what he had to say.
“Do you have any idea how alone I’ve felt?! Who do you think you are, deciding if we can handle our powers or not?! You didn’t even ask us how we felt! If it weren’t for the sisters, I don’t know where we’d be! They’ve taken better care of us in five days than you have our entire life! I…I HATE YOU!!!” All of the boy’s strength snapped with that last. He dropped to his knees and cried openly, letting tears stream down his face and into the sand on the ground.
A lump formed in Carey’s throat as she knelt on the ground and inched toward her son. She reached for him, but he shunned her hand. She took a deep breath.
“Cody, do you know why I made the pact?”
He glared up at her. “Natalia said it was because you didn’t think we could handle it, like grandma.”
“Natalia?” Carey sighed. “Of course. Cody, I know I must have taken pretty bad care of your trust by doing what I did, and hiding the truth from you and your brother, but I need you to know why I did it. It wasn’t because I didn’t think you could handle it. I’ve had nothing but confidence in the both of you.”
“Then why?” Cody’s voice had subsided to a whimper. “Why did you do it?”
“Because I didn’t think I could handle it.” Carey’s own tears were starting to surface despite her efforts to keep her voice level. “I saw what my mother went through. It terrified me. I didn’t have any powers. I was afraid…” She had to clear her throat before she could finish that sentence. “I was afraid that I wouldn’t be strong enough to protect you. I couldn’t bear losing you.”
Cody’s mind flashed back to Piper, and how Prue’s death had devastated her. How to this day it haunted her how she hadn’t been able to stop it, even with her powers. Suddenly he could understand what his mother meant.
Carey swallowed hard. “But I realize how wrong of me it was to keep the truth from you. Can you ever forgive me?”
Cody threw his arms around her, beginning his cries anew. “I’m sorry mom.”
Carey ran her fingers through his shaggy blond hair as he cried into her chest. “Shh, it’s okay. It’ll all be okay.”
Cody could feel Zack’s arms around him as well, and for the first time since his mom had left at the beginning of all this, they felt like a family again.
About an hour later, Zack broke the silence. “So… what do we do now?” He and his mother hadn’t stopped holding Cody long after he’d stopped crying. Zack hadn’t realized just how much these new powers, this new life had confused Cody. He supposed he’d been too busy having a blast with everything the sisters had been teaching him to have noticed that his brother didn’t feel the same way.
“I don’t know.” His mother answered honestly.
Cody looked up, as if hearing something unexpected. “Max?”
“Max is here?” Zack asked. “How? I thought we knocked her out?”
“Max?” Carey furrowed her brows. “What does Max have to do with any of this?”
“Oh…” Zack realized his mother didn’t know about their friend. “Yeah, um… Max is kind of our whitelighter.”
“And you knocked her out why? She could’ve orbed us out of here by now.”
“Yeah, what are you, stupid?” Came a voice from the cave-like entrance. The three captives looked up to see Max darting across the chamber to them. The boys got up and clung to the bars, trying to remember a time they had been happier to see her.
“Max, how’d you find us?”
“When I couldn’t sense you, I figured they’d taken you down here. Once I orbed here, it was pretty easy to track you from there. Now what were you two thinking?!” She demanded. “So help me, as soon as we’re all safe I’m gonna hang you on a hook by your underwear until you scream like a girl! Oh… hi Miss Martin.” Max smiled sweetly. Carey waved with a warm smile on her face. Max had missed that, considering who she’d been living with. She began searching the bars for an opening, frustrated when her search proved in vain. “How the heck do I open this?”
“You don’t.” Came a low throaty voice. Max whirled around to see the Stryker Twins stride into the chamber, crossbows at the ready. They were followed by the brute demon who’s form was so massive he had difficulty getting through the portal.
Helen smiled her blood red smile as she taunted Max in her shrill voice. “So, you’re the little whitelighter whose been doing Natalia’s dirty work. Look brother, she’s come to rescue her baby charges.”
“Only fitting, seeing that she’s a baby whitelighter.” The twins laughed in unison while the brute remained silent.
Max glared and gritted her teeth. Cody could see her reaching for her athame, strapped to her back under her coat.
“Max, no!” he whispered urgently. “Orb out of here or they’ll kill you!”
“No. I’m not leaving you guys. I’m your whitelighter, it’s my job.”
“Sleep tight, little girl.” Helen cackled as she and her brother fired their crossbows.
Max spun out of the way of the first poisoned steel bolt, and unsheathed her athame to knock the second away. The brute lunged and tried to grab her with his massive arms. She dived between his legs and leapt back up to slash at his back. He roared in fury and swung his arm in a backhand motion, sending her flying into the opposite wall.
The girl coughed as she rose to her hands and knees. Before she could get to her feet, she heard the crossbow thingy. Rupert had orbed in front of her and was pointing his crossbow at her head. He chuckled smugly and pulled the trigger. Max rolled to the side, letting the arrow come to rest in the sand. Without breaking rhythm she swung her weapon upward, slicing the crossbow in half. Before Rupert could react, Max had leapt to her feet and plunged the athame into his stomach.
“NOOOO!!” Helen shrieked as her brother was swallowed by flames that could only come from his vanquish. She raised her crossbow, a murderous glint in her eyes. But she pointed it not at Max, but at Cody who was distracted by her current entanglement with the brute. The darklighter put her crimson-nailed finger to the trigger and fired.
“Cody!” Carey cried as the arrow spun through the air at her son. Cody looked ahead just in time to see the swirl of white lights that came between him and the poisonous arrow. His breath caught in his throat as Max fell back into the bars of their cell, the bolt sticking out of her stomach. She looked up at Cody as he held her head in his hands, glassy eyed and making quick shuddering breaths.
Cody’s fear turned to rage when he heard Helen’s satisfied cackle and saw the brute demon moving in to finish the job. He looked back at his brother whose anger mirrored his own. They both felt powerful somehow. More powerful than they had been when they faced The Heir at the park. Their feelings for their fallen friend was fueling them It was as if their thoughts had become one as the joined hands, and extended the other two at their assailants.
The brute paused, and Helen’s scarlet grin cracked when a fireball formed between the two boys. It was no bigger than a fist, but it was growing rapidly, and moving steadily forward. By the time it reached the bars of the cell it was the size of a basketball. The red shield glowed and sparked in protest, but it pushed its way through, shattering the bars into smoky splinters. It rose higher into the air, now an enormous orb of fire. At the command of the twins’ combined powers it exploded into a fiery spray. Helen shrieked in terror, orbing to safety elsewhere. The brute wasn’t as lucky and was hit with the full force of blast, obliterated in the midst of his final terrible roar.
Cody dropped his brother’s hand and rushed to Max’s side. His eyes became frantic as she seemed to be slipping further and further away. “Max! MAX! Don’t leave! Hang on! I’m sorry! Please! I’m sorry I was such a jerk! I didn’t mean it! We need you, don’t go!” He cried, growing more manic by the second. Memories of her began to flash through his mind. When they had first met and he’d mistaken her for a boy. When they’d entered that dance competition together because Zack had sprained his ankle. The time she had kissed Zack and he’d been secretly jealous. Then the dance they had shared just two nights ago and had come so close to kissing.
He was so wrapped up in his panic that he hadn’t noticed his mother was kneeling at Max’s side. “Cody, calm down. I need you to hold her hand. This is going to hurt. Zack, I need you to keep her elevated.”
The boys complied, but Cody couldn’t help but feel this was hopeless. Darklighter arrows were poisoned especially to kill whitelighters, and as far as he knew, the only way to stop it was the healing touch of another whitelighter. But Max couldn’t heal herself, and they had no way of escaping the Underworld to find another whitelighter in time. Nevertheless, he clasped Max’s hand as if it were the only real thing in the world. Suddenly she grasped it back so tightly, he thought his fingers were going to snap. He looked up to see his mother pulling the arrow out.
Max screamed and squeezed Cody’s hand tighter. She continued to moan as Carey pulled something from her pocket and began rubbing it on the wound. It was a salve of some kind, and Cody caught the faint scent of mandrake root. Dimly he wondered what his mother was doing with potion ingredients when his mind flashed back again and Natalia’s voice cut through the haze.
“The witch-gene skipped her generation. She grew up without powers. She could mix a potion or two, but that was about it.”
Before he could fully appreciate the significance of that skill that Natalia had so easily dismissed, Max’s breathing had grown steadier. She blinked up at them.
“Zack? Cody?” She moaned, trying to get into a sitting position. “What happened? Where’s Helen?”
“She escaped.” Cody explained, hardly able to believe she was actually recovering.
“We got the brute though.” Zack beamed, giving her the thumbs-up sign. She laughed, but quickly regretted it.
Carey felt the girl’s forehead. “Shh. Max, honey, you need to save your energy. I stopped the poison from spreading, but we still need to get you some healing. Can you orb?”
Max groaned again. “I think so. Here, take my hands.”
“Wait!” Came a hoarse voice from the shadows in the farther corner of the room. They could barely make out a second wooden cage, as it was the only part of the chamber that wasn’t lit by firelight. The twins rose and moved toward it cautiously.
“Mom, stay with Max.” Cody told her as he and Zack approached the bars. There was a man inside. Once they were close enough to read his features, he ran to the bars and reached out to them.
“Please, take me with you.” He was barefoot, his clothes were torn and ragged, and his hair was disheveled, but there was no mistaking the beady black eyes of Dominic Carlisle.
|
It must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain. Therefore let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
---William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" |
|
tragicwitch
New Member
member is offline
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Here, there, everywhere.
Karma: 1 | | Chapter 15
« Reply #17 on Jun 17, 2008, 3:13pm » | |
Chapter 15: The Seven
“Rise and shine, beautiful.” Natalia coaxed smoothly while kicking Piper sharply in the shoulder. The sorceress felt they’d been unconscious long enough.
Piper lurched forward. “Zack! Cody!”
“They’re gone.” Natalia explained, still seated on the couch with Wyatt on her lap. The toddler was quiet, but he didn’t seem to enjoy it at all.
“What do you mean? Where did they—get away from my son!” Piper grabbed her baby from the demoness and crouched by her husband. “Leo! Leo, wake up, the boys are gone!”
Leo groaned. “What? What’s going on?”
Phoebe and Paige were beginning to gather their senses as well. “Ugh, how long have we been out?”
“Two hours.” Natalia replied.
“Two hours?!”
“I’ve got to hand it to those little upstarts.” Paige snipped, dusting herself off and bending to help Phoebe up. “I knew they’d put up a fight, but I didn’t see those sleeping potions coming.”
“Wait.” Phoebe mused. “Nat, I thought sleeping potions didn’t work on you.
Natalia just shrugged and crossed her legs. “They must have tweaked the recipe. They’re smart boys.”
“People, can we focus?!” Piper cried. “Somebody start scrying, we’ve got to find them!”
“You think they’re in trouble?” Phoebe asked, still rubbing her eyes.
“This is Zack and Cody we’re talking about! Who knows what they’ve gotten themselves into in two hours! If they’re not in trouble already, they’re gonna be, now let’s move!”
Despite Piper’s insistence, a cloud of glowing orbs danced into the living room long before anyone had moved. Carey had her arms draped around her boys who were both supporting Max. The young brown eyed girl looked on the verge of being sick.
“Boys!” The sisters cried in unison. Zack and Cody suddenly found themselves caught in the middle of a bone-crushing group hug.
“Are you guys alright?” Phoebe asked with a voice full of concern.
“We’re fine, but Max needs healing.” Zack replied.
“I’ll take care of her.” Leo assured him, taking Max and—despite her protests—carrying her to the couch. “Nat, move London. Make room.”
The sorceress moved the still sleeping heiress aside—a little more brutally than was necessary—before helping Leo lay Max across the couch to address the wound while the rest of the living room quickly became a scene.
“Oh good, Carey you’re back!” Paige cheered, throwing her arms around the woman.
“Umm… nice to see you too… Paige?”
Piper moved to the front and handed Wyatt to Phoebe so she could grab Zack and Cody firmly by their shoulders. “What were you two thinking? You had me worried sick.”
“We’re sorry.” The twins answered earnestly.
“Hi there.” Came Carlisle’s voice from the back of the group where he had stayed hidden.
“Whoa!” Phoebe cried, shifting Wyatt on her hip so she could thrust a fist into Carlisle’s face. The poor man staggered back holding his hands to his nose. The others gathered at the opposite side of the living room, all eyes intent on him. “What’s he doing here?”
“Relax.” Natalia assured them, pushing her way to the front. “It’s not The Heir.”
Carlisle nodded sheepishly through watery eyes. Suddenly, London snapped her eyes open and looked around at the gathering with bleary eyes.
“What’d I miss?”
----------
The sun had started to creep over the horizon and bathe San Francisco in its soft orange light, and the sisters and Natalia were still hammering poor Carlisle with questions. However, being in less abusive company, and still grateful to the boys, he was glad to comply.
“He’s going to use the autumnal equinox to perform his ritual tomorrow night… well tonight I guess now. It’s the strongest night to gain his powers.” Carlisle wasn’t entirely sure what any of that meant, but The Heir hadn’t bothered to conceal his thoughts from his ‘mortal shell’ and the witches he was explaining this to seemed to understand.
“He’s right. That’s the night we got our powers.” Phoebe realized.
“That’s not good.” Piper agreed.
“And why isn’t he still using your body to maintain cover?” Natalia prodded, a little more intense in her questioning than the sisters.
Carlisle shook his head sadly. “He doesn’t need to anymore. The Tipton is completely empty. Except for the demons of course.”
“What about Maddie, and Arwin, and Moseby?” Zack asked urgently.
Carlisle frowned again, not enjoying his role as the bearer of bad news. “Some members of the staff were round up while trying to help the guests evacuate. It’s possible that your friends are with them. They’re being held in one of the suites. The demons are forcing them to dig something up in the basement.”
The others looked at each other with expressions of worry. Natalia and The Charmed Ones knew exactly what they were digging for in the basement. But the boys were worried for a different reason.
“Who was with them?” Zack pleaded.
“The manager, a balding handyman, a bellhop with a thick accent, a not too bright lifeguard, an elderly red-headed maid, and that sweet girl who works at the candy counter.” Carlisle’s frown deepened. He was unable to forget the faces of the kind people that his own mouth had imprisoned.
“We have to get them out.” Cody voiced everyone’s thoughts.
“What’s this we stuff?” London pouted hopelessly. “I don’t have any freaky powers. What am I supposed to do, bribe the demons?” She paused with a thoughtful look on her face, no doubt actually contemplating the idea.
“That’s it!” Cody cried. All eyes turned to him, staring as if he’d announced that he had just sprouted wings on his ankles. He furrowed his brows. “Don’t you get it? London’s the key!”
“Sure Cody, sure.” Zack patronized, making a hand motion to the others that his brother had hit his head recently.
“No, I’m being serious. Why did The Heir want London out so badly?” They were all still drawn a blank, but were now regarding him with interest. “It wasn’t just because she owns the Tipton. It’s because she’s the force for good that holds the Nexus. That means she can stop him from using it!”
“Oh my gosh, he’s right.” Phoebe realized. “All we’d have to do is get her to the basement to say the spell.”
“You’re forgetting something.” Natalia rained on Cody’s parade. “That won’t stop The Heir for long. Even without the Nexus he's quickly growing too powerful for us to rein in.”
“She’s right.” Piper agreed—for once—with the sorceress.
Cody’s face fell. “It’s not the seven, but it’s the best I could come up with.”
The seven, Zack mused to himself. Idly he thought back to the story of Melinda Warren and his ancestor Eva Proctor fighting The Source. He’d enjoyed that story. Then he thought of something he hadn’t before. “Hey Natalia, didn’t you say that the seven had to be connected to that first battle in the grove?”
“Yes.” Natalia nodded, impressed by his knowledge. Before anyone could say anything, Zack dashed upstairs and returned with the Book of Shadows. Cody and Max looked at eachother, never being able to recall a time Zack had so eagerly fetched a book.
“I think if we read that page again we might—whoa!” Zack squealed as he was knocked to the floor. He had taken the book a little too close to Natalia and it had responded accordingly by throwing itself away from her. He picked himself up, a little abashed by the incident. “We might find something.”
“What did you have in mind?” Max asked, fully recovered from the poison thanks to Leo. “Natalia’s been searching three hundred years for the seven.”
“Just bear with me.” Zack quieted her.
“Let’s give it a try.” Cody agreed.
“Okay, here it is. ‘When full moon’s risen high a shadow will rise’ that must be the autumn whatever, and we already know that the shadow is The Source. ‘Thrice hath it risen, thrice hath it died’ that must be when you guys vanquished him before. The place where great powers lie means the Nexus, and to get rid of him for good, we need the seven.”
“We’ve been through this.” Natalia drawled. “The only surviving bloodlines strong enough to cast a Power of Three spell are Melinda Warren’s and Eva Proctor’s, because I doubt any of Matthew Tate’s line would be willing to help us. You two are all that’s left of Eva’s line.”
Zack could almost feel his brain physically click into place as an idea struck him. “What about our mom?”
“Zack, sweetie I don’t have any powers.” Carey reminded him.
“Mom, that potion you saved Max with wasn’t chump change.”
“You saved Max with a potion?” Leo asked with incredulity. “No witch has ever been able to stop darklighter poison with a potion. So far the only thing that can stop it from killing a whitelighter is another whitelighter.”
Carey shrugged sheepishly. “And yet I can't cook”
“No mom, he’s right.” Cody brightened. “That potion was strong. Just because you don’t have any active powers, doesn’t mean you’re not a witch. That would make you, me, and Zack a coven of three!”
“Not a bad idea.” Paige grinned excitedly. “Carey, welcome to the seven.”
“Alright, but we’re still one witch short.” Natalia reminded them, resuming her usual cynicism.
“Maybe.” Zack agreed, but then grinned. “And maybe not. Maybe you’ve had the seventh witch all along.” He grinned as the sorceress’ expression took on one of confusion. “You were at that first battle, and according to the book you’re powerful enough to be your own coven of three.”
“That’s right!” Cody beamed, knowing that information was accurate. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that considering that no one had studied Natalia’s entry more closely than him.
“You think I’m one of the seven? Maybe it was you that hit your head a little too hard.”
“I think he’s right Nat.” Piper agreed. “You have been caught up in our family history for a long time.”
“Much as you hate to admit it, you’re practically one of us.” Phoebe chuckled.
The purple eyed demoness’ face darkened as she folded her arms. She glanced upward and muttered something inaudible (although it sounded like “Good one Melinda.”) “Fine then.” She growled. “It looks as though Zackary has figured out in a matter of minutes what took me three centuries.”
“Three covens, seven witches.” Cody mused. “Alright Zack!” He cheered as he and his brother did their special handshake.
“Alright, I say we have a pretty good battle plan.” Paige nodded brightly. She held her hand out in the center of the group, motioning for the others to do the same. Piper, Phoebe, Zack, Cody, Max, Carey, Leo, London, Carlisle, followed reluctantly by Nat put their hands in the circle, the seven witches and their allies sealing the connection that had bound them together from the beginning.
|
It must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain. Therefore let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
---William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" |
|
tragicwitch
New Member
member is offline
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Here, there, everywhere.
Karma: 1 | | Chapter 16
« Reply #18 on Jun 18, 2008, 1:04am » | |
Chapter Sixteen: Where Great Powers Lie
It wouldn’t be long now. The full moon of the equinox would reach its place in the sky. London’s suite at the topmost floor of the Tipton was now a great pillared chamber of stone. The Grimoire lay open on its gruesome pedestal made entirely of skulls in the center of the chamber. The only part of the original suite that had remained was the great window that led to the balcony where the moonlight was creeping in. It was casting eerie shadows all around, the room’s only source of light.
The Heir stood before the pedestal. He stood as motionless as a statue appearing utterly calm, but the impatient tapping of his boot betrayed his mask. The dark priest that had been brought in to perform the ceremony was hunched over the dark book and practically cowering in his robes.
A trail of black orbs sailed into the room signaling Helen’s return, but she was alone this time as she materialized behind where her master stood. The Heir kept his back turned to her as he spoke in his chillingly calm tone.
“Where are the sacrifices?”
He heard Helen shudder. “My lord, I… I’m sorry. They escaped.” Her voice trembled in fear. “And Rupert… Rupert’s dead.” She breathed. It was strange for her to feel that way over her brother’s demise. Darklighters weren’t supposed to feel that kind of pain, but she couldn’t deny that she was feeling grief over her twin’s death. “Those brats and their whitelighter vanquished him.”
“Yes, I know.” The Heir replied. “I felt it. In fact, I intercepted his orbs just before they reached the wasteland.” He turned to face her with his piercing grey eyes, made even more startling by the black markings on his face. He held up his long pale arm to show Helen what he held. In his black-clawed fingers was a clear shimmering crystal. Rupert’s black orbs were swirling around in it.
Helen’s breathing stopped in her chest as she stepped slowly closer to her master, her eyes never flickering from the crystal that held her brother. She was so transfixed by its dark light that she didn’t notice the dark glimmering blade in The Heir’s other hand until it had plunged itself into her. The Heir pushed his black longsword deeper into her stomach as he whispered in her ear.
“Oh, don’t look too surprised Helen. After all, you did lose the sacrifices. So I suppose you and your brother will have to do.” The Heir smiled as he lightly kicked Helen off of his blade to lie on the floor, scarcely breathing, the crystal that held her twin clutched tightly in her hand. The moonlight lingered on her pale face, illuminating her flame-red curls as she lay slowly dying.
Satisfied with his work, The Heir twirled his sword, vanishing it from his hand. He turned away from Helen and back to the priest.
“Shall we begin then?”
----------
“Where are we?” Piper asked as her and her sister’s orbs reformed.
“This is right outside the Tipton.” Zack explained.
“Why couldn’t we just orb in like last time?” Piper felt Natalia tap her shoulder. She turned to see what the sorceress was pointing at and her mouth fell open. “Figures.” A pulsating shield of red surrounded the entire hotel.
“Can everyone see that?” Cody marveled, looking up at it.
“Only magical beings.” Natalia explained.
“So what’s keeping everybody else back?” Zack queried. Natalia pointed again, this time at the length of CAUTION tape that had been placed all along the perimeter of the building. “Oh.”
“Okay, stand back.” Piper warned, waving them all back a few steps. Then without warning she threw her hands at the shield, sending her most powerful blast at it. It backfired, sending her flying backwards to land in a heap.
“Piper!” Leo cried, rushing to help his wife.
Piper coughed as he helped her to her feet. “Well it was worth a shot.”
Cody stepped closer to the shield to inspect it. “Zack, it’s the same kind that they used on our cell. Do you think we can break it the same way?”
Zack ran his fingers through his long shaggy bangs, pushing them out of his face. “I don’t think so. This one is way too big to blast down.”
“I think you’re all looking at this the wrong way.” Natalia mused. “I don’t think our problem requires us to break it down. We just need an opening to get to the other side. Maxine, give me your athame.” Natalia took the dagger from Max, her jaw set and her violet eyes intent on the shield. She held the knife point down. She released it, and it hung suspended in the air. Purple streaks of lightning writhed from the sorceress’ hands into the floating dagger while she chanted a spell.
“Wanton powers in this blade yield.
Penetrate that which would shield.”
Once the athame was filled with purple electricity, Natalia took it by its hilt and made a downward slash into the force-field. The lightning shot from the blade in multiple directions, fighting to keep the slash from closing over. It forced it wider, making a narrow opening just barely large enough for the others.
“Go now!” Natalia groaned from the strain. The party filed in quickly, careful to avoid the lightning. Once they were all through, Natalia could hold it no longer. Her body melted into a smoky black shadow that lunged through the opening and rolled to the ground where she reformed, breathing raggedly. Max crouched to help her up, but the sorceress merely handed her weapon back before shrugging her off. She grabbed the nearest lamppost for support, staggering to get back to her feet. “I’ll be fine.”
“Everyone remember the plan?” Piper asked. All nodded. “Good. Leo, you’re with Max, Carlisle, and London. Nat?”
Natalia nodded weakly. “I know my part. Just go, I’ll meet you there.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
----------
Carlisle stormed through the hallway on the twelfth floor of the Tipton, trying to look intimidating even though he still wore the tattered remains of his suit. He stomped right up to two random leather-clad demons. “You two! Those idiot darklighters lost the sacrifices. I need to select two from the prisoners.” The two demons looked at each other, confused. “Well, snap to it!” Carlisle barked.
The two muscled but dimwitted demons jumped to do his bidding, leading him further down the hall to the suite that had been converted into a prison. They began working the keys they carried into the six individual locks that chained the door shut (a process which took several minutes). They were so distracted by this task that they didn’t hear the three individuals orb in behind them. Before they could open the third lock, Leo, Max, and London had them both clocked out.
“What took you so long?” Carlisle sighed in relief. “I was sure they were about to figure me out.”
“We would’ve come sooner if Leo weren’t so worried about bringing this trunk.” Max threw Leo an accusing glare, pointing to the massive chest he had managed to retrieve from the attic of the manor. “What’s in there anyway?”
“Demon leftovers.” Leo explained, lifting the wooden lid. Inside was an impressive array of weapons that had been left over from former demon vanquishes; a mace, a morningstar, a ball & chain, two gleaming longswords, an axe, a celerity demon’s pronged gauntlets, even a darklighter’s crossbow with a quiver of arrows.
“Cool.” Max grinned.
“Ooo! I call this one!” London chimed, reaching for the first longsword with a gold-plated handle and a dragon burned into the hilt.
“Did you find it?” Phoebe called from the other end of the hallway where the sisters, the twins, and Carey had just orbed in.
“One way to find out.” Piper said, getting ready to blast down the door.
----------
“We’re gonna die here, aren’t we?” Lance the lifeguard droned for the eighth time.
“Lance, stop saying that.” Maddie griped as she continued poking around the door looking for a means of escape.
“Madeline, I fear Lance may have a point.” Moseby said hopelessly. “We’re locked in and being guarded by whatever those creatures are.”
“Plus they bricked off the window to the fire escape, and we finished digging for that thing in the basement so technically they don’t need us anymore.” Arwin added matter-of-factly. Maddie glared at him. “What? I’m just saying.”
“No.” Estaban cut in with his heavy Latin accent. “Maddie is right. In my country we never give up without a fight. I for one refuse to sit here and wait for death. I will fight ‘till the end.”
“Thank you, Estaban.” Maddie smile admiringly.
“Or at least wait for someone to rescue us.” He added, ruining the moment.
“Rescue us? That’s a laugh.” Moseby huffed. “Who in their right mind would enter this death trap?”
Maddie thought for a moment. “Zack and Cody.”
Moseby rolled his eyes. “You’re joking right?”
“No, I mean the air-ducts. Zack and Cody used to crawl around in them all the time. There’s got to be one in here. Estaban, help me move this cabinet.” Maddie and Estaban bent and slid the cabinet over with some difficulty to reveal a good sized air vent. Maddie crouched to see if they could remove it. “Arwin, we need your screwdriver.”
Arwin pulled a mini-screwdriver from the pant-leg of his blue jumpsuit. It was the one tool he had managed to conceal from the demons. The handyman gently nudged Maddie aside to work on opening the vent. The screws fell to the floor and the vent swung neatly open. Their faces fell when they discovered that it too had been bricked over.
“Shoot.”
“You know, this kind’a reminds me of that night I spent in the slammer with Peppers.” Muriel mused from her seat in the corner, sounding very far off. The others just stared at her, astounded by her lack of worry. “I sweet-talked the warden into letting me out, then I clubbed him over the head and took his keys, and Peppers & I drove off into the sunset… Hey, maybe that’ll work on these bad boys.”
Moseby rolled his eyes. He dismissed Muriel’s flashback and was about to say something comforting to Maddie, but was interrupted by a sudden crash that reduced the door to splinters.
The Halliwells and the twins filed in, followed by their respective whitelighters. London, Carlisle and Carey followed closely behind.
“You?!” Moseby cried.
“Boys, you came for us!” Maddie cheered.
“I’ve never been so happy to see you, little blond peoples!” Estaban beamed. Zack and Cody found themselves caught in yet another group hug.
“No, you’re welcome. Really it was nothing.” Piper huffed.
After the group hug was over and the boys were through the awkward explanation of their part in this as witches, as well as their connection to the sisters and—to Moseby’s astonishment—Natalia, Leo began going over the battleplan.
“Each of you are going to arm yourselves and help me and Max get London to the basement. It’s our only chance of getting out of this alive.”
“Because London’s the only one who can seal the Nexus!” Arwin grinned. Secretly he had always believed in the supernatural and had done extensive research over the years.
“Right.” Leo nodded. “Once we get there, London will say the spell and cut The Heir off from its power. We may need to fight our way there, but don’t worry. Max and I have been doing this sort of thing for a long time. You’re in good hands.”
Leo continued to explain while London distributed the weapons. The morningstar was given to Arwin which worried everyone. Moseby took the second longsword, claiming to have had formal training. Lance took the pronged gauntlets, probably because they resembled flippers. Estaban took the mace, Carlisle the axe, and Muriel took the ball & chain. This left Maddie with the darklighter’s crossbow, hoping that her archery training from girl’s camp would pay off.
“Can fight demons. I wonder how that would look on my Resume.”
Everyone in the room was so busy trying to wrap their heads around the impossible task that had suddenly been laid before them that no one noticed two of the group’s members slip into the hallway, away from prying eyes. In a far corner of the hallway obscured by a shrub, Cody had led Max by the hand.
“Cody, what is this about?”
“Listen, we don’t have a lot of time. We’ve never done anything this dangerous before—“
“Ah-hem.” Max interrupted.
“Alright fine, I’ve never done anything this dangerous before, and before we go I need to know.” He looked at the floor, his face flushing to a hot shade of red.
“Know what?” Max tried to break the silence.
“Back there in the cave… it made me realize how dangerous our job is. Piper had tried to explain by telling me about how she lost her sister Prue, but it hadn’t really hit me until I… until we almost lost you.”
“And?” Max prodded.
“So this might be my last chance to ask you… if you’ve forgiven me.”
Max blinked. “For what?”
“For how I treated you. It wasn’t your fault you couldn’t tell me your secret, and you probably felt really bad about it, and I just threw it in your face. Friends shouldn’t treat each other like that.”
“How Disney of you.” Max smiled and rolled her sparkling brown eyes.
“I’m being serious.” Cody frowned. “I need to know if you forgive me. This might be the last time we see each other.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“Would you just answer me?!” Cody demanded, urgency shining through his eyes.
Max stared back having never remembered her charge… her friend sounding more serious. More like a man. She breathed in before she answered.
“Yes, I forgive you.” It was a simple answer, but it was one that seemed to satisfy him.
Cody gulped. It was happening again—the same thing that had caught him off guard at the dance. Once again he couldn’t tell which of them was doing it as their eyes met, but in moments it wouldn’t matter. He didn’t fight it this time. Instead he closed his eyes and the distance between their lips. Max’s eyes widened, but soon closed over as Cody put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She followed his lead and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his hand moving gently up her back to stroke her hair.
In that moment, she dropped her athame and forgot everything. Never mind they were fighting insurmountable evil before it got its hands on unlimited power. Never mind that all they had to go on was a rag-tag group of hotel employees and a three hundred year old prophecy. All that seemed real right now was that he was holding her and kissing her with more passion than she had ever known, and that for once she didn’t have to go it alone. In his arms she felt safe.
A few minutes later, the two of them re-entered the suite, virtually unnoticed.
“Where’ve you been?” Zack whispered to his brother.
“Nowhere. I’ve been here the whole time.” Cody answered defensively. Once everyone was ready they all started for the elevator, Cody and Max straggling behind the others, hand in hand. When they reached the elevator and the doors opened, the first group (the sisters, the boys and Carey) filed in, wishing the second group (the employees, the whitelighters, London and Carlisle) good luck.
Cody and Max didn’t look away from each other until the elevator doors closed. The elevator started upward while he reached into his pocket for the black band Piper had given him. He tied his shaggy straw-colored hair back, feeling more powerful than ever.
|
It must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain. Therefore let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
---William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" |
|
tragicwitch
New Member
member is offline
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Here, there, everywhere.
Karma: 1 | | Chapter 17
« Reply #19 on Jun 18, 2008, 4:32pm » | |
Chapter 17: The Shadow Rises Again
The elevator doors of the Tipton lobby opened and a troop of leather clad demons marched in. The leader approached the captain of the current patrol.
“Guard change.” He growled. The second nodded his head and signaled for his soldiers to follow him. No sooner had the elevator opened when a second group of demons entered, identical to the first.
“Guard change.” The leader growled. The other captain looked from the second squad to the first in utter confusion.
“No, they’re taking our shift.”
“No, we are. You’re supposed to switch with the squadron on the prison floor.”
“No,” called a demon in the back of the ranks, “that’s where you’re going.”
The first demon captain strode warily to the demon who had spoken. “What’s the password?”
“Umm…” the demon stammered. “Demons rule?”
Before the captain could say anything further he found himself caught in the back by another’s athame. In moments the lobby became a battlefield as the two squads of demons realized what was going on.
“Demons rule?!” Maddie grimaced as the glamour around her and the others faded. “That was the best you could come up with?!”
“I was under pressure!” Arwin cried in earnest, swinging his Morningstar clumsily, but effectively at two of his foes.
“Never mind!” Leo shouted to be heard over the throng of battle as blades and clubs clashed and fireballs were thrown and batted away in all directions. “Maddie, I need you to aim for the back of the ranks! These are swarm demons! If you take out the king, they’ll all disappear! Muriel, cover her!”
“You got it hot stuff!” Muriel took a battle position by Maddie, swinging her ball & chain menacingly while roaring at the top of her lungs. Maddie knelt behind her, doing her best to snipe at the back of the ranks while trying not to get hit by Muriel’s renegade weapon.
“Lance, Moseby!” Max called. “Get London to the basement!”
Moseby nodded, and jumped in front of London, holding his sword long ways in front of him, bouncing away a fireball that had been intended for her.
Unfortunately one of the captains noticed their endeavor to get to the lower level. “Block the stairs!” Five demons blocked the party’s path while more demons shimmered in to enter the fray.
Max bared her teeth in fury, jabbing her knife at a demon who had made a dive for the trio. He jumped back and it missed, barely, but both whitelighter and demon were surprised when purple lightning shot from the weapon. It pierced her enemy in the abdomen, just below his ribcage, vanquishing him instantly. She stared at her athame in shock, trying to figure out how it had managed that kind of power. Then she remembered. Natalia had blessed the athame by channeling her own power into it. The young whitelighter looked back to the demons who were barring their way to the basement.
“Get down!” She warned her friends. They dropped just before she swung her dagger in a broad arc, sending a wave of lightning into their enemies and reducing them to ash. Max smiled at her weapon. “So that’s how that feels.” This fight was about to get very interesting.
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“Occidit una domus"The dark robed priest chanted.
"Occidit una domus" The Heir repeated, his hand on the pages of the Grimoire. He could feel the evils of the world seeping into him, coursing through his veins. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. His throne was only seconds away.
"Omne quas meruere pati poenas" The priest continued.
“Omni quas meruere pati poenas" The Heir gasped with delight. Dark energy erupted from every pore in his gaunt pale body. His piercing grey eyes became as fire and cooled to glassy black orbs. They were completely dark, like inescapable pools of evil. He was The Heir no longer. He stood in the stone chamber, The Source of all Evil. He laughed out loud, cursing the heavens with his very existence.
But his moment of joy was short-lived. The priest made a choking sound in his throat, and The Source watched his face turn red before he imploded.
“I’m sorry.” Came the youngest Charmed One’s voice. “I think you have the wrong room.”
“The Charmed Ones.” The Source sneered. “Come to try again? I think you’ll find me quite unstoppable without the Hollow.”
“We don’t need the Hollow.” Piper answered defiantly. “We have them.”
At that moment the door to the chamber that had once been London’s suite burst into flames and Zack, Cody and their mother stormed in, the boys looking more intimidating than their age would allow.
The Source laughed again, tossing his long dark bangs aside. “Two children and their powerless mother, that’s the best you could do?”
“Not quite.” Came a familiar voice as the great glass window of the balcony swung open. The wind blew in through The Source’s black hair, whipping his braid about, his long dark cloak billowing around him. A shadowy cloud swirled from the sky, obscuring the full moon and landed in the room, reforming into the sorceress who had faced him in the grove all those years ago. “I’ll erase your face this time.” She hissed.
It was something to behold; the Charmed Ones at the right, the young but powerful witches and their mother at the left, and Natalia facing him. Anyone else would have wished to shrivel into nothing as the seven witches stared them down. The Source merely shifted his black gaze from one witch to the next, as if deciding which he hated more.
“Paige, now!” Phoebe cried, pulling the small wooden chest from behind her back and opening it, revealing the pyrite crystals within.
Paige waved her hand over it. “Crystals, circle!” The gleaming crystals were magically orbed around The Source, a cage of energy rising from them to trap him.
The Source touched it with his black-clawed fingers. It forced his hand back with its magical energy. “Ah, the pyrite crystal cage. I believe Prue invented this.” He mused, no doubt relishing the reaction his mentioning Prue’s name garnered from the Charmed Ones. “Her work was always flawless. You see, awhile ago this might have been a problem, but not anymore.” He turned back to the Grimoire which had been caged with him, and flipped the page.
“Hurry, the spell!” Natalia barked.
All seven witches began chanting hurriedly with rehearsed memorization. “Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Mel—“
But The Source was quicker. “Natum adai necral daya intay layok" Deep below them in the basement at the very heart of the hotel, the Nexus rumbled and its power spiraled upward, turning black to reflect its new wielder. It reached the top floor in moments, entering he who summoned it. The Source drank it in, practically drunk on its power. He tore the sleeves of his tunic away to reveal veins bulging along his pale arms. They had turned as dark as his soul. He stretched his arms towards the walls of his prison. Shadows swirled around them, taking on the shape of massive clawed hands that dug into the energy shield then flung outward, shattering the cage and scattering the crystals.
The seven witches were knocked off their feet from the force, sliding backwards. The now all powerful demon lord turned his gaze on Carey who had her arms spread protectively over her young who had been dazed by the blast.
“Take the weakest link,” The Source bellowed, his voice now a low rumble, like thunder, “and the rest will follow.” The shadowy hands condensed into twin black longswords. With unnatural speed he advanced on Carey, raising his blades high.
Carey wrenched her eyes shut, waiting for the blow, but was surprised to hear the clang of metal. She looked up to see that Natalia—the soul member of the group who had retained her footing—had conjured longswords of her own, alight with violet fire and was defending her from The Source blade on blade.
The sorceress was skilled with the blade, and was holding her own as clang after clang rang through the air, but the Nexus was enhancing The Source’s already inhuman strength and speed. He sailed in with his left sword, which Natalia blocked by crossing her blades just before it reached her midriff. He merely smiled before swinging his right hilt into her head. With Natalia stunned, The Source saw his opportunity to spin a powerful kick into her stomach and send her flying backward into the wall to lie in a heap. Her blades slid along the floor, their purple flames extinguished.
Phoebe leapt to her feet and levitated into the air to send a whirling kick of her own into the enemy’s head. The Source spun around, blades swinging for Phoebe, but found himself blocked on both sides. Zack and Cody had picked up Natalia’s swords and were defending Phoebe from his attack. The swords were alight with Zack’s crimson flames, empowering his and Cody’s attack. They were not skilled in wielding these weapons, but they were sufficient in knocking away The Source’s blades so Phoebe could move in with her own physical attacks.
“Swords!” Paige called, orbing The Source’s weapons way from him into her waiting hands. The Source gazed at her briefly, and on their own Paige’s hands clenched the hilts of the blades. Without any control, she swung the blades at Piper who had just gotten to her feet, ready to blast. Piper ducked only seconds before her own sister struck her.
“What are you doing?!” Piper shrieked.
“I’m not!” Paige cried. “It’s the swords! Piper, get out of the way!” Paige swung down at her sister again. Piper rolled out of harm’s way just before the blade came to rest in the ground where she had just been standing. Phoebe was unable to help for The Source was now engaging her in hand to hand. Zack and Cody found that he was batting their blades away as easily as if his hands were steel.
The Source kicked upward, aiming for Phoebe’s jaw, forcing her to back-flip out of the way. He seized the chance to grab Zack and Cody’s weapons by the blades. He clenched them tightly while they tried to yank them free. Then he snapped them in half like dried twigs. The twins stared in shock at their broken weapons. The Source grinned with his angular teeth, and with a wave of his arm sent them sliding across the floor.
Phoebe retaliated, but was having trouble keeping up with The Source’s blinding speed.
“Zack, do something!” Cody pleaded while he and his brother tried to pull each other to their feet. “Hit him with a fireball!”
“I can’t!” Zack cried hopelessly. “I might hit Phoebe!”
Cody looked desperately from his brother, to his mother who was trying to rouse the unconscious sorceress, to Piper who was too busy trying not to get killed by Paige to do anything. As Paige unwillingly swung the swords again, Cody got an idea. He stretched his arm towards Paige’s weapons and concentrated with all his might. Paige froze in mid-swing. The blades began to tremble from Cody’s pull. All at once they were torn from her hands and sent spinning for The Source.
“Phoebe, duck!”
The middle Halliwell dropped to the floor with warrior’s reflexes, not questioning why. The swords spun through the air to strike The Source in the chest, sending him careening into the morbid pedestal that upheld the Grimoire. Somehow it had remained untouched by the battle.
“Zack, now!” Cody shouted, taking his brother’s hand. A swirling ray of crimson fire shot from their joined hands and hit The Source with incredible force, growing until it became a pillar of flames that roared around their attacker from the stone floor to the ceiling. The flames were joined by amethyst lightning, and the twins looked up to see that Natalia had risen again to add her power to theirs.
The sisters had also linked hands and begun chanting. “The Power of Three will set us free. The Power of Three will set us free. The Power of Three will set us free.” Three beams of blue energy shot from their joined hands, converging into one and adding its power to the already immense attack. A roar of fury and pain erupted from its center. It was unearthly and inhuman. The pillar of fire and lightning and energy was dispersed, spreading across the entire chamber. The seven witches found themselves once again hurtling across the marble floor.
The Source got to his feet. His cloak and tunic were torn and singed. His long black hair had fallen from its braid and now hung wildly about his face and shoulders.
“THIS ENDS NOW!!” He put his hands together, forming an orb of dark energy between them. He pulled his hands apart as it expanded. Black lightning was charging visibly from it. It grew until the ceiling could no longer be seen. The Source of all Evil rose into the air, raising the enormous black orb high, preparing to crush his enemies. All they could do now was wait for the end to come.
----------
The rag-tag group of hotel staff, plus two whitelighters and a CEO had finally managed to fight their way to the basement where the crater that had once housed the Nexus stood open and ominous in its center. Hurriedly, the group blocked its door, trying to barricade themselves from the swarm demons, still in hot pursuit.
“London, hurry the spell!”
“Right!” London reached into her boot for the piece of paper she had written the spell on. “Naytoom—“ she began a little incorrectly, but before she could read the rest she screamed as a stray fireball shot from the narrow opening in the door, burning the spell to cinders. “The spell! It’s gone!”
“Don’t you remember it?!” Maddie demanded, taking a position beside her, ready to fire her crossbow the moment the swarm demons broke down the door.
“No! Do I look like I think ahead?!” A crash sounded outside the door as the demons began ramming it with zeal. The group, who had their backs pressed firmly against the door, were forced forward a few steps before they could reposition themselves. Max’s athame was thrown from her hand, and slid uselessly to the farthest corner of the room.
“Come on London, try!” Maddie encouraged frantically.
“Hurry London!” Moseby shouted through the strain of trying to withstand another blow to the door. “We can’t hold this door much longer!”
“I think my liver’s gonna EXPLODE!” Muriel shrieked.
There was another crash that sent Leo to the concrete floor. Max panicked and tried to help him up, weakening the hold on the door further.
“London.” Maddie took her friend by the shoulder. “Remember what you said when you found out that your father was going to sell this hotel? This place is your home, and we’re your family. Now’s your chance to fight back and do something about it. I know you can do it."
London stared back at her friend as inspiration from her words struck her. Maddie dropped back to her knees, drawing the crossbow.
London clenched both hands around the hilt of her longsword. She closed her eyes and breathed in. Just as the door gave way and the others were sent tumbling over each other, London snapped her eyes open.
"Natum adai necral daya intay layok"
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It must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain. Therefore let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
---William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" |
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tragicwitch
New Member
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Here, there, everywhere.
Karma: 1 | | Chapter 18
« Reply #20 on Jun 20, 2008, 1:01am » | |
Chapter Eighteen: Be Gone Endless Night
The troop of swarm demons lived up to their name, crashing through the door, knocking the others over in the process. They prepared to attack, but were met with a sight that stopped their non-hearts in their chests.
London stood near the crater in the floor, her eyes glowing completely white. Her long dark curls blew in a non-existent wind. White energy pulsated around her, flowing from her arms into her sword. When she spoke, the very foundation of the building trembled with her unadulterated rage.
“GET OOOOOUUUUTTT!!”
“Take cover boys!” Muriel crowed, taking Arwin and Moseby by the collar and diving for a corner of the room with speed that didn’t look possible for her. The others quickly followed her lead, diving out of the way as London raised her sword. White energy shot from the blade in a wave that pushed the demons back, vanquishing them as it went. It spread up to the lobby and swirled up the floors through the hallways, purging the hotel of its demonic influence. The breeze died down, and the energy faded. London lowered her blade as her long dark curls settled around her shoulders.
The others found their eyes wide and glued to her, their mouths hanging open. London swung the blade upward, prompting them all to flinch. She paid them no mind as she uttered the second spell.
“I am light, I am one too strong to fight.
Go away, leave my sight, and take with you this endless night.”
And with that she slammed the gleaming sword point down into the center of the crater. It closed itself over, leaving the blade driven half its length into the ground, sealing the Nexus back with it. Maddie barely had time to catch her before she passed out. No one spoke as she closed her eyes and her breathing grew slow and heavy. London had saved her home, but the battle was only half over.
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Cody wrenched his eyes shut, while he and his brother clung to each other. The Source rose higher into the air, the great orb of black lightning still expanding.
“THIS ENDS NOW!!!”
It would only take seconds. He would throw the attack, and they’d all be dead. A beautiful brown eyed face suddenly filled Cody’s mind. At least his last memory would be a happy one. He’d never really thought of himself as the type to go down fighting, but he took comfort in knowing that Max would remember him that way.
He risked one peek. What was taking so long? Shouldn’t The Source have destroyed them by now? In one terrified glimpse, he saw The Source, still hovering above them as well as the massive energy attack, but he was trembling. The black energy was coming out of him and into the sphere. Not only that, it was lightening in color. It now shone white. In an instant it swirled into a pillar and spiraled back down the way it had come.
Below them they could hear the sound of demons screaming in terror as the Nexus rent them to bits. The Source dropped back to the floor. His black gaze was one of fury as well as defeat.
“No.” He growled. “NO! What happened?! Why did the Nexus abandon me?!”
“Because this isn’t your home.” Cody said retorted. “I guess the Nexus knows that too.”
“Looks like our friends leveled the playing field for us.” Zack remarked, getting back to his feet.
“Hurry, the spell.” Piper hastened, rousing her sisters. She looked to the twins who nodded, then to Carey and Natalia who did the same.
The Source staggered to his feet, using the Grimoire’s pedestal for support. His gleaming black eyes swept from one witch to the next. He knew he was beaten. The force of the Nexus being ripped out of him, coupled with the barrage of magical attacks he had endured hadn’t left him with enough strength to resist the Power of Three spell.
The seven wasted no more time, ready to be rid of their mortal enemy once and for all.
“Prudence, Patricia, Penelope,”
“I am not the only evil out there.” The Source growled, his eyes intent on Zack and Cody. “I am one of millions. In places you wouldn’t believe, in forms you can’t even imagine.”
“Melinda, Natalia, Eva, and Grace,
Witches of Old stand strong beside us,”
“We are hell on this earth!”
“Vanquish this evil,”
“You will never be safe.”
“from time”
“And you will never be—"
"and space!”
“FREEEEE!!” The Source roared in agony one last time as flames consumed his entire body. In an explosive blast he was silenced forever.
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The explosion shook the entire chamber and the seven companions were blown from where they stood to slam into the wall—All except for Cody. Instead, the young witch found himself flying through the great glass window and over the balcony’s edge. Dimly he could hear his brother and mother, and the sisters, and even Natalia calling his name in panic as they realized why he wasn’t in the room with them.
He could barely register what was happening as the air went rushing past him while he plummeted over twenty stories. Was it really going to end like this? After everything he’d gone through, everything he’d done, even after eliminating the threat was he really going to die? How was that possible? How was that right? Scenes and faces went flashing through his head as the end neared. He was about to come to terms with his fate, knowing it didn’t matter anymore. He had done his part.
Just as he braced for the impact that would surely end his young life, all at once the rush of air stopped. He hadn’t hit the ground yet, but he had still stopped moving. Slowly he opened his eyes to see what had happened, and found himself in front of the Tipton’s doors, just eight feet above the ground.
Had he stopped himself with his powers? Impossible; he was facing upward and his arms had flailed uselessly the whole way down. The young witch didn’t have long to wonder. His body was turned over so he could face the woman who’d saved him as she lowered him gently on his feet.
“What’s the matter?” she asked with a warm smile. “You act like you’ve never seen a pretty girl before.” She was beautiful, but that wasn’t why Cody’s mouth was hanging open. He had never met this woman before in his life, but as he stared into her cat-like green eyes and she smiled back at him, tossing back her shoulder length raven hair, somehow he felt like they’d always known each other.
It took a moment for him to find his voice. “Prue?”
She nodded. She looked as beautiful a she had in the picture Piper carried. She wore boot-cut blue jeans over black heeled boots, and a black leather coat. Unbeknownst to Cody was that it was the same outfit she had worn when she went down fighting Shax.
“I imagine you have questions.” She grinned. “Go ahead, we have time. In fact we froze time.” She took a brief glance at the sky. "Thanks mom."
Cody stopped gaping and tried to smooth his windswept hair. “How are you here?”
“Well, I’ve been watching you and your brother for awhile now, and something told me you’d need an assist.”
“But how are you… wait, watching me?” Cody tried to figure the significance of that sentence when his mind flashed back to something crucial that had happened. Something not even Natalia had been able to explain. “The book, the prophecy, that was you?”
She nodded again. “I had to do something to put you guys on the right path. Nat was being a little too secretive.”
“Wait, you’ve been—“
“No, no Natalia doesn’t know about this. Neither do my sisters. Not even the Elders know I'm here. I'm above all that now. But enough about me, I’m dead. So, you’ve been through a lot in the past week. How are your powers coming along?”
He shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”
“But?” she prodded.
Cody sighed. “They can be—“
“Kind of a burden.” Prue finished his thought. “I know. But being a witch taught me a lot. The most important of which is that everything happens for a reason. What would’ve happened if you hadn’t been here tonight?”
Cody thought for a moment. “The Source would’ve gotten the Nexus and probably killed us all.” He grimaced.
She nodded approvingly. “Now what would’ve happened to your brother if you hadn’t gotten your powers alongside him.”
Cody didn’t have to think to hard on this one. “Zack probably would’ve gotten himself killed.”
“Very good. Cody, you have an important role to play in your family. You’re the protector, just like I was, and just like Piper became when I was gone. Now I want you to think back to when you first got your powers. How did you feel?”
“Scared.”
“I mean after that.” Prue chuckled. “When you started using them for good.”
Cody tried to piece together what she meant, then it hit him. “Whole. I felt like I got back a part of me.”
She smiled warmly. “Now is there any doubt in your mind that this is what you were meant for?”
Cody smiled back as he shook his head.
“Then you’re on your way. Now, let’s keep this between us okay?”
“Alright. But… I’m still confused. How are you here?”
“That’s another thing I learned while being a witch. Death may be inevitable, but it’s not forever.” She said as she faded away, back to wherever she had come from.
As soon as she was gone, Cody felt time speed up. He turned back to return to the hotel and let everyone know he was alright. He took notice that the grand revolving doors were now nothing more than a pile of glass and twisted metal. They must have been destroyed in the battle. He knelt down by it, recalling how often he and his brother had raced through them, nearly knocking over several guests. It seemed like such a far off time now.
A chiming sound broke through his thoughts, and he looked up to see a swarm of white lights zooming towards him. Max reformed and collided straight into him. They both fell backwards with her on top of him.
“Cody?” She gasped as they pulled themselves to a sitting position. She threw her arms around his neck, nearly suffocating him in her grip. “I’m so glad you’re safe, I was so worried! I felt you in danger but I didn’t think I could get to you in time!” She fell into his chest, breathing heavily. He stroked her long brown curls which had fallen out of their braids in the fight.
“It’s alright. I’m fine. We won, it’s over.” He put his own arms around her, pulling her into a kiss. It was better than the one they had shared before, for now they knew that nothing, demons or secrets would ever threaten their being together ever again.
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Almost as quickly as their panic had begun, it ceased when the others in London’s suite—now back to its normal appearance—saw Max orb in, hand in hand with Cody.
“Oh, my baby!” Carey cried, scooping him up in a bone-crushing embrace and smothering him with kisses. The moment she set him back on his feet, Cody felt a sharp punch to his shoulder.
“Don’t scare me like that.” Zack scolded.
“Sorry.” was all Cody could say. Prue’s words of his role to protect his brother from trouble and watch his back drifted into his mind. But just as he knew how important his role was, he also knew of Zack’s role as the heart of the family. It would be Zack who would keep their mood light, and make their life bearable in spite of all the terrors and dangers they were sure to face. “Where’s the Grimoire?” he asked.
“Gone.” Zack answered. “It must have been destroyed in the blast that destroyed The Source.”
“Are you alright?” Piper asked as her sisters patted his back and tousled his hair. “You look pretty good, considering you just fell twenty-eight stories.”
“Indeed.” Came Natalia’s smooth sultry voice. She stepped lightly toward the boys. Carey moved as if to bar her path, but the sorceress’ amethyst gaze stated plainly that this was meant to happen. “Now you’ve both seen this life first hand, and what it can do to you. As I promised your mother before, I will honor the pact and allow you the choice of which life you will lead. You may either keep your powers and continue through this destiny, or relinquish them to me and lead normal lives with no one coming after you.”
Cody stared at the imposing sorceress whose appearance had turned out to bring as much good as it had bad, to the sisters who stood as motionless as a portrait. They obviously didn’t want to affect his choice, but their example had already made his decision.
He looked back at his mother and Max who both looked like they already knew his answer. Zack nodded, as if to say ‘whatever you decide, I’ll agree.’ But Cody knew how much Zack had come to love this new life, warts and all. He took his brother’s hand and gazed back up at Natalia.
“I think we’ll be alright with this new life. Everything happens for a reason right?”
Zack beamed at his brother, relieved that Cody had changed his mind. “Yeah, what he said.” He agreed vehemently.
Natalia nodded as if she’d expected nothing less. “Very well. Then I have a feeling we’ll cross paths again.” She stated as she turned heel towards the balcony.
“Where’re you going Nat?” Phoebe asked.
Natalia thought for a moment. “You know, that’s a very good question. The Source’s demise has put an end to a thousand year mission… I hope I don’t get bored.” She left them with one last secretive smile before vanishing in a shadowy mist.
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It must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain. Therefore let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
---William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" |
|
tragicwitch
New Member
member is offline
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Here, there, everywhere.
Karma: 1 | | Re: The Charmed Life of Zack and Cody
« Reply #21 on Jun 20, 2008, 1:10am » | |
A/N:That's all folks. Hope y'all enjoyed. It may be presumptuous of me, but I think Dylan and Cole would be proud.
Epilogue: As One Storm Clears…
“Yes Mr. Tipton, I’ve decided to call off the deal.” Carlisle grinned into his cell phone as his limbo began to take off. “That daughter of yours is a natural. She helped me realize what a mistake I was making before it was too late.”
“That’s my little girl.” Mr. Tipton’s voice was a little garbled due to the fact that he was currently thousands of feet above the air in his private jet. But his pride in his daughter was easily distinguished. “So can we expect to see you in Barbados? ‘Cause I got to tell you, I feel like a million bucks. It’s almost like some dark cloud’s been lifted from over me.”
“Oh, you can count on me to be there.” Carlisle grinned wider, knowing exactly how Mr. Tipton was feeling.
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The Tipton had been beautifully restored in a matter of days thanks to London’s efforts. The young heiress had been taking on more responsibility than either Moseby or Maddie thought her capable of, and they were elated to help.
Not much magical cover was needed since the guests were all given the impression that the evacuation had been because of a bomb threat. The mortals who had been involved simply wished to forget the whole thing, and were more than willing to keep their lips sealed.
Indeed the only remaining evidence that there had been a battle at all was the heavy security that had been placed for the basement where the Nexus remained sealed by London’s sword, still driven half its length into the cement floor. The revolving doors had been temporarily replaced with a beautiful set of Victorian styled double doors, but after seeing how lovely they looked on the front of the hotel, London decided to keep them.
The guests had never seemed happier as they checked back in. However at that moment in the nearly vacant lobby, a much sadder gathering was taking place. The week following the final battle had been filled with joy, laughter, and (much to the Charmed Ones’ surprise) some actual vacation time. But now the time had come for the Martins and the Halliwells to say goodbye.
“Well, I guess this is it.” Paige declared, having to wipe a tear away from her eye. “You guys take care of yourselves.”
“Yeah.” Zack replied, clearing his throat. “You too.”
“Promise you’ll keep me posted.” Phoebe smiled, refusing to cry. “I want be kept up to date on everything; powers, school, dating—“
“Phoebe,” Piper interjected, “give it a rest.”
Leo knuckled Max in the chin playfully. “Take good care of them Max.”
“Don’t worry.” Max quirked a smile. “I’ll keep ‘em on a tight leash.”
Carey took turns hugging each sister tightly. “Now you call us as soon as you get back to San Francisco…and again when you get home. And don’t be afraid to orb in whenever.”
“Likewise.” Piper replied. Then she bent down to be eye-level with the twins (not too difficult considering her height). “Alright guys, take it slow on the demon hunting for awhile. No vanquishing on school nights, no all nighters, don’t forget to start your own Book of Shadows, and make sure your mom always knows where you are.”
“Okay.” They both agreed as Piper took them both in her arms and kissed them on the cheek.
“Maybe we’ll take our vacation in San Francisco.” Cody sniffed. “You know… to visit Wyatt.”
“Come over any time.” Piper smiled that warm maternal smile. “Don’t forget, you’re family now.”
“Maybe you can teach me some of your recipes.” Cody suggested.
“And maybe you,” Phoebe ran her fingers through Zack’s hair, “can make good on your promise to take me to the movies.”
Zack grinned mischievously. “It’s cool with me sweet thang.”
She laughede. She was unable to forget the things she had seen that week in her premonitions; what the future held for the two boys she had grown to love. She saw hardship, struggle, and heartache. But she had also seen joy, friendship, love and bonding above and beyond the possible. They were survivors, just like her and her sisters.
“Alright.” Piper stood back up. “We’d better get going if we’re gonna make that flight.” She reminded them, wiping a few stray tears from her face.
“Take care.” Cody said again.
“You too.” She said as their new friends left through the double doors.
Carey went to the elevator, knowing she’d start blubbering if she stayed a moment longer. “I’ll see you upstairs for dinner boys.”
“Okay Mom.” Zack called back as he and his brother, with Max at his side watched the sisters and Leo file into a cab bound for the airport. When it finally pulled away, something across the street caught their attention.
A tall woman in a black trench-coat and knee-high boots, with long raven hair and mocha skin was standing on the opposite sidewalk. She stared back at the young witches with her violet eyes and waved to them elegantly with her slim fingers, her fire-colored birthmark barely visible on her palm. A Greyhound bus passed between them, blocking their view for only an instant. When it passed she was gone, but they could swear they saw a shadow slither over the hedge and out of sight.
“Let’s just get back to the suite.” Max decided.
“Good idea.” Zack agreed. “Cody?”
“I’m coming.” Cody replied, not taking his eyes off the place where the woman had just been standing. Then with a wave of his hand, the new double doors of the Tipton swung gently shut.
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It must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain. Therefore let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
---William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" |
|
hasnain
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Joined: Jul 2008
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Posts: 3
Karma: 0 | | Re: The Charmed Life of Zack and Cody
« Reply #22 on Jul 24, 2008, 12:33am » | |
awesome gj!
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