TWENTY
“Okay, who said that?” Piper asked.
“I don’t know,” said Phoebe. “There doesn’t seem to be anyone else here.”
“I am here,” said the voice. “I am always here.”
“Who are you?” Jerrod asked.
“I am the spirit of all that is,” said the voice. “I am that which was and which is to be.”
“Speak in riddles much?” Paige asked.
“Why have you come to my domain?” asked the voice. “You have crossed the threshold. The threshold must not be crossed. It is not the natural way of things.”
“What threshold?” Piper asked.
“That which is from that which is not,” said the voice.
“What do you mean that which is from that which is not?” Phoebe asked.
“Simply that,” said the voice. “That which is must not join with that which is not.”
“Fantasy and real magic,” said Jerrod. “I think that’s what this voice is talking about. The joining of the two magicks.”
“So just who is this mysterious voice anyway?” Leo asked.
“I think it’s the slippers,” said Jerrod.
“What?” Cole questioned. “That’s crazy. They’re just slippers.”
“Not any more,” said Jerrod. “With all the magic that’s been going through them – and the joining of the real and fantasy magicks – I think that somehow all that combined magic has caused the slippers to become sentient.”
“Okay, that just sounds crazy to me,” said Paige.
“No, he might be right,” said Leo. “In a way, it happens all the time. When a baby is born it’s just an empty slate so to speak. No memories or experiences. But then the baby begins to learn things. Slowly at first and then faster as time goes on. At some point most small children exceed the sum of what they’ve learned. Begin to think for themselves.”
“And you think that’s what’s happened here?” Piper asked.
“It makes sense,” said Leo.
“More than that,” said Jerrod. “It was inevitable. The magic being drawn through the slippers would also draw the thoughts and memories of those using the magic. Including the sisters, Abigail, Darryl, and me, those are a lot of thoughts and memories. Combined with the magic it would be inevitable that it would eventually exceed the sum of its parts. To become sentient.”
“So what does it mean we’ve crossed the threshold?” Cole asked.
“You have crossed from that which is not into that which is,” said the voice. “You must be returned to your natural realm. To restore the natural way.”
“We haven’t crossed over anywhere,” said Piper. “If anything, you’ve crossed over. This is the real world.”
“You are misinformed,” said the voice. “I am that which was and which is to be. I have existed since the dawn of time. I will continue.”
“Okay, just what does that mean?” Paige asked.
“I think,” said Jerrod, “that it thinks it’s real. That we’re the fantasy. And it thinks we’ve crossed over from the fantasy world into the real world.”
“So what does it plan to do about it?” Darryl asked.
“I shall do nothing with you,” said the voice. “You are as you should be. It is the others who have crossed the threshold. They must be returned to their natural state.”
“Oh, this isn’t good,” said Jerrod. “If the slippers have become sentient then they have complete mastery of the magic in them. If it thinks we are fantasies and should be returned to the fantasy world, there’s no telling what they’ll do.”
“You mean they might kill us?” Phoebe asked.
“Worse,” said Jerrod. “They’ll send us to the fantasy world thinking that’s where we belong. Only we don’t belong in the fantasy world but there won’t be any way to get out of it. We’ll be trapped there forever.”
“Especially since we don’t have the Power of Three any more,” said Piper. “What can we do to stop the slippers?”
“You can do nothing,” said the voice. “I am the power. I must return that which is not to where it belongs.”
“Wait a minute,” said Darryl. “Are you saying we’re all going back to the Land of Oz? That’s just crazy.”
“As I said,” said the voice, “you are as you should be. It is only the others who have crossed the threshold. It is they who must be returned that which is not.”
“It sees Darryl as real,” said Jerrod. “Probably because he has a mingling of real and fantasy magic in him. It won’t do anything to him because it believes he belongs here. But the rest of us are in real danger unless we can convince it we’re real.”
“Just how do we do that?” Piper asked.
“I wish I knew,” said Jerrod. “Since it’s become sentient the only thing it’s known is the joining of the real and fantasy magicks. Since it’s essentially fantasy magic it believes that fantasy is reality.”
“So what we have to do is convince it that we’re real and it’s fantasy,” said Paige. “Oh, no pressure there. I’m not sure that’s even possible.”
“Maybe it is,” said Cole. “It has to be able to distinguish between real and fantasy. Otherwise it wouldn’t see us as different.”
“That makes sense,” said Jerrod. “It’s how it would think of us as fantasy.”
“So, doesn’t that mean it can distinguish between real and fantasy magic?” Cole asked.
“Of course,” said Jerrod.
“Wouldn’t the powers we stripped from ourselves be part of the magic of the slippers?” Piper asked.
“Of course,” said Jerrod. “Once Abby was vanquished the magic had to go somewhere. It would just naturally gravitate to the most powerful magic around.”
“So why doesn’t it see itself as partially fantasy at least?” Phoebe asked. “Surely it must sense the stripped powers mingled with it.”
“Of course,” said Jerrod. “That might be the answer. If we can convince it that part of it’s magic is fantasy magic and not real then it would have to return that power to where it rightfully belongs. Namely to you.”
“And once we have our powers back maybe we can stop it,” said Piper.
“It’s worth a shot,” said Phoebe. “Without their shares of the Power of Three it should be severely weakened.”
“Well, it seems that Jerrod has the best chance of convincing it,” said Cole. “He is – was – the mystic warlock. It should see him as more like it than any of us. I’m willing to bet it will listen to him before it listens to any of us.”
“Sounds reasonable,” said Jerrod. “I’ll do my best.”
Jerrod turned and faced the slippers.
“My name is Jerrod,” he said. “If we have crossed the threshold so has much of our power. That power resides in you. It will be necessary to return that power to its rightful place. Otherwise all that you are could be corrupted.”
“You are that which is not,” said the voice. “Your words belong to that which is not. Your words have no import in this matter.”
“Well that’s great,” said Jerrod. “It won’t even listen to me. If it won’t listen to me there’s no way I can convince it to return your powers. And I’m fresh out of ideas.”
No Place Like Home (Sequel to "Munchkin 'Cisco")
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NoAzMale
- Self Proclaimed King of Blandness
- Posts: 927
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:22 am
TWENTY-ONE
“Wait a minute,” said Darryl, moving over to the group, “you mean it plans to put us back in that movie? That’s not something I’m looking forward to. There has to be something you can do to stop it.”
“We’re open to suggestions,” said Piper.
“Move from them,” said the voice. “You must remain with that which is. It is they who must return to that which is not. To restore the balance.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Paige.
“It means it still sees Darryl as real,” said Jerrod. “And it doesn’t plan to put him back in the fantasy world where it thinks we belong. That could be the key. It won’t listen to me but I’ll bet it will listen to him.”
“I’m no witch or demon,” protested Darryl. “I don’t even have any powers like the rest of you. Why should it listen to me?”
“Because it thinks you’re part of reality,” said Phoebe. “You don’t need any powers, Darryl. All you have to do is convince it to return Piper and Paige’s powers, that’s all. Think of it as a hostage situation and their powers are the hostages.”
“Not that far from the truth, really,” said Cole.
“How do I convince it to do that?” Darryl asked.
“It must sense their powers mingled with its own,” said Jerrod. “You need to convince it that those powers have crossed the threshold with us. And to set things straight those powers need to go back where they belong.”
“Okay,” said Darryl hesitantly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Darryl turned to the floating slippers.
“Look here,” he said feeling very self-conscious, “if you’re going to put them back where they belong you need to give them back the powers they had, too. It’s part of who they are.”
“All will be put right when they have been returned,” said the voice. “Move away from them. The balance must be restored.”
“And how do you plan to accomplish that?” Darryl asked. “Once you’ve returned them to wherever it is you plan to put them, how will you get their powers back to them?”
Darryl was met with silence. He had been in enough hostage negotiations to know what that meant. He was making sense to the “abductor” and it was thinking about what he said. At the moment it had no answer to his question.
“It’s very simple,” said Darryl. “In order to put things back the way they are supposed to be you have to return what is rightfully theirs. This mingling of real and fantasy magic has screwed things up completely. You want to put things back the way they’re supposed to be? Just separate the real from the fantasy. Then you can put everything back where it belongs.”
“There is much that has been joined,” said the voice. “Much that is out of place. All must be set right.”
“Well, if you don’t return their power first,” said Darryl, “you may not be able to once you’ve returned them where they belong. You won’t be able to undo the joining. If you want to do it right you have to start there. Then you can move on to everything else.”
“There is sense in your words,” said the voice. “I will return the magic that is not to its rightful place. Then the unjoining may begin.”
A beam of energy shot from the slippers and engulfed Piper and Paige. They stood there for several seconds bathed in the beam. Suddenly the beam ended.
“I have returned that which is not,” said the voice.
“I don’t feel any different,” said Paige.
“That may mean nothing,” said Jerrod. “Your powers are a part of you. There’s no reason to think you’d feel any differently by getting them back.”
“Okay, so we have our powers back,” said Piper. “What do we do now?”
“Not we,” said Jerrod, looking at Darryl. “Him. Darryl, you need to convince the slippers not to try and put things back. Just separate the real magic from the fantasy magic. If it does that then things should reassert themselves.”
“And that will put everything back the way it’s supposed to be?” questioned Darryl.
“It should,” said Jerrod. “Theoretically once the two magicks are separated they should naturally return to their respective realms.”
“Should?” questioned Phoebe.
“Look, there are no guarantees here,” said Jerrod. “We’re in uncharted territory. I’ve told you that no one has successfully mixed real and fantasy magic. So there’s no way to tell exactly what’s going to happen. And you know as well as I do that magic can do unpredictable things. All we can do is follow our instincts and hope it works.”
“What he says makes sense,” said Cole. “Real magic belongs in the real world while fantasy magic belongs in the fantasy world. If they’re separated they should return to where they belong.”
“It does make sense,” said Leo. “Magic does have the tendency to gravitate toward its natural source.”
“Okay, so what do I do?” Darryl asked.
“Convince the slippers not to put things anywhere,” said Jerrod. “Just get them to separate the real magic from the fantasy. That should solve everything.”
“I’ll try,” said Darryl. “This is crazy. Talking to a pair of slippers.”
“Actually the slippers are just the physical manifestation of the sentient magic behind them,” said Jerrod. “From what I’ve seen you’re a good cop. Just trust your instincts. You can do this.”
Darryl took a deep breath and turned back to the slippers.
“Look,” he said, “it’s not necessary for you to put anything back. Uh, this joining you keep talking about. All you have to do is separate the, what did you call it? That which is from that which is not? If you do that then things should go back to the way they’re supposed to be.”
“Your words make sense,” said the voice. “But those gathered here have crossed the threshold. It is necessary to return them to that which is not.”
“No, no,” said Darryl. “They’ve only, uh, crossed over because of this joining. If you just separate the real magic from the fantasy magic they should return to where they belong. Just like everything else.”
There was a moment of silence. Everyone stood watching the slippers wondering what the magic would decide.
“Very well,” said the voice finally. “I shall unravel that which has become intertwined. But all must be set right. The natural order must be maintained. I will return that which is not returned. It is the way it should be.”
“Fine, fine,” said Darryl, “just separate the magicks first. That’s supposed to put everything back the way it’s supposed to be.”
The voice didn’t speak again. Instead the slippers began to glow. The light became so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes from it. Suddenly the light flashed and everyone became dizzy. Then everything went blank for all of them.
“Wait a minute,” said Darryl, moving over to the group, “you mean it plans to put us back in that movie? That’s not something I’m looking forward to. There has to be something you can do to stop it.”
“We’re open to suggestions,” said Piper.
“Move from them,” said the voice. “You must remain with that which is. It is they who must return to that which is not. To restore the balance.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Paige.
“It means it still sees Darryl as real,” said Jerrod. “And it doesn’t plan to put him back in the fantasy world where it thinks we belong. That could be the key. It won’t listen to me but I’ll bet it will listen to him.”
“I’m no witch or demon,” protested Darryl. “I don’t even have any powers like the rest of you. Why should it listen to me?”
“Because it thinks you’re part of reality,” said Phoebe. “You don’t need any powers, Darryl. All you have to do is convince it to return Piper and Paige’s powers, that’s all. Think of it as a hostage situation and their powers are the hostages.”
“Not that far from the truth, really,” said Cole.
“How do I convince it to do that?” Darryl asked.
“It must sense their powers mingled with its own,” said Jerrod. “You need to convince it that those powers have crossed the threshold with us. And to set things straight those powers need to go back where they belong.”
“Okay,” said Darryl hesitantly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Darryl turned to the floating slippers.
“Look here,” he said feeling very self-conscious, “if you’re going to put them back where they belong you need to give them back the powers they had, too. It’s part of who they are.”
“All will be put right when they have been returned,” said the voice. “Move away from them. The balance must be restored.”
“And how do you plan to accomplish that?” Darryl asked. “Once you’ve returned them to wherever it is you plan to put them, how will you get their powers back to them?”
Darryl was met with silence. He had been in enough hostage negotiations to know what that meant. He was making sense to the “abductor” and it was thinking about what he said. At the moment it had no answer to his question.
“It’s very simple,” said Darryl. “In order to put things back the way they are supposed to be you have to return what is rightfully theirs. This mingling of real and fantasy magic has screwed things up completely. You want to put things back the way they’re supposed to be? Just separate the real from the fantasy. Then you can put everything back where it belongs.”
“There is much that has been joined,” said the voice. “Much that is out of place. All must be set right.”
“Well, if you don’t return their power first,” said Darryl, “you may not be able to once you’ve returned them where they belong. You won’t be able to undo the joining. If you want to do it right you have to start there. Then you can move on to everything else.”
“There is sense in your words,” said the voice. “I will return the magic that is not to its rightful place. Then the unjoining may begin.”
A beam of energy shot from the slippers and engulfed Piper and Paige. They stood there for several seconds bathed in the beam. Suddenly the beam ended.
“I have returned that which is not,” said the voice.
“I don’t feel any different,” said Paige.
“That may mean nothing,” said Jerrod. “Your powers are a part of you. There’s no reason to think you’d feel any differently by getting them back.”
“Okay, so we have our powers back,” said Piper. “What do we do now?”
“Not we,” said Jerrod, looking at Darryl. “Him. Darryl, you need to convince the slippers not to try and put things back. Just separate the real magic from the fantasy magic. If it does that then things should reassert themselves.”
“And that will put everything back the way it’s supposed to be?” questioned Darryl.
“It should,” said Jerrod. “Theoretically once the two magicks are separated they should naturally return to their respective realms.”
“Should?” questioned Phoebe.
“Look, there are no guarantees here,” said Jerrod. “We’re in uncharted territory. I’ve told you that no one has successfully mixed real and fantasy magic. So there’s no way to tell exactly what’s going to happen. And you know as well as I do that magic can do unpredictable things. All we can do is follow our instincts and hope it works.”
“What he says makes sense,” said Cole. “Real magic belongs in the real world while fantasy magic belongs in the fantasy world. If they’re separated they should return to where they belong.”
“It does make sense,” said Leo. “Magic does have the tendency to gravitate toward its natural source.”
“Okay, so what do I do?” Darryl asked.
“Convince the slippers not to put things anywhere,” said Jerrod. “Just get them to separate the real magic from the fantasy. That should solve everything.”
“I’ll try,” said Darryl. “This is crazy. Talking to a pair of slippers.”
“Actually the slippers are just the physical manifestation of the sentient magic behind them,” said Jerrod. “From what I’ve seen you’re a good cop. Just trust your instincts. You can do this.”
Darryl took a deep breath and turned back to the slippers.
“Look,” he said, “it’s not necessary for you to put anything back. Uh, this joining you keep talking about. All you have to do is separate the, what did you call it? That which is from that which is not? If you do that then things should go back to the way they’re supposed to be.”
“Your words make sense,” said the voice. “But those gathered here have crossed the threshold. It is necessary to return them to that which is not.”
“No, no,” said Darryl. “They’ve only, uh, crossed over because of this joining. If you just separate the real magic from the fantasy magic they should return to where they belong. Just like everything else.”
There was a moment of silence. Everyone stood watching the slippers wondering what the magic would decide.
“Very well,” said the voice finally. “I shall unravel that which has become intertwined. But all must be set right. The natural order must be maintained. I will return that which is not returned. It is the way it should be.”
“Fine, fine,” said Darryl, “just separate the magicks first. That’s supposed to put everything back the way it’s supposed to be.”
The voice didn’t speak again. Instead the slippers began to glow. The light became so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes from it. Suddenly the light flashed and everyone became dizzy. Then everything went blank for all of them.
"One day we are going to look in our microscope and find outselves staring into God's eye. And the first one to blink is going to loose his testicles." - Peter O'Toole in "Creator"
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NoAzMale
- Self Proclaimed King of Blandness
- Posts: 927
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:22 am
TWENTY-TWO
The group looked around at their surroundings. They were all standing in the living room of the manor. Phoebe was holding the bags of art supplies she had purchased for Paige several days before. And they all seemed to be dressed differently.
“What happened?” Piper asked as everyone looked around in confusion.
“I don’t know,” said Phoebe. “This was the same outfit I was wearing when I bought the art supplies for Paige.”
“I was wearing this suit the other day,” said Darryl, looking at the front of his suit coat. “I spilled coffee on it and haven’t had a chance to get it cleaned yet.”
“What about the ruby slippers?” Paige asked. “Do you think it got the magicks separated?”
“Apparently,” said Jerrod. “I would imagine that everything has been put back the way it’s supposed to be. But as for the changes I can’t account for them.”
“That which is and that which is not have been returned to their rightful places. All is as it was.”
They all turned to see a young girl standing in the entryway. She looked like Dorothy from “The Wizard Of Oz”. She was also wearing the ruby slippers.
“Who are you?” Piper asked defensively.
“I am what you would call the spirit of the ruby slippers,” said the young girl. “I am the sentient magic of the fantasy world.”
“Then you realize you aren’t real?” Jerrod questioned.
“I am as real as you or the others,” said the young girl. “But my reality is of a different nature from yours. My reality is within the dreams and fantasies of those who live in what you would call the real world.”
“What do you want?” Leo asked.
“I have come to advise you that all is as it was,” said the young girl. “The intertwined magicks have been separated. One will no longer encroach upon the other. As it should be.”
“Our clothes are different,” said Phoebe.
“I have returned you to a time before your ordeal began,” said the girl. “So that the natural order of both realms may be preserved.”
“Then that means we still have Abby and Zile to contend with,” said Cole.
“No,” said the girl. “Their fates remain as they were. It is a necessary safeguard to preserve what is. If not for those two the joining would not have happened. If I were to return them the joining would simply occur again. That must not be allowed. That which is and that which is not must forever remain separate.”
“What will you do now?” Jerrod asked.
“I will return to that place which is my natural domain,” said the girl. “There I will watch guard between that which is and that which is not. The bridge which joins the two will never again be crossed.”
“That’s good,” said Paige. “I think I’ve had enough merging of real and fantasy magic to last me a lifetime.”
“You may rest in the knowledge that such a thing will not again happen,” said the girl. “So long as I stand guard at the bridge no being will join the magicks again. Farewell.”
Suddenly the girl simply faded away.
“That’s it?” questioned Piper. “It’s really over?”
“It would seem so,” said Jerrod. “Fantasy and real magic are back where they should be. And from the sounds of it I don’t think we’ll have to worry about it ever happening again.”
“I wish I could believe that,” said Phoebe.
“You can,” said Cole. “From what I know about fantasy magic that – being – will have enough power to stop anyone from joining the two ever again.”
“You think she can really do that?” Leo questioned.
“Absolutely,” said Jerrod. “Remember, she belongs in the realm of fantasy magic. There is no more powerful magic in existence. And she seems to control fantasy magic. I think we’ve seen the last of the joining between real and fantasy magic.”
“Is that true?” Darryl asked. “We don’t have to worry about being put back into that stupid movie?”
“Apparently not,” said Piper. “And we all have you to thank for it. If not for you we might have ended up in the fantasy world forever.”
“I didn’t do that much,” said Darryl.
“You did more than you know, my friend,” said Jerrod. “When she was filled with the joined magic she may not have been able to distinguish completely between real and fantasy magic. There’s no telling how she would have separated the two. You were able to convince her to simply separate the two magicks. That not only set things right but she didn’t have to decide what went where. Both the real and the fantasy realms owe you a debt of thanks.”
“Well you can thank me by just keeping me out of your magical plans in the future,” said Darryl. “I have enough problems with the regular ones.” He looked at his watch. “I’d better get going. I’m supposed to be meeting with my lieutenant in ten minutes. I certainly hope it goes a bit differently from how it went last time. I don’t think I could take that again.”
“A little weird was it?” Cole asked.
“You have no idea,” said Darryl.
“Go on,” said Piper. “I think the crisis is over.”
Nervously Darryl opened the front door. He peered out cautiously and then stepped outside.
“Is it really over?” Phoebe asked.
“Yes, it is,” said Jerrod. “It’s kind of poetic really. It all started when you three cast a Power of Three spell to get us out of that movie. It caused the ruby slippers to combine real and fantasy magic in the first place. Somehow it’s fitting that it should all be ended by the slippers.”
“It’s still weird thinking that the slippers might actually be a living being,” said Paige. “I don’t think I’m ever going to look at ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ again.”
“Oh, I think it’s going to be a long time before we even watch that movie again,” said Piper.
“What will you do now?” Leo asked Jerrod. “If you really are good you can’t go back to the Mystic Order.”
“I’m sure I can find something to do,” said Jerrod. “Especially if I had the aid of a White Lighter to help me.”
“Uh, I have my hands full with the girls,” said Leo, glancing around. “But I’ll talk to the Elders and see if I can get one assigned to you. You might even be able to fill them in on things they don’t all ready know about. Things that I’m sure they’d like to know about Mystic Warlocks, for instance.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” said Jerrod. “I guess I should be going, too. The Grand Mystic is going to know that I’ve changed sides, so to speak. I’ll need to find some place to hide out until his attention is turned to something else.”
“I can help with that,” said Cole, looking at Phoebe. “I have a little experience with hiding out. I could give you some pointers and maybe even a couple of places no one else will think to look for you.”
“Thanks,” said Jerrod. “I really appreciate it. Leo, you did a great job with your glamour ability. I never knew it was so effective.”
“I just did what I could,” said Leo. “It was your plan. I’m just glad it worked out the way it did. Although I wouldn’t want to go through that again. Bullets may not be able to cause me any serious injury but they still hurt like hell.”
“I have no doubt,” said Jerrod. “Piper, Paige. I’m glad you finally trusted me. I know it may be a bit hard to accept even now but I hope you understand that I’m no longer evil. And I’ll continue to do whatever I can to convince you of that.”
“Well, you’ve got a good start, Jerrod,” said Piper. “By the way, we never did apologize for having to kill Jeremy. We didn’t want to but he really didn’t leave us any choice.”
“I know,” said Jerrod. “He and I were never that close to begin with. And at the time I was glad you did it. But I do understand you were just protecting yourself. I can’t hold that against you.”
“Well he was a warlock, wasn’t he?” Paige asked.
Jerrod just smiled. Then he turned to Phoebe.
“It seems you have more of an affect on me than even I originally thought,” he said. “Maybe, under different circumstances….”
“I’m with Cole,” said Phoebe. “But I appreciate the sentiment. I’m sure there’s someone out there for you. Especially now that you’re good. Women are attracted to strong men, you know?”
Jerrod just laughed.
“Only now I’ll have to be sensitive and caring,” he said. “I guess it’s something else I’ll have to learn.”
“Come on,” said Cole. “I can help you with that, too. I think I’d better give you those tips I mentioned. The sooner you’re out of here the better I’ll feel. I really don’t think any of us wants the Grand Mystic coming here looking for you.”
“Is this Grand Mystic really that dangerous?” Paige asked as Cole and Jerrod went to talk.
“From what I’ve heard he is,” said Leo. “There should be an entry on him in the Book of Shadows. I would suggest you read up on him in case he shows up looking for Jerrod. Jerrod did say he was after your powers.”
“Who isn’t?” said Phoebe. “I’ll go check the book. We’ll need to be prepared as soon as possible.”
“In the mean time,” said Piper, “if this is the day I think it is, I think I was planning to fix my vegetarian lasagna. Which means I’d better get to the kitchen before the ingredients I have set out become unusable.”
“Need some help?” Paige asked.
“Sure,” said Piper. “I can show you my secret ingredient.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I check in with the Elders,” said Leo. He picked up the box he had brought to hold Piper and Paige’s powers. “Besides, I need to return this to the guardian. It may be needed again in the future and it should be there in case it is.”
“Take your time,” said Piper. “It’s going to be a while before dinner is ready anyway. And I think we all need a good long rest after everything we’ve been through the last few days. Or the few days coming up. Or whatever.”
“Okay,” said Leo, smiling. “Try not to think about it. It will just confuse you.”
Phoebe headed upstairs while Piper and Paige went into the kitchen. As Leo orbed to the White Lighter realm Cole and Jerrod seemed to be sharing a private joke as they both tried to stifle laughs.
The End
If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, http://www.geocities.com/killeenmale/. You can also post your own “Charmed” stories if you like to write fan fiction.
The group looked around at their surroundings. They were all standing in the living room of the manor. Phoebe was holding the bags of art supplies she had purchased for Paige several days before. And they all seemed to be dressed differently.
“What happened?” Piper asked as everyone looked around in confusion.
“I don’t know,” said Phoebe. “This was the same outfit I was wearing when I bought the art supplies for Paige.”
“I was wearing this suit the other day,” said Darryl, looking at the front of his suit coat. “I spilled coffee on it and haven’t had a chance to get it cleaned yet.”
“What about the ruby slippers?” Paige asked. “Do you think it got the magicks separated?”
“Apparently,” said Jerrod. “I would imagine that everything has been put back the way it’s supposed to be. But as for the changes I can’t account for them.”
“That which is and that which is not have been returned to their rightful places. All is as it was.”
They all turned to see a young girl standing in the entryway. She looked like Dorothy from “The Wizard Of Oz”. She was also wearing the ruby slippers.
“Who are you?” Piper asked defensively.
“I am what you would call the spirit of the ruby slippers,” said the young girl. “I am the sentient magic of the fantasy world.”
“Then you realize you aren’t real?” Jerrod questioned.
“I am as real as you or the others,” said the young girl. “But my reality is of a different nature from yours. My reality is within the dreams and fantasies of those who live in what you would call the real world.”
“What do you want?” Leo asked.
“I have come to advise you that all is as it was,” said the young girl. “The intertwined magicks have been separated. One will no longer encroach upon the other. As it should be.”
“Our clothes are different,” said Phoebe.
“I have returned you to a time before your ordeal began,” said the girl. “So that the natural order of both realms may be preserved.”
“Then that means we still have Abby and Zile to contend with,” said Cole.
“No,” said the girl. “Their fates remain as they were. It is a necessary safeguard to preserve what is. If not for those two the joining would not have happened. If I were to return them the joining would simply occur again. That must not be allowed. That which is and that which is not must forever remain separate.”
“What will you do now?” Jerrod asked.
“I will return to that place which is my natural domain,” said the girl. “There I will watch guard between that which is and that which is not. The bridge which joins the two will never again be crossed.”
“That’s good,” said Paige. “I think I’ve had enough merging of real and fantasy magic to last me a lifetime.”
“You may rest in the knowledge that such a thing will not again happen,” said the girl. “So long as I stand guard at the bridge no being will join the magicks again. Farewell.”
Suddenly the girl simply faded away.
“That’s it?” questioned Piper. “It’s really over?”
“It would seem so,” said Jerrod. “Fantasy and real magic are back where they should be. And from the sounds of it I don’t think we’ll have to worry about it ever happening again.”
“I wish I could believe that,” said Phoebe.
“You can,” said Cole. “From what I know about fantasy magic that – being – will have enough power to stop anyone from joining the two ever again.”
“You think she can really do that?” Leo questioned.
“Absolutely,” said Jerrod. “Remember, she belongs in the realm of fantasy magic. There is no more powerful magic in existence. And she seems to control fantasy magic. I think we’ve seen the last of the joining between real and fantasy magic.”
“Is that true?” Darryl asked. “We don’t have to worry about being put back into that stupid movie?”
“Apparently not,” said Piper. “And we all have you to thank for it. If not for you we might have ended up in the fantasy world forever.”
“I didn’t do that much,” said Darryl.
“You did more than you know, my friend,” said Jerrod. “When she was filled with the joined magic she may not have been able to distinguish completely between real and fantasy magic. There’s no telling how she would have separated the two. You were able to convince her to simply separate the two magicks. That not only set things right but she didn’t have to decide what went where. Both the real and the fantasy realms owe you a debt of thanks.”
“Well you can thank me by just keeping me out of your magical plans in the future,” said Darryl. “I have enough problems with the regular ones.” He looked at his watch. “I’d better get going. I’m supposed to be meeting with my lieutenant in ten minutes. I certainly hope it goes a bit differently from how it went last time. I don’t think I could take that again.”
“A little weird was it?” Cole asked.
“You have no idea,” said Darryl.
“Go on,” said Piper. “I think the crisis is over.”
Nervously Darryl opened the front door. He peered out cautiously and then stepped outside.
“Is it really over?” Phoebe asked.
“Yes, it is,” said Jerrod. “It’s kind of poetic really. It all started when you three cast a Power of Three spell to get us out of that movie. It caused the ruby slippers to combine real and fantasy magic in the first place. Somehow it’s fitting that it should all be ended by the slippers.”
“It’s still weird thinking that the slippers might actually be a living being,” said Paige. “I don’t think I’m ever going to look at ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ again.”
“Oh, I think it’s going to be a long time before we even watch that movie again,” said Piper.
“What will you do now?” Leo asked Jerrod. “If you really are good you can’t go back to the Mystic Order.”
“I’m sure I can find something to do,” said Jerrod. “Especially if I had the aid of a White Lighter to help me.”
“Uh, I have my hands full with the girls,” said Leo, glancing around. “But I’ll talk to the Elders and see if I can get one assigned to you. You might even be able to fill them in on things they don’t all ready know about. Things that I’m sure they’d like to know about Mystic Warlocks, for instance.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” said Jerrod. “I guess I should be going, too. The Grand Mystic is going to know that I’ve changed sides, so to speak. I’ll need to find some place to hide out until his attention is turned to something else.”
“I can help with that,” said Cole, looking at Phoebe. “I have a little experience with hiding out. I could give you some pointers and maybe even a couple of places no one else will think to look for you.”
“Thanks,” said Jerrod. “I really appreciate it. Leo, you did a great job with your glamour ability. I never knew it was so effective.”
“I just did what I could,” said Leo. “It was your plan. I’m just glad it worked out the way it did. Although I wouldn’t want to go through that again. Bullets may not be able to cause me any serious injury but they still hurt like hell.”
“I have no doubt,” said Jerrod. “Piper, Paige. I’m glad you finally trusted me. I know it may be a bit hard to accept even now but I hope you understand that I’m no longer evil. And I’ll continue to do whatever I can to convince you of that.”
“Well, you’ve got a good start, Jerrod,” said Piper. “By the way, we never did apologize for having to kill Jeremy. We didn’t want to but he really didn’t leave us any choice.”
“I know,” said Jerrod. “He and I were never that close to begin with. And at the time I was glad you did it. But I do understand you were just protecting yourself. I can’t hold that against you.”
“Well he was a warlock, wasn’t he?” Paige asked.
Jerrod just smiled. Then he turned to Phoebe.
“It seems you have more of an affect on me than even I originally thought,” he said. “Maybe, under different circumstances….”
“I’m with Cole,” said Phoebe. “But I appreciate the sentiment. I’m sure there’s someone out there for you. Especially now that you’re good. Women are attracted to strong men, you know?”
Jerrod just laughed.
“Only now I’ll have to be sensitive and caring,” he said. “I guess it’s something else I’ll have to learn.”
“Come on,” said Cole. “I can help you with that, too. I think I’d better give you those tips I mentioned. The sooner you’re out of here the better I’ll feel. I really don’t think any of us wants the Grand Mystic coming here looking for you.”
“Is this Grand Mystic really that dangerous?” Paige asked as Cole and Jerrod went to talk.
“From what I’ve heard he is,” said Leo. “There should be an entry on him in the Book of Shadows. I would suggest you read up on him in case he shows up looking for Jerrod. Jerrod did say he was after your powers.”
“Who isn’t?” said Phoebe. “I’ll go check the book. We’ll need to be prepared as soon as possible.”
“In the mean time,” said Piper, “if this is the day I think it is, I think I was planning to fix my vegetarian lasagna. Which means I’d better get to the kitchen before the ingredients I have set out become unusable.”
“Need some help?” Paige asked.
“Sure,” said Piper. “I can show you my secret ingredient.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I check in with the Elders,” said Leo. He picked up the box he had brought to hold Piper and Paige’s powers. “Besides, I need to return this to the guardian. It may be needed again in the future and it should be there in case it is.”
“Take your time,” said Piper. “It’s going to be a while before dinner is ready anyway. And I think we all need a good long rest after everything we’ve been through the last few days. Or the few days coming up. Or whatever.”
“Okay,” said Leo, smiling. “Try not to think about it. It will just confuse you.”
Phoebe headed upstairs while Piper and Paige went into the kitchen. As Leo orbed to the White Lighter realm Cole and Jerrod seemed to be sharing a private joke as they both tried to stifle laughs.
The End
If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, http://www.geocities.com/killeenmale/. You can also post your own “Charmed” stories if you like to write fan fiction.
"One day we are going to look in our microscope and find outselves staring into God's eye. And the first one to blink is going to loose his testicles." - Peter O'Toole in "Creator"