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Frustration and fatigue were thick in the air of the Sunnydale High Library. Of all the many souls that presently resided within the walls not one was content with the way things were. Giles waded through piles of ancient text's, searching in desperation for something about the demon known as Yeatril, the demon who had kidnapped Katie before their eyes. As yet there was nothing but Giles kept searching, moving and further back into his stack file and further into the past. I hoped that somewhere there was something he could use.
Xander was still moping and struggling to come to terms with the fact that he had played an integral part in their present problem and neither Willow nor Alyson could draw him out of that state completely. Willow herself was tired after a painful last few days and a long night of Internet searching which had failed to turn up anything of value.
Alyson and Sarah were becoming increasingly afraid that there would be no way back home at all, and that Katie might well be lost to them forever. While Alyson had some experience and skills with the supernatural, Sarah could offer nothing more than an extra pair of legs and eyes to fetch and read. She missed home. And she was scared. It took a measure of acting ability to conceal that fear from the others. Rachael found her abilities useful but she too suffered an alienation from the world she knew.
It was still nature but it wasn't her nature. And here in Sunnydale things were strange at the best of times. She knew all about the Hellmouth but she feared that something else was going on. It was the same feeling she'd felt when the portal had been reaching for Sarah in their own world. Something was disrupting the balance, not only of nature but of time and space. Rachael decided not to mention it to the others. They already knew what they were dealing with was serious and they didn't need to be even more scared. Silence didn't suit her well. The nature spirit was of very low spirits indeed.
In a locker room, behind a makeshift set of heavy drapes, Angel was slumbering. He didn't usually like to leave his home but everybody knew that something was going on and when it came to head he wanted to be there. The renovations were hardly aesthetic but they did the job of protecting him, at least until the sunlight faded.
And Buffy felt as helpless as anything. Two days ago she had been itching for something to stake. Now she had an enemy but she was every bit as helpless as before. Even she was suffering from lack of sleep and every few minutes she felt herself casting glances at the sheeted locker room, wondering what it would be like to get some sleep beside Angel. Every time she thought about it she was forced to shake her head, bringing herself back to the present and the books in front of her.
Most of them were reading and most of the books were in English. Rachael seemed to have a talent for reading some of the foreign languages and Alyson had been able to assimilate Giles' knowledge for a while, through a few drops of his blood. At first he was understandably apprehensive but Alyson seemed possess the same innocent charm that Willow did and once she was able to explain the fundamentals of her powers he felt more at ease. As it happened it came in handy.
"Here." Alyson called to Giles, bringing him over to the dusty tomb she was searching through. "There's something about freeing Yeatril. I couldn't make it all out though."
Giles adjusted his glasses and scanned the text, reading aloud as everyone listened intently. "Yeatril is a high chaos demon. When the universe was new and truth was non existent, Yeatril reigned over a realm of unlimited disorder. When dreams separated from reality he fought back. Finally he was trapped between worlds, forever exiled to the void between truth and dreams."
"Until now." Buffy bit her lip.
"The ceremony of Kasindryal may be performed every three thousand years, requiring the life force of virgin maidens."
"Which was what we stopped right?" Willow asked.
"Yes." Giles nodded. "Or at least diverted. But your spell seems to have left a small bridge for part of Yeatril’s consciousness to escape. It will ride the mind or minds of those it controls, goodness knows for how long."
"So what's it trying to do?" Rachael. "And why did it want Katie."
"There's another way it can break the seal. There's mention of a spell which can break down the barriers between worlds. But it needs three witches to cast it and only one copy of this spell is known to exist."
"Where?" Alyson scanned the text, wishing she could read it better.
"According to this it lies in The Book of Shadows."
"And where's The Book of Shadows?" Buffy sighed.
"In possession of The Charmed Ones. Three good witches bound by fate and blood."
"The Charmed Ones?" Sarah looked up and caught Alyson's gaze.
Both girls had heard that term before. "Charmed." they said in unison.
Only Rachael had the slightest idea what they were talking about.
"Okay." Buffy waved her hand, "I'm obviously missing something. What happens if this spell gets cast?"
"The barriers between world will shatter. Fact and fiction will collide, potentially violently. Fictional characters would be drawn into a real world and visa versa. The effects would be catastrophic."
"So we have to stop it." Buffy said coldly. "But where do we find the Charmed Ones."
"I have a feeling," Giles said grimly, " that they will be trying to find us."
*****
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" Phoebe asked as her sister hurtled down the highway.
"I'm fine." Piper retorted. "Besides if we almost have an accident I can freeze it. You're more likely to have a vision and send us off the road. No offense."
"I see your point." Phoebe leant against the window, staring out at the open road. "How far is this town anyway?"
"I'm worries too." Piper interpreted her sisters tone of voice. "I just hope this is the right thing to do."
"Since when have my visions been wrong."
"Well I hope you're right too." came a voice from the back seat. "Sabrina makes mistakes every other week but she isn't the evil sort. That's supposed to be my part."
"Why are you a cat anyway?" Phoebe turned to Salem curled up in the back seat.
"itrdtotakovrthwrld." he mumbled.
"What?"
"I tried to take over the word! Gee, can't people let sleeping dogs lie."
Phoebe turned back to the road before her. "Touchy subject." she shrugged.
*****
"Would it be a stupid idea to just look up Charmed web sites?" Sarah asked as she watched Willow trying to find any reference to the Charmed Ones.
"Different universe." Rachel noted from across the room. "It wouldn't turn up anything more than if you searched for Buffy."
"Oh yeah. Different universe. I keep forgetting." Sarah grumbled as she sat down.
Right now she wanted nothing more than to get a good nights sleep. Last night had been spent pawing through even more books and when she tried to sleep the sound of turning pages kept her awake. After twenty or so very stressful hours she was looking forward to a bed and soft pillow. Preferably her own. But of course her own bedroom, her own house, was in another world entirely.
"Wait a second. Shouldn't Charmed be in a separate universe to Buffy?" she asked Rachael.
"Not necessarily. Where no clash exists it's possible for two stories to co-exist."
"How?"
"Well..." Rachael pondered an explanation. "Friends. The T.V show."
"What about it?"
"It co-existed in a New York with The Single Guy, Mad About You and Caroline in the City."
"Oh. Okay that makes it so much clearer."
"Okay.. let me put it a different way. Doctor Quinn couldn't exist in the same universe as Star Trek because ones in the past and one's in the future. But when two fictions are close enough they can exist on the same geographical earth. Charmed is literally a drive away."
"How do you know all this?"
"How else?" Rachael shrugged as she returned to the page before her. "I read it."
Sarah dropped her head to the desk and sighed. "I really hate this. I'm getting a headache."
"I could fix you something." Willow offered. "I know some neat herbal tea recipes."
"Thanks but... on the other hand drop that 'but'. Anything would be great Will."
"Hey." the young witch smiled. "You called me Will. Just like Buffy."
"I'm just dropping into old lines. I'm tired."
"We all are. Try to get some sleep." she patted Sarah on the shoulder and walked off.
"Sleep." Sarah sighed and leant back in her chair, folding her arms and closing her eyes. She yawned.
*****
The demon was a towering monstrosity, a whirling mass of chaos. Whenever she tired to make out its form it became something else. The graveyard itself seemed to twist and reform around him. The demon seemed to ignore her, as if she was no threat. There were others in the whirling chaos, some she recognized, some she didn't. They were fighting.
Losing.
Fear.
Cold fear gripped her and refused to let go.
She wanted to do something, anything but she couldn't move. Still the mass of chaos swirled, growing in size, more shapes swirling within it. She screamed
*****
"Sarah!"
The actress recoiled as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Willow.. I.."
Sarah looked about the room realizing that everyone was looking at her.
"You were having a nightmare." Willow explained. "It's okay. Here.. I made you tea."
"Thanks.. I.. it was.. I saw the demon.. Yeatril.. it was huge... you were fighting it and.. I was helpless.."
"Sarah." Giles walked over to the shaking young woman. "It makes sense that you'd have a nightmare. Your tired and stressed, you're in a strange world. And you'd have one about the creature we may have to combat.
"No. You don't understand. I had this dream before. Before all of this, back in my own world. I knew."
"You're saying you had a premonition of this creature?" the Watcher was surprised.
"It's true." Alyson added. "I'd forgotten about it until now... all the madness I guess. Sarah.. what happened in the dream."
"We.. you.. were all fighting Yeatril.. in the graveyard.. he was huge and I couldn't move and...."
"And what?" Buffy asked with dread.
"You were losing." Sarah finished as a cold chill ran through her.
*****
Sabrina Spellman and Prue Halliwell lay side by side, oblivious to the dusty ground beneath the, oblivious to anything but the echoing voice which dispersed through their minds, perpetually beating down their attempts at resistance. Both women were, in their own way, strong and independent but their barriers had been broken and the voice of Yeatril now resided within them, feeding on their own weaknesses. Even so he was still much weaker than he should be, still trapped in another realm. If the spell was not performed soon then the chance would be lost and his presence would fade. He needed Katie, one whose powers were so useful too him. She was so skilled at weakening the minds of others, so convincing in her roles as the innocent. Such was the weakness of the human frame, one which was so prone to uncontrollable desire. A demon did not feel love or passion, unless that passion was for something such as power or revenge. Human flesh held no lure to him yet ironically it that very desire which would free him from his prison.
Even with Katie absent, performing her work, the two were still easy for him to handle.
He explored their minds, stretching his consciousness into their own, drawing upon their own self knowledge to maintain his control. Whenever their spirits put up a fight or a wall it was easy to distract them with their greatest fear or their most wild desire. Their bodies twitched and shuddered, tossing and turning with each little battle that they lost. In the hot air of the chamber, sweat clung to their garments and yet they were oblivious to such external discomfort, instead resigned to the deeper regions of their mind, perpetually assailed by frightening torture or enraptured delight.
*****
"How are we doing?" Angel asked as he drew the curtain aside, dusk having at last come.
Even before anyone answered he could tell that the looks of fatigue were not going to offer happy answers.
"Well Xander went to get hamburgers." Willow tried to lighten the mood.
"Which is great for everyone except me." Angel shrugged.
"And me." Rachael cut in. "Vegetarian. Never mind, I'm sure I can draw some nutrients from plant life. Handy quirk of my magic.."
"Well, as unpleasant as this sounds, I could really use some blood."
"Yeah me too." Alyson sighed. She realized everyone was looking at her strangely. "For spells." she explained. "You know. Blood magic." "I'm going to get something. Does this school still have a rat problem?"
"Ewww." Sarah wrinkled her face. "Go and eat..." she waved Angel out of the room.
He exited with a paced walk and once her was out of earshot Sarah turned to Buffy. "What do you see in him?"
"Oh, once you get over the rat eating thing he can be a real sweet heart."
"I wish I had my sweetheart." Willow sighed, tapping idly at her keys and looking out at the half moon in the sky. If ever a girl had a reason for the moon to remind her of her beloved it was Willow. Somewhere out there on a week long tour was Oz. It had to be this week that the band went out, both due to school commitments and lunar cycles. Oz could hardly explain to his friends that they'd have to chain him up at sun down on a full moon. So this week had been the only chance they had. But Willow still missed him.
"So what's his name?" Willow turned on her chair to Alyson.
"Who?"
"The Oz in your universe?"
"Oh. Seth.. Seth Green.. He's a great guy. We've known each other since we were kids."
"You're..."
"Oh no.. Just friends. Really good friends.. Like you and Xander.."
"That's probably a bad example."
"Oh.. Yeah.."
The doors of the library burst open. In an instant Buffy realized it wasn't Xander or Angel. She was on her feet, stake in hand, running towards the intruders. The woman raised her hands and flicked her fingers.
Buffy stopped.
So did Giles and Sarah. The others simply looked on in confusion.
"What is going on here?" Willow looked at the two women and the cat at their feet."
"Willow." Rachael waved a hand at the new comers, " meet two thirds of the Charmed Ones."
*****
Lumbered with a large carton of hamburgers and similar unhealthy junkfood, Xander waddled down the hallway as best he could. As awkward as the load was, and as daunting as their situation seemed to be, he felt good to know that he was actually doing something, even it was as simple as getting food for the others. He wasn't any good with most of the books, or the Internet like Willow, or fighting like Buffy, but when it came down to it he was another set of hands and legs which could leave them undisturbed and still get things to where they were needed.
Xander felt a rumble in his own stomach, knowing that even fast food would be something to sate his hunger.
And it was something to keep his mind off what Yeatril did to him and worse what he did to Katie. Xander might not be the cleanest of guys in the world but he had a good sense of morality and what he remembered doing, tormenting and molesting the helpless girl, made him nauseous.
"Hey gorgeous."
Xander stopped and slowly turned to the source of the compliment. From anyone else it would have made him smiled but from her it chilled him to the bone. She stood seductively, tight blue jeans clinging to her legs and a white singlet even more so to her chest.
"K.K.Katie." he stammered, wondering when the box would slip from his grasp.
"That's my name. In a manner of speaking." she smiled at a private thought. "Well how have you been? I must say, you looked a lot more confident last time we met."
"That.. that wasn't me." He took a step back, not dropping the box, not breaking her gaze from her piercing eyes.
"It's so easy to say that isn't it? So easy to separate yourself." she moved forward, matching her retreat with her own calm advance. "But part of it was you Xander. Your desires, without boundaries, your lusts without morality. Freedom Xander True freedom."
"I wasn't free." Xander realized that he had backed into a classroom door.
"Sometimes we have to be controlled to be truly free." Katie approached him, leaning over the box in his hands.
"Freedom to ignore all those nasty boundaries of society Xander. Where you could have Cordellia and Willow and no one could stop you. You tasted that freedom Xander." she reached out a finger and took a drop of sauce, liking it off slowly. "How did you like that taste Xander."
"It tasted like shit." he growled angrily at her insinuations. "And the after taste was even worse."
"Oh now Xander, there's no need to get all upset now is there?" She slipped her hands over his and he reflexively recoiled, dropping the box to the ground. The barrier between then having been dispensed, Katie slipped even closer, sliding her hand around his side.
"What.. do you want?" Xander found himself caught between the proximity of such an alluring woman and his rampant terror of her.
"Oh Xander." She smiled. "I hope I don't have to spell it out for you." She turned the door handle and Xander tumbled backwards into the classroom, with Katie right on top of him.
*****
"So Katie turned Sabrina and then they turned Prue." Rachael summarized the complicated story which the two sisters and the black cat had been telling them.
"And they stole a spell from the Book of Shadows." Piper added.
"A spell to break down the barriers between worlds." Giles scowled.
"But which needs three witches." Buffy pointed out. "Katie isn't a witch, she just has powers which the demon used to convert the others. Which means her needs one more witch."
"Why not just have taken one of us." Phoebe wondered aloud. "I mean me, Piper and Prue are three witch sisters. Wouldn't that make the most sense?"
"I think that for the spell to work they have to be three different witches from three different worlds." Giles explained.
"Now under normal circumstances this would be impossible but in our present situation, those gaps between close worlds have been damaged. Yeatril can take these witches from neighboring realities and use them all."
"Hold on." Phoebe stopped him, trying to process it all. "Are you saying that by driving here, we've crossed into another reality. That's pretty good mileage for a tank of gas."
"Um.." Giles wrinkled his brow for a better way of explaining. "Rachael?"
The young woman considered for a second. "Though you and other worlds are geographically similar, you're paths would never cross. Buffy would never end up in San Francisco and you'd never come here. You're only here because that balance has already been disrupted and taken you to a place you wouldn't have ever known existed."
"Okay." Phoebe nodded unsure of herself. ",but why would we always be in San Francisco? what is it about our reality that relegates us such a small part of the world? and as a side issue, what's with the identical twin thing?"
Before anyone else could speak Buffy leant over the table. "A little piece of advice: You really don't want to know. Trust me. " she cast a quick glance at Sarah. "It will change the way you see yourself"
"Okay." Piper nodded. "I'll accept that we don't have to know anything. But if this spell is going to be cast then they need one more person. How many witches from worlds other than their can their be?"
Rachael, Willow and Alyson raised their hands.
*****
It was not the first time that Xander had been in this situation. Only when her had been with Faith the situation had been slightly more mutual than it was now. Katie was on top of him, somehow possessing the strength to keep a stronger, larger male underneath her. He squirmed and twisted his head but her lips always seemed to find his, and even when they didn't they kept kissing wildly. Xander knew that he was responding to the attentions despite all attempts at control. It wasn't just the physical side of things either, her knew that Katie had to be using her power, flooding his mind with lust. But from her physical actions, he really didn't need that much flooding. She grabbed the sides of his head, looking him straight in the eye.
"Now whose in control?" she giggled and kissed him again.
Xander could smell the scent of faint perfume from her neck, mixed with the days of perspiration and lust which had been oozing from her body. The scent of desire, both hers and his. He tried to move again but she twisted her arms again, holding him, pinning him in a tight embrace.
"Katie" he tried to worm his way out but it was no good."
"No." she giggled, "Catherina."
He could feel her breasts pressing against his chest, separated only by two thin layers of fabric. They rolled and rubbed as she nuzzled at his neck, flicking the skin with her tongue. Her thigh was pressed firmly between his legs, pressure enough to arouse, as she moved her hips in time, but not enough to hurt her prey.
Xander looked up at her, her fiery eyes meeting his own from time to time, her tangled hair flicking wildly. And her mouth, her lips, open, inviting, alluring as they danced over his skin. As she moved the shoulder strap of her singlet started to slide down, exposing more of her smooth breasts. He tried not to look at her, at her body, but to close his eyes was simply to subject himself to further fantasy, those which she was forcing on him. It was better to look, to retain the reality of what was happening, no matter how unreal it seemed. He felt her hand slipping, unzipping and sliding down, flicking and rubbing against the center of his arousal.
"You want release don't you?" she giggled between kisses, the combination of her touch, her words and her will over powering him.
Under her influence Xander failed to hold out any longer, shuddering with the force of orgasm, drawn out by Katie's power. He caught his breath as she sat back, calmly, her passion having faded abruptly. Her hand she held a condom. Used. He hadn't noticed her putting it on but then he was somewhat distracted.
"What?" was all he was able to gasp.
"For my master to possess the force of life in this world, he must possess the seed of life from this world. Now we have all we need."
Katie stood and headed for the door, Xander still to stunned to stop her. She was almost out the door when he called out again.
"Why me?"
She turned and looked at him with contempt. "Now we're even." Then she was gone.
Xander groaned, rolling over, rezipping his jeans. He wasn't looking forward to yet another embarrassing story to the others, but it had to be told. He was just getting to his feet when Angel opened the door, looking at the dropped box of food and then at the flushed Xander.
"What happened to you?" Angel raised an eyebrow.
All the teenager could do was shrug.
"I just had the best and worst sexual experience of my life."
Angel nodded and sighed. "Been there. Done that."
*****
"So they're going to come for one of you?" Sarah looked at Alyson
"It seems likely." the blood witch shrugged. "I mean we're here right. And I'm guessing that the others are in this town too."
"We came here because of Phoebe vision." Piper noted.
"And here would be the most obvious place." Giles chewed the end of his glasses. "A Hellmouth already has a weakening between worlds. I image that was why the original ceremony was supposed to be here."
"So this next ceremony might be being held at the same place." Buffy concluded.
"It may well be. It might pay to check it out."
"I'll go." the Slayer volunteered. "Angel can be back up.. when he gets back."
Before she could finish her sentence Angel and Xander entered, the latter carrying a box of somewhat squashed food and looking embarrassed and puffed.
"What happened to you?" Sarah looked at the youth.
"I'd say I'd just lost my innocence but it wouldn't be completely true."
"Well we we're going to check out the place where the others came through. There might be something going on there."
"We can come too." Phoebe volunteered. "If Prue is there we want to find her."
"We have time. Right Giles?" Buffy asked as she lifted a stake.
"I imagine so. They still require another witch."
"I don't think you can count on that." Xander swallowed.
"Why?"
"Because I just had a..er.. a run in with Katie. And she said they had everything they needed. If we're going to get down there, then I suggest we do it fast."
"Er.. Okay." Buffy flicked her mind back to the present. "So we go right now. Whose coming?"
Rachael was already heading towards the door.
"Who's not?" she asked.
No one answered.
*****
Sabrina stood silently, her body rigid, arms at her sides and fists clenched tight. Her will was not her own, nor was her body. Instead she was a puppet, the slave of a force which demanded to be freed. As much as she feared it she knew that she would obey, that she would help it to escape. She stood naked, her grimy clothes thrown aside, a sheen of sweat clinging to her nude form. Blonde hair plastered now and then to her shoulders but she could do nothing to change her appearance. She could do nothing at all.
Across the circle Prue stood, equally upright, her mind possessed by a will she could no longer resist.
Across from them both stood the third.
As one they began to chant, the words of the spell torn from the book of Shadows, the spell that would break down the barriers of reality.
"Sotalaer Snart Solbiad"
*****
They walked in single file down the tunnel, Salem leading the way. He had professed that this was the path to be taken, that there were witches in this direction. As yet he had not been wrong so they treaded with caution.
"Why here?" Buffy wondered aloud.
"It may be that the breach here before has weakened space." Giles suggested. "It would be easier to break through here."
"I still want too know how they intend to get a third witch. Are we walking into a trap?" Alyson shivered.
"If we are then we're going to be ready for it." Angel held a metal bar out in front of him.
"You're not going to hurt them are you?" Phoebe suddenly worried.
"Not any more than we have to."
"Sabrina can't cast spells if she can't talk." Salem commented.
"And Prue can't use her power if she can't see." Piper added.
"Which leaves Katie.. and you'll probably have to knock her out.." Alyson noted. "Where did she get those powers from anyway."
"I wondered that myself." Rachael quipped.
"Long story." Xander tried not to think about exactly how he'd been forced to extract that information. "Oh my God!" he stopped dead in his tracks.
Interum Praxis Valtoros Ignium
"What?" Willow asked. "Xander?"
"Katie's not a witch." he whispered.
"We know that." said Sarah. "So?"
"Katie isn't a witch. But she's not Katie now. She's Catherina."
"Eragnos Seragal Herafiuo Culjari"
"Catherina Hume is a witch!" Xander yelled his realization. "They already have three witches!" Every one started to run.
*****
Inside the chamber the power was beginning to build, three witches of three worlds. Sabrina, Prue and Catherina.
Together they spoke the words and the energies converged, filling the chamber with a crackling purple light. It shot between them, joining their power and their minds. The chalk circle around them began to glow with the same light.
"Dominum Yosorivis Flagor Limatus."
The chamber door burst open and Buffy and Angel charged forth ready to tackle the witches head on. All they tackled was a barrier of magical energy which sent them sprawling to the floor. Piper stumbled in and flashed her hands, trying to freeze what she saw. Nothing happened. The magical defense had rendered her ability useless.
"Get down that barrier!" Buffy yelled.
Rachael focused and the light itself began to bend, forming a lance which began to stab at the barrier. Alyson gritted her teeth and sliced the palm of her hand, buffeting the barrier with a hair of glowing red droplets of blood. Willow tried to remember an disenchanting spell, reciting it to bring the barrier down. The barrier held.
"Sutamil Rogalf Sivirosoy Munimod."
"Prue!" Piper screamed as she pounded on the barrier with her fist. "Please don't do this!"
"Prue. Listen to me! You're being controlled." Phoebe yelled as the crackle in the air grew louder.
"Sabrina!" Salem howled. "Snap out of it."
The barrier weakened.
"Irajluc Ouifareh Lagates Songare"
Xander, Sarah and Giles stood helpless as they watched a ball of energy growing in the center of the circle, fed by the power each of the three witches was giving off. In front of them all their forces were attacking yelling and pounding.
The Halliwell’s yelled at their sister, Salem at Sabrina. Angel and Buffy pounded against the wall with all their collective strength and three types of magic hammered at it.
"Mooing Sorotlav Sixarp Muretni"
The ball of light spun wildly, it's energies at a peak, now ready to split open and do their damage. Rachael poured a final wave of light into the barrier. The magical barrier faded. Piper charged for Prue. Buffy Charged for Katie. Salem sprang for Sabrina
"Diablos Trans Realatos!"
Six bodies tumbled to the ground. All eyes turned to the surging sphere of chaotic light.
"Oh Shit" Giles whispered as the sphere began to contract, shrinking in size yet growing in intensity.
"We're too late." Sarah couldn't help but stare at the collapsing light.
It shrunk further and further until it was little more than a point. Then it flared, an impossibly powerful shock wave, slamming against the walls of reality itself.
And the walls came crashing down....
THE END??
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