Chapter XX

Comeback

Bianca had been shocked the first time she sat foot in Magic School, not even the amused look that appeared on Chris' face while he showed her around could stop her from gaping at her surroundings.

The school exceeded even the wildest imagination of a writer with its never-ending staircases, the bookshelves that didn't seem to have an end and the rooms that lead to meadows and caves in the magical world. The very air was permeated with magic it was the most amazing magical place she had ever visited and Chris said there were things in this school even his father and aunt – who had worked there for decades and know the place for much longer – hadn't discovered.

However, even magic's place of birth itself would grow to annoy someone if they were forced to visit it and never get what they came for. Which of course, was exactly what was happening to them right now.

Even though the whole Halliwell clan was working on finding out more about Apollo and the Phoenix, even though Leo had recruited the student from their advanced magical class to help, they hadn't been able to find out anything. Not a single line in a single book referenced them. Paige had even gone around the magical camps around Greece and Italy to see if anyone had heard anything by word of mouth, but all she found were fairytales and slight references to legends that could be found in the mortal world if one looked hard enough.

Everyone was at their wit's end which meant – with the temper that run in the Halliwell family – that Bianca was looking on the umpteenth fight in the last month and the most popular too in the latest days.

Since all their resources had proven useless, Chris and Melinda had the brilliant idea that the only way they could get answers was by asking Appolo himself and since they couldn't exactly summon him from the dead it lead the two brilliant idiots to opt for time traveling.

As much as Bianca didn't like the idea and thought it was foolhardy at best it didn't compare to Piper's reaction. The woman had paled at first before going as far as threatening to strip all her children's magic if they kept even thinking about it.

The only one who dared to agree with the two was Wyatt, who wasn't really willing to let his younger siblings go off on their own. It was clear to everyone that he was agreeing with them simply because he didn't want to be left out again.

Wyatt had tried during this month to get used to the new dynamics, but as much as Chris swore up and down that there was nothing to adapt to because nothing had changed, Wyatt couldn't help but feel a dull ache every time he saw his two siblings talk about strategies and exchange ideas. He knew it was childish and that they weren't doing it on purpose, but that simply made it worst. They were so used to solve their magical problems on their own that it didn't even occur to them to include him.

He knew the time traveling idea was just mad, that they probably wouldn't be able to keep their powers at best or end up screwing the timeline and erase themselves from existence at worst, but he wanted to be included in their plan, the shocked looks they send his way when he said he'd be going with them still hurt him.

"This is all pointless!" exclaimed Phoebe suddenly interrupting the discussion between mother and daughter. " We've had enough problems with time-traveling as it is, you three aren't risking it just to get answers."

"It's not like we want to go for fun, we really don't have any other choice." Answer Chris, exasperated. " There is nothing in the books and the only one who knows anything is an Elder that isn't going to talk."

"You can't risk it, I am sure we can find a spell to get this answers from their source." Phoebe explained. " It wouldn't be the first summoning we have tried".

"And how many other gods who died thousands of years ago did you summon recently?" Bit back Melinda sarcastically.

The Charmed One in the rooms, glared at the young girl. " You are not doing this and that's final. We're all going to work on this spell" said her mother.

"I'm sure that with all our combined powers we can make this work. I've been working on modifying the spell to discover your previous life. We can use the fact that we know Chris and Bianca are the reincarnation of Apollo and the Pheonix to challenge their spirits".

"You've been working on it for more than a week now," Chris rolled his eyes, just to be silenced by his aunt.

"That spell is dangerous, both Paige and I almost got killed by our previous life." Phoebe said. " We have to be careful and it's not like we are on a timeline here."

"You don't know that! If that Elder came to talk to me so suddenly, there must be a reason!" Chris exclaimed.

Before they could start to really yell at each other, Bianca got up and went to Chris. " We still have the time to work on this spell and if it doesn't work then we can talk about finding another solution." Bianca said soothingly. " We are not running out of time or options just yet".

Chris just closed his eyes resigned and Melinda huffed at him giving up and glared at Bianca. It figured that he'd stop arguing as soon as Bianca said so, men were like puppies with a bone when they were around women.

Before anyone else could start arguing all over again, she turned to talk with Phoebe. " I think there is a spell in my family's Grimoire that should be similar to yours." She raised an eyebrow as both Piper and Phoebe grimaced at the world Grimoire and internally rolled her eyes. " Our magic is much less … arbitrary since it's not regulated by the Elders, so there is no personal gain problem," she said in an amused tone.

Melinda just kept glaring at her while Chris rolled his eyes.

"Sure," answered Phoebe hesitatingly, " you can bring the spell and we'll work on it".

Chris glared at his aunt's clearly trying to keep Bianca's Grimoire as far away as she could, but Bianca just nodded and turned to Chris.

It took another week of arguing to finally settle the matter and get the spell done.

"All right then," said Phoebe clapping her hands. " We're going to use Chris and Bianca to channel the spirits, that way we can bind them just for as long as we need to ask our questions and they won't be stuck in their past life's bodies".

"Yes Aunt Phoebe, we know," Chris said exasperated. "We helped you write it!".

"Let's just get this over with, so it can fail to work and we tell you so" added Melinda. Her aunt glared a bit at her.

"It's going to work, young lady," she affected a deeply offended tone, but she was really starting to get annoyed of the new generation doubting her skills. She had been doing this long before they were born.

They had reduced her to sounding like Grams! She really needed some adult time with anyone over thirty.

Bianca stepped to the center of the star they had drawn on the floor and sat down, urging Chris to follow her lead. "Let's get started then".

Phoebe smiled at the girl in thanks. She had really been a great help with the spell and she felt a bit guilty about her reaction to the girl's Grimoire, but she couldn't help but associate it with her time as Queen of Hell.

"All right then! You too sit in the centre and the rest of us will be standing on the star's points. We'll need to call Paige and Piper for this too, so if they could HURRY UP!" she yelled the last part to the ceiling.

A few seconds later orbs formed in the shape of her two sister.

"I'll end up deft one of this days with the way you make my ears ring." Paige started complaining before she was fully formed.

"Are you sure you're ready?" asked Piper coming close to her sister and taking the paper where she had written the spell. Phoebe simply took it back with an annoyed glance.

"It's fine Piper! I do know a thing or two on how to write spells." Her older sister just rolled her eyes at her.

"It's not your son you're trying to stuff with someone else soul. Forgive me if I worry!"

"I'll go call Leo, maybe he'll manage to make you stop threatening my hearing" Muttered Paige as she proceeded to orb to Leo's office.

"Mom, it's going to be fine," Chris tried to shoot her worries.

"Of course it's going to be fine." Added Melinda, "whether it's going to …" she was interrupted by Wyatt placing his hand over her mouth. At least they had avoided a fight, though Melinda looked ready to explode his head.

All of a sudden Wyatt yelled in pain and grabbed his head. Everyone turned worried eyes on him and Piper had reached her eldest side in a blink.

Everyone other than Chris and Melinda that is, Chris had simply closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Melinda" he sighed more than said.

"How did you just …" Wyatt was looking from one of his sibling to the other, with a narrowed glance. This wasn't the first time he developed a sudden headache.

"Seriously?" Exclaimed Melinda, "Time and space, Mistress. Are you the one who's really gone deft, brother mine?" She smiled serenely up at him.

"Melinda, don't use your powers to hit your brother" Piper admonished her and then turned to Wyatt. "Don't manhandle your sister and she won't react.

Now, let's stop wasting time and let's get some answers." She went over to Chris and Bianca and positioned herself on one of the star points. "Paige! Leo!" She yelled.

Everyone followed her lead and Phoebe proceeded to give a potion bottle and a copy of the spell to each of them as Leo and Paige arrived.

"Sorry, I was finishing up a lesson" Leo said.

"You'll need to crash the potion at your feet as we finish the spell" Phoebe explained, " it'll help channel the souls and focus the spell."

The all positioned themselves and Leo went to stand to the side, sending a reassuring look at his middle child. Chris just rolled his eyes at him, clearly not as worried about this spell as his parents. Leo just hope the spell would work and that his children wouldn't start talking about time-travel spells again. He just wasn't comfortable with the idea, even though he knew at some point his boys would have to make a trip to the past.

"Ready?" Phoebe asked them and they all nodded and proceeded to chant.

"Remove the chains of time and space

And bring to us the soaring spirits

In these mortal arms, as before,

The mystery of their time they'll show."

As they smashed their bottles on the star's points, a mist appeared around Chris and Bianca as golden and flaming red sparks appeared.

Slowly the lights disappeared and only the mist remained.

"What's supposed to happen now?" Asked Wyatt. Piper turned to look at her sister's who was simply staring at the mist.

"Phoebe?" she said in a warning tone, if the next words out of her mouth were going to even hint at the fact that something had gone wrong, she was going to blow something up. Possibly Phoebe herself.

"The mist was supposed to have cleared by now, " she said slowly, " I don't know what is happening."

Definitely blowing her up.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Yelled Wyatt and Melinda at the same time.

Before Phoebe managed to formulate a response, the mist cleared and it showed Bianca and Chris had passed out.

Leo rushed to them and checked their pulse.

"They seem to be sleeping," he concluded.

"So do coma patients though!" His wife yelled.

"Maybe they're simply having visions of the past to get the answers," guessed Phoebe.

"Maybe? Maybe? You're the one who wrote the damn spell!"

"Guys this spell…" Said Paige in a wondering tone, "you don't think it could possibly confuse their past life with…" She didn't get to finish her sentence as with a loud gasp both Chris and Bianca woke up.

Both of them were grasping their abdomen and Paige went white seeing how Chris was grasping his side.

"Oh no…" she whispered in horror.

"Chris!" Melinda didn't give Chris the time to get a hold of himself and simply jumped in his arms. Chris flinched at the impact and squeezed his eyes shut before realizing that the pain wasn't there.

Bianca was staring at her own stomach before she heard Melinda's cry and turned to look at the two people on the floor next to her.

"Chris?" she asked in a tentative tone and the young man's head whipped around at the sound of her voice, so that Melinda had to back away to avoid a blow.

"Bianca?" His eyes widened at the sight of her and she smiled at him. Melinda glared at the way she was being ignored and punched Chris in the arm.

He hissed at the pain and turned to see a smug look on the girl's face.

After he gaped at her for a few seconds, the smile disappeared.

"Who are you?"