THE CHALLENGE

I am issuing this challenge to everything Evil, anything roaming the Underworld, and towards the set of sisters that everyone knows: the Charmed Ones. The challenge is this: kill them and you will be made immortal and set up on a pedestal of leadership. You will rule over everyone and everything that comes anywhere underground, and you will be infamous.

The only cost for this challenge is your life, but defeating the Charmed Ones once and for all will be the bulk of your reward. Show this challenge to no one or there shall be consequences. If the Charmed Ones discover our plot to murder them, you yourself will be murdered and the challenge will be over fore they will have time to prepare. We must act now, while they are busy with families and the like. Go now.

CHAPTER TWO

"What do you think about this color? Leo hates it, but I think it would be nice," Piper smiled.

"I would at least choose something he could compromise over. How about this one?" Phoebe asked.

"Piper!" Paige called.

"Sun room!" Phoebe and Piper called together. Paige orbed into the room.

"Samples from the cake shop will be here in an hour and the flowers people are expecting you at noon," Paige nodded.

"Thanks for helping me with this ceremony. Leo and I finally worked out our differences, so we're remarrying each other," Piper smiled.

"We know, to give yourself the fairytale wedding every girl wants," Paige smiled. "You deserve it."

"Well, thank you. And the Elders are watching out for us this time: no interruptions on the day-of."

"What about the days before? Piper, you should have begged for the week off," Phoebe grinned. She then touched her drinking glass and received a premonition.

"What did you see?" Piper asked, very concerned.

"A sheet of parchment with a…challenge on it. Apparently, the demons are going to try to kill us double time in the days before your wedding," Phoebe whispered.

"What do we do?" Paige asked.

"Well, this kind of thing happens on a usual basis, but we should still prepare. Let's safe guard the house the best we can, and stay on the lookout for furniture that doesn't belong. Oh, Paige? Could you call P3 and tell them I'm taking the week off?" Piper asked.

"Already done. I saw Enrique while I was walking to my car and he has everything worked out," Paige replied. Piper nodded and the girls split up. Piper went upstairs along with Phoebe, who took the attic. Paige took the entire downstairs and easily found what she was looking for: a giant wooden box that didn't belong.

"PIPER!" she screamed. Piper ran down the stairs just as the demon transfigured into his true form, running at Paige and holding her onto a chair by her throat. Piper made him explode as six other demons appeared.

"PHOEBE!" they screamed together, and she ran down the stairs.

The three were fighting demons with everything they had, causing the usual clock to be destroyed again, and inevitably the chase ended with six demons dead but with two more on the way.

"What the hell is this?" Piper screamed, freezing the entire room. "This is ridiculous! Paige, go get crystals to safeguard the house. We should have enough power to hold these two back."

"Um, more on the stairs," Paige called. Piper blew them up before they reached the first floor.

"Go!" Piper called. The other demons were working their way from Piper's freezing, so Phoebe delivered a nasty kick to both of them at once. They hit the ground running, using their fire abilities to implode the Hallowell's couch.

"Damn you! That was my favorite!" Phoebe yelled. Piper froze the demons again as Phoebe jumped into the air and drove her legs into each of their heads, killing one instantly and knocking out the other. Piper easily finished them off as the sound of rocks falling down the stairs filled their ears.

"Help me!" Paige called. The girls then began running around furiously trying to finish the job. As soon as they did, the force field crackled from where demons were being propelled off of it.

"What do we do now?" Phoebe asked.

"Cancel the wedding," Piper whispered, trying not to cry.

"No!" Paige whispered. "Listen, we try to stick it out here until your wedding day, and then the Elders will take care of it."

"No they won't," Leo called. He had just orbed into the room. "They've revoked the protection. The saw all the demons attacking you and knew that they couldn't risk the lives of protecting you. We're on our own."

"I can't believe this!" Piper exclaimed, running up the stairs and demanding that no one follow her. The door slam shook the entire house.

"Wasn't it worse last time?" Paige asked.

"Not really," Phoebe whispered. "At least it was family ruining that one. This is much worse. Leo, can you talk to them about it? Please?"

"They've already made their decision," Leo replied. Phoebe sighed and sat down on the only remaining coffee table in the room.

"I think they'll figure out the force field," Phoebe whispered. "I got a premonition showing me a piece of paper. On it was a challenge. They are going to do everything in their power to kill us so that they can become immortal leaders of the Underworld. In other words, unless we kill every demon who received that challenge, we won't get peace and Piper will never get remarried again."

"How are you going to do that?" Leo asked.

"There is a spell in the Book that can kill every demon we want, but it's sealed for when the time is right because it could easily backfire or remove all Evil from Earth or do anything between those lines. It might not even work, but if the Book has allowed us to view that spell, then we should take full advantage," Phoebe replied. Leo sighed.

"I'll tell the Elders what you're going to try. I'll be back as soon as I can. Be careful," Leo whispered. Paige and Phoebe nodded and watched him leave. As soon as he was gone, they consulted the Book for the spell. The only problem with their plan: the Book was gone.

CHAPTER THREE

"What?" Piper exclaimed, opening her bedroom door and stepping outside. "Who the hell stole the Book? Who went into the attic?"

"I did," Phoebe replied. "But the Book was there, I think."

"Go upstairs! Go! See if you can get anything from the podium!" Piper exclaimed. All the sisters ran up the stairs together, but even the podium was gone.

"Who would do this?" Piper exclaimed.

"How much research could demons do on the Book of Shadows?" Paige asked. "I had never heard of it, but what about Darklighters or Demons?"

"We don't know," Phoebe whispered. "No demon has ever seen inside, but they could still do a record of every spell we used against the demons we vanquished, and we can only speak for us. The women before us could have slipped up and let some pages go."

"That would never happen," Piper said sternly. "What are we going to do?"

"Should we call Leo and get him to talk to the Elders?" Paige asked.

"No, but…could they have a record of the book?" Piper asked.

"I don't know. I've never thought of them doing something of that nature," Phoebe replied. "Piper, what do you think?"

"I think this is crazy!" she exclaimed, sitting on a chair nearby. "Who would send out a challenge to kill us?"

"I would," a demonic voice called. "Do not attack, Piper. I have to tell you about the challenge since you know."

"Your in my house, buddy!" Piper called, looking around the room to find the demon.

"May I explain it to you?" the demon asked. Piper sighed.

"You threaten us in any way and you go ka-boom," Piper whispered. The demon then made himself appear.

"I issued the challenge about a week ago. The rules were strict in that no one could inform you, but your powers helped you. We had no idea until today. Now, the challenge is still out there, but I am willing to bargain with you. I have your precious book, and I plan on keeping it until this field is down. The bargain is that you use your abilities to fight them rather than the book, and you will win your part of the challenge. Your challenge is to kill as many demons as possible until Piper's wedding day. I myself will keep demons away on that day since the Elders are not protecting you. A week after your wedding, the challenge will end. Are you okay with this?"

"Not really," Piper smirked sarcastically. "You're playing with our lives here. If any of us die, but not the others, you are entitled to compensation with your life," Piper countered.

"I can agree to that, but if they kill one they will finish you all off," the demon smiled. Piper scoffed and looked to her watch.

"I'm still planning my wedding. This house is the only battle ground, got it? I am not losing my powers to you jackasses," Piper said sternly.

"Fine. As soon as you leave that door, you are immune. Any more rules?" the demon asked.

"We will call for you whenever we feel the sides are uneven. What should we call you?" Phoebe asked.

"Jackass who needs to get a life instead of running mine?" Piper offered.

"Ha, Piper, but no. You may call me Cole," he smiled.

"You are not our Cole, right?" Phoebe asked.

"Oh, no, but I am his brother. Revenge for his death through this challenge is what I am aiming for. Now, start planning sisters. The more demons you kill now, the less you have to deal with later," he smiled.

"How do we know you'll be completely fair? You're a demon and you're offering us many advantages," Paige smirked.

"Well, you could easily kill me right now and end the challenge, but I wouldn't. They would think it was a hoax and would revolt, and demon revolts are never pretty," he smiled.

"Actually they are, mostly because I could plan my wedding in peace," Piper smiled.

"Well, you can't kill me," the demon whispered. "The consequence is not very pretty."

"And what is that?" Paige asked. "We'll have to clean up the house from goo or something? The family room is pretty much destroyed and your little minions are going to help us destroy the rest of the house. I think this consequence won't have much of a worse effect."

"But it will," Leo called. "He is working on both sides of a murder trial that the Elders are working with. Killing him is obstructing evidence, which could mean you lose your powers."

"Even if we're provoked!" Piper exclaimed. She looked up towards the ceiling. "It's your fault then for not holding him in custody!"

"Oh, they did, but he escaped somehow.