In a small clearing sits a large, aged stone wrapped in mystical powers, where witches used to perform rituals to tap into it's strength...

::The Panther hobbles into the area and makes its way to the Ritual Stone. It sways on its three remaining paws and then lets out a roar of agony before collapsing::

::The Nymph hears the Panthers roar of agony and quickly makes her way through the forest towards it. She ran lightly, her feet hardly touching the ground. The trees and branches seemed to move out of her way as she moved betwen the trees. After a few short seconds she slipped out from between the branches and comes to a halt next to the Panther. Her eyes fill with sympathetic tears as she kneels by the injured beast and sees the severity of its wound::

"Who would do such a thing? Why would they harm something of the forest like this?"

::She reaches to the pendant around her neck and pulls it off. The nymph then holds it over the bloody stump and focuses all her power on the blue droplet. A single drip falls from it and lands on the hacked muscle and bone. The blood around the stump immediately retracts back into the Panther and the faint outline of paw bones begins to glow. A few seconds later they become solid and the muscle and sinew begins to build up around it. In the space of ten seconds the paw had regrown, fur and all. The Nymph smiles and places the pendant back around her neck::

"Next time stay away from them. I'm sure you weren't totally faultless."

::The Nymph smiles and places a kiss on the Panthers velvety nose and turns to run back into the trees. She laughs as she runs, her melodious laughter echoing faintly after she seems to melt away into the trees::

::The Panther gets up and gingerly places his newly regenerated paw on the ground. As it becomes apparent that it has been fully healed, the Panther slinks off into the trees and disapears::

::The Nymph appears out the cover of the trees and steps quickly to the Ritual Stone::

"The desecration of this forest has gone far enough. It's time for nature to fight back."

::She places both hands on the stone and shuts her eyes. The stone glows and the Nymph's power flows through her palms and increases inside the stone. She calls on the forest and watches as three pale green orbs rise out of the stone and spin lazily around her head::

"Go. Seek out and Punish the one who attacked the forest and it's guardian."

::The green orbs spin around faster and then disapear in a flash of light, heading towards Link::

::Peering through some trees, Chadwick sees the Nymph working her magick over nature::

(I feel like I have more energy, I wonder what she's doing)

::He moves a little closer hoping to find out more. He sees 3 orbs of green energy float from the stone and then fly off with the words of the Nymph::

::The Nymph withdraws her power from the stone and removes her hands, satisfied with what she's done. Suddenly she shuts her eyes and listens::

(Someone is here... the one who thought he was saving me earlier...)

::She turns at stares directly at Chadwick, before turning and disapearing into the trees behind her::

::Seeing the Nymph fade into the trees, Chadwick walks off to his apartment::

:: Prieto shimmers and notices the Ritual Stone ::

(And what do we have here?)

:: She streches out her hand to touch it, but stops ::

(Wait! What if it's some kind of anti-demon, or a witch-lover, stone that will send me flying across San Fran' if I touch it?)

:: She puts both her hands deep down in her pockets ::

(So...Civilication must be 100 km that way...)

:: Giving the Ritual Stone a final glance, Prieto turns around and heads for The Log Cabin ::

::Petunius walks towards what looks like a piece of Stone Henge, callously tossed against a tree::

(Damn it. I forgot the "borrowed" car back at the shop. Oh well, this stone here looks like a good place to get some rest before going back home)

::He places his shopping bag down and sits with his back leaned against the stone. He then takes out a book of spells and charms and begins to read through it, completely oblivious to his surroundings::

::After it seemingly appears that a few hours had passed, Petunius suddenly jolts up and looks around him. Realising that he had fallen asleep, he quickly gathers up his shopping and stops off at a drugstore to get a first aid kit, before making his way back to the CW Apartments::

:: Windy arirves at this area and wonders what that large stone in the middle could be. It caught his eyes the moment he entered this small clearing. ::

(It's quite large. A very nice boulder. I wonder what it could be, such a nice natural feature.)

:: Deciding to rest awhile before continuing to find his way out of the Forest, Windy sits down and leans his back against the stone and calmly and quietly falls alseep as his eyes closes. ::

::Chadwick walks up to the stone::

(Wow. This is big, it has a strange feel to it)

::He starts walking around the stone, and trips over Windy's outstretched legs::

(The stone feels warm, almost like an embrace... It's- Ouch!)

:: Startled, Windy opens his eyes quickly and stands up and looks to his right and spots Chadwick on the ground. ::

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, are you okay?"

:: Recongising Chadwick from the Magic Shop, Windy extends his hands for Chadwick. ::

"Hello there, it's great to see you again. We met in the magic shop in the city and our powers got switched right? Yeah, you're the guy. Your name is Chadwick I remember. So, how are ya? What brings you out to commune with nature?"

:: Windy gives Chadwick a smile as he sees a face he knows. ::

::Chadwick rolls over and looks up seeing Windy::

"Oops, my bad! Huh hu ha"

::Chadwick takes Windy's hand and pulls himself up::

"Yeah I remember you. Sorry about triping over you, I tend to be clumsy. So how have you been?"

"You know, here and there. This and that."

:: Windy gives a small laugh as he looks at Chadwick. ::

"So... you're not lost are you? I mean, you don't happen to know the way out? I just so happen to stumble upon this place and I don't know the way out."

:: Windy looks around. ::

"This place is full of puzzles and wonders."

:: Turning back to Chadwick, Windy looks Chadwick up and down. ::

"So. you seem to be staying alive, didn't meet any demons or evil? It's...."

:: Windy turns awkwardly away. ::

"Seriously... about the way out..."

:: Having heard Chadwick and Windy's conversation from the forest, Sam approaches them from the woods. ::

"I know the way out."

:: Smiles. ::

(For witches like you the way out is death.)

"I can show you if you want."

"Nope no demons latley. I met some more withces but nothing else."

::Chadwick sees Sam approach::

"You know the way out?"

(Who is he?)

::Chadwick looks at Windy curious if he knows the man::

:: Windy looks towards Sam. ::

(I might know him... No I don't... But I might have seen him around... No I haven't.)

"You know the way out? Can you show us?"

(Who is he? And he happens to run into us here? Of all places, here? Well, Chadwick did stumble onto here as well...)

(But don't talk to strangers right? Yeah, like a stranger gives you candy? You don't take it? This stranger is giving us a way out. Take it? Or no.)

(Let's be adventurous today. Be on the safe side... But how safe is it to wander the forest... It's nearly night time... Maybe I'll find someone I know? But you don't know many people. Maybe fate would aline us with the Nymph again... Strangers are scarry...)

:: Windy thought about the incident at the magic shop. ::

(Damn, demons and evil evetywhere these day... You can't tell who is who.)

"Actually, its okay, I lost a friend on the way here, that's why I lost my way, do you happen to have seen her? Blonde hair, beautiful figure, kinda short. No? I would like to find her before I leave. So... Thanks for your help stranger."

:: Knowing he lied well at Sam, Windy gestures for Chadwick to follow, Windy gives Sam a smile. ::

"Thanks mate. But I need to find her first. Might see you around some other time."

:: Windy prepares to walk away from the Ritual Stone. ::

::Realizing that Windy is lying, Chadwick agrees::

"Yeah I'm just gonna look for our friend."

(Smooth Windy, but why didnt we follow him?)

::He follows Windy heading away from the ritual stone::

"She must be looking for us already. We better go home."

:: Windy motions Chadwick along and he enters the Forest. ::

::Chadwick follows Windy to the forest::

::Lirie approaches the little clearing and the ritual stone with a plan. Bwahaha...

She turns back into human, materialzing while sitting cross leged on the grass::

(My hero complex is kicking in... I need to help someone...)

::Pausing for a moment to admire the stone, she diggs into her super-bag and fishes out different herbs and crystals. She places those stuff around the stone::

"And of course... salt for prrotection..."

::She spreads the salt onto the sacred cirlce and steps into. Placing her hands above the stone, she closes her eyes and consentrates, quietly chanting the spell to bring herself to someone in need of help::

"Spirits high which travel wide
Bring your wisdom to my side
If I can help someone in need
Bring there without mislead"

(I really should work on my rhyming... bleh...)

[With a small 'pop', a mirror falls from the skies, embedding part of itself into the ground. Lirie can now see her own reflection.]

::Lirie picks up the mirror quickly, expecting to see someone in horrible pain. The eagerness vanishes from her eyes as they narrows and she glances up::

"Ha ha..."

::Placing the mirror into the super-bag, she collects the crystals and pauses near the stone::

(So many good herbs wasted on PTB's practical joke... you owe me money!)

"I hope you don't expect to get it back"

::She smiles to herself and strolls away from the ritual stone and out of the woods::

::Carys flies down to the ground and transforms back into her human form::

(All those stupid witches will probably assume I've gone back to my Queen. Idiots.)

::She lowers herself down to the floor, her back to the stone, and crouches against it::

(It won't be long before they're dead.)

::Blue orbs shoot into the forest as Paige concentrates on following Carys, having seen the tiny bat flutter down to the stone. Paige lets herself fall towards the ground, the cluster of orbs gathering speed until they almost collide, but bounce upwards before hitting the ground, and she reforms.::

"Gave me quite the runaround there."

::Carys grins widely at Paige and stands up, crossing her arms::

"I sure am glad you bothered. Now I have someone to eat while I wait for your friends to get themselves dead."

:: Paige looks around, and then back at Carys with an amused face. ::

"You're ordering in? How kind. Now, are you going to put up a fight? If so, I'll have to drag you in kicking and screaming."

::Carys looks straight back at Paige and answers by running forwards and aiming a hard kick at Paige's chest::

"Will you?"

:: Taking the kick square in the chest, Paige is knocked back onto the ground, and grunts as she lands on her ass. ::

"Yes."

:: She drags herself back onto her feet. ::

(Help better get here soon. Useless family.)

:: Looking around, she spots a cluster of rocks a little away from the ritual stone. ::

"Rock!"

:: Her power kicking in, the rock telekinetically orbs out and over to Paige, she them aims it at Carys, throwing it towards her. ::

::Piper walks in and winches at the rock orbs through the air towards Carys::

"Need any help? Because I do. And so does that sonofawitch following me."

::Petunius catches up huffing and panting and takes a moment to catch his breath.::

"Whatever. Like you even gave a rat's ass until I pointed out the obvious."

"You can bite my little wiccan ass, deflection boy. If I hadn't seen sense you'd still be playing around in My kitchen, trying to make an non-existant potion. And oh, yeah, let's not forget who got our spell casting power bound in the first place."

::Piper sends an electric glare at Petunius and then waves a hand at Carys, freezing her and the rock::

"Now, Paige, make a spell to get our spells back."

"Ha! You? Seen sense? You'd probably be bitching about some non-existent normal life if I hadn't pointed out that you'd still need the Power of Three. So spare me the lectures."

::Petunius glares back at Piper with the same look.::

"You want normal life? I'll show you normal life."

::She flicks her hands up at him and freezes him, blanketing him with enough power to break through whatever shield a novice witch like himself could muster::

"What the fuck ever."

::The "novice" witch's forcefield comes up anyway and while it doesn't have the power to cancel out the irksome shrew's display of power...yet it still remains loyal to its owner and begins to absorb her influence, glowing fiercely as Petunius fights through the freeze.::

:: Paige turns to look at her sister. ::

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were married."

:: She stands in thought, hands on hips. The glow of Petunius' shield catching her eye. ::

"He never gives up does he. Ok. A spell. Spell.

I undo the spell on these two which was cast,
Let it move through the ether and make it the past."

:: When she has finished, she looks at Piper uncertainly. ::

[Well done Paige! Your spell was sucessful. Piper and Petunius can once again cast spells. You rock]

::Piper glares and unfreezes Petunius, and then smiles as a glow washes over her::

"Powers back on. Now what do we do with the Vampire?"