Chapter 1: "This is why I stay in the basement."
Phoebe Halliwell had taken to spending the majority of her days in the basement of the Halliwell Manor, working on her advice column, or so she insisted on believing. Although just beneath that coat of denial lay what invariably lay beneath every woman's make-up; the God honest truth. She was hiding, if not avoiding the whole of humanity for the crux of the matter was that she had received a new power, Phoebe Halliwell was now an Empath.
"Dammit" Phoebe sighed, she felt it before she heard it, for that is how it had been this past week, her senses had become virtually obsolete in detecting ones approach, and she missed that luxury of being tipped off by creaky floorboards or the scent of tea, but that had all become subsequent, for now she felt it first.
Apprehension, enough apprehension to drive a woman mad and she was halfway there. Piper was capable of harboring a whole lot of emotion, even so this was titanic by comparison which only meant Paige had accompanied her.
Just breath Phoebe, clear your mind, focus on your work she chanted internally, what little good it did to stop her from noting ever degree of surmounting trepidation within her.
"Phoebe its just Paige and I, we've come to see if your still alive down there." Piper shouted sardonically rapping on the basement door, though she was deeply concerned about Phoebe.
Phoebe was her little sister and above all that was something to protect. For once she had been living a marginally normal life, at least as marginally normal as an advice columnist moonlighting as a witch could manage, but this new power had brought it all to a dead halt and Piper could only think of Prues experience and cling desperately to Leos words, that unlike Prue, it was Phoebes destiny to become an Empath. Still yet Leo had informed the power had debuted earlier than intended and that was the clause she did not particularly care for, for there was always fine print with magic and it was in Pipers nature to let her imagination envision every possible outcome, however unsavory.
Elbowing Piper in the manner had any stranger dared, it would be at the hazard of being promptly blown to smithereens, "Stop that." Paige tisked, attempting to be quiet as she gave Piper a mindful glance.
"What?" Piper returned helplessly.
"No strong emotions, remember?" Paige reminded to Pipers look of utter innocence.
"Did-ya not get the memo? Phoebes an empath now." Paige added dryly.
Paige had decreed after the initial rough patch Phoebe would be just fine, in fact she knew their wasn't a more perfectly tailored heart to become an Empath than that which resided in Phoebe Halliwell. The woman was compassionate, caring, sympathetic, accessible, amicable and a dozen other things that made this power a perfect fit. She was also Paiges big sister, courageous, a fighter against all adversity, had once shown her the ropes and possessed several characteristics namely empathy, of which Phoebe had quite the natural penchant for before it was amplified into a power that Paige sought to emulate. In any case the woman just needed a pep talk, some San Francisco air and a reality check and Phoebe would be on her affable way once again.
Piper and Paige made their way descent into Phoebes subterrainean habit. Unbenounced to them, their thoughts in communion on some level, foremost they were used to storming through the manner a la Devil may care, granted that was usually the case, but rather they were both treading down the rickety old staircase with all the reverence of passing through a cathedral.
Phoebe didn't waste a single moment in burying her face in her hands, where she could at least attain the semblance of moderate privacy whilst succumbing to her nerves or rather Piper and Paiges.
"Phoebe?" Paige hadn't intended it to resound as a question but nevertheless it had.
"Stop." Phoebe quavered out, wishing she could orb to the most remote island on Earth or otherwise.
"Sweetie you can't live like this" Piper stated sympathetically, or so she thought.
"Piper please, enough animosity already" Phoebe sighed, pressing her french mannicured fingertips into her temples.
"Animosity?" Piper echoed incredulously.
"I know I haven't been able to watch Wyatt or help out around the house, and I'm sorry, believe me I am, but I can't take this. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe the Elders where wrong, maybe I wasn't ready for all this." Phoebe rushed out, and it was hardly a surprise that it felt good to confide in her sisters, something she'd been bereft of since she enforced this isolation.
"Animosity, Right." Piper drawled in disbelief flourishing an indignant hand and looking to Paige for assistance as it clapped back down on her thigh.
"It's not a mistake honey." Paige started drawing a step closer and halting for Phoebe started back involuntarily. "Paige Please." Phoebe stated with a measure of pleading in her soft soprano. "Alright we're just-" "Worried? Trust me I know." Phoebe interjected taking in a deep breath in an effort to detour a full blown panic attack.
"Yea worried." Paige confirmed slowly, hardly used to having her emotions declared by anyone but herself. "We understand what it's like to have a new power Phoebe, it can be scary when you aren't sure of how it works, but it's also exciting. Look at all the good it's already done, that alone is proof positive you were meant to be an empath." Paige assured.
Attempting to hear Paiges words words much less take them to heart over the blaring emotions, Phoebe could not have felt more defeated. Suddenly Phoebe looked up and between the two "Are either of you feeling-" Her breath was taken away and she lurched back, her hand clapping over her chest.
"Phoebe?" Piper inquired warily.
Phoebe could not speak, she new her sisters where in danger, she could feel her emotions rapidly being submerged to accommodate the overwhelming hostility she was channeling. In her desperation, with the remainder of her fleeting self she forced herself to frantcically jot down as many words on the paper beneath her before it was too late.
Her hand was already rebelling and her pennmanship was something like that of a doctor, who was on the bumpiest train ride of his life, parrelling the fact that within a matter of seconds she had derailed completely. Something a graphologist might have deduced in a moments glance.
Right before their very eyes Phoebe dematerialized.
"Did she just shimmer out?!" Paige cried in disbelief.
"Phoebe can't shimmer, demons shimmer, phoebes not a demon, ergo Phoebe can't shimmer!" Rushing out this faulty syllogism in alarm, Piper hastened her advance to the desk.
"Maybe she was summoned" Piper surmised.
"Does that look even remotely similar to someone being summoned?" Paige returned rhetorically, just as her eyes fell over the note pad on Phoebes desk.
"This doesn't look like any advice Phoebe would give to her readers. 'Demon, House, Now, Furio-" Paige read aloud.
"No but to us." Piper sighed, then looking to Paige, "Apparently there's a furious demon in our house right now." she informed.
They hastened to quit the basement.
"But she shimmered, how did she shimmer?"
"I don't know maybe she was channeling the demons powers, we'll figure that out later" Piper replied steadily prioritizing her thoughts.
Having a tactical meeting at the top of the staircase, "I'll freeze him and if he doesn't freeze I'll blow him up, if anything I'll hold him off long enough or you to orb to the attic and get the vanquishing potion." Piper informed to the translucent particals of Paige nodding surely as she orbed out.
Rounding the corners like a Navy Seal on a covert op whilst securing the premises, Piper recalled the days of her formative years. prior to magic when she simply walked through houses, the very height of peril she might meet in the simple venture, a stubbed toe.
"Why should I trust you" Came a low growl out of the living room from the blackguard. Piper immediately drew into the corner, behind the dinning room threshold.
"Because I'll crush you if you don't" It was Phoebes voice, you tell him Piper thought. "If we work together you stand a chance, I know how they work, and we will avenge our brother if you listen to me" Phoebe informed. What the hell was she talking about?Helping a demon? Piper peered round the corner, what in the devil, Phoebe and the Pressure Demon were standing face to face several paces apart, each with the ghostly white mist whirling about in their right hands. They were in a stale mate, knowing if one fired so to would the other and both would die the excruciating death of compression, that white whorl crushing every bone in the body like being hit by a barreling train.
Phoebe had not only channeled his power, she was channelling all the rage he was projecting, for The Charmed Ones did in fact vanquish his brother Septimus last week, Sanctus having shimmered out just in time, and now Sanctus had come with a vengeance.
"Paige" Piper whispered, pulling her back, as she managed to orb in just in front of her.
All of the sudden they heard the sound of what mirrored the engine of a 747 igniting.
"I think they saw me" Paige admitted abashedly.
"Ya think?" Piper retorted relieving Paige of one of the two bottles of a rather charming hued magenta vanquishing potion. It was odd they never put dye in those potions and yet after all those crazy roots and spices they brewed to concoct the amalgams it would appear it was no more than water and any colored corn syrup readily available in the baking aisle of your local Safeway.
"You will pay for what you've done to Septimus!" Phoebe hissed out of sight. The Pressure Power beginning to demolish the wall just behind Piper and Paige.
"Phoebe we're your sisters dammit!" Paige cried.
"She's not really helping you Sanctus she's just an empath having fallen victim to your emotional baggage you goon." Piper stated in a sing-song taunting tone.
Piper and Paige were now stepping slowly back towards the kitchen.
"If you don't remember she helped us vanquish Septimus, but really it was Septimus' fault, couldn't think clearly with all that rage, and you didn't protect him, you let your brother die. We have higher morals concerning family around here!" Piper mocked to Paiges shock. Pulling Piper by the arm "Do you intend on killing Phoebe?!" Paige whispered harshly.
"No but powers are emotionally based and if we can get him to feel pain rather than rage he might not crush us to death and it might give Phoebe a second to realize what the hell she's doing!"
"I like how you think" Paige returned wrly then, "Sanctus I'd be delighted to offer you the names of some grief counslers I know. They do a bang up job in helping homicidal maniacs, more specifically those whom are emotional wrecks for having offered their brother up on a silver platter for the Chamred Ones to vanquish!" Paige informed, shouting over the splintering wood. "You killed him Sanctus!" She added.
The whirlwind began to falter. Currently a guilt trip seemed an ample plan to foil the machinations of The Pressure Demon and Phoebes imposed ploy of the same nature.
"Phoebe Halliwell would you have Wyatt grow up knowing that his mother and auntie Paige were killed by aunt Phoebe! You realize that the moment you compress us to death your going to require more therapy than this world has to offer!"
Piper declared, and suddenly the "747 engine" was sputtering pathetically.
"Now" Paige implored, and Piper and Paige ran for the living room. "Chair!" just as Paige was planning to orb a chair into the Pressure Demons head to disscombobulate him she redirected it in the nick of time so it did no more harm than smash into the wall.
Piper and Paige could hadly believe what they saw. The Pressure Demon and Phoebe where in eachothers arms, crying, a galvanizing torrnado that was nearly pulling the pictures off the walls swirling about them.
"Let it out Sanctus" Phoebe enjoined sympathetically her head resting on the breast of his weathered trench coat.
"We'd gone over the strategy a million times and the fool didn't listen." Sanctus' voice caught ruefully as he reminised.
"What the hell did we just do?" Paige asked in shocked tone that shook Piper out of her bemused trance. "Bought ourselves time?" She surmised uncertainly. "In any case I think that's a sheild." she whispered then, shouting towards Phoebe and Sanctus, "Isn't it so sad that Septimus will no longer be able to wreak havoc along your side Sanctus?" she remarked in order to keep the duo grief stricken whilst Paige and her dreampt up a plan. Pheobe and Sanctus looked at Piper and nodded simultatiously with pouty expressions before they gave way to tears in eachothers arms once more.
"This is ridiculous." Paige said out of the side of her mouth.
"Tell me something I don't know. The point is it's working. If you can orb that sheild thing away, I'll freeze their hands and that should stem the power souce. Then we can throw the vanquishing potion and call it day." Piper contrived.
"What about Phoebe?"
"She's a witch remember?"
"Right. Well it's worth a try" Paige concured. "Loud ass tornadoy thing!" Paige called and to her surprise the thing began to augment into those Neon Aquamarine particals that meant a job well done, notwithstanting the completely eronous title she'd given it. Piper threw a hand up, to freeze their hands, and Paige orbed out the whirlwind, it had worked.
Realizing they had been wildly side tracked from their modus operandi "No!" Phoebe and Sanctus growled at once, realizing the bind they were in with their hands frozen .
"Piper threw the vanquishing potion and Paige went for Phoebe, pulling her back by the waist as Sanctus gave the tell tale shriek that certified he was infact in a senseless sort of agony as the flames crept up around his ankles, then slithered up to his knees.
Phoebe cried out in pain, railing agaist the grip of her sisters, for Piper had taken to restraining her as well. And with one final cry Sanctus was no more, or rather a quadrillion little pieces then no more. They should have expected the destruction of the Pressure Demon would supply enough brunt to knock them on their asses, however they did not and they'd all been taken to the ground in a heap on appendages and designer clothing.
"What were you thinking!" Piper reproached. Phoebes head fell back on her elder sisters shoulder, her lips parted. She sobbed silently, feeling more grief than anyone should have the voilition to survive.
"Phoebe" Paige sighed compassionatley, taking Phoebe into her arms while Piper testily rose to her feet asseing the damage that gave her cause to wonder why ever did she dump loads of money into ordering new furniture or dedicate time in enslaving Leo to repair the breakage that occured weekly in this poor house.
"Where did you orb that thing" Piper inquired distractedly, performing a slow 360 to behold the collateral damage that came with magic.
"Into the middle of the Pacific Ocean." Paige replied.
"You better hope we didn't just ruin someones cruise." Piper retorted sardonically.
Paige eyed Phoebes hands quizzically, they where yet to be freed from suspended animation, one appearing as if shaking a hand and the other as if holding a fireball.
"Piper her hands are still frozen."
Piper turned immediatly, "Oh, oh no." Piper gasped with a twist of the hand. Phoebes hands re-animated and made a b-line for her face.
Piper could not stay irritated upon seeing Phoebe so inconsolable and knelt down before her, placing hand on her knee.
The action triggered a premontion, its continents cringe-worthy.
More specifically a glimpse into the very recent past and Phoebe saw in a rapid concurrence of images the entire situation from a nonpartisan vantage point.
"Phoebe what did you see?" Paige inquired warily
"Oh my gosh, I-" Phoebe could hardly proccess this revelation and was looking at Piper with a confounded expression.
"Its alright" Piper chuckled sympathetically, following Phoebes line of sight to the pile of ash behind her, as her fingers curled several long skiens of her hair behind left her ear.
"Poor guy" Phoebe sighed solemnly. She was still reeling over the event and it pierced her spirit soundly. "His heart was broken." she added.
Paige didn't know how Phoebe did it, but she did infact cause Paige to feel a trifles remorse for Sanctus.
"You gonna be alight?" Paige asked.
"No, I nearly cost you two your lives."
"Well the point is you didn't, and believe it or not, your power of empathy just inadvertently helped us vanquish the remaining Pressure Demon, so it was well worth the near death experience." Piper mused with a pang of fear coupled with concern about this whole empath thing.
"This is why I stay in the basement." Phoebe sighed at length.