One morning, Phoebe was indulging in a little cleaning – rare for her, admittedly, but right now it was therapy – and she saw this cable on the floor.

It looked like a phone cord –

As she reached for it, she got a premonition.

Willow, under the influence of dark magicks, hair and eyes black.

Willow, killing a man by stripping off his skin.

Willow demolishing a police station.

Willow trashing the Magic Box – and fighting Buffy and trying to kill some other
people.

Willow calling an ancient temple to evil out of the ground.

Willow raising zombies.

Willow, trying to destroy the world.

The vision ended.

A half second later she yelled, "Leo! Piper! Paige!"

Leo orbed in and Piper and Paige ran downstairs. "What's going on?" Paige said. "I don't see a rampaging demon so I'm guessing vision."

Phoebe nodded her head; then, suddenly realizing that this wasn't conveying any information, explained what she'd seen.

Piper's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

Phoebe looked up at her, in no mood for joking. "Does it look like I'm kidding."

"No, it looks like you're about to faint." Piper guided her to the couch.

"We have to stop her," Paige said. "I mean, you have to stop her." Right. Paige and Leo couldn't get within fifty miles of a Hellmouth.

"I don't . . . I don't even know if we can," Phoebe said. "Some of those spells – I mean, that was Source-level power. Only without his charm and wit."

Leo said, "I'll go see what the Elders have to say about this." He orbed away.

"You're sure it was Willow," Paige asked. "And not –"

"A clone, a double, a time traveler? Yeah. I'm sure. Get me the phone."

A couple of minutes later, while Paige and Piper worked through some spells, Phoebe hung up and said, "Okay. The next plane leaves in half an hour, and unless we orb ourselves into the baggage compartment we're not going to make it. We'll get Leo to orb us fifty miles or so away and we'll call a cab company once we get there." Leo orbed back in. "Okay, Leo," Phoebe said. "Here's what –"

"You're not going," Leo said.

"Huhwha?" Phoebe said.

"You're not going," Leo repeated. "And if you DO go, I can't help you."

"Honey," Piper said, "What are you talking about? According to Phoebe's vision we're pretty much at Apocalypse Now. This isn't the time for bureaucracy."

Leo sighed. "This isn't bureaucracy," he said. "It just isn't our play this time out. She can't be stopped –"

Paige said in a small voice, "The world is ending?"

"—by magic. Or by anyone or anything magical," Leo finished. "If she's going to be stopped, it can't be by us."

"To hell with this," Phoebe said. "Paige, YOU orb us there."

"There's more," Leo said. "She's apparently gained the ability to drain witches of their magic. If you go – if ANY of you go – you'll make it worse."

"I don't believe you," Phoebe said. "This is Willow. We KNOW her. We need to help her –"

Very slowly, Leo said, "If we help her, the world will end. Guaranteed."

"You're not exaggerating?" Paige asked hopefully.

"No," Leo said. "All the witches in Sunnydale– at least the ones with any brains – are clearing out of town. Good, evil, it doesn't matter, they don't want to be caught up in this."

"Can't say as I blame them," Piper said. "But we don't usually run away from a fight."

"No, we don't," Phoebe said, bitterly, resignedly. "Let me know if the world ends. I'll be in my room."

"Are we going to win?" Paige asked after Phoebe left.

"Yes," Leo said. "As long as we sit here." He looked upset himself.

"The hardest thing to do is nothing," Piper said.