Phoebe had felt her world crash against her at the words of the doctor. Piper was gone. It was her fault, she should have told them. But no. Prue had moved the arrow and it slammed into Piper. But she had seen it in her vision. One of them died. But she didn't see who. The pain she felt then she now understood. It was the pain in her heart as she watched her sister in her arms fight for her life. The pain in her heart that she felt now as she lost Piper.
It had taken a sedative to finally calm her down after she heard the news on her sister. Prue had tried everything she could, but Phoebe wouldn't respond to her touch. Prue knew deep inside that Phoebe probably blamed her as much as she was blaming herself. She should have been more careful when she moved the arrow from Leo with her powers. But everything in her mind was a daze after the blow she had taken. But she watched again as her world spun at the sound of the steady screech from the heart monitor. "Piper don't you dare give up." Prue said as she pushed her way to her sister. "Come back to me damn it. Come back to us. Phoebe can't handle this alone, we need you." She cried to her sister as she placed a loving hand on the top of Pipers head.
"We got a beat!" someone yelled out.
"Get her stable."
"Miss Halliwell ,please. Let us take care of her," the doctor said as he gently pulled Prue back from Piper as more doctors and nurses worked on her.
Prue sat on the edge of Phoebes bed holding her youngest sister hand. She looked down as Phoebe watched the medical staff work on Piper. "She'll be ok Phoebe." Prue said hoping to get something out of her sister
"Where is he?" Phoebe whispered barely making any sound
Prue didn't even look at Phoebe she knew exactly who Phoebe was talking about. "I dont know baby. But he won't let anything happen to her." Prue assured her once again, praying that she was right.
Leo shook off the effects of the throw to the bushes, as he looked towards the cabin knowing that Piper was there. Otherwise why would they keep him away?
He ran towards the cabin when he heard Pipers scream and then nothing. "Piper!" he ran up the steps again and crashed through the door only to find Piper fighting an invisible force at her neck, gasping for air.
He ran forward grabbing Piper and crashing them both to the ground. He quickly turned and looked to where she had been standing, though seeing nothing he looked back at Piper, her pale features did not go past him. Though he knew it was not from what she was experiencing here. But what she was experiencing at home. What her body was going through.
Picking her up he gently placed her on the couch that was against the far wall. Once there he then went back and pulled the shutters closed, before returning to Piper. "Piper. Hang on honey. You can do it."
Piper stirred though still feeling the pain in her chest when that thing reached in and grabbed her heart. "Leo?" she flickered her eyes and focused on her boyfriend.
"Hi."
"What?" she asked as she tried to sit up.
"Easy there." he helped her sit up.
"What's going on?"
"Long version or short one?"
"The one that gives me the most facts, in the fastest time." She said as she looked into his blue eyes.
Leo locked eyes with her knowing that he couldn't give to much away. But he had to tell her what he knew. He had to. "You were shot by a Darklighter's arrow."
"I remember that. Prue moved it away from you."
"Yes. After that I was pulled out. But when I met with the Elders they told me that there is a 'ghost' for lack of a better word after you now. Sent courtesy of the Darklighter's."
"Ok why?"
"Because your Grandmother vanquished them."
"Them. Grams?"
"Not Grams. More like your 6x's Great Grandmother."
"Melinda's granddaughters?"
"That sounds about right. Look all I know is that whoever it was, vanquished this band of warlocks. But that same band was the ancestors of Darklighter's. The only way for them to come back is to get the soul of a Charmed one. And once they have one."
"They can get us all." Piper finished. "Ok so what happens now?"
"The only way to get back is through the soul of one of you. And right now it looks like their sites are set on you."
"Me? Why me?"
"Because you are in that place between life and death Piper. If the arrow doesn't kill you the poison might."
Piper took in what Leo was saying. She couldn't die. She couldn't leave her sisters. "Leo."
"I'm here for you Piper. I will help in anyway I can, but you must know one thing." He paused trying to read her emotions. "You're powers are no good here."
"Excuse me? I'm meant to fight off these ghosts and my powers don't work?!"
"Look Piper I know it seems hard right now. But also know that whatever powers they had, they also no longer possess. This is a natural realm. I can guide you here, but I am limited to the help I can give you. In the end you must fight off the poison and the arrow wound on your own."
Piper set back on the couch taking in what Leo was telling her. She wasn't sure if she could do this, Prue and Phoebe were the witchy ones. "Leo I can't do this."
"Yes you can Piper. You are stronger then you think. And if you don't, they will win, and when they do, they will consume Prue and Phoebe and take the world to a place it was never meant to go."
Piper heard his words and tried to take them in, but it was more then she wanted to know. She wasn't convinced that she could to it. But as she set her head back she heard again the voices that were calling her when she first walked through the darkened woods. But this time she focused on them.
"Prue?" She pulled herself up as she concentrated on Prues voice.
"Piper. She is there and so is Phoebe. But you need to face them. You need to vanquish them forever."
"Can't I do this with their help?"
"You are the only one here Piper. They can't help you now."
The banging on the door soon brought realization to Piper on what Leo was telling her. She alone was the only one that could rid the world of the Darklighter's before her. Yet she fought another battle instead of that right before her. She knew she needed her sisters, at least one would help her with this. But as she fought back to them and focussed on the voice, the voices of the ghosts entered her mind, pulling her back to them.
"You can not escape witch. You belong to us." They echoed, as they seemed to grab at her very being and pulled her away from those she loved.
Phoebe rolled over on her side and looked at her big sister. Though in doing so she looked past Prue to the figure lying on the other bed. The pale features of Piper filed her mind with dread. They had lost her twice. How many times before they lost her for good?
"Its my fault." She said quietly, but it was enough that Prue turned and looked at her.
"Phoebs."
"It's my fault. I should have said something."
"Phoebe this is not your fault."
"I saw it Prue. I should have told you."
Prue moved and sat on the edge of Phoebes bed. She wasn't sure if Phoebe was rambling from the sedative or if the drugs had cleared her system and she was speaking coherently. "Phoebs."
"No Prue. I had a premonition. I couldn't tell who it was, but one of us got shot with the arrow. Each time I could feel the pain in my heart. I thought it was me. I never." Phoebe lost everything as she broke down in her sisters' arms.
Prue heard the words but she wasn't sure what to believe. Phoebe had seen the attack and never said anything? Why? How could she let any of them get hurt, including herself and not say anything?
Prue held her sister as she cried for Piper. But inside Prue wasn't sure now if she could forgive Phoebe for what she had done. With her not telling them she might as well have moved that arrow herself and slammed it into Pipers chest.
Prue looked over at Piper who was for now resting peacefully. But the sister in her arms was falling apart. She was torn with helping the one and comforting the other.
