They watched as the sisters stopped and the youngest suddenly bent over. He knew from the past that she was seeing something in her mind and before it gave them a way he wanted to stop her.
Eyeing his partner across the way he made his move then but as he stepped forward something seemed to be holding him back.
"What the?" he cried out suddenly realizing his mistake as she locked eyes with his intended victim.
"Piper look out." Phoebe yelled, as she pushed Piper away from the grasping hand, of the man she had come to know as snake. Once a killer reptile now a killer human.
But as she pushed Piper away she noticed the man stopping almost mid lunge as if something was holding him back.
Piper turned at him and out of pure instinct flung her hands up to defend both her self and her sister.
He felt his molecules moving within him as he felt himself being released from whatever held him back. But as he was released he felt the burning inside and then nothing. As the fiery flames around him took hold of his being and it was just over.
Piper and Phoebe watched as the man before them suddenly screamed out in rage as Pipers power took over his body. Then suddenly he was gone, as what looked like apiece fell at their feet the smoke still rising from its death
"Ok that's it, I'm outta the witch business." Phoebe gagged as the snake meat smouldered at her feet.
"I don't think so sister. We are all in this till the end. Now lets go find Prue."
"Wait. Piper there was two of them remember. Where's Bunny boy?" Phoebe held Piper back as she thought she felt something brush beside her.
Turning instinctively around she cast her eyes to the left and right waiting for an attack from somewhere.
He hovered in the shadows waiting for his time for he knew she was ready for him. The second she turned her back, he leaped out of the shadows onto her back.
Phoebe felt his claws dig into her flesh as he knocked her to the ground. He tried to get to her throat but in the shuffle and fight she was able to get her feet under his stomach enough that she pushed him off her. But not before she felt the sting of his claws racking across her arm.
"Phoebe!" Piper yelled out as she saw her little sister go down with the once rabbit on her back. She tried to get the right angle to use her powers but she didn't want to harm her sister.
As soon as Piper saw Phoebe push him off her she froze him where he fell.
Piper ran to her sister, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah just unfreeze his head like you did that Zoltar and find out where Prue is." Phoebe almost ordered as she stood up holding her arm.
Helping Phoebe with one hand and unfreezing the rabbits head with the other. Piper then starred down at him, "Where is our sister?"
"I'm not telling you anything."
"Oh. Does the words 'rabbit stew' mean anything to you?" Phoebe asked as she leaned in towards his face. She could see the hidden fear in his eyes as she talked to him.
He looked up at her knowing that somehow she meant what she said. No matter the cost of her sisters' life.
He called Phoebes bluff, "You'll never kill me until you find your sister. Do you have any idea how many caves and caverns are in here? Not to mention unseen forces." He said as he hung in mid air.
"No but I think we are willing to find out." Piper said as she looked at Phoebe. The unforeseen forces they had not counted on.
"Are you?" he said with a wicked smile. "You've already killed my partner. Are you willing to kill me to find her on you own."
"What if we say yes."
"I would say you have approximately half an hour to find her before she dies." He said smugly as he watched the torment in their faces.
Piper and Phoebe looked at one another and deciding then that calling him was the only thing they could do no matter the cost to them selves or Prue. Piper flicked her hands as the once rabbit exploded into a million molecules around them.
"So now we find Prue and fasts." Piper said as she took Phoebes hand in hers and made her away through the corridor not hearing the sounds around her.
Piper had helped Phoebe back up as they watched as the rabbit smouldered next to them.
"I told him rabbit stew." Was all Phoebe could say as she looked down at the mess before her.
"That you did." Piper agreed, as she watched the remains of the rabbit before her.
It was then that she really saw her little sister, "Phoebe. You're hurt." She exclaimed as she took off her coat and wrapped it around Phoebes arm.
Phoebe looked down at the gash on her arm but felt something else.
"Piper I don't think that's the only place he got me." She said almost quietly as she turned her attention to her abdomen.
Piper looked at Phoebes stomach as she then saw the blood pooling around her shirt. "Oh god. Phoebe."
"It doesn't hurt that much Piper honest." Phoebe told her sister. Though feeling the heat of the fresh wound to her stomach, and finding a place to sit down before she passed out.
"Yeah whatever. Like I'm going to believe that. Come here and sit." Piper ordered Phoebe.
"Piper we haven't got time for this. We need to go and find Prue." Phoebe started as she tried to get up and make her way through the tunnels.
"Oh and you bleeding to death is going to help Prue?" Piper snapped back.
"Look it's not like I planned this, ok. Let's just find Prue." Phoebe shot back as she finally stood up holding her stomach as she made her way carefully down the tunnels.
Piper watched as Phoebe made her way down the tunnels. She knew her sister was as stubborn as Prue was so she just watched her go and eventually followed her. Knowing that at some point that her sister may need her help.
"Augh Piper, we're already been down this one." Phoebe said in frustration
"No we haven't. It was one like this but this one is different."
"Look why don't we separate. We'll find her faster." Phoebe suggested
"No way! I already have one missing sister I'll not have another."
"You shouldn't have vanquished him until he told us."
"Oh so now this is my fault?" Piper turned on Phoebe in her own defense
"No I just said you shouldn't have vanquished him."
"So it is my fault. Look Phoebe I'm sorry that I did it already ok. How many times do I have to say it? If we don't find Prue in time don't you think that I'll blame myself as much as you are?"
Phoebe turned away from Piper. She knew her sister would blame herself. Sometimes things were done out of more instinct and survival then actually thinking of the consequences. But now the consequences could be losing Prue.
Piper looked over at Phoebe. She felt her own guilt rising inside her. She walked up to Phoebe and placed her arm over her shoulder. "Phoebs I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Prue."
"I know." Phoebe shuffled off her own hurt feelings. "So which way?"
"How about there? Unless you have another idea, or a premonition would be good to." Piper offered trying to get her sister to give her own thoughts.
Phoebe looked down from one passage to the next not wanting to guess where her sister was.
"How about this one?" she pointed to not sure if she was right but praying that she was.
"OK. That one it is." Piper agreed as she took Phoebes hand and made her way down the passage.
They walked forever down the long passage, each one aware of the surroundings around them. They flashed the light further down the passage as they went deeper into the cavern.
"Piper do hear that?" Phoebe looked back behind them as she stopped in her steps
Piper took one more step before stopping as Phoebe pulled at her arm. Looking back the way they came she listened for what Phoebe was supposedly hearing.
"I don't hear anything?"
"I thought I heard running water."
Piper listened again. "Nope nothing." She repeated. "Come on Phoebe we haven't got much time." Piper said as she pulled at Phoebes arm trying to break her thoughts of something she thought she heard.
They continued deep into the cavern. Piper was the next to stop suddenly as she spun around. In the dark she could make out a fast moving object.
"Look out!" she cried out as she grabbed Phoebe and pulled them both to the ground.
As they hit the hard rock they both heard the swoosh of something over their heads.
Phoebe carefully turned over to her back as Piper lay beside her, "Whoa. That was close."
"Yup." Was all Piper could say as they watched the pendulum swing back and forth above them.
As the pendulum slowly came to a stop Piper sat up and pulled her sister with her.
Phoebe looked down at the apparatus before them. "What the hell is that?"
"I would say a very deadly pendulum. And I don't think it's for telling the time."
"You think?" Phoebe said sarcastically as she ran her finger along, careful not to cut herself on the sharp blade. "Ok that would have hurt."
"You think?" Piper looked down at the pendulum.
"So you think this is the only one?"
"If you are referring to your pirate friends and old wives tales. Then I would say yes. I think we just met our first booby trap." Piper answered as she looked down the direction they were heading.
"So maybe we are on the right tunnel and Prue is just down here." Phoebe starred with hope that they would find their sister soon.
"Or maybe we are on the trail to their hidden treasure." Piper said jokingly, knowing that Phoebe believed in the tales that were spun about the caves they were in.
"Ok you laugh now. But I personally think it all true. And when we come across that treasure and find Prue. You will be the one eating your words." Phoebe said in her defence as she started down the tunnel.
Piper followed her sister though not right next to her. She knew that Phoebe needed some time to cool down. They were both worried about Prue and now they had booby traps to contend with as well.
Phoebe stopped again as she heard the same rushing water.
"Piper don't you hear that?"
"What?"
"That water sound." Phoebe answered as she listened for the sound again.
Piper looked down the tunnel not hearing anything. "Sorry Phoebs. I don't hear..." She said as she suddenly stopped mid sentence as she perked her ears up. She to then heard the sound of rushing water.
"Phoebe?"
"You hear it too don't you?"
"What is that?"
"I would say trouble." Phoebe answered. But as she did she saw the roar and flood of water cascading towards her as she looked around panicked for anything to hang on to.
Piper felt the wave of water crash adjacent her as she tried desperately to hang on to anything. But as luck would have it she found nothing. She watched as Phoebe washed by her and she watched helplessly as her sister tried to hang in to anything.
The last thing she saw was her sister looking at her as she swept past her furiously caught in the tide.