Too Much Pain to Bear
A/N Aw Red n Black I'm a sucker for puppy eyes (lol) all I can say is you'll be happy with my thanksgiving episode (which is really late) I have a very dramatic scene all waiting for your reading enjoyment I just need to put a story around that one amazing scene…plus the four weeks (4 episodes) of stories between this one and that. Can you wait that long? I'm actually really itching to do it soon, Phobos' big secret too…I'm almost letting it out here but I keep catching myself just in time…I'm hoping to build serious anticipation and tension…let me know.
On with the story….
NEW A/N just so you all know, it's fixed up to this point.
(X)
Psyche left the bathroom and closed the door with a sigh. Suddenly her demon was in front of her. Luckily, she'd scanned the pages looking for this one. Like Nick, she couldn't use her powers against this one, he definitely absorbed them, a thought struck.
She ran away, past him and into the kitchen where the potion for Cryto was waiting. Problem was it was a huge pitcher and he had to drink the whole thing and then a spell was needed…
"Phoenix!" she called, as she grabbed the pitcher. Her sister and those closest to the kitchen ran to help.
Everyone tried to get in to help the young witch but Piper snapped, "This is ridiculous, the kitchen is only so damn big…Chris, go help your cousins." She made a snap decision, a decision based on the fact that she knew how Chris was in battle, she knew that the girls would be fine with Chris there to help.
"Now what?" Phoenix asked.
"Don't use any powers!" Psyche commanded, "We need to make him drink this and recite a spell."
Chris looked at the large pitcher and shook his head, "How will we get him to drink that, he's not some frat boy at a kegger." He reminded his cousin, then being Chris he had to add, "Here you go nice demon, drink the whole gallon of potion for us…" in a childish, 'here kitty kitty' voice.
Psyche rolled her eyes. Cryto looked at the three in confusion. "Are we gonna fight or what?"
Clutching the pitcher of potion, Psyche turned towards the demon. She ran towards him, phasing into his body pitcher and all. She emerged with a shudder and an empty pitcher. She and Phoenix recited the spell:
"What witch has done and then undone
Return this spirit back within
And separate him from his skin"
In a disturbing display of rendering flesh, Cryto was vanquished again.
The three walked victoriously out of the kitchen. Psyche gave Phobos a disdainful look, "You thought he would be a challenge."
Phoenix looked at her Aunt, "You thought he," indicating Chris, "would be a help?"
Chris just shrugged.
"They did a Power of Three spell, just the two of them," Chris informed the waiting group.
The Charmed Ones gasped. "So much for the 'culmination of powers with three sisters'" Paige quipped.
"Actually, I think we did it twice. Isn't it a P of three spell to vanquish Javna?"
"You two vanquished Javna?" Priscilla asked, respect clear on her face. "Is that really possible?"
Phoebe thought for a moment. "Melinda on her stake, right before she burned had a premonition of three sister witches who were the 'culmination'…But when we summoned her to help vanquish that warlock she had another vision, a vision of generations passed us…"
"So much for the power of three and the whole destiny thing though," Paige quipped again before turning serious, "But I wonder how powerful our kids are if they can do a power of three spell with only two people?"
"Will the added power of us…them…help save Peyton?" Henry Jr. asked Phobos.
"They might," he mused, "but I think our best shot is enlisting Discord's aid."
"Discord?" Wyatt asked in stunned disbelief, "You'd rely on her help?" Wyatt had an irritating encounter with the Goddess a few weeks prior and was in no mood to depend on her selfish whims.
"Yes," Phobos answered sincerely, "Even Gods have rules. The Gods, the Fates have decided that I am to be the vessel of the Source, they can't risk Peyton having that power, and it upsets the balance they like to maintain. First, though, we'll see what we can do without Discord. I'd rather she were our last resort. She's temperamental."
"You two vanquished two demons?" Melinda asked sullenly, "I didn't vanquish mine."
"Don't worry, you'll get your chance," Phobos smiled at the girl before remembering that it probably wasn't appropriate, considering he was the one who sent the demons to kill the family in the first place.
Piper noticed his smile, quick as it was and snapped, "Which reminds me, how many demons did you send?"
"All of them," he said soberly, "Every demon you ever vanquished…"
"Javna, Cryto, a couple of chameleons…how many are vanquished," Pace asked the room at large.
"Not enough," Phoebe said sadly, "We have so many more to re-vanquish." She flashed a look of ire at Phobos, who shrugged embarrassedly.
"I can't control him completely…" he defended himself. "If we return my power to me I will send them all back to hell…or we can hole up until 1:00, when the spell ends and they all go back anyway," he shrugged. "I also never sent Zankou, I hate that guy."
"What exactly was the spell?" Piper asked.
"I did a spell to bring them back for one night, the witch's New Year. If any one of them manages to kill any member of your family they don't have to return to the realm beyond the wasteland. Sorry about that," he said in apology.
"You really hate us, don't you?" Samantha asked the demon.
"No, not really. But The Source does. When it comes to your family I cannot restrain him," Phobos sighed sadly, "His fury against the Charmed Ones is consuming and very powerful."
"You'd better try to get a better hold on him!" Piper struggled with her anger. She hated the Source but the vessel was somewhat an innocent, a pawn, she felt sympathetic and that made her even madder, "Just because I feel sorry for you doesn't mean I won't vanquish your ass as soon as I get the chance!" Her conflicted feelings fueled her anger further; she strode to Phobos. She punched the powerful demon in the chest. "How DARE you release Shax!"
Suddenly her anger was clear to everyone in the room who wasn't an Empath and thus in the know.
She punched him again, "You released him!" She punched him again; he stood taking her blows and not defending himself. "You sent him after us and he killed my sister!" She slapped his face hard enough to turn his head with it; her handprint an angry red against his cheek. "Shax killed Prue!" Sobbing, Piper slapped his face again, this time she split his lip and blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, "You killed my sister!" She pulled back to hit him again. Phobos stood stoic, accepting her abuse, accepting her hatred and anger, these feelings were so familiar to him after all…demons were never supposed to love, to want, to need. He understood her pain and resolved to take the beating of his life to let this amazing woman heal. He hoped the blood he willingly shed for her would help ease her pain. He would take her pain if he could, but he was no Empath. He cursed the Fates again for their cruelty as he tried to physically withstand the pain of Piper.
"Piper, honey, that's enough," Priscilla had caught the raised arm and held it firmly. She gazed into Phobos' eyes, "I was so wrong about you. Can you forgive me?" She separated herself and two Priscilla's stood before Beau. One holding Piper and the other, astral Priscilla stood looking into Beau's eyes.
He nodded.
"You might unwillingly be The Source of all Evil, but I can see your mother in you too, and she would be so proud if she understood…knew of the sacrifice you're willing to make…the sacrifices you have made." She opened up her arms and gave Phobos the first hug he'd ever had, both had tears shining in their eyes.
The Empath took her sister from Priscilla and held Piper; she tried to ease her pain in a manner much different from Phobos' act, but just as selfless. She concentrated on Piper's pain and willed it to enter herself; she tried to absorb the pain.
Once she had regained control of her emotions, Piper turned to Phobos. "I am so sorry. I know it wasn't you."
Phobos wiped his bleeding lip with a finger and projected an athame into his hand. Quickly he cut his palm, and projected a cauldron into Piper's hands. Holding his bleeding fist over the cauldron, he spoke, "If this helps you to vanquish the Source someday, I give it willingly, gladly. If you're truly sorry, Piper, end my pain. Vanquish me."
Piper solemnly nodded her acceptance of his remarkable gift. "I will vanquish him so totally that no one will ever feel your pain again, Phobos."
Her sisters stood beside the three already gathered. Paige, Phoebe, Piper and Priscilla each looked into his tortured face and as one promised, "You will be free."
(X)
I know this one concentrated very heavily on Piper and her still raw emotions about Prue, I just feel that she never got the closure that she needed, being unable to summon Prue…etc…plus it made for a damn dramatic scene if I do say so myself.