Spirit Against Spirit

"I'll get it!" yelled Prue from the kitchen as the telephone rung.

"Phoebe, are you coming with me to the club?" Piper asked as Phoebe came downstairs.

"Um, I have to start my essay due tomorrow," Phoebe replied walking over to the sofa.

"Piper, Phoebe!" Prue called from the kitchen with her back facing the entrance of the kitchen. Piper and Phoebe ran into the kitchen.

"What is it?" Phoebe asked.

"Darryl just called me and said that he thinks a demon has something to do with the death of the woman he found slain," Prue said.

"Why would he think that?" Piper asked.

Spinning around to face Piper and Phoebe. "Because he found a strange symbol carved into the dirt near the woman," she replied.

"Well let's check the book," Phoebe suggested scratching her head.

"We can't," Prue said.

"Why not?" Piper asked shrugging.

"He couldn't describe what the symbol looks like so we don't know what we want to look under," Prue replied. "We need to get out there to check it out," she continued tossing her hair aside.

"We?" Piper repeated folding her arms. "We can't I have to get to the club to book next week's band," she continued.

"Well can't that wait?" Phoebe asked. Prue nodded in agreement with what she asked.

"I've put it off for so long, I need to do this," Piper replied.

"Well you go ahead to the club, Phoebe and I will go to the crime scene and you meet us back here," Prue suggested. Piper agreed as she walked out of the kitchen, grabbing her keys off of the table.

**

Phoebe and Prue walked up to the alley the police cars had surrounded.

"You can't deny this ain't the right place with all of these cops," Phoebe said as she and Prue ducked to go under the yellow banner strapped to the walls.

"Hey you can't enter here, this is a crime scene," a cop ran up to block Phoebe and Prue out. Phoebe and Prue looked around confused.

"Officer they're with me," Darryl ran up and said. The officer shook his head and walked away as Phoebe and Prue stepped under the banner.

"So where's this symbol?" Prue asked putting some of her hair behind her ear. Darryl pointed to a wall. Phoebe and Prue ran over to the wall.

"What the hell is that?" Phoebe asked placing her hands in her back pant pocket.

"I have no idea," Prue replied covering her mouth as if frightened. She dropped to her knees pushing some of the excess dirt aside. It was a symbol with a circle and a line extending from it with a line through the circle.

"Prue don't get too close we have to use this dirt for evidence," Darryl said. Prue immediately jumped to her feet.

"We should get home and check the book," Phoebe said.

"That's exactly what we need to do," Prue said. "Darryl call us if you get anything else," she continued as she grabbed Phoebe and walked away.

**

"Did you find anything?" Piper asked walking into the attic.

"We discovered that a demon named Athora who was once a witch but she cast a spell on her Whitelighter causing him to become evil, so now she's evil," Phoebe replied.

"She attacks Whitelighters in attempt to steal their powers to give to zombies," Prue added.

"So how do we find this Athora before she finds us?" Piper asked. But she didn't get a response.

"Leo!" yelled Prue. The room was filled with bluish-white light and Leo appeared.

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"Tell us everything you can find out about Athora," Phoebe said.

"Be careful Leo, she attacks Whitelighters," Piper added. When suddenly Leo started choking and Athora appeared. Prue gasped throwing her arm to the side tossing Athora away from him. Leo coughed.

"Honey are you okay?" Piper asked kneeling down to him. Athora stood to her feet and tossed a fireball at Prue, but she held up her hand and redirects the fireball. Phoebe flipped towards her, but Athora tripped her. Piper groaned and froze her.

"Pheebs are you all right," Prue asked running over to her.

"Yeah, nothing's broken," she replied.

"Leo if she hurts Whitelighters is there some sort of way you can protect yourself," Piper asked.

"I'm not sure," Leo replied grabbing his neck. Athora unfroze without anyone noticing and Leo and she vanished.

"No!" Piper yelled, turning around frantically to see where Athora was.

"She's gone," Phoebe walked over to comfort her. Piper began crying.

"It's okay Piper we're gonna find them and stop her sorry ass," Prue said.

"How do we find her?" Piper asked wiping tears from her face.

"The book said you have to open the symbol she leaves behind," Prue replied.

"Is there some sort of spell to open it?" Phoebe asked. Prue nodded.

"So we have to get out here to the alley so we can save my husband," Piper said. Prue walked over to the book of shadows and grabbed a piece of paper from behind the book.

"Is there a vanquish for her?" Phoebe asked walking over to the book near Prue.

"Uh no, but you can kill her by getting the possession out of the Whitelighter she last possessed," Prue replied.

"By breaking the possession means stabbing the victim, right?" Piper asked jumping to her feet.

"Unfortunately, yes," Phoebe replied. Piper held tears back.

"Well enough screwing around, let's go get our Whitelighter back," Prue said grabbing the note off of the podium with the book of shadows.

**

"Are you gals ready?" Phoebe asked. Piper and Prue nodded. Prue pulled the note out of her coat pocket. They all chanted.

"Secrets are not secrets if revealed
"Open this symbol and break the shield
"Allow us to pass through this evil veil
"Where no mortal can step foot in this trail."

A green light reached down from the sky connecting with the symbol as the wind picked up. The girls were instantly sucked into the symbol, and the wind stopped and the symbol vanished.

"Everybody, okay?" asked Phoebe looking around.

"Yeah," Piper replied brushing herself off.

"Be quiet, we don't want to get their attention," Prue said.

"Too late," said Athora walking into the room with several tiny bats floating around her.

"Where's Leo?" asked Piper walking closer but Phoebe grabbed her.

"Oh he's sleeping peacefully," Athora replied.

"Peaceful enough for you to steal his powers?" Phoebe asked.

"Ooh, witches I love it when witches think they've outsmarted a demon," Athora said smiling. "By the way who are you?" she continued.

"Your worst nightmare," Prue replied throwing her arm out and tossing a chair at her that was against the wall. But the chair came flying towards Prue.

"Piper," yelled Phoebe. Piper froze the chair into mid-air.

"What the hell is wrong with my powers?" Prue asked staring at her arm.

"Your powers are no match for mine, I can use your powers against you," Athora said.

"The book didn't mention anything about that," Piper added.

"How are we gonna get to her zombies if she keeps us here," Phoebe whispered.

"I know the perfect way," Prue replied bowing her head down and appearing behind Athora. "Hey you," Prue's astral self said tapping Athora on the shoulder. Athora turned around and Prue kicked her in the face. Athora groaned as she tossed a fireball at Prue. Prue's astral self vanished and the fireball crashed into the wall.

"Stupid witches," Athora groaned standing to her feet. Prue looked up as her astral self connected with her physical body.

"Piper you freeze her and you and Phoebe go look for Leo, I'll stay here and keep her company," Prue said.

"What, leave you here with someone who can nearly kill you," Phoebe asked in disagreement. "No way!" she continued.

"Pheebs, you have to especially if you want to see Leo again," Prue replied.

"Prue has a point," Piper added. Phoebe nodded in agreement and she and Piper ran into the room that Athora had entered from.

"All right missy show me what you got," Prue said holding her hand up and tossing Athora against the wall.

**

"Piper do you know where we're going?" Phoebe asked looking around. Piper nodded. They entered a room with several doors. They stood in the middle of the room looking around.

"Which door should we try?" Phoebe asked.

"I guess all of them," Piper replied as she and Phoebe ran to open the doors. Phoebe opened a door and a bunch of bats flew out. She screamed as she dived to the floor. "Phoebe," Piper cried.

"Nothing but bats," Phoebe said getting up off of the floor. Piper opened a door and zombies were in there, she quickly closed the door with her back against it.

"Pheebs, this is the room with the zombies in it," Piper said. Phoebe ran over to her sister.

"How are we gonna kill 'em," Phoebe asked. Piper looked around and saw a knife hiding behind a flowerpot.

"I got an idea," Piper said.

**

"You witch, you can't defeat me," Athora said getting up off of the floor.

"You bet I can," Prue replied throwing her arm out. Athora squinted and held her hand up, and Prue went flying against the wall, she moaned as she hit the floor.

"Not again," she sighed frowning. She bowed her head as her astral self walked over to Athora. Athora began tossing fireballs at Prue, but they flew threw her.

"You can't harm the spirit," Prue said throwing her hand out and tossing Athora against the wall. She quickly connected with her body. Prue jumped up from the floor and threw her arm at a flowerpot facing the ground and tossed it at Athora. Athora yelled as the pot slapped her body against the wall. Prue threw another flowerpot at her, which made Athora crawl over into the corner. Prue groaned and saw a knife hiding behind a flowerpot and she threw it and stabbed Athora in the heart. Athora gasped. Prue walked over and stood in front of her. "Now who's the witch that can't defeat me?" Prue asked smiling.

**

"We took care of them?" Phoebe said dusting her hands off as they walked out of a room with a bunch of ooze that had been released from the zombies.

"I wonder how Prue's doing?" Piper asked.

"I'm doing great," Prue replied walking into the room.

"Where's Athora?" Phoebe asked.

"I vanquished her sorry ass," Prue replied. "I assumed you killed the zombies because it was easy to kill her," Prue continued.

"Now time to find my husband, if it's not too late," Piper said opening a door. Prue threw her arm out and the door flew open, Phoebe kicked a door and the door flew open, and there was no sign of Leo. There was no doors left to open. Piper, Phoebe, and Prue looked around confused.

"So where's Leo?" asked Phoebe looking around.

"Looking for him?" Athora floated into the room with Leo unconsciously walking into the room behind her.

"Prue I thought you said you vanquished her," Piper said.

"I did," Prue replied clearing her throat. Phoebe ran towards her but Athora shocked her with a fireball. Phoebe fell.

"Pheebs," yelled Piper running towards, but first trying to freeze Athora. But it was useless.

"You can't harm the spirit," Athora said laughing.

"What?" Piper asked looking at her hands.

"Uh oh, I think I know what's going on," Prue said throwing her arm out and tossing a boulder at Athora, but the boulder phased through her.

"Well could you share with us," Phoebe asked holding her back.

"I have to defeat Athora on the astral plane, spirit against spirit," Prue said.

"Prue you could get hurt," Piper said.

"Then wish me luck," Prue said bowing her head and her astral self was floating in front of Athora's spirit. "Let my Whitelighter go," Prue's astral self yelled tossing another boulder at the spirit, but again it phased through her. Athora kicked Prue out of the air, and Prue's astral self went flying towards Phoebe and Piper. Phoebe held her hands out to catch her, but Prue phased right through her hands! Prue appeared underneath Athora and grabbed her by feet and began spinning Athora around. She tossed Athora into the ooze that leaked from her zombie's bodies. She threw her arm out and closed the door behind Athora. She connected back with her body and shook her head.

"What a day," she said. Piper ran towards Leo.

"Leo, honey snap out of it," Piper said slapping him in the face. "Leo," she continued. Leo fell to the ground but Piper grabbed him.

"Are you okay?" he asked staring Piper in her eyes. Piper nodded as she kissed him.

"I think we should be heading home now," Phoebe said.

"How do we get home?" Piper asked.

"By simply walking through the portal in the other room," Leo replied. They all walked through the portal and was on Earth again.

"Where's the spell to get rid of this place for good?" Phoebe asked.

"Right here," Prue replied. The three of them stood in front of the symbol on the ground and chanted.

"Symbol of death and cruel desires
"Fall away and die like paper in fire
"Exist no more and shrivel away
"Let no one else ever finds this place."

A red light reached down from the sky and connected with the symbol. The symbol was enveloped in red light and dirt flew up into the air as the symbol vanished.

"Looks like it's gone, but is it really gone?" Phoebe asked.

"Of course it is, if the Charmed Ones get rid of it, it's gone," Leo replied smiling as he hugged Piper.

"Well it's getting late, let's head home," Prue suggested. She and Phoebe looked back and saw Piper and Leo orbing away.

"Hey how dare they leave us?" Phoebe asked.

"They need a head start to get home so they can make out," Prue replied wrapping her arm around Phoebe and walking down the alley with smiles on both of their faces.