Sorry this chapter has taken so long to arrive, but I've been really busy
lately. Give me lots of nice reviews and the next (and possibly final)
chapter will be put up ASAP.
As before, I do not own Charmed and am in no way associated with it, and so on. You know the drill by now.
3. Sibling Rivalry
As the bench flew across the room, Piper instinctively threw out her hands to freeze it in mid-air, but she wasn't concentrating and accidentally blew it into pieces, spraying fragments of stone in every direction. Some hit the demons who blinked and shuddered, as if suddenly coming to life.
"We have to get out of here," Phoebe shouted, "Run!"
"But.Prue." Piper started.
"I don't think she's in any mood to talk right now. Come on."
Half-pulling Piper behind them, Phoebe and Paige dashed out of the chamber and into the corridor. Prue swung round, taking in the demons around her.
"Well, don't just stand there, get after them," she cried. The demons instantly turned and started running after the sisters, the sound of stomping feet echoing throughout the chamber. Prue started to follow, but stopped at a sudden sensation, as if someone was trying to pull her somewhere. She remembered experiencing something like it before.
"No," she shouted, "I won't let you take me back, I'm not finished yet."
***
Paige pulled Piper around another corner, hearing the demons following closely behind.
"What do we do?" she shouted to Phoebe, who was checking on how far ahead they were.
"Well, we can't fight them, there's too many. Maybe if we could get up to the attic then we could."
"How? We don't even know if were in the house anymore. You try finding the attic stairs. Anyway, shouldn't we just wake up in a minute?"
"I don't know.I'm not sure it's a dream. It all seems pretty real to me."
They spun around a sharp turn left, expecting to see an army of demons charging at them, so it was quite a surprise to be faced with a dead-end. Phoebe tried to spot another way out, but the only possible direction was, judging by the sound of approaching footsteps, not an option.
"OK. I think were done playing here." She turned to Paige, who was still clutching a distraught Piper. "Orb us out of here. Quick."
"I can't."
"What? What do you mean, you can't?
"I can't sense anywhere to orb to. I don't know where we are but it's gotta be pretty far away from home."
Phoebe's answer was lost in the roar behind her. The demons had caught up, their faces remaining expressionless, their intent all too obvious.
They clustered behind the leaders, row on row, silently watching. Silence descended.and then the leader raised his arm, the vivid blue of an energy ball forming in his palm, brought it back slowly, and released it.
***
And then Paige woke up.
She sat up sharply, gasping for air, trying to shake those final images from her mind. Never had she seen so many demons in one place before. Not even when they'd vanquished the Seer. It had seemed so real, and they'd nearly lost.
That's because it was real, she told herself. That was no dream. It was real.
***
It took a few seconds for everything to come back into focus before Prue remembered where she was. The demon she'd seen Tepaleth with was kneeling a few feet away, an almost concerned look crossing his face. She turned her head to see Tepaleth standing at the alter, the black book open in front of him.
She glared angrily at him. "I hate it when people do that."
"What were you trying to achieve?" he asked.
She shrugged as she climbed to her feet. "Revenge was pretty much what I had in mind."
"Well, I hope it was worth it, because now the witches know that you're back they'll be knocking on the door any second to vanquish us all. There's no way we'll be able to."
"Look", she shouted back at him, "I don't know what you're original plan was, but I really couldn't care less. All I'm interested in is seeing my dear sisters again. Oh, and making them pay for what they did, of course."
"My plan was to wait until you were strong enough before attacking them. With them all together, there's no way you'll be able to beat them. It's impossible."
"Not if we can isolate one from the others."
Tepaleth paused, considering what she had just said. "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? We separate them. I know just the spell that can do it. Shouldn't be too hard for me then, right?"
"One witch alone would be fair game," Lennox said to Tepaleth. He continued to stare at her, judging up her words in his mind. He was unhappy at abandoning his original plan, but the rules had changed, and this would be so much quicker. If they hurried, then they could pull it off before the sisters worked out a way to get rid of them once and for all.
"Which sister will you isolate?" he asked.
She grinned. "Don't worry. I have one in mind." She walked towards him, glancing over at the alter and the book. "So, why has the Source got you doing his dirty work for him?"
He gave her a confused look. "The Source? Don't you know?"
"Know what? I remember he was always." A flash of realisation shot across her face. Inside her head, alarm bells rang out as a memory surfaced from her time watching over her sisters.
She paused, then ran over to the slab where her coffin still rested. "There's someone I need to talk to", she muttered as she sat down on the cold stone.
"Not again. Where are you going this time?"
"Relax. I'll be back soon." She closed her eyes and before he could say anything else, she had fallen back onto the slab, lifeless, her mind travelling somewhere else once again.
***
The sun was finally dragging itself out of bed to cover the Halliwell manor in a golden blanket. Birds sang as Phoebe flipped through the Book of Shadows with a sense of urgency, Paige watching intently from behind. Footsteps on the stairs turned into Piper, carrying a tray of coffee.
"Find anything?" she asked, setting the tray down on a dresser. She turned to see Phoebe throw her arms to the sky in frustration. "Apparently not."
"This is ridiculous. There is nothing in here about demons influencing dreams."
"Are we absolutely sure it was a dream," Paige chimed in, "because it seemed pretty real to me."
"Paige, we've been through this. I know it seemed real but it can't have been. It was just too weird."
"It was real enough to freak you out," Phoebe said to Piper, concern spreading over her face. "Are you OK now?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."
"Where's Leo, anyway?" Paige asked.
"He got called up there." She handed a cup to her. "Sounded pretty urgent." As if on cue, Leo appeared next to Phoebe in a swirl of blue lights. "Wow, that was quick. What did they want?"
Leo took a deep breath. "There's.er.a problem in the spirit world."
"What sort of problem?"
Well, to be honest.Prue has, kind of.gone missing."
Silence spread across the room like mist as the words sunk in. Phoebe was the first to speak. "Leo, how is it possible for a spirit to go missing?" She quickly began scouring the book again.
"I don't know. The only way the elders wouldn't immediately know is if she was forcibly removed."
"Who would have the power to do that?" she asked, turning the page again. Suddenly, her head was thrown back as a premonition hit her.
A man.demon.breaking a seal.opening a cave.mountains.heading inside.moving around.finding something.book.black.lifting it over his head in triumph.
.you OK? What did you see?"
Pipers voice broke through. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the images and come back down to earth.
"I saw a demon.breaking into a cave.stealing a book." She paused to catch her breath. "I think it was the Grimoire.and I'm pretty sure it was the past." She looked down at the page her hand had stopped on when the vision had hit. "That's him," she cried, pointing, "That's the demon who stole the book."
Piper rushed over to take a look and the picture caught her eye. She thought back to the day before. "That's the guy who came to the door yesterday. Hey, he was a demon! Don't they normally attack instead of asking for directions?"
"Maybe it wasn't you he was after," Paige said. "It says here that he's a wise, upper-level demon with telepathic abilities. He could've read your mind to find out where the Grimoire was hidden. Sorry honey, but he was only after your mind."
"I feel so used," Piper replied sarcastically. "But why would he want it? He'd better not be planning to coronate a new source in anytime soon." She looked over at Phoebe, who was wearing a strange expression. "Pheebs, what is it?"
"Remember the wizard who tried to resurrect his people? And then, when I went to the wasteland, Cole told me that I could use the spell in there to bring him back. Maybe this guy wanted the book for the same thing, only he used it to resurrect."
"Prue," Piper finished, quietly. Phoebe nodded. There was a pause as the implications set in.
Paige broke the silence. "So, where do we go from here?"
"What do you mean?" Phoebe interrupted. "It's obvious. We need to save her."
"But she's evil.isn't she?"
"No, she's just under this demons influence," Phoebe said as she flipped through the book.
"There must be something in the book about how to bring her back," Piper told her, watching over her shoulder.
Paige took a deep breath. She wasn't certain how this was going to turn out. "Are you sure?" she asked. She hurried on as Piper began staring intently at her. "I don't wanna sound like the evil witch here, but.I mean.she seemed pretty evil last night." she trailed off under the intense stares from her sisters.
Leo leapt to her rescue. "I think what Paige is trying to ask, as nicely as she can, is what are you gonna do if you can't find a way to get the evil out of her?"
There was a pause before Piper answered. "Leo, I hope your not suggesting what I think you are.because if you are, then how could you?"
"Piper, you know I love Prue too, and she was such a massive part of your lives..."
"She's our sister," Phoebe shouted, "And one of the charmed ones."
"No, Phoebe, she WAS your sister, but she died. I know it wasn't fair, but there's nothing you can do about it. Her place is up there now, not down here."
Piper looked up with tears in her eyes. "We can't just abandon her. We love her so much."
"Even more than me," Paige said softly. Piper and Phoebe both looked at her, surprised. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"Paige," Phoebe started, "How can you think that?"
Paige took a deep breath, then made up her mind. She couldn't keep it locked up anymore. "Because it's true. You don't realise it, but it's true. I can tell." She paused for a second, before turning and quickly heading out of the attic door.
"Are you OK?" Leo asked the girls after a few moments of silence.
"She's right," Phoebe said, "And I never realised until now, but." She headed over to the table and sat down on an old wooden chair. "It's just so hard. We've only known her for a short time, and Prue.it seemed like forever."
"I didn't think I'd ever get over her being gone," Piper said as she rested her arms on the book. "Now she's back.How are we supposed to react? We can't let her go again. Not when there's a chance." She trailed off, both her and Phoebe reflecting on the past, staring at Leo for an answer.
***
Magical storms thundered in the dark red sky and screams echoed through the cavernous, rocky valleys of the wasteland. Cole relaxed for the moment, preparing to escape if he was attacked again. Even though the creature was dead, he still felt uneasy here, expecting the world to throw some other nasty surprise at him when he was least expecting it.
He dashed around a large boulder as another scream reached his ears. He couldn't keep this up forever. For now he just had to keep running, but one day he would have to stop.
A strange rustling sound brought him back to his senses, coming from the other side of the boulder. He slowly peered around at the figure who had just appeared out of nowhere, and raised his eyebrows, puzzled.
"Prue" he whispered.
"Hey Cole," she replied, straightening up, "Good to see you again."
He slowly circled the rock until he was facing her, never taking his eyes off her. He was slightly surprised, but he had seen a lot of strange things in his life as a demon.
He smiled at her. "You're looking good for someone who died."
"Ditto."
"How did you end up here?"
She perched herself on the edge of a small rock. "Couple of demons brought me back, but that's not important. I'm back, and I'm guessing that you and I both want the same thing."
He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean? What could we have to talk about? It's no secret that you never really trusted me."
"Oh, come on Cole, that's all ancient history. Everything you did after I died proved, to me at least, that you were good after all. It's a pity the others didn't see it that way. Now, I think we both want revenge."
"Prue, that's not why I'm here."
"They killed us both!" she screamed at him. "They watched while Shax killed me, their loving sister, and how did they thank you for everything you did? How many times did you save their lives? Then you got taken over by the source, and instead of trying to save you by getting you out of his control, they vanquish you! What does that tell you about Phoebe's 'love'?" She paused to take a breath, then slowly walked towards him, stopping just in front. "And now she doesn't want anything else to do with you. You're angry, holding on for revenge. Join me, and we'll get even with them together."
He leant towards her slightly, growling as he spoke. "I'm only holding on here out of love for Phoebe. Say what you like, but I know that her love for me is real, just as much as mine is for her. She's been through a lot too, and she did what she had to so that the source would be gone once and for all." He was consumed with anger at Prue's words. He could see that she was under the influence of a powerful evil, and nothing he could say would help her. "I don't want anything to do with this.
He turned and began to walk away, hesitated, and turned back to her. "One day, Phoebe and I will be together again."
Prue stared at him for while, like she was trying to read his mind.
"You're a fool," she finally replied, before vanishing in a beam of red light, leaving Cole alone once more.
***
Paige kept a relative distance from her sisters for the rest of the morning, unsure of how they were reacting to her outburst. It wasn't easy, but it had to be said. They all knew it was true, and to a certain extent it should be true. She was the forgotten sister, always in the shadow of the great Prue Halliwell. How could she ever compete and be loved in the same way that Prue had, when they found her under such sad circumstances?
She found herself in the kitchen, stacking the dirty dishes without even realising, thinking of seeing Prue in the flesh for the first time. She was definitely an imposing figure, confident, everything people had said she was. Maybe if she could be more like her, but would that be the right thing to do?
She suddenly felt ill, like something was pulling on her stomach. She called out to her sisters and slowly made her way towards the door.
***
Phoebe heard Paige calling out for her, then the sound of something smashing in the kitchen. She ran from the living room, expecting to be faced with a demon, but instead coming up against.nothing. The room was empty - No demon, but no Paige either. A plate lay in fragments by the door, as if someone had dropped it.
"Piper, get down her," she hurriedly shouted upstairs. Piper quickly dashed down the stairs, arriving by her side.
"What is it? What's the matter?"
"It's Paige. She called to me and then, when I got here, she was gone."
"Well, don't worry," Piper said smoothly, holding on to Phoebe's shoulders. "She's probably fine. Maybe she just orbed out?"
"Why would she do that without telling us first?" She caught her breath, glancing around the room as if expecting to see her at any moment. "Call Leo, maybe he can sense her."
A second after Piper's call, Leo appeared. "What is it?" he asked. "We're still trying to work out where Prue is."
Phoebe interrupted. "Can you sense for Paige? She just disappeared."
He nodded, closing his eyes and putting on a look of intense concentration. After a minute he opened them again, looking more worried than he had before.
"I can't sense her anywhere," he said shakily.
Piper raised a hand to her mouth. Phoebe looked at him disbelievingly. "What do you mean? She must be somewhere."
"I can't get a read. Something's blocking her from my radar."
"Something evil?" Piper asked. Leo nodded.
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. "Book of Shadows, now." Piper ordered, "We have to get to her before she gets hurt." She turned and jogged back up the stairs.
"I hope she's not in too much trouble," Phoebe called as she ran up behind her.
***
In fact, Paige was in a great deal of trouble. She never enjoyed boxing, and the scene in front of her was something out of a nightmare.
Something had forcibly brought her into a large arena, big enough to seat thousands of people in tiered stands. The stands were crammed with demons and warlocks of all descriptions. Some looked human, others were mutilated beyond belief. They were al shouting and cheering, eager for something to happen. The stands lead down to a ring in the centre, and it was in the middle of this ring that she had appeared.
She tried to figure out what to do next. Running would be pointless, as there didn't seem to be anyway out of the arena. She tried to sense the manor so she could orb back, but there was nothing.
"Not thinking of leaving so soon, are you?"
She spun in the direction of the voice, but already knew who it was. Prue was behind her, examining her closely. "I wouldn't bother trying to escape. Good magic is neutralised in the ring. Got the idea from a demon academy we crashed once." She grinned. "I, of course, have no problem using my powers, being evil and all. I won't use them yet, though. Only fair I give you a sporting chance."
All Paige wanted to do was get out, but she knew there was no way. She was finally meeting Prue face-to-face, and she had her right where she wanted her. It wasn't the ideal first meeting. "Why the set-up?"
"Because these demons have had to put up with a lot over the last four years. It's time to give them a show to remember. Old against new, charmed versus charmed. Let's see how good you really are."
Paige backed into a corner and Prue shifted into position, diagonally facing her, a look of grim determination across her face.
"We fight to the death," Prue snarled, before bracing herself against the ropes guarding the edge of the ring, preparing to strike.
***
TBC
As before, I do not own Charmed and am in no way associated with it, and so on. You know the drill by now.
3. Sibling Rivalry
As the bench flew across the room, Piper instinctively threw out her hands to freeze it in mid-air, but she wasn't concentrating and accidentally blew it into pieces, spraying fragments of stone in every direction. Some hit the demons who blinked and shuddered, as if suddenly coming to life.
"We have to get out of here," Phoebe shouted, "Run!"
"But.Prue." Piper started.
"I don't think she's in any mood to talk right now. Come on."
Half-pulling Piper behind them, Phoebe and Paige dashed out of the chamber and into the corridor. Prue swung round, taking in the demons around her.
"Well, don't just stand there, get after them," she cried. The demons instantly turned and started running after the sisters, the sound of stomping feet echoing throughout the chamber. Prue started to follow, but stopped at a sudden sensation, as if someone was trying to pull her somewhere. She remembered experiencing something like it before.
"No," she shouted, "I won't let you take me back, I'm not finished yet."
***
Paige pulled Piper around another corner, hearing the demons following closely behind.
"What do we do?" she shouted to Phoebe, who was checking on how far ahead they were.
"Well, we can't fight them, there's too many. Maybe if we could get up to the attic then we could."
"How? We don't even know if were in the house anymore. You try finding the attic stairs. Anyway, shouldn't we just wake up in a minute?"
"I don't know.I'm not sure it's a dream. It all seems pretty real to me."
They spun around a sharp turn left, expecting to see an army of demons charging at them, so it was quite a surprise to be faced with a dead-end. Phoebe tried to spot another way out, but the only possible direction was, judging by the sound of approaching footsteps, not an option.
"OK. I think were done playing here." She turned to Paige, who was still clutching a distraught Piper. "Orb us out of here. Quick."
"I can't."
"What? What do you mean, you can't?
"I can't sense anywhere to orb to. I don't know where we are but it's gotta be pretty far away from home."
Phoebe's answer was lost in the roar behind her. The demons had caught up, their faces remaining expressionless, their intent all too obvious.
They clustered behind the leaders, row on row, silently watching. Silence descended.and then the leader raised his arm, the vivid blue of an energy ball forming in his palm, brought it back slowly, and released it.
***
And then Paige woke up.
She sat up sharply, gasping for air, trying to shake those final images from her mind. Never had she seen so many demons in one place before. Not even when they'd vanquished the Seer. It had seemed so real, and they'd nearly lost.
That's because it was real, she told herself. That was no dream. It was real.
***
It took a few seconds for everything to come back into focus before Prue remembered where she was. The demon she'd seen Tepaleth with was kneeling a few feet away, an almost concerned look crossing his face. She turned her head to see Tepaleth standing at the alter, the black book open in front of him.
She glared angrily at him. "I hate it when people do that."
"What were you trying to achieve?" he asked.
She shrugged as she climbed to her feet. "Revenge was pretty much what I had in mind."
"Well, I hope it was worth it, because now the witches know that you're back they'll be knocking on the door any second to vanquish us all. There's no way we'll be able to."
"Look", she shouted back at him, "I don't know what you're original plan was, but I really couldn't care less. All I'm interested in is seeing my dear sisters again. Oh, and making them pay for what they did, of course."
"My plan was to wait until you were strong enough before attacking them. With them all together, there's no way you'll be able to beat them. It's impossible."
"Not if we can isolate one from the others."
Tepaleth paused, considering what she had just said. "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? We separate them. I know just the spell that can do it. Shouldn't be too hard for me then, right?"
"One witch alone would be fair game," Lennox said to Tepaleth. He continued to stare at her, judging up her words in his mind. He was unhappy at abandoning his original plan, but the rules had changed, and this would be so much quicker. If they hurried, then they could pull it off before the sisters worked out a way to get rid of them once and for all.
"Which sister will you isolate?" he asked.
She grinned. "Don't worry. I have one in mind." She walked towards him, glancing over at the alter and the book. "So, why has the Source got you doing his dirty work for him?"
He gave her a confused look. "The Source? Don't you know?"
"Know what? I remember he was always." A flash of realisation shot across her face. Inside her head, alarm bells rang out as a memory surfaced from her time watching over her sisters.
She paused, then ran over to the slab where her coffin still rested. "There's someone I need to talk to", she muttered as she sat down on the cold stone.
"Not again. Where are you going this time?"
"Relax. I'll be back soon." She closed her eyes and before he could say anything else, she had fallen back onto the slab, lifeless, her mind travelling somewhere else once again.
***
The sun was finally dragging itself out of bed to cover the Halliwell manor in a golden blanket. Birds sang as Phoebe flipped through the Book of Shadows with a sense of urgency, Paige watching intently from behind. Footsteps on the stairs turned into Piper, carrying a tray of coffee.
"Find anything?" she asked, setting the tray down on a dresser. She turned to see Phoebe throw her arms to the sky in frustration. "Apparently not."
"This is ridiculous. There is nothing in here about demons influencing dreams."
"Are we absolutely sure it was a dream," Paige chimed in, "because it seemed pretty real to me."
"Paige, we've been through this. I know it seemed real but it can't have been. It was just too weird."
"It was real enough to freak you out," Phoebe said to Piper, concern spreading over her face. "Are you OK now?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."
"Where's Leo, anyway?" Paige asked.
"He got called up there." She handed a cup to her. "Sounded pretty urgent." As if on cue, Leo appeared next to Phoebe in a swirl of blue lights. "Wow, that was quick. What did they want?"
Leo took a deep breath. "There's.er.a problem in the spirit world."
"What sort of problem?"
Well, to be honest.Prue has, kind of.gone missing."
Silence spread across the room like mist as the words sunk in. Phoebe was the first to speak. "Leo, how is it possible for a spirit to go missing?" She quickly began scouring the book again.
"I don't know. The only way the elders wouldn't immediately know is if she was forcibly removed."
"Who would have the power to do that?" she asked, turning the page again. Suddenly, her head was thrown back as a premonition hit her.
A man.demon.breaking a seal.opening a cave.mountains.heading inside.moving around.finding something.book.black.lifting it over his head in triumph.
.you OK? What did you see?"
Pipers voice broke through. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the images and come back down to earth.
"I saw a demon.breaking into a cave.stealing a book." She paused to catch her breath. "I think it was the Grimoire.and I'm pretty sure it was the past." She looked down at the page her hand had stopped on when the vision had hit. "That's him," she cried, pointing, "That's the demon who stole the book."
Piper rushed over to take a look and the picture caught her eye. She thought back to the day before. "That's the guy who came to the door yesterday. Hey, he was a demon! Don't they normally attack instead of asking for directions?"
"Maybe it wasn't you he was after," Paige said. "It says here that he's a wise, upper-level demon with telepathic abilities. He could've read your mind to find out where the Grimoire was hidden. Sorry honey, but he was only after your mind."
"I feel so used," Piper replied sarcastically. "But why would he want it? He'd better not be planning to coronate a new source in anytime soon." She looked over at Phoebe, who was wearing a strange expression. "Pheebs, what is it?"
"Remember the wizard who tried to resurrect his people? And then, when I went to the wasteland, Cole told me that I could use the spell in there to bring him back. Maybe this guy wanted the book for the same thing, only he used it to resurrect."
"Prue," Piper finished, quietly. Phoebe nodded. There was a pause as the implications set in.
Paige broke the silence. "So, where do we go from here?"
"What do you mean?" Phoebe interrupted. "It's obvious. We need to save her."
"But she's evil.isn't she?"
"No, she's just under this demons influence," Phoebe said as she flipped through the book.
"There must be something in the book about how to bring her back," Piper told her, watching over her shoulder.
Paige took a deep breath. She wasn't certain how this was going to turn out. "Are you sure?" she asked. She hurried on as Piper began staring intently at her. "I don't wanna sound like the evil witch here, but.I mean.she seemed pretty evil last night." she trailed off under the intense stares from her sisters.
Leo leapt to her rescue. "I think what Paige is trying to ask, as nicely as she can, is what are you gonna do if you can't find a way to get the evil out of her?"
There was a pause before Piper answered. "Leo, I hope your not suggesting what I think you are.because if you are, then how could you?"
"Piper, you know I love Prue too, and she was such a massive part of your lives..."
"She's our sister," Phoebe shouted, "And one of the charmed ones."
"No, Phoebe, she WAS your sister, but she died. I know it wasn't fair, but there's nothing you can do about it. Her place is up there now, not down here."
Piper looked up with tears in her eyes. "We can't just abandon her. We love her so much."
"Even more than me," Paige said softly. Piper and Phoebe both looked at her, surprised. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"Paige," Phoebe started, "How can you think that?"
Paige took a deep breath, then made up her mind. She couldn't keep it locked up anymore. "Because it's true. You don't realise it, but it's true. I can tell." She paused for a second, before turning and quickly heading out of the attic door.
"Are you OK?" Leo asked the girls after a few moments of silence.
"She's right," Phoebe said, "And I never realised until now, but." She headed over to the table and sat down on an old wooden chair. "It's just so hard. We've only known her for a short time, and Prue.it seemed like forever."
"I didn't think I'd ever get over her being gone," Piper said as she rested her arms on the book. "Now she's back.How are we supposed to react? We can't let her go again. Not when there's a chance." She trailed off, both her and Phoebe reflecting on the past, staring at Leo for an answer.
***
Magical storms thundered in the dark red sky and screams echoed through the cavernous, rocky valleys of the wasteland. Cole relaxed for the moment, preparing to escape if he was attacked again. Even though the creature was dead, he still felt uneasy here, expecting the world to throw some other nasty surprise at him when he was least expecting it.
He dashed around a large boulder as another scream reached his ears. He couldn't keep this up forever. For now he just had to keep running, but one day he would have to stop.
A strange rustling sound brought him back to his senses, coming from the other side of the boulder. He slowly peered around at the figure who had just appeared out of nowhere, and raised his eyebrows, puzzled.
"Prue" he whispered.
"Hey Cole," she replied, straightening up, "Good to see you again."
He slowly circled the rock until he was facing her, never taking his eyes off her. He was slightly surprised, but he had seen a lot of strange things in his life as a demon.
He smiled at her. "You're looking good for someone who died."
"Ditto."
"How did you end up here?"
She perched herself on the edge of a small rock. "Couple of demons brought me back, but that's not important. I'm back, and I'm guessing that you and I both want the same thing."
He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean? What could we have to talk about? It's no secret that you never really trusted me."
"Oh, come on Cole, that's all ancient history. Everything you did after I died proved, to me at least, that you were good after all. It's a pity the others didn't see it that way. Now, I think we both want revenge."
"Prue, that's not why I'm here."
"They killed us both!" she screamed at him. "They watched while Shax killed me, their loving sister, and how did they thank you for everything you did? How many times did you save their lives? Then you got taken over by the source, and instead of trying to save you by getting you out of his control, they vanquish you! What does that tell you about Phoebe's 'love'?" She paused to take a breath, then slowly walked towards him, stopping just in front. "And now she doesn't want anything else to do with you. You're angry, holding on for revenge. Join me, and we'll get even with them together."
He leant towards her slightly, growling as he spoke. "I'm only holding on here out of love for Phoebe. Say what you like, but I know that her love for me is real, just as much as mine is for her. She's been through a lot too, and she did what she had to so that the source would be gone once and for all." He was consumed with anger at Prue's words. He could see that she was under the influence of a powerful evil, and nothing he could say would help her. "I don't want anything to do with this.
He turned and began to walk away, hesitated, and turned back to her. "One day, Phoebe and I will be together again."
Prue stared at him for while, like she was trying to read his mind.
"You're a fool," she finally replied, before vanishing in a beam of red light, leaving Cole alone once more.
***
Paige kept a relative distance from her sisters for the rest of the morning, unsure of how they were reacting to her outburst. It wasn't easy, but it had to be said. They all knew it was true, and to a certain extent it should be true. She was the forgotten sister, always in the shadow of the great Prue Halliwell. How could she ever compete and be loved in the same way that Prue had, when they found her under such sad circumstances?
She found herself in the kitchen, stacking the dirty dishes without even realising, thinking of seeing Prue in the flesh for the first time. She was definitely an imposing figure, confident, everything people had said she was. Maybe if she could be more like her, but would that be the right thing to do?
She suddenly felt ill, like something was pulling on her stomach. She called out to her sisters and slowly made her way towards the door.
***
Phoebe heard Paige calling out for her, then the sound of something smashing in the kitchen. She ran from the living room, expecting to be faced with a demon, but instead coming up against.nothing. The room was empty - No demon, but no Paige either. A plate lay in fragments by the door, as if someone had dropped it.
"Piper, get down her," she hurriedly shouted upstairs. Piper quickly dashed down the stairs, arriving by her side.
"What is it? What's the matter?"
"It's Paige. She called to me and then, when I got here, she was gone."
"Well, don't worry," Piper said smoothly, holding on to Phoebe's shoulders. "She's probably fine. Maybe she just orbed out?"
"Why would she do that without telling us first?" She caught her breath, glancing around the room as if expecting to see her at any moment. "Call Leo, maybe he can sense her."
A second after Piper's call, Leo appeared. "What is it?" he asked. "We're still trying to work out where Prue is."
Phoebe interrupted. "Can you sense for Paige? She just disappeared."
He nodded, closing his eyes and putting on a look of intense concentration. After a minute he opened them again, looking more worried than he had before.
"I can't sense her anywhere," he said shakily.
Piper raised a hand to her mouth. Phoebe looked at him disbelievingly. "What do you mean? She must be somewhere."
"I can't get a read. Something's blocking her from my radar."
"Something evil?" Piper asked. Leo nodded.
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. "Book of Shadows, now." Piper ordered, "We have to get to her before she gets hurt." She turned and jogged back up the stairs.
"I hope she's not in too much trouble," Phoebe called as she ran up behind her.
***
In fact, Paige was in a great deal of trouble. She never enjoyed boxing, and the scene in front of her was something out of a nightmare.
Something had forcibly brought her into a large arena, big enough to seat thousands of people in tiered stands. The stands were crammed with demons and warlocks of all descriptions. Some looked human, others were mutilated beyond belief. They were al shouting and cheering, eager for something to happen. The stands lead down to a ring in the centre, and it was in the middle of this ring that she had appeared.
She tried to figure out what to do next. Running would be pointless, as there didn't seem to be anyway out of the arena. She tried to sense the manor so she could orb back, but there was nothing.
"Not thinking of leaving so soon, are you?"
She spun in the direction of the voice, but already knew who it was. Prue was behind her, examining her closely. "I wouldn't bother trying to escape. Good magic is neutralised in the ring. Got the idea from a demon academy we crashed once." She grinned. "I, of course, have no problem using my powers, being evil and all. I won't use them yet, though. Only fair I give you a sporting chance."
All Paige wanted to do was get out, but she knew there was no way. She was finally meeting Prue face-to-face, and she had her right where she wanted her. It wasn't the ideal first meeting. "Why the set-up?"
"Because these demons have had to put up with a lot over the last four years. It's time to give them a show to remember. Old against new, charmed versus charmed. Let's see how good you really are."
Paige backed into a corner and Prue shifted into position, diagonally facing her, a look of grim determination across her face.
"We fight to the death," Prue snarled, before bracing herself against the ropes guarding the edge of the ring, preparing to strike.
***
TBC