THREE
"There must be something we can do," protested Prue. "Some way
to get through to her."
"She wouldn't listen to anyone," said the Elder. "Her rage
nearly consumes her."
"Surely you of all people should understand the futility that
words provide at a time like this," said a man dressed in all black
who came walking out of the mist.
"Death," said Prue, recognizing the figure.
"Do you remember your own unwillingness to accept the death of
your mother?" asked Death. "The years that you harbored your anger
and resentment of me? How it seems so unfair that I had taken her
from you?"
"I remember," said Prue. "I also remember that I did eventually
come to accept it. You showed me how wrong I was for doing that."
"But not right away," said Death. "That's where Piper is now.
But she was with you when you died. That has intensified her feelings
about your death. Yours was more of a slow boil, building over years,
making you immune to the power of the Furies. Hers is more of a
raging bonfire. An all-consuming rage that threatens to destroy her
and all those around her."
"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Prue.
"Not at the moment," said the Elder. "There will come a point
where she will have to make a choice. To release her anger and get on
with her life. Or to hold onto it and hold it inside of her. At that
point, it may be possible to redeem her. But until she reaches that
point, we can do nothing but watch and pray."
Prue felt helpless. Death left the group alone, returning to
his task of ending peoples' Earthly existence. Neither a good nor an
evil thing, as Prue had once believed. It simply was. Death comes to
all. It had taken her a very long time to accept that.
But Piper hadn't accepted that yet. She still believed that she
could bring Prue back to her. To restore the sister who had meant so
much to her. Prue and Piper had a bond that neither had with Phoebe.
That bond had made Prues' death especially hard on Piper.
Prue could only stand by and watch as the Furies used their
power to amplify Pipers' rage. To make her as they were. And she
watched as her sister, now consumed of near total rage and anger, set
out in search of victims of her own.
"She has to release her anger over Death," said Prue. "She has
to save herself."
"She's not angry at Death," said the Elder. "Death, she
understands."
"Her anger is at you," said Patty, "for leaving her. Especially
with a violent death, people need someone to blame. To give the death
meaning. To know that there was a reason the person died and it
wasn't just in vain."
"Unfortunately," said Penny, "too often the anger is
misdirected. The person in pain lashes out at the very person who has
died. Blaming then when they really had nothing to do with it."
"Wait," said the Elder. "It is nearly time. In a moment, Piper
will have to make her decision. Whether to release her anger or
continue to feed on it."
"Prue looked in the mirror. She watched as Cole held Piper,
trying to restrain her. To keep her from hurting herself or someone
else. Suddenly, Prue watched as Cole shimmered and he and Piper
vanished. Almost instantly she saw them appear in the mausoleum.
Next to Prue's crypt.
"Now," said the Elder, "it is time. If she is going to release
it, it will be now."
He turned to Prue.
"You're the object of her misplaced rage," said the Elder.
"Only you can save her now. Andrew is going to take you to Piper. If
she chooses to release her anger, you must pull it from her. Give it
a place to go. So that it doesn't remain inside her to consume her.
"You are in no danger, I assure you. You will simply be a
conduit for Pipers' rage to escape her. The experience may be a bit
unpleasant, but the rage cannot harm you. If you can drain it from
Piper, it will dissipate away harmlessly. If you can't, she'll be
lost forever."
"That's not going to happen," vowed Prue.
"They won't be able to see or hear you," said the Elder.
"You'll be nothing more than a shadow in the darkness while you're
there. I wish you luck."
Prue took Andy's arm and suddenly they appeared in the mausoleum
near Piper and Cole.
"There must be something we can do," protested Prue. "Some way
to get through to her."
"She wouldn't listen to anyone," said the Elder. "Her rage
nearly consumes her."
"Surely you of all people should understand the futility that
words provide at a time like this," said a man dressed in all black
who came walking out of the mist.
"Death," said Prue, recognizing the figure.
"Do you remember your own unwillingness to accept the death of
your mother?" asked Death. "The years that you harbored your anger
and resentment of me? How it seems so unfair that I had taken her
from you?"
"I remember," said Prue. "I also remember that I did eventually
come to accept it. You showed me how wrong I was for doing that."
"But not right away," said Death. "That's where Piper is now.
But she was with you when you died. That has intensified her feelings
about your death. Yours was more of a slow boil, building over years,
making you immune to the power of the Furies. Hers is more of a
raging bonfire. An all-consuming rage that threatens to destroy her
and all those around her."
"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Prue.
"Not at the moment," said the Elder. "There will come a point
where she will have to make a choice. To release her anger and get on
with her life. Or to hold onto it and hold it inside of her. At that
point, it may be possible to redeem her. But until she reaches that
point, we can do nothing but watch and pray."
Prue felt helpless. Death left the group alone, returning to
his task of ending peoples' Earthly existence. Neither a good nor an
evil thing, as Prue had once believed. It simply was. Death comes to
all. It had taken her a very long time to accept that.
But Piper hadn't accepted that yet. She still believed that she
could bring Prue back to her. To restore the sister who had meant so
much to her. Prue and Piper had a bond that neither had with Phoebe.
That bond had made Prues' death especially hard on Piper.
Prue could only stand by and watch as the Furies used their
power to amplify Pipers' rage. To make her as they were. And she
watched as her sister, now consumed of near total rage and anger, set
out in search of victims of her own.
"She has to release her anger over Death," said Prue. "She has
to save herself."
"She's not angry at Death," said the Elder. "Death, she
understands."
"Her anger is at you," said Patty, "for leaving her. Especially
with a violent death, people need someone to blame. To give the death
meaning. To know that there was a reason the person died and it
wasn't just in vain."
"Unfortunately," said Penny, "too often the anger is
misdirected. The person in pain lashes out at the very person who has
died. Blaming then when they really had nothing to do with it."
"Wait," said the Elder. "It is nearly time. In a moment, Piper
will have to make her decision. Whether to release her anger or
continue to feed on it."
"Prue looked in the mirror. She watched as Cole held Piper,
trying to restrain her. To keep her from hurting herself or someone
else. Suddenly, Prue watched as Cole shimmered and he and Piper
vanished. Almost instantly she saw them appear in the mausoleum.
Next to Prue's crypt.
"Now," said the Elder, "it is time. If she is going to release
it, it will be now."
He turned to Prue.
"You're the object of her misplaced rage," said the Elder.
"Only you can save her now. Andrew is going to take you to Piper. If
she chooses to release her anger, you must pull it from her. Give it
a place to go. So that it doesn't remain inside her to consume her.
"You are in no danger, I assure you. You will simply be a
conduit for Pipers' rage to escape her. The experience may be a bit
unpleasant, but the rage cannot harm you. If you can drain it from
Piper, it will dissipate away harmlessly. If you can't, she'll be
lost forever."
"That's not going to happen," vowed Prue.
"They won't be able to see or hear you," said the Elder.
"You'll be nothing more than a shadow in the darkness while you're
there. I wish you luck."
Prue took Andy's arm and suddenly they appeared in the mausoleum
near Piper and Cole.