FOUR
"Piper," said Prue.
"She can't hear you," said Andy.
"I know," said Prue. "I only wish she could. So I could tell
her how much I love her. How much she means to me."
"If she decides to release her rage," said Andy, "you'll know it
instantly."
"What do I do?" asked Prue. "How do I draw it out of her?"
"I can't answer that," said Andy. "It's not the same for
everyone. But I know you'll find a way. You were always the most
resourceful person I ever met.
"Your first instinct will be to turn away from it. You'll have
to fight that. Remember, you're the only one who can save her.
You're in no danger, but as the Elder said, it might be uncomfortable
for you."
Prue watched as the Piper-Fury fought with Cole. She struggled
to break his hold as he told her to let go of her anger. To tell Prue
how she felt.
Suddenly, Piper turned to Prues' crypt. At the same instant,
Prue felt the rage and hatred inside Piper sweep over her. Piper was
trying to release it. Prue fought the urge to turn from it. It was a
repulsive, wicked feeling. If Prue had still been alive, she had no
doubt it would have made her physically ill. Little wonder Piper had
succumbed to the Furies.
But Prue had no idea how to draw the rage from Piper. As
revolting as the feeling was, Prue knew it was only a fraction of what
Piper was feeling. Piper was trying to release that rage, but it had
nowhere to go. Unless Prue could figure out a way to draw it from her
sister, Piper was doomed.
"Oh, Piper," cried Prue, "I don't know what to do. I don't know
how to help you. Piper, honey, help me. I love you. Show me what I
need to do."
Suddenly Piper broke free of Cole's hold. She turned to the
crypt and began pounding furiously on it.
"Why?" screamed Piper, tears streaming down her face, "why did
you leave me? Why did you have to die on me? How could you desert me
like that?"
Prue felt the brunt of Piper's rage and hatred hit here. It was
malevolence unlike anything she had ever felt before. Almost as if it
were a living thing, trying to suffocate her. It was almost
unbearable.
For an instant, Prue started to turn from the wave of vile that
was washing over her. Then she stopped. No, she swore to herself,
she wouldn't turn away. No matter how vile and repulsive this was.
She had always been there for Piper before. Through every heartache,
every disaster, every tribulation.
When their father had walked out. When their mother had died.
When grams had passed. They had been there for each other. Giving
each other their love and strength. That was how Prue would drain the
rage from Piper. By giving her sister her own strength. Allow her to
force that rage out of her.
This would be the last time Prue would be able to be there for
Piper. She couldn't let her sister down now, no matter how vile and
disgusting it might be. Now, more than any other time, Piper needed
her. Prue turned and faced the onslaught of the rage and hatred that
assaulted her.
As Piper pounded on the grave, tears streaming down her face,
Prue endured. Wave after wave washed over Prue as she sought to draw
even more out of her sister. The rage and hatred threatened to
overwhelm and consume her.
With each wave of rage and hatred, the intensity weakened.
Little by little it lost strength as Prue pulled more out of Piper.
The bond formed by the two through years of adversity gave Prue the
strength and courage to take all of Pipers' hatred. The bond was a
power that made even the Power of Three pale by comparison.
Suddenly, Piper changed. The markings of the Furies vanished.
Piper slumped to the floor of the mausoleum, herself once more. Free
of the evil that had threatened to consume her.
Just as suddenly, the waves of rage and hatred ceased washing
over Prue. All Prue felt now was grief and sadness. There was a
twinge of anger mixed in but Prue decided that was probably normal.
It was natural to feel a little anger when someone you cared for left
you.
"That's it," said Andy, putting his hand on Prue's shoulder.
"You've done it. You saved it."
"Andy, I can take it all from her," said Prue. "All the grief,
all the sadness, everything. I can save Piper from going through it."
"No," said Andy, "you can't. A certain amount of grief is
necessary for her. Just as it was necessary for you when I died. But
she can handle it now. She's through the worst of it."
Prue looked at here sister once more as Piper sat on the floor
of the crypt sobbing. She knew Piper would be okay. Her only regret
was that she couldn't appear to Piper. To let her know everything was
going to be all right.
"We need to be going," said Andy. "You did what you came here
to do. It's time we returned to the others."
"So," said Prue, putting her arm around Andy, "just how did you
become so smart?"
"I thought you knew," said Andy, smiling coyly.
"Knew what?" asked Prue.
"White Lighters know a great many things," said Andy as he orbed
them out of the mausoleum.
"Piper," said Prue.
"She can't hear you," said Andy.
"I know," said Prue. "I only wish she could. So I could tell
her how much I love her. How much she means to me."
"If she decides to release her rage," said Andy, "you'll know it
instantly."
"What do I do?" asked Prue. "How do I draw it out of her?"
"I can't answer that," said Andy. "It's not the same for
everyone. But I know you'll find a way. You were always the most
resourceful person I ever met.
"Your first instinct will be to turn away from it. You'll have
to fight that. Remember, you're the only one who can save her.
You're in no danger, but as the Elder said, it might be uncomfortable
for you."
Prue watched as the Piper-Fury fought with Cole. She struggled
to break his hold as he told her to let go of her anger. To tell Prue
how she felt.
Suddenly, Piper turned to Prues' crypt. At the same instant,
Prue felt the rage and hatred inside Piper sweep over her. Piper was
trying to release it. Prue fought the urge to turn from it. It was a
repulsive, wicked feeling. If Prue had still been alive, she had no
doubt it would have made her physically ill. Little wonder Piper had
succumbed to the Furies.
But Prue had no idea how to draw the rage from Piper. As
revolting as the feeling was, Prue knew it was only a fraction of what
Piper was feeling. Piper was trying to release that rage, but it had
nowhere to go. Unless Prue could figure out a way to draw it from her
sister, Piper was doomed.
"Oh, Piper," cried Prue, "I don't know what to do. I don't know
how to help you. Piper, honey, help me. I love you. Show me what I
need to do."
Suddenly Piper broke free of Cole's hold. She turned to the
crypt and began pounding furiously on it.
"Why?" screamed Piper, tears streaming down her face, "why did
you leave me? Why did you have to die on me? How could you desert me
like that?"
Prue felt the brunt of Piper's rage and hatred hit here. It was
malevolence unlike anything she had ever felt before. Almost as if it
were a living thing, trying to suffocate her. It was almost
unbearable.
For an instant, Prue started to turn from the wave of vile that
was washing over her. Then she stopped. No, she swore to herself,
she wouldn't turn away. No matter how vile and repulsive this was.
She had always been there for Piper before. Through every heartache,
every disaster, every tribulation.
When their father had walked out. When their mother had died.
When grams had passed. They had been there for each other. Giving
each other their love and strength. That was how Prue would drain the
rage from Piper. By giving her sister her own strength. Allow her to
force that rage out of her.
This would be the last time Prue would be able to be there for
Piper. She couldn't let her sister down now, no matter how vile and
disgusting it might be. Now, more than any other time, Piper needed
her. Prue turned and faced the onslaught of the rage and hatred that
assaulted her.
As Piper pounded on the grave, tears streaming down her face,
Prue endured. Wave after wave washed over Prue as she sought to draw
even more out of her sister. The rage and hatred threatened to
overwhelm and consume her.
With each wave of rage and hatred, the intensity weakened.
Little by little it lost strength as Prue pulled more out of Piper.
The bond formed by the two through years of adversity gave Prue the
strength and courage to take all of Pipers' hatred. The bond was a
power that made even the Power of Three pale by comparison.
Suddenly, Piper changed. The markings of the Furies vanished.
Piper slumped to the floor of the mausoleum, herself once more. Free
of the evil that had threatened to consume her.
Just as suddenly, the waves of rage and hatred ceased washing
over Prue. All Prue felt now was grief and sadness. There was a
twinge of anger mixed in but Prue decided that was probably normal.
It was natural to feel a little anger when someone you cared for left
you.
"That's it," said Andy, putting his hand on Prue's shoulder.
"You've done it. You saved it."
"Andy, I can take it all from her," said Prue. "All the grief,
all the sadness, everything. I can save Piper from going through it."
"No," said Andy, "you can't. A certain amount of grief is
necessary for her. Just as it was necessary for you when I died. But
she can handle it now. She's through the worst of it."
Prue looked at here sister once more as Piper sat on the floor
of the crypt sobbing. She knew Piper would be okay. Her only regret
was that she couldn't appear to Piper. To let her know everything was
going to be all right.
"We need to be going," said Andy. "You did what you came here
to do. It's time we returned to the others."
"So," said Prue, putting her arm around Andy, "just how did you
become so smart?"
"I thought you knew," said Andy, smiling coyly.
"Knew what?" asked Prue.
"White Lighters know a great many things," said Andy as he orbed
them out of the mausoleum.