CHAPTER 2: Invasion
After Tom and Melinda had been put to sleep, Phoebe, Piper, Paige, Leo, and Michael went down to the living room to talk.
"Leo, are you sure the Elders don't know anything about this demon?" asked Piper.
"If there's a Guardian on Earth, the Elders didn't know, nor do they know about the demon," he answered. "Remember, the Guardians are the highest power on our side in this realm, so they can act without the Elders ever knowing."
"Well, we didn't find anything in the Book, even after giving Grams our 'we're clueless' routine," said Paige.
"And except for Michael, our powers are useless against it," added Phoebe.
"How could the Elders not know anything about this demon?" Michael wondered.
"Because he wasn't from this realm," said a new voice.
They whirled around to see Cole and Katrina blur into the room.
"Cole," said Michael, standing up. "Who's this?"
"This is Katrina," said Cole. "She's one of the Guardians." Seeing their shocked faces, Cole explained why Katrina was on Earth.
"Well, that certainly explains why the demon came here looking for her," said Piper. "The question is what kind of demon is that, and why is it so interested in you?"
"Was," Cole corrected. Seeing Piper's glare, he said, "Katrina, why don't you tell them?" They all sat down again.
"The demon you faced is known as a Ravager, a spy, sent to kill me and use my powers to enter the Guardian realm, and ultimately kill us all. The Ravagers are the soldier demons of a group known as the Devourers."
"Why haven't we seen them before?" asked Phoebe.
"Because of the Avatars," answered Katrina. "The Devourers felt that the Avatars would accomplish their goals, and benefit all evil in the process, so they left this realm alone. When Cole and Michael destroyed the Avatars, we had hoped that it would have shown the Devourers that they should stay away. We couldn't have been more wrong. They are more determined than ever."
"So, who exactly are they?" asked Piper.
"The Devourers exist in a universe completely separate from ours. It is a realm of absolute chaos. They control everything in that realm. Their ultimate goal is to gain control of all the realms. Unfortunately, every realm they have ever invaded has been decimated and reformed to their liking. We Guardians are the only thing standing in their way for this realm. At the moment, they can only open portals for a short period of time, and it takes them a while to build up enough power to open one. If they manage to kill us, they will invade without restraint."
"How can we stop them?" asked Paige.
"We had thought that we Guardians were the only ones with enough power to stop them," said Katrina. "However, it appears that Michael and Cole, having retained the powers they received as Avatars, have enough power to fight against the Devourers. Unfortunately, they are the only ones."
"Which means the Power of Three is useless," said Michael in frustration. "No offense, honey."
"None taken," Phoebe replied.
"We do have something else to our advantage," said Katrina. "We're only vulnerable while I'm on Earth. Once Azar comes and takes me back, we should be fine."
"So, all we have to do is keep you safe until then," Cole concluded.
"Exactly," said Katrina.
"It would probably be a good idea if the two of you stay here," said Michael. "We're stronger together. Unfortunately, you'll have to stay down here, since at the moment there is a lack of bedrooms in this place."
"Ok," said Cole. "Let's get set up."
****
Lightning crackled around the Devourers' castle. The nine Devourers were in a heated discussion of what to do with the Earth realm.
"What do you mean, our assassin failed?" snarled Xorl, leader of the Devourers.
"It appears we underestimated the magical beings living in the Earth realm," said Nikto. "Apparently, there are some with enough power to kill us."
"Are there any suggestions for our next move?" asked Xorl.
"We should allow our other sleepers to begin moving," suggested Loptra. "The reports said it took two of these beings to vanquish Kolatar. They will not be able to handle multiple Ravagers."
"We'll soon find out, won't we?" said Xorl. "Order the other sleepers in Kolatar's cell to go active." He waved his hand in disgust, dismissing the meeting.
****
Cole woke the next morning feeling very exhausted. He'd stayed up half the night keeping an eye on Katrina while Michael had helped the girls cast a protection spell for the Manor against the Ravagers. Nobody was really sure how effective the spell would be, but it was better than nothing.
As Cole gazed at Katrina's sleeping form, he felt a longing within him, a desire for companionship, something he hadn't felt since he'd been with Phoebe. It startled him with realization, but it felt wonderful to feel for someone again.
Cole bent over and gently shook her. "Katrina, wake up."
She groaned and opened her eyes. "Oh, hi, Cole," she said, rubbing her face. "What time is it?"
"It's about ten in the morning," he said, handing her the clothes Azar had given to her. "Piper will probably be down soon to make breakfast, so I figured I'd wake you up beforehand."
"Thanks, I appreciate that," she said, pulling the clothes under her sleeping bag to put them on. "Sleep is very interesting. I never realized how tired mortals could get."
"Try finding out how hard it is to have to walk everywhere, and then you'll understand what it means to be mortal," said Cole, remembering his short time as a mortal.
Just then, Piper came down the stairs, followed by Leo, who was holding Wyatt. "Morning, Cole, morning, Katrina," she greeted them. "Did you sleep well?"
"For my first time," said Katrina with a small giggle, "I think it was pretty good."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that," she said with a smile. Turning to Leo, she said, "Honey, why don't you put Wyatt in the playpen and come help me?"
"Sure, no problem," said Leo, doing as his wife asked. "Katrina, do you want to help too?"
"I'd like that," she said. "I've never actually cooked anything before. This should be fun."
Cole barely suppressed his laughter as Katrina walked into the kitchen. She was so wonderful and sweet that he wondered where she'd been his whole life. And that's when the realization completely hit him.
He was falling in love with her. There was no mistaking it.
"Penny for your thoughts," said Michael, breaking Cole's musings.
Cole jumped slightly and turned to face his cousin. "Michael, DON'T sneak up on me like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"If it were still possible for you to have one," he said, chuckling. "I get the impression you were thinking about a certain blonde-haired, blue- eyed woman who happens to be staying here right now?"
Cole's eyes widened slightly. "What makes you think that?" he asked.
"Oh, come on," Michael cajoled. "It doesn't take my sixth sense to see that you love her. You stare at her practically nonstop."
"I do?" Cole said.
"You should tell her how you feel," suggested Michael.
"Why? Pretty soon, she'll be gone, and I'll be alone again," said Cole sadly.
"I don't know, but I think it's better that you tell her the truth while you still can. If you love her that much, you owe her that."
"Thanks for the advice, Michael," said Cole with a small smile. As he turned to walk into the kitchen, Michael put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Was there something else?"
"Yes, actually," said Michael, lowering his voice even more. "It's about our powers."
"What about them?"
"Well, I don't know about you," he began, "but even after everything we've gone through in the past couple of months, doesn't it strike you very oddly that we're as powerful as we are?"
"A little," Cole admitted. "Why do you ask?"
"I might be crazy, but I think my powers have grown overnight," he said.
"What makes you think that?" Cole asked, very curious.
"When I fought that Ravager, I felt power rising within me," Michael said. "It was the strangest feeling I've ever experienced. I could feel the power building inside of me, increasing more and more...and suddenly it stopped, like something was blocking it." He paused a moment. "Most of the effect subsided overnight, but I can still feel some residue of it. I think fighting the Ravager made me tap into my powers more deeply than ever. Did you feel anything like that last night?"
Cole allowed his mind to drift back to the night before. "Now that you mention it," he said, "I did feel something like that. With everything that was going on last night, I barely even noticed."
"I'm scared at the implications of this, Cole," Michael said. "I didn't think it was possible for our powers to increase any more than they already had. What do you think this means?"
"I don't know," said Cole, "but something tells me we'll find out soon enough."
****
The four remaining members of Kolatar's cell were sitting in their hideout, an abandoned warehouse in the San Francisco. They had reported Kolatar's death to the Devourers, and were awaiting further instructions.
Suddenly, a portal opened, and Xorl's voice was heard. "This is your Supreme Ruler, Xorl. Your orders are as follows. You are to kill the Guardian and those protecting her. Do not fail me."
"We live to serve, Master," the four Ravagers said as the portal closed. They flashed out of the warehouse.
****
Later in the afternoon, Cole found Katrina sitting in the solarium. "This is such a nice room," she remarked. "It allows the sun's warmth to penetrate without being outside."
"Yeah, it is nice," said Cole, gulping nervously. "Um, I was wondering if we could talk for a minute."
"Sure, Cole," she said, sitting up. "What's on your mind?"
Cole took a deep breath. "I...I think I'm falling in love with you."
Katrina's eyes grew huge. "What did you say?"
"I'm in love with you," he said, sitting down next to her. "I've felt this way since we shared that kiss the other night. I was smitten by you when I first saw you, but that kiss made me feel something I never thought I'd feel again."
"You love me?" she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Yes," he said, stroking her cheek. "Do you feel the same way?"
She hesitated and then nodded. "I wasn't sure at first, but I am now. You have so much love in your heart, Cole, and I feel blessed that you want to share it with me. I just wish there was a way that we could be together."
"So do I," he agreed. "I suggest we make as much of the time we have left."
"Oh, Cole," said Katrina. They shared a passionate kiss, which was broken off by the sound of the front door opening and shutting.
Phoebe cleared her throat as she and Michael walked into the room. "I could have sworn I saw the two of you kissing," she said, giggling. "Were my eyes deceiving me?"
"No, Phoebe, you saw correctly," Michael answered. "Cole and Katrina are in love with each other, and personally, I couldn't be happier for you, cousin."
Cole turned red with embarrassment, and Katrina blushed. Phoebe and Michael started laughing hysterically, but their laughter was suddenly cut short as four Ravagers suddenly appeared. "PIPER, PAIGE, GET DOWN HERE!" Phoebe yelled.
Piper and Paige orbed in and gasped as they saw the Ravagers. "How did they get past the protection shield?" whispered Paige.
"They must have been invisible," said Katrina. "They probably followed you to the front door and waited for you to open it."
Michael turned to the Ravagers. "Leave now, or prepare to be vanquished."
"You can't stop us," said the lead Ravager. "Our Masters will conquer your world, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
"We'll see about that," said Cole, motioning Katrina to get behind him. He quickly fired off an energy ball at the lead Ravager. As with Kolatar, black blood spurted from the wound, and Cole prepared another energy ball.
Meanwhile, Michael had begun throwing Source-style fireballs at another Ravager, and on the third one, it exploded. At the same time, the Charmed Ones were using their powers against the other two, but to no apparent effect. One of the Ravagers fired a powerful energy bolt that hit all three sisters with multiple blasts. They collapsed to the ground, bleeding from several wounds each.
"PHOEBE!" yelled Michael. Enraged, he threw two fireballs at the Ravagers, and to his surprise, one of them exploded on the first hit. Apparently, the girls must have done more damage than he thought, or his suspicions about his power level were correct. However, the other Ravager managed to fire an energy bolt that knocked him backwards. Dazed, Michael managed to fire one last fireball which killed the Ravager before collapsing in exhaustion. He leaned over and checked on the girls.
The last Ravager was facing Cole, who was still shielding Katrina. However, on one blast Cole was thrown out of position and the Ravager managed to send an energy bolt at Katrina. "KATRINA!" Cole shouted as the energy bolt hit her. Katrina slammed against the wall, and fell to the ground. Blood began to seep out from under her, and the Ravager grinned maliciously.
Cole felt a deep rage fill him. He reached deep inside him, seeking as much power as he could find. He hit a wall, some barrier inside of him, and he remembered what he and Michael had felt the night before. Cole could feel power behind it, but just couldn't break it through to it. Cole used his rage as fuel, and pressed. He felt the wall bend, and then shatter, and raw power came to his will.
The sisters and Michael ducked as Cole screamed in pure rage. Raw power exploded out from him, and washed over them as if they were in a flood. Cole's eyes blazed, and he roared, "GET OUT OF HERE!" The Ravager tried to fight against Cole's magic, but his will was crushed, and he felt himself being thrown from this realm.
When the power passed, Michael and the others looked around. The Ravager was gone, and Cole was glowing with a fierce light. As the light bathed over them, they felt their wounds heal and their pains eased. The group looked over at Katrina, who stirred and then stood up. As she stood, she also began to glow. She looked over at Cole, and said, "Welcome to the Guardians, Cole."
Cole's eyes bugged out of his head. "WHAT!"
"Perhaps I can explain better," said a new voice. Everyone turned to see Azar and the other Guardians appear in the room.
"Azar, what the HELL is going on?" Cole asked incredulously.
"We had to test you, Cole. Both of you, actually," Azar said, including Michael. "We were the ones who sent the Angel of Destiny to you. We wanted to see if you were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, to be eternal while watching everyone you love die, and to remain warriors for the side of good at the expense of your own lives. Although both of you did, you did so for different reasons."
"I get it," Michael exclaimed, "Cole chose to keep his powers because of the evil that would happen without him there."
Azar nodded, and said, "And despite how impressed I am with you, it still remains that you only agreed to keep your powers when it became apparent that Cole was going to try and do it alone. I can respect your relationship with Phoebe, but such mortal connections are weaknesses we cannot afford to have."
"I still don't get why you wanted to test us in the first place.I mean, we were Avatars." Cole said in confusion.
"We need you, Cole. More than you can possibly imagine." Katrina said gravely.
"Why?" Cole asked.
"These enemies we faced today, they are only the forerunners. The Devourers have millions of Ravagers, and each one of the Devourers may be stronger than all of us put together. Only one thing stops them, and that is a barrier we Guardians maintain. But, we aren't strong enough right now, and Ravagers are slipping through. The Devourers are getting stronger. We need you Cole, we need you to help reinforce the barrier. Please."
Cole felt deep hurt inside him, and he turned to stare at Katrina with an accusing stare, "Are you saying everything we've shared was because you NEEDED me!"
Katrina walked forward and glared at Cole, "Don't be an idiot! I love you, and I can't believe you even doubt that. This way we can be together."
Cole looked deep into her eyes, and then smiled. "Alright, I'm in."
The group gasped, and Michael walked forward and said, "Cole?"
Cole turned to him, and smiled, "Thank you cousin, for being there for me. But this is my destiny, my chance to do the greatest good. I need to do this."
"I understand, and I'll sleep better knowing you're watching my back," Michael said with a grin. He then turned to Azar and asked, "Does that mean I can be a Guardian too?"
Azar shook his head, and said, "Doubtful. If it ever became necessary, it could happen. But I shudder to think what that would mean for the world.take heart, Michael. Your destiny and place is here, not with us."
As Michael pulled Phoebe into his embrace, Cole walked over to Katrina and Azar. He smiled, and said, "Let's go." They then blurred out.
Phoebe looked up at Michael and asked, "Baby, are you okay?"
Michael looked down at her and grinned, and said, "Yes, I am. Finally, I am."
THE END
After Tom and Melinda had been put to sleep, Phoebe, Piper, Paige, Leo, and Michael went down to the living room to talk.
"Leo, are you sure the Elders don't know anything about this demon?" asked Piper.
"If there's a Guardian on Earth, the Elders didn't know, nor do they know about the demon," he answered. "Remember, the Guardians are the highest power on our side in this realm, so they can act without the Elders ever knowing."
"Well, we didn't find anything in the Book, even after giving Grams our 'we're clueless' routine," said Paige.
"And except for Michael, our powers are useless against it," added Phoebe.
"How could the Elders not know anything about this demon?" Michael wondered.
"Because he wasn't from this realm," said a new voice.
They whirled around to see Cole and Katrina blur into the room.
"Cole," said Michael, standing up. "Who's this?"
"This is Katrina," said Cole. "She's one of the Guardians." Seeing their shocked faces, Cole explained why Katrina was on Earth.
"Well, that certainly explains why the demon came here looking for her," said Piper. "The question is what kind of demon is that, and why is it so interested in you?"
"Was," Cole corrected. Seeing Piper's glare, he said, "Katrina, why don't you tell them?" They all sat down again.
"The demon you faced is known as a Ravager, a spy, sent to kill me and use my powers to enter the Guardian realm, and ultimately kill us all. The Ravagers are the soldier demons of a group known as the Devourers."
"Why haven't we seen them before?" asked Phoebe.
"Because of the Avatars," answered Katrina. "The Devourers felt that the Avatars would accomplish their goals, and benefit all evil in the process, so they left this realm alone. When Cole and Michael destroyed the Avatars, we had hoped that it would have shown the Devourers that they should stay away. We couldn't have been more wrong. They are more determined than ever."
"So, who exactly are they?" asked Piper.
"The Devourers exist in a universe completely separate from ours. It is a realm of absolute chaos. They control everything in that realm. Their ultimate goal is to gain control of all the realms. Unfortunately, every realm they have ever invaded has been decimated and reformed to their liking. We Guardians are the only thing standing in their way for this realm. At the moment, they can only open portals for a short period of time, and it takes them a while to build up enough power to open one. If they manage to kill us, they will invade without restraint."
"How can we stop them?" asked Paige.
"We had thought that we Guardians were the only ones with enough power to stop them," said Katrina. "However, it appears that Michael and Cole, having retained the powers they received as Avatars, have enough power to fight against the Devourers. Unfortunately, they are the only ones."
"Which means the Power of Three is useless," said Michael in frustration. "No offense, honey."
"None taken," Phoebe replied.
"We do have something else to our advantage," said Katrina. "We're only vulnerable while I'm on Earth. Once Azar comes and takes me back, we should be fine."
"So, all we have to do is keep you safe until then," Cole concluded.
"Exactly," said Katrina.
"It would probably be a good idea if the two of you stay here," said Michael. "We're stronger together. Unfortunately, you'll have to stay down here, since at the moment there is a lack of bedrooms in this place."
"Ok," said Cole. "Let's get set up."
****
Lightning crackled around the Devourers' castle. The nine Devourers were in a heated discussion of what to do with the Earth realm.
"What do you mean, our assassin failed?" snarled Xorl, leader of the Devourers.
"It appears we underestimated the magical beings living in the Earth realm," said Nikto. "Apparently, there are some with enough power to kill us."
"Are there any suggestions for our next move?" asked Xorl.
"We should allow our other sleepers to begin moving," suggested Loptra. "The reports said it took two of these beings to vanquish Kolatar. They will not be able to handle multiple Ravagers."
"We'll soon find out, won't we?" said Xorl. "Order the other sleepers in Kolatar's cell to go active." He waved his hand in disgust, dismissing the meeting.
****
Cole woke the next morning feeling very exhausted. He'd stayed up half the night keeping an eye on Katrina while Michael had helped the girls cast a protection spell for the Manor against the Ravagers. Nobody was really sure how effective the spell would be, but it was better than nothing.
As Cole gazed at Katrina's sleeping form, he felt a longing within him, a desire for companionship, something he hadn't felt since he'd been with Phoebe. It startled him with realization, but it felt wonderful to feel for someone again.
Cole bent over and gently shook her. "Katrina, wake up."
She groaned and opened her eyes. "Oh, hi, Cole," she said, rubbing her face. "What time is it?"
"It's about ten in the morning," he said, handing her the clothes Azar had given to her. "Piper will probably be down soon to make breakfast, so I figured I'd wake you up beforehand."
"Thanks, I appreciate that," she said, pulling the clothes under her sleeping bag to put them on. "Sleep is very interesting. I never realized how tired mortals could get."
"Try finding out how hard it is to have to walk everywhere, and then you'll understand what it means to be mortal," said Cole, remembering his short time as a mortal.
Just then, Piper came down the stairs, followed by Leo, who was holding Wyatt. "Morning, Cole, morning, Katrina," she greeted them. "Did you sleep well?"
"For my first time," said Katrina with a small giggle, "I think it was pretty good."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that," she said with a smile. Turning to Leo, she said, "Honey, why don't you put Wyatt in the playpen and come help me?"
"Sure, no problem," said Leo, doing as his wife asked. "Katrina, do you want to help too?"
"I'd like that," she said. "I've never actually cooked anything before. This should be fun."
Cole barely suppressed his laughter as Katrina walked into the kitchen. She was so wonderful and sweet that he wondered where she'd been his whole life. And that's when the realization completely hit him.
He was falling in love with her. There was no mistaking it.
"Penny for your thoughts," said Michael, breaking Cole's musings.
Cole jumped slightly and turned to face his cousin. "Michael, DON'T sneak up on me like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"If it were still possible for you to have one," he said, chuckling. "I get the impression you were thinking about a certain blonde-haired, blue- eyed woman who happens to be staying here right now?"
Cole's eyes widened slightly. "What makes you think that?" he asked.
"Oh, come on," Michael cajoled. "It doesn't take my sixth sense to see that you love her. You stare at her practically nonstop."
"I do?" Cole said.
"You should tell her how you feel," suggested Michael.
"Why? Pretty soon, she'll be gone, and I'll be alone again," said Cole sadly.
"I don't know, but I think it's better that you tell her the truth while you still can. If you love her that much, you owe her that."
"Thanks for the advice, Michael," said Cole with a small smile. As he turned to walk into the kitchen, Michael put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Was there something else?"
"Yes, actually," said Michael, lowering his voice even more. "It's about our powers."
"What about them?"
"Well, I don't know about you," he began, "but even after everything we've gone through in the past couple of months, doesn't it strike you very oddly that we're as powerful as we are?"
"A little," Cole admitted. "Why do you ask?"
"I might be crazy, but I think my powers have grown overnight," he said.
"What makes you think that?" Cole asked, very curious.
"When I fought that Ravager, I felt power rising within me," Michael said. "It was the strangest feeling I've ever experienced. I could feel the power building inside of me, increasing more and more...and suddenly it stopped, like something was blocking it." He paused a moment. "Most of the effect subsided overnight, but I can still feel some residue of it. I think fighting the Ravager made me tap into my powers more deeply than ever. Did you feel anything like that last night?"
Cole allowed his mind to drift back to the night before. "Now that you mention it," he said, "I did feel something like that. With everything that was going on last night, I barely even noticed."
"I'm scared at the implications of this, Cole," Michael said. "I didn't think it was possible for our powers to increase any more than they already had. What do you think this means?"
"I don't know," said Cole, "but something tells me we'll find out soon enough."
****
The four remaining members of Kolatar's cell were sitting in their hideout, an abandoned warehouse in the San Francisco. They had reported Kolatar's death to the Devourers, and were awaiting further instructions.
Suddenly, a portal opened, and Xorl's voice was heard. "This is your Supreme Ruler, Xorl. Your orders are as follows. You are to kill the Guardian and those protecting her. Do not fail me."
"We live to serve, Master," the four Ravagers said as the portal closed. They flashed out of the warehouse.
****
Later in the afternoon, Cole found Katrina sitting in the solarium. "This is such a nice room," she remarked. "It allows the sun's warmth to penetrate without being outside."
"Yeah, it is nice," said Cole, gulping nervously. "Um, I was wondering if we could talk for a minute."
"Sure, Cole," she said, sitting up. "What's on your mind?"
Cole took a deep breath. "I...I think I'm falling in love with you."
Katrina's eyes grew huge. "What did you say?"
"I'm in love with you," he said, sitting down next to her. "I've felt this way since we shared that kiss the other night. I was smitten by you when I first saw you, but that kiss made me feel something I never thought I'd feel again."
"You love me?" she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Yes," he said, stroking her cheek. "Do you feel the same way?"
She hesitated and then nodded. "I wasn't sure at first, but I am now. You have so much love in your heart, Cole, and I feel blessed that you want to share it with me. I just wish there was a way that we could be together."
"So do I," he agreed. "I suggest we make as much of the time we have left."
"Oh, Cole," said Katrina. They shared a passionate kiss, which was broken off by the sound of the front door opening and shutting.
Phoebe cleared her throat as she and Michael walked into the room. "I could have sworn I saw the two of you kissing," she said, giggling. "Were my eyes deceiving me?"
"No, Phoebe, you saw correctly," Michael answered. "Cole and Katrina are in love with each other, and personally, I couldn't be happier for you, cousin."
Cole turned red with embarrassment, and Katrina blushed. Phoebe and Michael started laughing hysterically, but their laughter was suddenly cut short as four Ravagers suddenly appeared. "PIPER, PAIGE, GET DOWN HERE!" Phoebe yelled.
Piper and Paige orbed in and gasped as they saw the Ravagers. "How did they get past the protection shield?" whispered Paige.
"They must have been invisible," said Katrina. "They probably followed you to the front door and waited for you to open it."
Michael turned to the Ravagers. "Leave now, or prepare to be vanquished."
"You can't stop us," said the lead Ravager. "Our Masters will conquer your world, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
"We'll see about that," said Cole, motioning Katrina to get behind him. He quickly fired off an energy ball at the lead Ravager. As with Kolatar, black blood spurted from the wound, and Cole prepared another energy ball.
Meanwhile, Michael had begun throwing Source-style fireballs at another Ravager, and on the third one, it exploded. At the same time, the Charmed Ones were using their powers against the other two, but to no apparent effect. One of the Ravagers fired a powerful energy bolt that hit all three sisters with multiple blasts. They collapsed to the ground, bleeding from several wounds each.
"PHOEBE!" yelled Michael. Enraged, he threw two fireballs at the Ravagers, and to his surprise, one of them exploded on the first hit. Apparently, the girls must have done more damage than he thought, or his suspicions about his power level were correct. However, the other Ravager managed to fire an energy bolt that knocked him backwards. Dazed, Michael managed to fire one last fireball which killed the Ravager before collapsing in exhaustion. He leaned over and checked on the girls.
The last Ravager was facing Cole, who was still shielding Katrina. However, on one blast Cole was thrown out of position and the Ravager managed to send an energy bolt at Katrina. "KATRINA!" Cole shouted as the energy bolt hit her. Katrina slammed against the wall, and fell to the ground. Blood began to seep out from under her, and the Ravager grinned maliciously.
Cole felt a deep rage fill him. He reached deep inside him, seeking as much power as he could find. He hit a wall, some barrier inside of him, and he remembered what he and Michael had felt the night before. Cole could feel power behind it, but just couldn't break it through to it. Cole used his rage as fuel, and pressed. He felt the wall bend, and then shatter, and raw power came to his will.
The sisters and Michael ducked as Cole screamed in pure rage. Raw power exploded out from him, and washed over them as if they were in a flood. Cole's eyes blazed, and he roared, "GET OUT OF HERE!" The Ravager tried to fight against Cole's magic, but his will was crushed, and he felt himself being thrown from this realm.
When the power passed, Michael and the others looked around. The Ravager was gone, and Cole was glowing with a fierce light. As the light bathed over them, they felt their wounds heal and their pains eased. The group looked over at Katrina, who stirred and then stood up. As she stood, she also began to glow. She looked over at Cole, and said, "Welcome to the Guardians, Cole."
Cole's eyes bugged out of his head. "WHAT!"
"Perhaps I can explain better," said a new voice. Everyone turned to see Azar and the other Guardians appear in the room.
"Azar, what the HELL is going on?" Cole asked incredulously.
"We had to test you, Cole. Both of you, actually," Azar said, including Michael. "We were the ones who sent the Angel of Destiny to you. We wanted to see if you were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, to be eternal while watching everyone you love die, and to remain warriors for the side of good at the expense of your own lives. Although both of you did, you did so for different reasons."
"I get it," Michael exclaimed, "Cole chose to keep his powers because of the evil that would happen without him there."
Azar nodded, and said, "And despite how impressed I am with you, it still remains that you only agreed to keep your powers when it became apparent that Cole was going to try and do it alone. I can respect your relationship with Phoebe, but such mortal connections are weaknesses we cannot afford to have."
"I still don't get why you wanted to test us in the first place.I mean, we were Avatars." Cole said in confusion.
"We need you, Cole. More than you can possibly imagine." Katrina said gravely.
"Why?" Cole asked.
"These enemies we faced today, they are only the forerunners. The Devourers have millions of Ravagers, and each one of the Devourers may be stronger than all of us put together. Only one thing stops them, and that is a barrier we Guardians maintain. But, we aren't strong enough right now, and Ravagers are slipping through. The Devourers are getting stronger. We need you Cole, we need you to help reinforce the barrier. Please."
Cole felt deep hurt inside him, and he turned to stare at Katrina with an accusing stare, "Are you saying everything we've shared was because you NEEDED me!"
Katrina walked forward and glared at Cole, "Don't be an idiot! I love you, and I can't believe you even doubt that. This way we can be together."
Cole looked deep into her eyes, and then smiled. "Alright, I'm in."
The group gasped, and Michael walked forward and said, "Cole?"
Cole turned to him, and smiled, "Thank you cousin, for being there for me. But this is my destiny, my chance to do the greatest good. I need to do this."
"I understand, and I'll sleep better knowing you're watching my back," Michael said with a grin. He then turned to Azar and asked, "Does that mean I can be a Guardian too?"
Azar shook his head, and said, "Doubtful. If it ever became necessary, it could happen. But I shudder to think what that would mean for the world.take heart, Michael. Your destiny and place is here, not with us."
As Michael pulled Phoebe into his embrace, Cole walked over to Katrina and Azar. He smiled, and said, "Let's go." They then blurred out.
Phoebe looked up at Michael and asked, "Baby, are you okay?"
Michael looked down at her and grinned, and said, "Yes, I am. Finally, I am."
THE END