Don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me! I come bearing a new chapter! ::Holds up chapter as if shield.:: Sorry it took so long! When new story lines hop in my head they block out the ones I am currently working on. I finally was able to work past that block and now am able to get back to my original stories that I started here. I hope you like this new chapter!

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Chimera looked down at her hands. "I don't know how to really say this except: I am a half-witch-half-Whitelighter-half-soul."

They all looked at her in confusion, save Leo whose eyes became *very* wide.

"Say what?" Paige asked.

Chimera sighed. "My mother was a Whitelighter and my father was a witch. So I am half Whitelighter-half witch."

"Ok, we got that." Phoebe's brow was furrowed. "What we don't get is the part about you being a 'half-soul.' What *is* a half-soul?"

"Well it all started many millennia ago when the lines between good and evil had just been drawn and the world was still *very* new. Though good and evil were against each other they did agree on one thing, keeping order and keeping balance, for order was needed to form a balance, and the balance was essential to *all* life. There was one being that was the ultimate evil, now I know you are thinking 'Oh, the Source,' but this being made what the Source did look like small time. Even evil feared him and did not want him. He was called Chaos. Chaos sought to destroy the fragile, new world that good and evil were both working on creating. He was a menace to both sides. At first Chaos just did what his name implied in areas. But then he decided that he wanted to create the ultimate chaos, he wanted to destroy the world. When it came to this point good and evil realized that they had to do something so they banded together for this one occasion and fought Chaos; they won, but were unable to destroy Chaos. They had the most powerful of both sides cast spells to lock Chaos away. They knew that it would hold him for millennia, but not for eternity. So after the battle they sat down to try to find ways to make sure the balance stayed and to prepare for the day that Chaos would return. That was when they first locked away the Hollow in fact. But that is irrelevant. They had all of those on both sides, that had foresight, to look and see there was any chance of stopping Chaos for good. They saw the coming of a great power of good that would destroy it once and for all, and that it would be aided by two beings who held the power of the Balance. But they foresaw that if the Balance was left unaided it would be tipped so far that it would warp and cause the Apocalypse. So the sides agreed to lock the power of the balance away in two beings. The beings would each be half of a whole, half-souls, thus holding the balance, they would bare a mark that would let both good and evil know that they were such and would not kill them, for if their deaths are brought on prematurely, and there are no new half-souls to take their place the balance will tip and warp." Chimera pulled out her pendant. Leo's eyebrows raised when he saw it. "This is the symbol, I am one of the half souls; now you know what I am."

"How do we know you are who you say you are?" Piper eyed her suspiciously and held Mel tight to her.

Chimera was about to answer, but Leo spoke up first. "If she bares the same mark permanently on her body."

Chimera rolled up her right sleeve and showed them the inside of her right forearm. The same symbol, at first glance it looked like a tattoo but when you looked at it closely you could see that it wasn't exactly right.

Leo nodded. "You are one."

"Ok, well now that that is cleared up, back to the guy in the alley, what is up with him?" Paige raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Chimera got up, and wrapping her arms around herself went over to the window again. "His name in that form is Infernio, but when he is truly himself he is called Michael. He is my other half...and my lover."

The Charmed Ones were...well...shocked.

Phoebe was the first one to speak. "What do you mean 'when he is truly himself?'"

Chimera took a deep breath. "He is half witch-half demon. The two halves hate each other and that just makes things complicated. The witch was the dominant side for many years, until about five years ago. Then the Source got to him and brought out the demon side. I have gotten him back once since then, but lost him minutes later. You see, magical beings, regardless of what they are, if they are half and half, they must embrace both parts of themselves or else they will be fighting a losing battle all their lives and will never be at peace, this is even more essential with half-souls."

"Wait!" Paige furrowed her brow. "Embrace both sides? Won't giving into the demon side make things worse?"

Chimera shook her head. "I never said they should give in, Paige. When beings embrace both halves no one half is in control, they find a harmony and the side that the being most wants is the one they show. You have already unconsciously done this, Paige, with your witch half and Whitelighter half, but it is easier for you and I since both of our halves are good and can..see eye to eye, if you will."

Paige became thoughtful. "Was that part of the reason I was having trouble with accepting my powers?"

Chimera nodded.

Piper turned to Cole. "So what is your part in all of this?"

Chimera spoke up for him. "He has been my friend for almost two years now. He helps me.deal."

"Plus I owe her a debt I cannot pay." Cole looked down shamefully.

Phoebe still wasn't sure how she felt or how to react to Cole's being here. She decided to get off the topic and ponder it when her mind was clearer. "What is this power of great good you spoke of?"

She looked over at Cole, who raised an eyebrow and nodded. She glanced at her hands and took a deep breath before looking back at them. "It is a power greater than that of the Power of Three."

The Charmed Ones looked at each other in shock.

Piper looked back at her. "Do you know what, or who, it is exactly?"

Chimera nodded gravely. "It is the Power of Four, the Power of Three plus its final element."

At this the Charmed Ones gaped.

"Say what?!" Paige shrieked.

Chimera nodded, trying not to smile at their reactions, for this was no laughing matter. "It is you plus your fourth sister."

Piper looked ready to be out for blood. "Please don't tell me we have *another* sister we were never told about!"

Chimera could not hide her smile this time. "No, you don't."

They all sighed in relief, but then the implications of what she was saying sunk in and shock returned along with pain.

Piper's hands clenched in fists and she gritted her teeth. "Prue - is - dead."

Chimera took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was sure was going to be a maelstrom. "She died, yes. But her soul is not bound."

Paige looked confused, not understanding what she meant. Piper was confused as well, but mostly because of all of the emotions roiling through her. Leo and Phoebe were looking at her in sudden understanding, surprise and dawning relief.

Phoebe took a deep breath, hardly daring to hope that what she said was true. "She was not taken by the Angel of Death?"

Chimera shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "No, she wasn't. She was taken there by a Whitelighter, temporarily. The Elders were confused by her death, since she wasn't supposed to die then and asked one of the Whitelighters to get her. Death wasn't going to take her then and knew it, so he let her be. It was only after Paige was revealed that the discovered the reason for her to be taken. You needed to form a tight bond, and that would never have happened if Prue had lived. Paige never would have walked into your lives. Now, it appears that the Fates believe it is time for the four of you to be reunited."

"But how?" Piper looked like she wanted to believe that it was possible, but was afraid to.

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Like? Hate? Sorry about the delay! I loved writing this chapter though, once I got started.