Cleansing part 4
This story takes place after the episode "Sam I am". I do not own any of the characters of charmed, I just write about them.
"Leo, why have we stopped orbing?" Piper asked. She could still feel Cole, and while he was closer, he still had a faraway feel to him. When Leo didn't answer, Piper turned to her husband in confusion and asked, "Leo?" she then gasped and grabbed him.
Leo looked terrible. He was very pale, and his muscles were quivering. He looked utterly exhausted. As Piper slowly lowered him to the ground, Leo muttered, "So...sorry, took more out of me than I...thought. Need to rest for a little bit," Leo said as he closed his eyes, and Piper could tell he had lost consciousness.
"Well, it looks like we are stuck in this place for a little while," Paige said. "I don't see why I couldn't just keep us going."
"My guess is we are a lot farther out than we think, and he is worried you couldn't handle it. Excuse me," Phoebe said quietly, and she walked over to a rock about thirty yards away and sat on it.
"What is with her?" Paige asked.
"I don't know, but I am going to find out," Piper replied. "Keep an eye on my husband, alright?" Paige nodded, and Piper walked over to Phoebe. She approached slowly, but Phoebe didn't move or indicate she saw Piper. Piper said softly, "Pheebs, talk to me, what's wrong?"
Phoebe was silent for a long time, and Piper was about to ask again when she said slowly, "He hates me."
Piper sat down next to her and said, "Who, Cole? I don't know about..."
"Not Cole," Phoebe said, and turned to look at Piper. Piper could see a deep emotional turmoil within her. "My son...he hates me for what happened between Cole and I, and it hurts more than I can bear because he is right."
"What?" Piper asked in confusion.
"While we've been going, I've thought about what he said, and he's right," Phoebe continued. "I know I don't love Cole, but what I did to him..." Phoebe shuddered, and began to cry.
"Ssshhh, it's alright, everything will be fine," Piper soothed as she gently put her arms around Phoebe and began to rock her.
"No, it won't," Phoebe said hoarsely, "I could feel his vulnerability, Piper. I knew exactly how to hurt him, and I did it as often and as painfully as I could. I destroyed him, and I drove him out, and I'm afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Piper asked, trying to make Phoebe continue.
"Only someone truly evil could do what I've done to Cole," Phoebe said softly.
"That is absolutely ridiculous," Piper said firmly. "He hurt you, and you reacted. That isn't evil. We all made mistakes when it came to Cole. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like him, and I want him dead. But we are not evil. We just made a mistake."
"I don't...don't know if I can face him," Phoebe confessed. "I saw his face before he left, and I don't know if I can beg him for help."
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it, Phoebe," Piper replied. "Now, pull yourself together. You look scary. We don't want to frighten Cole into running again."
That last remark did what Piper hoped. Phoebe chuckled, and composed herself. As they got up to leave, Phoebe said, "Thanks."
"No problem, what's family for?" Piper replied with a grin. They walked over to Paige and Leo and saw Leo looked much better. Paige was holding her hands over him, and the sisters could see she was imparting some of her healing power to help with his exhaustion. After a few more seconds, Leo's color returned, and he slowly woke up. "How long was I out for?" he asked in confusion.
"About twenty minutes," Paige replied. "Now come on, you slacker, we need a ride. Let's go find us a demon."
****
"What do you want?" Damon asked. He was taking a break from his mission, relaxing on the Source's throne down in the Underworld. In front of him were seven demons, each powerful in their own rights, demons who would sooner be tortured forever than to show weakness to anyone. They now bowed in fear.
"We wish to join you," one of the demons said with a slight quaver in his voice, "With us on your side, the rest of the demons and warlocks will fall in line. Also, we can greatly increase your campaign against good."
Damon smiled slowly, and said, "Your courage amuses me." Damon waved, and the other six demons burst into flames and were vanquished. Their powers, however, flowed into the seventh demon. The demon stood slowly, and Damon continued, "Since you spoke, you will serve. Now you are worthy of serving me, so long as you amuse me. Welcome to the Cleansing, my newest servant."
The demon bowed low, and replied, "Yes, Master."
****
When they could see again, Paige asked, "Are we in the right realm?"
Leo nodded, and said, "Cole is somewhere in this realm. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of magic here, so much that I cannot be more precise. Can anyone?"
The sisters all tried to focus in, but all they could tell was a general direction. Piper pointed, and said, "He is that way."
"Then let's go. I guess we're walking." Paige replied. The sisters looked around, and noticed they were in a grassy plain. In the distance they could see what appeared to be a road, and since it was heading the way they wanted to, the sisters figured they could walk on that.
When they got to the road, Leo bent down to examine it. He then said, "If I had to guess, I'd say we're in a less advanced area."
"How do you figure that?" Piper asked curiously.
Leo pointed, and said, "The road has horse tracks on it, and no tire tracks. Also, it is simply been cleared, and hasn't been paved or altered in anyway. Come on, let's get going."
As they started walking, Phoebe asked, "Anyone know what time it is?"
"Yeah, it's...huh," Paige said.
"What?" Piper commented.
"My watch is broken," Paige said. She pointed and continued, "Look, it isn't moving."
"The watch isn't broken," Leo explained. "It is just linked to the way time moves in our realm. Apparently, time moves faster here."
"Then wouldn't the watch move faster too?" Piper asked. She held up her hands before Leo could answer and continued, "Wait, I can tell before you say anything that it is complicated, and I would be better off just accepting it, right?" Leo nodded, and Piper sighed, "Well, at least this faster time means less time will pass in our reality, which is a good thing."
The sisters walked for about two hours, before they came upon a village. It was a small place with a few huts, which seemed to confirm Leo's suspicions about this being a less advanced civilization.
"Do you think we should go down there?" Leo asked.
"We don't have much of a choice," Piper replied. "We need information, and this is our best bet."
"Alright, just a moment," Leo said. He briefly touched each sister, and concentrated. To their shock, the sister's clothes changed into more medieval style clothing.
"Leo, have you always been able to do that?" Piper demanded.
"Well...yes. I just never needed to before," Leo replied.
"Fight later, move now," Phoebe interrupted, and pushed them towards the village.
"You and I will talk about this soon," Piper commented ominously. She then followed Phoebe and Paige into the village.
When they walked in, all movement ceased. About a dozen villagers were out and about, and they all turned to stare curiously at the new visitors. Phoebe looked around, and then started to speak, "Hi, we're looking for a man, who may have..." She stopped when she saw a look of awe cross the face of every villager. Slowly, they kneeled and began to speak rapidly in a language the sisters couldn't recognize.
"What's going on?" Paige whispered.
"I don't know, just go with it," Piper murmured quietly.
Just then, an elderly woman appeared from her hut near the center of the village. She slowly approached the sisters with a concentrated look on her face. The sisters fought not to squirm, and then Paige said, "Hi, how are you?"
The woman's face broke out into a smile, and she said with a very large smile, "COUSINS!" To the shock of the sisters and Leo, she then proceeded to hug each one tightly. "It has been such a long time since another one of us has come here, I began to despair. Thank the Great One you have come."
"I'm sorry, but we're not sure what you're..." Piper began, but the woman shushed her.
"Quiet, I am sure you must be exhausted from your journey. Why didn't you shimmer or orb in?" the woman asked. When they looked even more confused, the woman continued, "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Welcome to Haversford. What is mine is yours, so all may share in the wisdom of the Great One." The woman led them into her hut, a small but comfortably furnished room. There was one other person in their, a very pretty girl about Paige's age, with black hair and very penetrating emerald eyes.
"Sit, sit," the woman said as she gestured to the chairs. When they did so, the woman beamed and replied, "So, what brings you here?"
"I'm sorry, but who do you think we are?" Paige asked.
The woman looked confused, and replied, "Why, you're witches of course. He looks like a whitelighter crossbreed, but that is still fine."
The sisters looked at each other in complete shock, and Piper replied, "How do you KNOW that?"
The old woman's confusion grew as she said, "You speak the Holy Tongue, so of course you are witches. Why, you aren't?"
"No, we are, but what's this Holy Tongue you speak of?" Leo asked.
"We're speaking it now, as it is taught by the Great One," the old woman said. She then looked at them slowly, and said, "I think you need to explain yourselves, fully." When the old woman's eyes focused, the sisters could feel the power behind them. Without hesitation, they began to speak of their world, and their quest.
It took several hours, and when they were finished, neither woman spoke for several moments. Finally, the old woman said, "What you say is both fantastic and hard to believe. However, I do not doubt you. It is quite a story." The woman stood, and then continued, "I recognize the urgency of your quest, and will help you however I can."
"Before that, I realize we have been rude," Leo replied. "We haven't even asked your names."
The younger woman spoke for the first time in a while, and said, "This is my grandmother Penelope. I am Phoebe. We are both witches of the order of Halliwell."
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Phoebe managed to stammer as the others tried to accommodate this new development.
Penelope smiled, and said, "That's right, you don't know. All witches are trained at the Holy City, where the Great One dwells. The highest Order, those witches who have the power to heal minds, is known as Halliwells."
"I understand that," Piper said, "But why Phoebe? I can't believe it is common name here, for some reason."
"Of course it isn't," Penelope said in exasperation. "It is the holiest name, reserved only for the most powerful beings detected at birth. Phoebe here has the potential to be the strongest witch seen for generations, so I named her appropriately."
"I see..." Phoebe said weakly.
"Now, what does this man look like that you seek?" Penelope asked.
As Phoebe began to describe Cole, Penelope went pale. She stood slowly, and said, "Are you absolutely sure about that description?" When they nodded, she said, "Then I have story to tell you.
"Seven generations ago, the world was in chaos. Magic ran rampant, and the witches of that time were greedy. They used their power how they saw fit. Some tried to help mankind, but many were not. It was a very dark time for the world, and many felt we would never come out of it.
"Then, a man was found outside the Holy City. His mind was in shambles, and so he was brought to a powerful witch. Her original name was not remembered, but she was incredibly arrogant, and one of the worst of the lot. She decided to help the man to prove her power, and entered his mind. She was in there for close to two days. When she came back, she was weeping, and was greatly changed.
"Several things happened. First of all, she sent the word to all witches in the area that they must try to heal this man, for it was of critical importance. She said the man had once been like her, with no restraint. However, he had fallen in love with a good witch, and he changed. He fought through pain and torment, and placed restraints on his powers. He imposed rules and order where none before existed and he tried to do good. His courage inspired the woman. She took the name Phoebe in honor of his courage for love, and began to follow the same discipline he had lived.
"Over the years, more and more witches came to heal him, and saw the light. Within a generation, the city where he was found was changed to be known as the Holy City, and became the training ground of all magic users. They are trained from birth, and taught the discipline as it was taught by the Great One."
Phoebe swallowed, and then asked, "What happened to...the Great One?"
Penelope sighed, and said, "Despite all the efforts throughout the generations, no one has managed to bring him back to sanity. He lives still, and is given the very best care, in honor of all that his memories teach."
"We have to go to him," Piper said.
Penelope stared at them, and then said, "Yes, you do. Very well, I will get you to the Holy City. My granddaughter has just finished her training in the field, and was on her way to the City for the final test to become a full Halliwell witch. She will be your guide."
"Thank you," Piper said. "We'll leave now if we can."
"I would expect no less," the woman said. "Phoebe will teleport you there. Take her hands."
The sisters did so, and just before they left, Phoebe said, "What is the final test?"
"The final test is to enter the mind of the Great One, and to try and heal his mind," Penelope said, and then the world faded.
****
When the sisters and Leo could see again, they found themselves on the main street of another city. However, the sisters looked around and realized this place looked even more worn than the last. All the buildings were old and none had any fanciness or color.
"What's with this city?" Phoebe murmured.
"One of the Great Ones teachings is that material things corrupt, and that the gains from helping others are the greater reward," Other-Phoebe replied. "Follow me, and we will go to the Great One."
The sisters followed Other-Phoebe, who led them swiftly through the crowd toward a building in the exact center. With a start, the sisters realized the entire city was built as a pentagram! Everywhere they looked, the sisters saw witches, who talked and traded magical supplies.
"How do you all eat and keep housed?" Piper asked.
Other-Phoebe smiled, and said, "Every city in the world gives a portion of their taxes to us each year, so we may focus on our training. They do that so we may focus on helping them, which we do gladly."
Finally, the sisters and Other-Phoebe entered the building in the center. They found two witches standing inside, both male, and a door that seemed to be connected to nothing. Both men bowed low to Other-Phoebe, and one asked, "Halliwell, you honor us. Come for your testing?"
Other-Phoebe nodded, and said, "Yes, Turner I have. These four will accompany me."
"But Halliwell..." one of the men started, but Other-Phoebe interrupted him.
"With them, I may be able to heal the Great One. Would you deny me that chance?"
"The Great One guides us, the Great One leads us, in his wisdom we find truth," the two men said simultaneously. Then one of them said, "Of course they may follow you in." The man on the right opened the door, and the sisters saw a vast chamber beyond it. They looked to Other-Phoebe, who said, "Spectral doors." She then led them through.
Phoebe looked around as they entered. They were in a giant greenhouse, with trees and plants all around them. "Why is he here?" she asked.
"The Great One's memories show a fondness for nature, and so we comply with his wishes. We try and make him as happy as he can be, for what he gave to our people," Other-Phoebe replied.
"What did you mean when you said we could help you heal him?" Piper questioned.
Other-Phoebe sighed, and said, "When a witch enters a person's mind, he sees their memories. These memories are used both as a shield and a guide to the person's inner self, and there are always defenses. Usually, a person who knows him well is brought along if possible to help explain the memories, and to get past the guards. Unfortunately, the Great One has no one, and so we have been unable to use his memories to get past his mental defenses...until now." Other-Phoebe turned to the Charmed Ones, and said, "You know him, and with you along, I may be able to get past his defenses and bring him back. Will you help me...please?"
The sisters looked at each other, and then Piper said, "Yes, we will."
"We are here," Other-Phoebe said suddenly, but the sisters could hear the relief in her voice. All the sisters looked up, and saw Cole.
Phoebe bit back a gasp. Physically, Cole looked exactly the same. He hadn't aged, and was still disheveled and dirty. His four day stubble had become a small beard. No, what shocked Phoebe were his eyes. Always before, good or evil, Cole's eyes showed a depth of pain and emotion Phoebe could never hope to match. Now, there was nothing. It was as if the body was empty, and all that was Cole was destroyed.
"If it has been so long, why hasn't he changed?" Paige asked.
"The witches put spells on him to keep him frozen in time. They do that for all patients until they can be healed," Other-Phoebe explained. "The Great One's muscles will not atrophy, and nothing will happen to him until he is healed. Are you ready?" She held out her hands as she said the last part.
The sisters and Leo looked at each other, and then took her hands. "As ready as we'll ever be."
Other-Phoebe smiled, and slowly had them sit in a circle around Cole, with Other-Phoebe facing him. The sisters looked over, and watched as Other-Phoebe's eyes began to glow. Her face took on a concentrated look, and then the sisters felt a pulling deep inside. They tried to fight it briefly, and then gave over to it, and the world faded.
TO BE CONTINUED...
(By the way, I apologize for the confusion. From now on, Phoebe H. = Phoebe Halliwell and Phoebe = other dimension Phoebe.)
This story takes place after the episode "Sam I am". I do not own any of the characters of charmed, I just write about them.
"Leo, why have we stopped orbing?" Piper asked. She could still feel Cole, and while he was closer, he still had a faraway feel to him. When Leo didn't answer, Piper turned to her husband in confusion and asked, "Leo?" she then gasped and grabbed him.
Leo looked terrible. He was very pale, and his muscles were quivering. He looked utterly exhausted. As Piper slowly lowered him to the ground, Leo muttered, "So...sorry, took more out of me than I...thought. Need to rest for a little bit," Leo said as he closed his eyes, and Piper could tell he had lost consciousness.
"Well, it looks like we are stuck in this place for a little while," Paige said. "I don't see why I couldn't just keep us going."
"My guess is we are a lot farther out than we think, and he is worried you couldn't handle it. Excuse me," Phoebe said quietly, and she walked over to a rock about thirty yards away and sat on it.
"What is with her?" Paige asked.
"I don't know, but I am going to find out," Piper replied. "Keep an eye on my husband, alright?" Paige nodded, and Piper walked over to Phoebe. She approached slowly, but Phoebe didn't move or indicate she saw Piper. Piper said softly, "Pheebs, talk to me, what's wrong?"
Phoebe was silent for a long time, and Piper was about to ask again when she said slowly, "He hates me."
Piper sat down next to her and said, "Who, Cole? I don't know about..."
"Not Cole," Phoebe said, and turned to look at Piper. Piper could see a deep emotional turmoil within her. "My son...he hates me for what happened between Cole and I, and it hurts more than I can bear because he is right."
"What?" Piper asked in confusion.
"While we've been going, I've thought about what he said, and he's right," Phoebe continued. "I know I don't love Cole, but what I did to him..." Phoebe shuddered, and began to cry.
"Ssshhh, it's alright, everything will be fine," Piper soothed as she gently put her arms around Phoebe and began to rock her.
"No, it won't," Phoebe said hoarsely, "I could feel his vulnerability, Piper. I knew exactly how to hurt him, and I did it as often and as painfully as I could. I destroyed him, and I drove him out, and I'm afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Piper asked, trying to make Phoebe continue.
"Only someone truly evil could do what I've done to Cole," Phoebe said softly.
"That is absolutely ridiculous," Piper said firmly. "He hurt you, and you reacted. That isn't evil. We all made mistakes when it came to Cole. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like him, and I want him dead. But we are not evil. We just made a mistake."
"I don't...don't know if I can face him," Phoebe confessed. "I saw his face before he left, and I don't know if I can beg him for help."
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it, Phoebe," Piper replied. "Now, pull yourself together. You look scary. We don't want to frighten Cole into running again."
That last remark did what Piper hoped. Phoebe chuckled, and composed herself. As they got up to leave, Phoebe said, "Thanks."
"No problem, what's family for?" Piper replied with a grin. They walked over to Paige and Leo and saw Leo looked much better. Paige was holding her hands over him, and the sisters could see she was imparting some of her healing power to help with his exhaustion. After a few more seconds, Leo's color returned, and he slowly woke up. "How long was I out for?" he asked in confusion.
"About twenty minutes," Paige replied. "Now come on, you slacker, we need a ride. Let's go find us a demon."
****
"What do you want?" Damon asked. He was taking a break from his mission, relaxing on the Source's throne down in the Underworld. In front of him were seven demons, each powerful in their own rights, demons who would sooner be tortured forever than to show weakness to anyone. They now bowed in fear.
"We wish to join you," one of the demons said with a slight quaver in his voice, "With us on your side, the rest of the demons and warlocks will fall in line. Also, we can greatly increase your campaign against good."
Damon smiled slowly, and said, "Your courage amuses me." Damon waved, and the other six demons burst into flames and were vanquished. Their powers, however, flowed into the seventh demon. The demon stood slowly, and Damon continued, "Since you spoke, you will serve. Now you are worthy of serving me, so long as you amuse me. Welcome to the Cleansing, my newest servant."
The demon bowed low, and replied, "Yes, Master."
****
When they could see again, Paige asked, "Are we in the right realm?"
Leo nodded, and said, "Cole is somewhere in this realm. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of magic here, so much that I cannot be more precise. Can anyone?"
The sisters all tried to focus in, but all they could tell was a general direction. Piper pointed, and said, "He is that way."
"Then let's go. I guess we're walking." Paige replied. The sisters looked around, and noticed they were in a grassy plain. In the distance they could see what appeared to be a road, and since it was heading the way they wanted to, the sisters figured they could walk on that.
When they got to the road, Leo bent down to examine it. He then said, "If I had to guess, I'd say we're in a less advanced area."
"How do you figure that?" Piper asked curiously.
Leo pointed, and said, "The road has horse tracks on it, and no tire tracks. Also, it is simply been cleared, and hasn't been paved or altered in anyway. Come on, let's get going."
As they started walking, Phoebe asked, "Anyone know what time it is?"
"Yeah, it's...huh," Paige said.
"What?" Piper commented.
"My watch is broken," Paige said. She pointed and continued, "Look, it isn't moving."
"The watch isn't broken," Leo explained. "It is just linked to the way time moves in our realm. Apparently, time moves faster here."
"Then wouldn't the watch move faster too?" Piper asked. She held up her hands before Leo could answer and continued, "Wait, I can tell before you say anything that it is complicated, and I would be better off just accepting it, right?" Leo nodded, and Piper sighed, "Well, at least this faster time means less time will pass in our reality, which is a good thing."
The sisters walked for about two hours, before they came upon a village. It was a small place with a few huts, which seemed to confirm Leo's suspicions about this being a less advanced civilization.
"Do you think we should go down there?" Leo asked.
"We don't have much of a choice," Piper replied. "We need information, and this is our best bet."
"Alright, just a moment," Leo said. He briefly touched each sister, and concentrated. To their shock, the sister's clothes changed into more medieval style clothing.
"Leo, have you always been able to do that?" Piper demanded.
"Well...yes. I just never needed to before," Leo replied.
"Fight later, move now," Phoebe interrupted, and pushed them towards the village.
"You and I will talk about this soon," Piper commented ominously. She then followed Phoebe and Paige into the village.
When they walked in, all movement ceased. About a dozen villagers were out and about, and they all turned to stare curiously at the new visitors. Phoebe looked around, and then started to speak, "Hi, we're looking for a man, who may have..." She stopped when she saw a look of awe cross the face of every villager. Slowly, they kneeled and began to speak rapidly in a language the sisters couldn't recognize.
"What's going on?" Paige whispered.
"I don't know, just go with it," Piper murmured quietly.
Just then, an elderly woman appeared from her hut near the center of the village. She slowly approached the sisters with a concentrated look on her face. The sisters fought not to squirm, and then Paige said, "Hi, how are you?"
The woman's face broke out into a smile, and she said with a very large smile, "COUSINS!" To the shock of the sisters and Leo, she then proceeded to hug each one tightly. "It has been such a long time since another one of us has come here, I began to despair. Thank the Great One you have come."
"I'm sorry, but we're not sure what you're..." Piper began, but the woman shushed her.
"Quiet, I am sure you must be exhausted from your journey. Why didn't you shimmer or orb in?" the woman asked. When they looked even more confused, the woman continued, "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Welcome to Haversford. What is mine is yours, so all may share in the wisdom of the Great One." The woman led them into her hut, a small but comfortably furnished room. There was one other person in their, a very pretty girl about Paige's age, with black hair and very penetrating emerald eyes.
"Sit, sit," the woman said as she gestured to the chairs. When they did so, the woman beamed and replied, "So, what brings you here?"
"I'm sorry, but who do you think we are?" Paige asked.
The woman looked confused, and replied, "Why, you're witches of course. He looks like a whitelighter crossbreed, but that is still fine."
The sisters looked at each other in complete shock, and Piper replied, "How do you KNOW that?"
The old woman's confusion grew as she said, "You speak the Holy Tongue, so of course you are witches. Why, you aren't?"
"No, we are, but what's this Holy Tongue you speak of?" Leo asked.
"We're speaking it now, as it is taught by the Great One," the old woman said. She then looked at them slowly, and said, "I think you need to explain yourselves, fully." When the old woman's eyes focused, the sisters could feel the power behind them. Without hesitation, they began to speak of their world, and their quest.
It took several hours, and when they were finished, neither woman spoke for several moments. Finally, the old woman said, "What you say is both fantastic and hard to believe. However, I do not doubt you. It is quite a story." The woman stood, and then continued, "I recognize the urgency of your quest, and will help you however I can."
"Before that, I realize we have been rude," Leo replied. "We haven't even asked your names."
The younger woman spoke for the first time in a while, and said, "This is my grandmother Penelope. I am Phoebe. We are both witches of the order of Halliwell."
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Phoebe managed to stammer as the others tried to accommodate this new development.
Penelope smiled, and said, "That's right, you don't know. All witches are trained at the Holy City, where the Great One dwells. The highest Order, those witches who have the power to heal minds, is known as Halliwells."
"I understand that," Piper said, "But why Phoebe? I can't believe it is common name here, for some reason."
"Of course it isn't," Penelope said in exasperation. "It is the holiest name, reserved only for the most powerful beings detected at birth. Phoebe here has the potential to be the strongest witch seen for generations, so I named her appropriately."
"I see..." Phoebe said weakly.
"Now, what does this man look like that you seek?" Penelope asked.
As Phoebe began to describe Cole, Penelope went pale. She stood slowly, and said, "Are you absolutely sure about that description?" When they nodded, she said, "Then I have story to tell you.
"Seven generations ago, the world was in chaos. Magic ran rampant, and the witches of that time were greedy. They used their power how they saw fit. Some tried to help mankind, but many were not. It was a very dark time for the world, and many felt we would never come out of it.
"Then, a man was found outside the Holy City. His mind was in shambles, and so he was brought to a powerful witch. Her original name was not remembered, but she was incredibly arrogant, and one of the worst of the lot. She decided to help the man to prove her power, and entered his mind. She was in there for close to two days. When she came back, she was weeping, and was greatly changed.
"Several things happened. First of all, she sent the word to all witches in the area that they must try to heal this man, for it was of critical importance. She said the man had once been like her, with no restraint. However, he had fallen in love with a good witch, and he changed. He fought through pain and torment, and placed restraints on his powers. He imposed rules and order where none before existed and he tried to do good. His courage inspired the woman. She took the name Phoebe in honor of his courage for love, and began to follow the same discipline he had lived.
"Over the years, more and more witches came to heal him, and saw the light. Within a generation, the city where he was found was changed to be known as the Holy City, and became the training ground of all magic users. They are trained from birth, and taught the discipline as it was taught by the Great One."
Phoebe swallowed, and then asked, "What happened to...the Great One?"
Penelope sighed, and said, "Despite all the efforts throughout the generations, no one has managed to bring him back to sanity. He lives still, and is given the very best care, in honor of all that his memories teach."
"We have to go to him," Piper said.
Penelope stared at them, and then said, "Yes, you do. Very well, I will get you to the Holy City. My granddaughter has just finished her training in the field, and was on her way to the City for the final test to become a full Halliwell witch. She will be your guide."
"Thank you," Piper said. "We'll leave now if we can."
"I would expect no less," the woman said. "Phoebe will teleport you there. Take her hands."
The sisters did so, and just before they left, Phoebe said, "What is the final test?"
"The final test is to enter the mind of the Great One, and to try and heal his mind," Penelope said, and then the world faded.
****
When the sisters and Leo could see again, they found themselves on the main street of another city. However, the sisters looked around and realized this place looked even more worn than the last. All the buildings were old and none had any fanciness or color.
"What's with this city?" Phoebe murmured.
"One of the Great Ones teachings is that material things corrupt, and that the gains from helping others are the greater reward," Other-Phoebe replied. "Follow me, and we will go to the Great One."
The sisters followed Other-Phoebe, who led them swiftly through the crowd toward a building in the exact center. With a start, the sisters realized the entire city was built as a pentagram! Everywhere they looked, the sisters saw witches, who talked and traded magical supplies.
"How do you all eat and keep housed?" Piper asked.
Other-Phoebe smiled, and said, "Every city in the world gives a portion of their taxes to us each year, so we may focus on our training. They do that so we may focus on helping them, which we do gladly."
Finally, the sisters and Other-Phoebe entered the building in the center. They found two witches standing inside, both male, and a door that seemed to be connected to nothing. Both men bowed low to Other-Phoebe, and one asked, "Halliwell, you honor us. Come for your testing?"
Other-Phoebe nodded, and said, "Yes, Turner I have. These four will accompany me."
"But Halliwell..." one of the men started, but Other-Phoebe interrupted him.
"With them, I may be able to heal the Great One. Would you deny me that chance?"
"The Great One guides us, the Great One leads us, in his wisdom we find truth," the two men said simultaneously. Then one of them said, "Of course they may follow you in." The man on the right opened the door, and the sisters saw a vast chamber beyond it. They looked to Other-Phoebe, who said, "Spectral doors." She then led them through.
Phoebe looked around as they entered. They were in a giant greenhouse, with trees and plants all around them. "Why is he here?" she asked.
"The Great One's memories show a fondness for nature, and so we comply with his wishes. We try and make him as happy as he can be, for what he gave to our people," Other-Phoebe replied.
"What did you mean when you said we could help you heal him?" Piper questioned.
Other-Phoebe sighed, and said, "When a witch enters a person's mind, he sees their memories. These memories are used both as a shield and a guide to the person's inner self, and there are always defenses. Usually, a person who knows him well is brought along if possible to help explain the memories, and to get past the guards. Unfortunately, the Great One has no one, and so we have been unable to use his memories to get past his mental defenses...until now." Other-Phoebe turned to the Charmed Ones, and said, "You know him, and with you along, I may be able to get past his defenses and bring him back. Will you help me...please?"
The sisters looked at each other, and then Piper said, "Yes, we will."
"We are here," Other-Phoebe said suddenly, but the sisters could hear the relief in her voice. All the sisters looked up, and saw Cole.
Phoebe bit back a gasp. Physically, Cole looked exactly the same. He hadn't aged, and was still disheveled and dirty. His four day stubble had become a small beard. No, what shocked Phoebe were his eyes. Always before, good or evil, Cole's eyes showed a depth of pain and emotion Phoebe could never hope to match. Now, there was nothing. It was as if the body was empty, and all that was Cole was destroyed.
"If it has been so long, why hasn't he changed?" Paige asked.
"The witches put spells on him to keep him frozen in time. They do that for all patients until they can be healed," Other-Phoebe explained. "The Great One's muscles will not atrophy, and nothing will happen to him until he is healed. Are you ready?" She held out her hands as she said the last part.
The sisters and Leo looked at each other, and then took her hands. "As ready as we'll ever be."
Other-Phoebe smiled, and slowly had them sit in a circle around Cole, with Other-Phoebe facing him. The sisters looked over, and watched as Other-Phoebe's eyes began to glow. Her face took on a concentrated look, and then the sisters felt a pulling deep inside. They tried to fight it briefly, and then gave over to it, and the world faded.
TO BE CONTINUED...
(By the way, I apologize for the confusion. From now on, Phoebe H. = Phoebe Halliwell and Phoebe = other dimension Phoebe.)