Cleansing part 5
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.
"Where are we?" Piper asked when they could see again. The sisters found themselves in a misty place that seemed similar to the Elder's home back in their realm.
"This is the place between psyches," Other-Phoebe replied. "From here, I can draw out the memories of the person and let us learn what we need to before we proceed into his mind."
"What do we need to learn?" Paige asked. "All we need to do is talk to him, and he'll come around."
"You don't understand," Other-Phoebe commented. "We have to find the source of his insanity, the root of it, what caused it, or he will never come back. There is nothing here unless we can heal him. Without seeing his memories, we can never save him."
Paige was going to speak again, but Phoebe put her hand of Paige's arm. She then looked at her namesake, and said, "Let's do it."
Other-Phoebe nodded, and remarked, "One more thing. You will be in the background, as observers, but you will feel everything Cole feels. I can show us the memories that seem to have significance to him, but only you can explain them. I am counting on you."
"We'll do whatever we can," Piper said solemnly. "Our world is counting on us."
Other-Phoebe smiled, and closed her eyes, "Let's do it."
****
As the fireball flew towards Phoebe, Cole shimmered in. He ran forward as fast as he could, because he had to save Phoebe. He felt the fireball slam into him, and then a strange sensation coursed through him. When it passed, Cole could summon a fireball at will.
"Belthazor!" the Source said in shock. Phoebe looked at him and he saw in her eyes that she understood what had happened.
"No, the Hollow," Phoebe said softly.
Cole looked at her for a moment, and then shouted, "Hurry, the spell!" as he hurled a fireball at the Source. It knocked the Source back, as he stared in shock. The sisters began to chant, but Cole couldn't hear them. He pulled hard, pulled in everything he could to hold the Source back. Then it was over, the Source burst into flames. The Seer appeared, and asked Phoebe to read it with her. The sisters looked to him for confirmation, and Cole knew he had to give it. "Trust her. It's your only choice...if you want your powers back," he whispered, and they did.
As Phoebe and the Seer chanted, Cole could feel something new entering him. It was alien, and ugly, and dark. Cole realized with horror that the Source was trying to enter HIM! He tried to fight back, but the Source was too strong, too quick. He pushed back hard, and Cole gave ground. Cole tried to scream, but his mouth was no longer under his control. He felt the Source pushing him back into a corner, and Cole couldn't stop him. The Source would take him over, and would kill the Charmed Ones, would kill Phoebe...
As that thought hit him, Cole dug in. He felt the Source push against him, throw everything he had at him, but Cole held desperately to the thought of Phoebe. Finally, the Source relented, and Cole realized if he ever let up, even for a moment, the Source would overtake him completely. For a brief flicker of thought, Cole considered accepting fate, but then he fought back. If he did that, Phoebe would die. No, he had to fight, he had to be strong and save her.
****
"What the hell was that?" Paige asked in exasperation.
Other-Phoebe looked puzzled, and said, "It was one of his memories, one of the ones we need to see."
"That wasn't a memory," Phoebe hissed. "That was his version of it. He made that up, and foisted it on us."
Other-Phoebe's confusion grew, and she replied, "That is not possible. You cannot lie here. What we saw is what happened, according to him. This Source person invaded Cole, and tried to overwhelm him. He nearly did, and would have against any other man. Cole is quite remarkable."
Other-Phoebe continued for several more moments, but the sisters didn't hear her. They looked at each other, and only one thought was racing through their minds. 'You cannot lie here.' What they saw is what Cole felt. He hadn't lied to them: he had tried to fight the Source, and had kept the Source at bay for a while. They had misjudged him.
"It doesn't matter," Phoebe whispered to her sisters. "He is still evil, and when this is all over, we will find a way to stop him for good."
"What did you say?" Other-Phoebe asked in puzzlement.
"Nothing important," Piper chimed in, and continued, "I think we need to see the next part if we are to understand how to help him."
Other-Phoebe still looked puzzled, but she nodded and said, "Very well."
****
Cole started to walk away, but something stopped him. He looked back at Phoebe and said, "I'm not giving up on us Phoebe...ever." He then shimmered back to the wasteland, and collapsed. He tried to catch his breath. Damn, shifting to the material took too much out of him. If he was going to return to Phoebe, he had to find another way.
Cole thought about it for a few more moments, and then an idea came to him. It would be dangerous, but Phoebe was worth it. She loved him, and he loved her. No matter what, he would return to her so they would be together.
Cole shimmered to a darker plane, one where only demons could enter. A plane Good did not know, and never would. He immediately kneeled, and said, "I beg an audience."
"We know who you are," a voice echoed in the darkness. "Once, you were our greatest warrior. Now, look at you. You have let love corrupt and change you beyond our capabilities. And you are dead. Leave our sight."
"I demand the right of recovery," Cole said softly.
"HOW DARE YOU!" the voices shouted. "That is reserved for demons who are powerful, not weakling humans."
"I am half-human, and I did more evil in a century than most demons do in millennia!" Cole shouted as he surged to his feet. "I have EARNED this, and I demand my right."
The voices were silent for a moment, and then said in a venomous tone, "Very well. You will accept the trials?"
"Bring on your trials," Cole replied, "I will face anything."
"Understand this," the voices mocked. "None have ever passed. And we will not go easy on you. In fact, I guarantee we will throw everything we have at you. You stand no chance. Do you want to back out?"
"No," Cole said solemnly. Phoebe may have given up hope, but he never would. He would return to her, and she would fall into his arms, and all would be forgiven.
"Very well," the voices commented, and a figure appeared. It was demon, one who stood a menacing seven feet. Cole looked at it without fear. The demon snorted and then said, "Follow me. I am to be your guide."
Cole followed behind the demon, and was taken through a portal. He found himself under a rock outcropping. Beyond the rock was desert. A blistering sun hung in the sky. "What am I to do?" Cole asked in confusion.
The demon gestured, and Cole was naked. "Ten seconds after I leave, this outcropping will vanish. Exactly five miles in that direction is the end of this desert," the demon pointed as he spoke, "As soon as you touch the light, you will burst into flames. If you make it, I will be waiting for you."
"How do I know you aren't lying?" Cole asked.
"You don't, but I'm not. It would serve no point, because it doesn't matter. You will not make it. No one ever has," the demon replied, and shimmered out.
Cole looked towards the direction the demon had pointed, and sighed. He had to trust the demon, because this was the only way for him to get back to Phoebe. Cole took a deep breath, and darted out into the sun.
As soon as he was out of the rock cropping, intense physical pain beyond any Cole had known hit him. It was like being vanquished, only it never ended. Cole knew he screamed, but he kept going. He ran as long and as far as he could, but the pain only intensified. Every step caused him to scream anew, and yet to stay still was no better.
Cole barely made it ten minutes before he collapsed from the pain. He knew he would never get to the end, and part of him said he should just give up. As soon as he stopped trying, the pain would end, for Cole would have failed. It would be so easy, so simple to just...
A vision of Phoebe flashed through Cole's mind, and his eyes widened. Beyond the pain he felt, in the depths of his soul, Cole realized he had to get back. Phoebe was waiting for him and they would be together forever. He would go through any amount of torment to return to her, as she would for him. He could never give up.
Cole tried to get up, but he hadn't the strength. He was laid out on his stomach, and the pain was getting worse, if that was possible. So, Cole did the only thing he could. He crawled.
****
With a retching sound, Paige threw up. Piper and Phoebe both touched their faces and realized they were weeping, and had been weeping for the whole experience. They said nothing for a few moments, waiting, hoping the pain would fade. When it did, Phoebe finally managed to gasp through the tears, "My God..."
"He, he was in such pain..." Paige began, and then couldn't control herself. She started to throw up again, and Piper and Phoebe comforted her. The looked over at Other-Phoebe, who was deathly pale.
"What is it?" Phoebe asked.
"The demon did lie to Cole," Other-Phoebe replied.
"About what?" Piper asked as she tried to keep her stomach.
"The distance," Other-Phoebe commented. "It wasn't five miles, it was
fifty."
No one spoke several moments, as they tried to absorb that. Finally, Phoebe broke the spell. "How long?" Phoebe asked slowly. There was no need to be more specific.
Other-Phoebe looked at the Charmed Ones, and then said, "Four days. It took Cole four days of constant and unrelenting torment to reach the end, torment that got worse with every second."
"Ho...how did he...how did he survive?" Phoebe asked as she fought back the sadness.
Other-Phoebe looked over at her for a few seconds, and then a look of pity came over her face. "You," she said softly. "Through it all, through the entire time, Cole never once faltered, never once stopped. You held him together, and were his entire purpose. He had complete faith in your love of him, and that kept him going."
Phoebe dropped to her knees as the guilt came over her. "Cole went through all that to be with me, and I...I rejected him."
Something flashed in Other-Phoebe's eyes, and Piper caught it. "What?"
Other-Phoebe was silent again, and then commented, "That was only the first trial."
"Show me," Phoebe said solemnly.
"PHOEBE!" Piper said in shock.
"I have to know," Phoebe said sharply, "I have to know what he went through so I can help him, to save the world." She looked back at Other- Phoebe, who met her stare, and then nodded once.
****
Cole had forgotten how long he had been here, and had forgotten how long he had been crawling. He only knew three things...the pain, the torment, and Phoebe. Every second Cole wanted to just stop, to just give up, but Phoebe was always there, always driving him on.
As Cole reached out with his right hand to pull himself forward, his fingers grabbed something solid. Biting back a scream, Cole forced himself to look up. The demon was looking at him with an expression of extreme disbelief. Cole's hand had grabbed the demons' ankle. Cole managed to smile, and said, "I passed. Now get me out of here."
The demon said nothing, but they both shimmered. Cole stopped burning, and he wept as the pain ebbed. Cole knew he should get up, but he just wanted to savor the lack of pain for a moment longer. Just one more moment...
Cole kept expecting the demon to haul him to his feet, but the demon did nothing. Cole savored that lack of pain, and never wanted it to end. He could have stayed here...
'Phoebe...'
Cole came back to himself. He couldn't stay here, he had to get up. Cole slowly put his hands under him. They shook from the effort, and fresh pain coursed over raw wounds. Cole grimaced, but managed to hold long enough to get a foot under his body. Slowly, as each movement cost him greatly, Cole stood up. He staggered slightly, and then looked at the demon with a defiant glare. "Is that all you've got?" Cole managed to gasp and watched as a look of respect crept on the demon's features.
The demon snorted, and the look faded, "Congratulations, you have just passed the first trial...the easy trial. The next one won't be so short, and you will never pass it. Follow me."
Again, Cole staggered after the demon, trying desperately to marshal his strength for whatever came next. The demon led him to a door, and then said, "You may use the powers you gained in the wasteland for the next trial, not that it will help you. Your only goal is to survive." The demon pushed Cole at the door, and the door dissolved. Cole stumbled through, and then the door was gone.
Cole looked around, and surveyed his surrounding. He was in an ancient arena of some sort...one with empty stands a vast central area. Why was he here? Only instinct saved Cole. He shimmered to the right, just as something slammed down where he was. When Cole came back, he looked back, and could barely restrain his fear.
Looking back at Cole was a dragon. Long ago, dragons had been the most feared beings in the universe. They were strong, intelligent, and fast, and they ate demons for sport. They could tear a demon apart and leave him alive for centuries in its stomach but too destroyed to move as he was slowly digested. However, dragons were supposed to be extinct, which meant this one couldn't be here...
The dragon opened its mouth, and flames shot out of its mouth. Cole shimmered and dove, and barely avoided the flames. When Cole reappeared, he shot an energy ball at the dragon, but it didn't even singe the scales. The dragon surged forward, and its left fore claw slammed into Cole faster than he could move. Cole felt the talons pierce his chest, and felt himself thrown against the wall. He felt bone shatter, and he wondered what part of him survived. Spots danced for several moments, and when they cleared, Cole saw the dragon right in front of him.
Cole tried to shimmer, but the pain was too great. He tried to move, and discovered his legs had been shattered, and he couldn't feel anything from the waist down. The dragon looked at him for a moment, and then began to slowly reach out to pick him up with its mouth.
Cole managed to pull himself partly up using his arm strength, but his legs hung limply down. The dragon approached unheeded, and Cole didn't stand a chance of stopping him. Cole would be in the dragons stomach for centuries, slowly dissolving in a pool of acid.
"Not necessarily," the voices whispered in Cole's ear. "If you give up, we will save you. You must choose quickly, for not even we can save you from a dragon's belly. Simply say you give up, and we will end this. You have already gotten farther than the others, and you will be honored by us forever. Don't let it end like this. Do you really want to die like this?"
No, he didn't Cole thought. He felt all his pain and weariness pressing against him, and he said slowly, "Alright, I will..."
'Phoebe...'
Again, a memory of Phoebe surfaced, and Cole remembered what he was fighting for. Phoebe was waiting for him and they would be together forever. All he had to do was get through this, and his pain would end.
Summoning all the strength and anger he had, Cole shouted, "...NEVER GIVE UP!" and pushed himself forward. Cole did not so much launch himself forward and fall forward badly, but it was enough. The dragon's head darted forward, and closed over Cole.
When Cole could see again, he found himself in the original chamber. The demon was no where to be seen, and Cole still couldn't move his legs. "What is going on?" Cole asked.
"You have passed our two trials, and we will grant your request," the voice replied. "There is just one more matter to attend to..." The darkness seemed to coalesce, and a figure approached Cole. Cole couldn't get up to a sitting position, so he just looked. The figure became more distinct, until Cole recognized him...THE SOURCE.
"What the hell is this?" Cole demanded weakly.
"Well, you both died, so we have a problem. We have decided you will both come back, and the Source and you will share a body again," the voices murmured. "We thought you'd be pleased. After all, you will be the Source again."
"No, no..." Cole began. The Source smiled.
"Don't worry, Cole. I'll take good care of everyone once we get back," the Source said with a smirk. The Source reached forward and put his hands on Cole's head. Cole felt the Source entering his body, and felt tears spring to his eyes. He wasn't strong enough to fight the Source, and so his worst fear would come to pass. The Source would return to Earth, and Cole knew this time Cole would be completely suppressed. Cole would be evil again. 'So be it,' Cole thought. 'I have no strength left, let it end...'
'Phoebe...'
If Cole gave up, he would never be with Phoebe. Worst of all, the Source would kill Phoebe and her sisters simply for revenge. NO, Phoebe was waiting for him, and Cole would return to her. Cole reached deep within, and somehow found the strength to fight. Cole pushed back with everything he had. His strength was fueled by pain, rage...and love. The Source fought back too, and Cole felt his mind being pummeled inside as two personalities fought for control. For what seemed like eons, the two were deadlocked, and then Cole slowly pushed the Source back. 'Not this time, never again,' Cole thought angrily. 'I will NEVER BE evil again. I can be good, Phoebe believes I will be good, and I will not let you use me again.'
The Source tried to resist, but Cole was too strong. Slowly and methodically, Cole pushed the Source into a corner of his mind. He then pushed with everything he had, and the Source ceased to be.
Cole let his head fall back, and felt his mind began to unravel. He had nothing left. No physical, mental, or emotional strength left. A fly could have defeated him. He heard footsteps, and tried to focus, but it was beyond him. He saw a boot by his face, and tried to groan. Oh, no. There was another trial. Cole knew he would fail, there was simply no way. The trials were just too hard.
Hands touched Cole, and gently pulled him to a sitting position. Cole felt strength leave those hands and flow into him. His mind started to come back together, and Cole could focus again. He found his guide in front of him, looking at him with an expression of open admiration and awe.
"Congratulations, you have passed the trials," the demon said solemnly. "You have earned a reward. It was an honor to be your guide."
Cole looked up at the darkness, and asked, "No more trials, I get what I came here for."
"No more trials by us," the voices replied. "Name your reward; you have proven your worth."
"Give me back my body so I can return to Phoebe," Cole said without hesitation.
The voices fell silent for several minutes, and then said slowly, "We shall grant your request, and give you a new body. Be warned, not even we can give you your old body. This one will be different. It will look the same, but it will be stronger, and different. Can you live with that?"
"Do I have a choice?" Cole asked.
"Not if you want your request honored," the voices replied.
"Will I keep all my Wasteland powers?" Cole remarked.
"Yes, and they will grow as if they had been yours from birth," the voices replied.
'Phoebe...'
"Do it," Cole said firmly.
"Very well," the voices said. Cole felt power begin to gather around him, more power than he had ever imagined, when the voices said, "You are a rare and amazing man, Cole Turner. You will always be welcome in the Halls of Evil." The power then washed over him, and Cole felt his body changing. He felt his wounds healing, and more strength than he had ever felt flowed through them. He felt that he could jump to the moon if he wanted to, without effort. Within moments, it was done, and Cole felt...solid. He bowed to the voices, and then shimmered out.
****
"So, that's how Cole did it," Paige finally said after the memories faded.
"I just don't believe it," Piper whispered, "All that pain, all that torment, simply to get back here."
"He loves your sister very much," Other-Phoebe said solemnly. Piper expected a vehement retort to escape from her sister at that remark. When nothing came, Piper looked over at Phoebe. She was looking off in the distance with a pensive expression on her face.
"Are you alright Pheebs?" Piper asked softly as Paige approached.
"All this time, and I had no idea," Phoebe whispered. "If I had known, would it have changed anything? He went through all that for me, and I ran. I thought he was evil, when he survived so much agony to be with me. What have I done?" After a moment, she seemed to recover herself slightly. She looked over at Other-Phoebe, and continued, "Are we ready to do the next set of memories?"
Other-Phoebe hesitated, and then said, "I'm afraid that isn't possible."
"What, what do you mean?" Paige demanded.
"It seems Cole has detected our scanning somehow, and has blocked his memories," Phoebe replied. "Normally, I could push through, but Cole is exceptionally strong. Therefore, we're going to have to do something earlier than I wanted." She looked at each sister for a few moments, as if weighing them.
"We're going to have to enter Cole's mind, and confront him there."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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.
"Where are we?" Piper asked when they could see again. The sisters found themselves in a misty place that seemed similar to the Elder's home back in their realm.
"This is the place between psyches," Other-Phoebe replied. "From here, I can draw out the memories of the person and let us learn what we need to before we proceed into his mind."
"What do we need to learn?" Paige asked. "All we need to do is talk to him, and he'll come around."
"You don't understand," Other-Phoebe commented. "We have to find the source of his insanity, the root of it, what caused it, or he will never come back. There is nothing here unless we can heal him. Without seeing his memories, we can never save him."
Paige was going to speak again, but Phoebe put her hand of Paige's arm. She then looked at her namesake, and said, "Let's do it."
Other-Phoebe nodded, and remarked, "One more thing. You will be in the background, as observers, but you will feel everything Cole feels. I can show us the memories that seem to have significance to him, but only you can explain them. I am counting on you."
"We'll do whatever we can," Piper said solemnly. "Our world is counting on us."
Other-Phoebe smiled, and closed her eyes, "Let's do it."
****
As the fireball flew towards Phoebe, Cole shimmered in. He ran forward as fast as he could, because he had to save Phoebe. He felt the fireball slam into him, and then a strange sensation coursed through him. When it passed, Cole could summon a fireball at will.
"Belthazor!" the Source said in shock. Phoebe looked at him and he saw in her eyes that she understood what had happened.
"No, the Hollow," Phoebe said softly.
Cole looked at her for a moment, and then shouted, "Hurry, the spell!" as he hurled a fireball at the Source. It knocked the Source back, as he stared in shock. The sisters began to chant, but Cole couldn't hear them. He pulled hard, pulled in everything he could to hold the Source back. Then it was over, the Source burst into flames. The Seer appeared, and asked Phoebe to read it with her. The sisters looked to him for confirmation, and Cole knew he had to give it. "Trust her. It's your only choice...if you want your powers back," he whispered, and they did.
As Phoebe and the Seer chanted, Cole could feel something new entering him. It was alien, and ugly, and dark. Cole realized with horror that the Source was trying to enter HIM! He tried to fight back, but the Source was too strong, too quick. He pushed back hard, and Cole gave ground. Cole tried to scream, but his mouth was no longer under his control. He felt the Source pushing him back into a corner, and Cole couldn't stop him. The Source would take him over, and would kill the Charmed Ones, would kill Phoebe...
As that thought hit him, Cole dug in. He felt the Source push against him, throw everything he had at him, but Cole held desperately to the thought of Phoebe. Finally, the Source relented, and Cole realized if he ever let up, even for a moment, the Source would overtake him completely. For a brief flicker of thought, Cole considered accepting fate, but then he fought back. If he did that, Phoebe would die. No, he had to fight, he had to be strong and save her.
****
"What the hell was that?" Paige asked in exasperation.
Other-Phoebe looked puzzled, and said, "It was one of his memories, one of the ones we need to see."
"That wasn't a memory," Phoebe hissed. "That was his version of it. He made that up, and foisted it on us."
Other-Phoebe's confusion grew, and she replied, "That is not possible. You cannot lie here. What we saw is what happened, according to him. This Source person invaded Cole, and tried to overwhelm him. He nearly did, and would have against any other man. Cole is quite remarkable."
Other-Phoebe continued for several more moments, but the sisters didn't hear her. They looked at each other, and only one thought was racing through their minds. 'You cannot lie here.' What they saw is what Cole felt. He hadn't lied to them: he had tried to fight the Source, and had kept the Source at bay for a while. They had misjudged him.
"It doesn't matter," Phoebe whispered to her sisters. "He is still evil, and when this is all over, we will find a way to stop him for good."
"What did you say?" Other-Phoebe asked in puzzlement.
"Nothing important," Piper chimed in, and continued, "I think we need to see the next part if we are to understand how to help him."
Other-Phoebe still looked puzzled, but she nodded and said, "Very well."
****
Cole started to walk away, but something stopped him. He looked back at Phoebe and said, "I'm not giving up on us Phoebe...ever." He then shimmered back to the wasteland, and collapsed. He tried to catch his breath. Damn, shifting to the material took too much out of him. If he was going to return to Phoebe, he had to find another way.
Cole thought about it for a few more moments, and then an idea came to him. It would be dangerous, but Phoebe was worth it. She loved him, and he loved her. No matter what, he would return to her so they would be together.
Cole shimmered to a darker plane, one where only demons could enter. A plane Good did not know, and never would. He immediately kneeled, and said, "I beg an audience."
"We know who you are," a voice echoed in the darkness. "Once, you were our greatest warrior. Now, look at you. You have let love corrupt and change you beyond our capabilities. And you are dead. Leave our sight."
"I demand the right of recovery," Cole said softly.
"HOW DARE YOU!" the voices shouted. "That is reserved for demons who are powerful, not weakling humans."
"I am half-human, and I did more evil in a century than most demons do in millennia!" Cole shouted as he surged to his feet. "I have EARNED this, and I demand my right."
The voices were silent for a moment, and then said in a venomous tone, "Very well. You will accept the trials?"
"Bring on your trials," Cole replied, "I will face anything."
"Understand this," the voices mocked. "None have ever passed. And we will not go easy on you. In fact, I guarantee we will throw everything we have at you. You stand no chance. Do you want to back out?"
"No," Cole said solemnly. Phoebe may have given up hope, but he never would. He would return to her, and she would fall into his arms, and all would be forgiven.
"Very well," the voices commented, and a figure appeared. It was demon, one who stood a menacing seven feet. Cole looked at it without fear. The demon snorted and then said, "Follow me. I am to be your guide."
Cole followed behind the demon, and was taken through a portal. He found himself under a rock outcropping. Beyond the rock was desert. A blistering sun hung in the sky. "What am I to do?" Cole asked in confusion.
The demon gestured, and Cole was naked. "Ten seconds after I leave, this outcropping will vanish. Exactly five miles in that direction is the end of this desert," the demon pointed as he spoke, "As soon as you touch the light, you will burst into flames. If you make it, I will be waiting for you."
"How do I know you aren't lying?" Cole asked.
"You don't, but I'm not. It would serve no point, because it doesn't matter. You will not make it. No one ever has," the demon replied, and shimmered out.
Cole looked towards the direction the demon had pointed, and sighed. He had to trust the demon, because this was the only way for him to get back to Phoebe. Cole took a deep breath, and darted out into the sun.
As soon as he was out of the rock cropping, intense physical pain beyond any Cole had known hit him. It was like being vanquished, only it never ended. Cole knew he screamed, but he kept going. He ran as long and as far as he could, but the pain only intensified. Every step caused him to scream anew, and yet to stay still was no better.
Cole barely made it ten minutes before he collapsed from the pain. He knew he would never get to the end, and part of him said he should just give up. As soon as he stopped trying, the pain would end, for Cole would have failed. It would be so easy, so simple to just...
A vision of Phoebe flashed through Cole's mind, and his eyes widened. Beyond the pain he felt, in the depths of his soul, Cole realized he had to get back. Phoebe was waiting for him and they would be together forever. He would go through any amount of torment to return to her, as she would for him. He could never give up.
Cole tried to get up, but he hadn't the strength. He was laid out on his stomach, and the pain was getting worse, if that was possible. So, Cole did the only thing he could. He crawled.
****
With a retching sound, Paige threw up. Piper and Phoebe both touched their faces and realized they were weeping, and had been weeping for the whole experience. They said nothing for a few moments, waiting, hoping the pain would fade. When it did, Phoebe finally managed to gasp through the tears, "My God..."
"He, he was in such pain..." Paige began, and then couldn't control herself. She started to throw up again, and Piper and Phoebe comforted her. The looked over at Other-Phoebe, who was deathly pale.
"What is it?" Phoebe asked.
"The demon did lie to Cole," Other-Phoebe replied.
"About what?" Piper asked as she tried to keep her stomach.
"The distance," Other-Phoebe commented. "It wasn't five miles, it was
fifty."
No one spoke several moments, as they tried to absorb that. Finally, Phoebe broke the spell. "How long?" Phoebe asked slowly. There was no need to be more specific.
Other-Phoebe looked at the Charmed Ones, and then said, "Four days. It took Cole four days of constant and unrelenting torment to reach the end, torment that got worse with every second."
"Ho...how did he...how did he survive?" Phoebe asked as she fought back the sadness.
Other-Phoebe looked over at her for a few seconds, and then a look of pity came over her face. "You," she said softly. "Through it all, through the entire time, Cole never once faltered, never once stopped. You held him together, and were his entire purpose. He had complete faith in your love of him, and that kept him going."
Phoebe dropped to her knees as the guilt came over her. "Cole went through all that to be with me, and I...I rejected him."
Something flashed in Other-Phoebe's eyes, and Piper caught it. "What?"
Other-Phoebe was silent again, and then commented, "That was only the first trial."
"Show me," Phoebe said solemnly.
"PHOEBE!" Piper said in shock.
"I have to know," Phoebe said sharply, "I have to know what he went through so I can help him, to save the world." She looked back at Other- Phoebe, who met her stare, and then nodded once.
****
Cole had forgotten how long he had been here, and had forgotten how long he had been crawling. He only knew three things...the pain, the torment, and Phoebe. Every second Cole wanted to just stop, to just give up, but Phoebe was always there, always driving him on.
As Cole reached out with his right hand to pull himself forward, his fingers grabbed something solid. Biting back a scream, Cole forced himself to look up. The demon was looking at him with an expression of extreme disbelief. Cole's hand had grabbed the demons' ankle. Cole managed to smile, and said, "I passed. Now get me out of here."
The demon said nothing, but they both shimmered. Cole stopped burning, and he wept as the pain ebbed. Cole knew he should get up, but he just wanted to savor the lack of pain for a moment longer. Just one more moment...
Cole kept expecting the demon to haul him to his feet, but the demon did nothing. Cole savored that lack of pain, and never wanted it to end. He could have stayed here...
'Phoebe...'
Cole came back to himself. He couldn't stay here, he had to get up. Cole slowly put his hands under him. They shook from the effort, and fresh pain coursed over raw wounds. Cole grimaced, but managed to hold long enough to get a foot under his body. Slowly, as each movement cost him greatly, Cole stood up. He staggered slightly, and then looked at the demon with a defiant glare. "Is that all you've got?" Cole managed to gasp and watched as a look of respect crept on the demon's features.
The demon snorted, and the look faded, "Congratulations, you have just passed the first trial...the easy trial. The next one won't be so short, and you will never pass it. Follow me."
Again, Cole staggered after the demon, trying desperately to marshal his strength for whatever came next. The demon led him to a door, and then said, "You may use the powers you gained in the wasteland for the next trial, not that it will help you. Your only goal is to survive." The demon pushed Cole at the door, and the door dissolved. Cole stumbled through, and then the door was gone.
Cole looked around, and surveyed his surrounding. He was in an ancient arena of some sort...one with empty stands a vast central area. Why was he here? Only instinct saved Cole. He shimmered to the right, just as something slammed down where he was. When Cole came back, he looked back, and could barely restrain his fear.
Looking back at Cole was a dragon. Long ago, dragons had been the most feared beings in the universe. They were strong, intelligent, and fast, and they ate demons for sport. They could tear a demon apart and leave him alive for centuries in its stomach but too destroyed to move as he was slowly digested. However, dragons were supposed to be extinct, which meant this one couldn't be here...
The dragon opened its mouth, and flames shot out of its mouth. Cole shimmered and dove, and barely avoided the flames. When Cole reappeared, he shot an energy ball at the dragon, but it didn't even singe the scales. The dragon surged forward, and its left fore claw slammed into Cole faster than he could move. Cole felt the talons pierce his chest, and felt himself thrown against the wall. He felt bone shatter, and he wondered what part of him survived. Spots danced for several moments, and when they cleared, Cole saw the dragon right in front of him.
Cole tried to shimmer, but the pain was too great. He tried to move, and discovered his legs had been shattered, and he couldn't feel anything from the waist down. The dragon looked at him for a moment, and then began to slowly reach out to pick him up with its mouth.
Cole managed to pull himself partly up using his arm strength, but his legs hung limply down. The dragon approached unheeded, and Cole didn't stand a chance of stopping him. Cole would be in the dragons stomach for centuries, slowly dissolving in a pool of acid.
"Not necessarily," the voices whispered in Cole's ear. "If you give up, we will save you. You must choose quickly, for not even we can save you from a dragon's belly. Simply say you give up, and we will end this. You have already gotten farther than the others, and you will be honored by us forever. Don't let it end like this. Do you really want to die like this?"
No, he didn't Cole thought. He felt all his pain and weariness pressing against him, and he said slowly, "Alright, I will..."
'Phoebe...'
Again, a memory of Phoebe surfaced, and Cole remembered what he was fighting for. Phoebe was waiting for him and they would be together forever. All he had to do was get through this, and his pain would end.
Summoning all the strength and anger he had, Cole shouted, "...NEVER GIVE UP!" and pushed himself forward. Cole did not so much launch himself forward and fall forward badly, but it was enough. The dragon's head darted forward, and closed over Cole.
When Cole could see again, he found himself in the original chamber. The demon was no where to be seen, and Cole still couldn't move his legs. "What is going on?" Cole asked.
"You have passed our two trials, and we will grant your request," the voice replied. "There is just one more matter to attend to..." The darkness seemed to coalesce, and a figure approached Cole. Cole couldn't get up to a sitting position, so he just looked. The figure became more distinct, until Cole recognized him...THE SOURCE.
"What the hell is this?" Cole demanded weakly.
"Well, you both died, so we have a problem. We have decided you will both come back, and the Source and you will share a body again," the voices murmured. "We thought you'd be pleased. After all, you will be the Source again."
"No, no..." Cole began. The Source smiled.
"Don't worry, Cole. I'll take good care of everyone once we get back," the Source said with a smirk. The Source reached forward and put his hands on Cole's head. Cole felt the Source entering his body, and felt tears spring to his eyes. He wasn't strong enough to fight the Source, and so his worst fear would come to pass. The Source would return to Earth, and Cole knew this time Cole would be completely suppressed. Cole would be evil again. 'So be it,' Cole thought. 'I have no strength left, let it end...'
'Phoebe...'
If Cole gave up, he would never be with Phoebe. Worst of all, the Source would kill Phoebe and her sisters simply for revenge. NO, Phoebe was waiting for him, and Cole would return to her. Cole reached deep within, and somehow found the strength to fight. Cole pushed back with everything he had. His strength was fueled by pain, rage...and love. The Source fought back too, and Cole felt his mind being pummeled inside as two personalities fought for control. For what seemed like eons, the two were deadlocked, and then Cole slowly pushed the Source back. 'Not this time, never again,' Cole thought angrily. 'I will NEVER BE evil again. I can be good, Phoebe believes I will be good, and I will not let you use me again.'
The Source tried to resist, but Cole was too strong. Slowly and methodically, Cole pushed the Source into a corner of his mind. He then pushed with everything he had, and the Source ceased to be.
Cole let his head fall back, and felt his mind began to unravel. He had nothing left. No physical, mental, or emotional strength left. A fly could have defeated him. He heard footsteps, and tried to focus, but it was beyond him. He saw a boot by his face, and tried to groan. Oh, no. There was another trial. Cole knew he would fail, there was simply no way. The trials were just too hard.
Hands touched Cole, and gently pulled him to a sitting position. Cole felt strength leave those hands and flow into him. His mind started to come back together, and Cole could focus again. He found his guide in front of him, looking at him with an expression of open admiration and awe.
"Congratulations, you have passed the trials," the demon said solemnly. "You have earned a reward. It was an honor to be your guide."
Cole looked up at the darkness, and asked, "No more trials, I get what I came here for."
"No more trials by us," the voices replied. "Name your reward; you have proven your worth."
"Give me back my body so I can return to Phoebe," Cole said without hesitation.
The voices fell silent for several minutes, and then said slowly, "We shall grant your request, and give you a new body. Be warned, not even we can give you your old body. This one will be different. It will look the same, but it will be stronger, and different. Can you live with that?"
"Do I have a choice?" Cole asked.
"Not if you want your request honored," the voices replied.
"Will I keep all my Wasteland powers?" Cole remarked.
"Yes, and they will grow as if they had been yours from birth," the voices replied.
'Phoebe...'
"Do it," Cole said firmly.
"Very well," the voices said. Cole felt power begin to gather around him, more power than he had ever imagined, when the voices said, "You are a rare and amazing man, Cole Turner. You will always be welcome in the Halls of Evil." The power then washed over him, and Cole felt his body changing. He felt his wounds healing, and more strength than he had ever felt flowed through them. He felt that he could jump to the moon if he wanted to, without effort. Within moments, it was done, and Cole felt...solid. He bowed to the voices, and then shimmered out.
****
"So, that's how Cole did it," Paige finally said after the memories faded.
"I just don't believe it," Piper whispered, "All that pain, all that torment, simply to get back here."
"He loves your sister very much," Other-Phoebe said solemnly. Piper expected a vehement retort to escape from her sister at that remark. When nothing came, Piper looked over at Phoebe. She was looking off in the distance with a pensive expression on her face.
"Are you alright Pheebs?" Piper asked softly as Paige approached.
"All this time, and I had no idea," Phoebe whispered. "If I had known, would it have changed anything? He went through all that for me, and I ran. I thought he was evil, when he survived so much agony to be with me. What have I done?" After a moment, she seemed to recover herself slightly. She looked over at Other-Phoebe, and continued, "Are we ready to do the next set of memories?"
Other-Phoebe hesitated, and then said, "I'm afraid that isn't possible."
"What, what do you mean?" Paige demanded.
"It seems Cole has detected our scanning somehow, and has blocked his memories," Phoebe replied. "Normally, I could push through, but Cole is exceptionally strong. Therefore, we're going to have to do something earlier than I wanted." She looked at each sister for a few moments, as if weighing them.
"We're going to have to enter Cole's mind, and confront him there."
TO BE CONTINUED...