"Hello, Paige, I'm Prue.  Normally I would give you a warmer welcome, but we haven't much time."

"That's fine, no problem."  Paige tried to play it cool but the awe and wonderment in her face gave her true feelings away.  She had waited so long to finally meet the eldest Halliwell sister.  She was saddened that their introduction had to be under such circumstances.  She was surprised at how gentle Prue turned out to be, but was sure that not being an evil demon helped in being on the eldest sister's good side.  She thought since Prue was in a corporeal form a hug might have been nice, something that would solidify her as an official member of the family, but she saw that Prue meant business and listened to her without interruption.

"All right Paige.  I have been watching and know your status as a Charmed One.  The problem is that somehow the Seer was able to watch you guys as well.  The Elders have heard ancient prophecies that tell of a window of opportunity in which the strongest of vanquished Evils enter back into the world of the living to join forces and open the tiny hole in all of creation and undo creation.  By ripping this hole, they will not only ruin perfection, but they would also be able to create a more massive and all powerful "Underworld" in its stead.  Innyway, the Elders, didn't think anything of this little prophecy since it sounds a bit stupid.  The Elders themselves have never found such a flaw in creation and doubted its existence.  However, Evil has begun to make its move in exactly the way the prophecy stated, which has the Elders in a panic.  And this is where the Charmed Ones come in.  Before all power went out up here we saw Piper begin to write a spell, but were unable to see the incantation because we lost all visual and audio up here.  For some reason magic was lost for a moment and by the time the power came back on the spell had all ready been cast and the damage all ready done.  The Elders then got word that the Seer's essence was within the Manor's walls, invisible to all of you, even Leo.  I know that you are surprised by this news, but please, no questions until I have finished.  Now, we heard you say that you knew what it was Piper had done and we pulled you out of there as fast as we could so that the Seer could not get to you first.  Unfortunately she still found a way in as we pulled you out.  It seems that the Seer stole a few powers and glamoured into you as we pulled you out so that it seemed like you never left.  But your safe up here and we have no idea how Phoebe is down there.  We do not know the Seer's exact plan or who her army will consist of.  And even though we have a powerful "seer" of our own, he was still unable to foresee this dark time.  Even so, the scrolls are up here and that is why it took so long for Leo and me to contact you, plus walking through clouds with no sensing powers is a bitch.  But that's not important, what is though is that, after seeing that the prophecy could in fact be true, the Elders set about translating more of it.  And this is how it reads: 'For in the time of Evil's chance at power a sister of four will it devour.  In the Heavens two will wait and find an enemy within the Gates.  And in the Void of the Dead shall the second be, to meet her demise by the Awakening of the Tower of Fiery Eyes.'"  At the reading of that last line, Prue could go on no longer.  Her face was no longer stoic.

Paige watched as this instantaneous change came over her dead sister.  It pained her to see and confused her as well.  How could the Mighty Prue Halliwell be so broken?  How could she be suffering still, despite her being in Heaven?  She began to wonder if dying wasn't what she thought it was.  Maybe it isn't a release, she thought to herself, maybe it's punishment for not staying alive, for failing to survive.  She thought for a moment that maybe there was a flaw in that logic because of the Whitelighters, They are Angels.  But even they suffer.  Leo still has regrets, he still has to feel the pain of lost charges.  And should Piper not make it through this, he would suffer still.  There isn't a guarantee that she will come to Heaven, since she may already be stuck in Hell.  At that thought she felt moved to go give Prue a hug, but as she approached her, Prue moved away.  Paige was hurt by this, but didn't dare let it show, instead she began to speak, "One of the lines you read seems to refer to us.  What does it mean that there is 'an enemy within the gates'?  Am I stuck up here?"

"Well, yeah, you're stuck up here.  And I don't know who or what the enemy is."

Paige was taken aback by Prue's bluntness and harsh tone, but then started to understand why Prue had taken such a tone.  For the reality set in that she was stuck up there and so was every Whitelighter.  According to the prophecy Phoebe would be "devoured by evil" and she didn't even fully understand what that meant.  And then there is Piper's prophesied death.  There would be no one to heal them, and no way to call upon the Power of Three to help them.  For the first time Paige felt complete despair and even though she had never met Prue, she could tell Prue was sharing this complete lack of faith for the first time as well.           

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"Stand now Ms. Halliwell.  We haven't much time," instructed the Seer. "We must move quickly, for you still have much to learn.  I once told Cole that I had a vision of me and him doing great things for the Underworld, but I lied.  For it was you I saw in my vision, and now our time has come to take our rightful place as leaders of the Underworld.  By the summoning of lives past and the lifeless bodies of those who live, the portals have been opened and the powers of the Heavens have been suspended.  No angel shall pass unto this world, a sister's betrayal has come to pass, and an ancient beast awakened.  The Power of Three I summon Thee! The Power of Three come now, breathe life into me!"

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As the beast stood taller still, Piper looked up in horror.  She could hardly breathe as the oxygen was sucked from the air.  In a rage the beast spit fire from its mouth, which allowed Piper to finally see what it was she journeyed across.  Tears came to her eyes as she saw a field of bones and ash.  And with that her fear turned to anger and anger into hollowness.  For now she felt nothing because that was the only way to survive this battle.  She honestly convinced herself that she had defeated this beast before, that she was the only one who could do it again, and that she was the only one in her life she had to do it for.  With no attachments she readied herself for battle and not a moment too soon, for the beast had now set all of its eyes on her.