Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Well, just returned to school. So that's why I haven't updated recently, if you were wondering. Anyway, I'm going to try to finish this story soon. No guarantees, I have no idea where it's going. We'll see how we go. Sorry about the previous download of this chapter, every apostrophe or inverted comma came up with a whole load of weird symbols. Anyone know why? Because I had to download it as a 'web page', and I'm not too used to that. Any help would be great. . .
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As they appeared in the Underworld, Phoebe began to wonder if this was a good idea. It's not like they would be able to help Grams if she was in trouble. What possible help could they offer?
"This way." Prue ordered, holding the small map in her hands. Piper glanced nervously around. She had several potions in her hand that grams had left behind and she was clutching them hopefully.
"Remember," Phoebe said quietly, "If the potion doesn't work, kick his ass naturally."
"Hmm." Piper let out. "And when you say 'his'. . ."
"The Source. Any demons." Phoebe replied.
"How could we possibly kill the Source by punching him a couple of times?" Piper asked incredulously.
"We don't." Prue answered. "That's why we have this spell." She produced another piece of paper from her pocket, before placing it back inside. She suddenly held up a hand. "Stop!" She hissed, looking around the corner. She relaxed slightly. "There were supposed to be two demons over here, but all I see is two scorch marks."
"Well, at least we know we're going the right way." Piper said as they continued. "Grams and Cole passed by here."
"That is considering that they are not the two scorch marks." Phoebe added. Piper threw her a dirty look. They continued silently through the large doorway that the guards were supposed to be guarding. A large room awaited them, the floor stained with multiple scorch marks on the floor and wall.
"Glad we didn't have to be part of this fight." Phoebe muttered taking a step forward. Prue her hand out and grabbed Phoebe, pulling her back as a fireball hurtled past in front of her. "What was that?"
"That was a trap." Prue said, glancing once more at the map. "Cole said this is the best method." She pointed to the map.
"Oh." Piper said. "Run like hell?"
"Yeah." Prue said with a shrug. "I guess it would be harder for a fireball to hit a moving target. And I guess it should be harder for the moving target to stay moving if it has a dozen demons in the room to stop them."
"Good thing the dozen demons no longer exist then." Piper said.
"I'll go first." Prue said.
"No." Phoebe said suddenly." You're the only one of us that knows anything about down here. I'll go, and if anything happens to me find another way." She took a deep breath. "Okay."
"Don't stop for anything." Prue warned.
"Be careful." Piper added. Phoebe nodded, before taking off. She sprinted, her hands over d as numerous fireballs flew overhead. As she reached the other door she grimaced as the last flying fireball grazed her side, but she stood up panting.
"Okay!" She yelled to her sisters. Piper and Prue repeated Phoebe's method, both managing to receive limited injuries, much to their surprise.
"The Source should be right behind here." Prue said, staring at the massive door in front of them.
"Okay then. Let's go." Piper said, her nerves suddenly non-existent. Together, they pushed open the door. A huge commotion greeted them from the other side. Grams was trying her best to battle two demons, to no avail. Cole was being held against a wall, a large, slimy insect-looking demon appearing to try and choke him to death. The Source was sitting in his throne, seemingly enjoying the fray before him. "Oh, crap." Piper said, her nerves reappearing. Several other demons noticed their entrance and he towards them. Piper handed Prue and Phoebe a few potions.
"Okay. . ." Phoebe muttered.
She threw her first potion at the demon advancing on her. It hit the ground to the side of him and he laughed out. She frowned and held the two remaining potions tightly in her hand. The demon formed an energy ball above his hand and threw it at her. Phoebe gasped and ducked out of the way. The demon dived on top of her and pinned her down, producing athame from his pocket. "Get-off-me!" Phoebe shouted. To her surprise she managed to free an arm. She lashed out, hitting the demon on the head, on of the potion vials still clenched in her hand. The bottle broke, spilling the contents on the demon, who with a squeal disappeared amongst a mass of flames. Phoebe almost smiled at her luck. She glanced around at her sisters, who were both trying their best to overcome the demons they were fighting. Piper threw a potion, hitting a demon square in the chest. Prue attempted the same thing, but missed the demon by a few feet. The demon formed a fireball above his hand, a triumphant look on his face. Without thinking, Phoebe picked up the athame from the ground and flung it across the room. It successfully hit its target, who burst into flames and disappeared. Prue looked up at Phoebe, a look of relieved surprise on her face. While Prue hurried to assist Grams, Phoebe ran over to Cole, who had managed to get himself free from the demon, but sat gasping for breath on the floor.
"Hey!" Phoebe shouted at the demon that was advancing slowly on Cole. It turned around and faced her. Phoebe grimaced slightly as it changed direction and charged at her. With everything she had she threw her last remaining potion. It hit the demon on the face, stopping it in its tracks. Nothing happened. "Oic." Phoebe let out. She dived out of the way as a large globule of some strange substance was flung her way. She sat up to see the demon metres away from her. As it appeared to be about to leap onto her, it burst into flames. Cole was standing behind it.
"Are you okay?" He asked, helping her up.
"Peachy." Phoebe replied over all the noise.
"What are you doing here? You weren--" Cole began.
"It doesn't matter now. We're here, there's no changing that." Phoebe replied. She looked up to see Prue helping Grams up, who seemed to be reproaching her for disobeying her. Piper used the last of her potions to vanquish the remaining demon. She looked up at the rest of them, before an applauding caused them to look around.
"Very good, very good. That was highly entertaining." The Source stood in front of them. "But unfortunately, I can't stay. So let's get this over with." With amazing speed he threw an energy ball at Cole, knocking him off his feet and into the wall.
"Cole!" Phoebe exclaimed, running over and kneeling by his side. Cole groaned slightly as she lifted his head into her lap. The Source let out a mocking laugh.
"You could have been the best, Belthazor. But I don't appreciate spoilt goods." He threw another energy ball in Cole and Phoebe's direction, but it was deflected off course by a potion colliding with it, fresh from Grams' hand. Phoebe managed to get a dazed Cole onto his feet.
"Cole, get them out of here." Grams said quietly when Phoebe reached her side.
"No. We're not leaving you." Prue said firmly. As Grams started to argue, Prue interrupted. "No." She repeated.
Three more energy balls were thrown swiftly, knocking Prue, Piper and Phoebe – and therefore Cole, to the ground. Grams took the three potions she had in her hand and threw them all at the Source, who merely shrugged them off. He threw an energy ball at her, which she ducked under.
Meanwhile, Phoebe, Piper and Prue were trying to get onto their feet. The fact that they couldn't see straight wasn't helping.
The Source advanced on Grams who, now helpless, retreated slowly. When she felt her back hit stonewall, she made a decision. She never used to care much for the physical violence that was necessary if magic failed. But in a case where magic did actually fail, she had no other choice. She threw herself at the Source, knocking him back momentarily, and began to throw as many punches as she could. Not looking at where she was punching, her mind was fixed on causing as much damage as possible. The Source clasped Grams by the neck and lifted her off the ground, her feet dangling helplessly underneath her.
"Grams!" Piper shouted, as she, Prue and Phoebe ran forwards. In less than a second, before their eyes, the Source pulled an athame out from inside his robes and plunged it into Grams' stomach. He let her fall the ground gasping. Screams echoed from within the chamber as the tree sisters leaned beside their grandmother. Tears streaming down her face, Prue lunged at the Source, but a hand clasped around he arm stopped her. She turned to see Cole, seemingly recovered, holding her back.
"Get your sisters, and your grandmother out of here. You can still save her." Cole said quietly.
"No, we can't." Prue said through gritted teeth. Cole frowned and, as if in slow motion, glanced over at Penny. Her raspy breathing had ceased. All breathing had ceased. She was lying motionless, Phoebe and Paige sobbing silently beside her. "He killed her. We're not going anywhere till we kill him."
She threw herself at the Source again, and this time Cole didn't have time to stop her. Before getting within a metre of the Source, he threw an energy ball at her, knocking her off her feet. He stepped forward and towered over her, but before another move could be made, he was thrown backwards by another energy ball, thrown by Cole. Cole ducked as energy balls were thrown back in his direction.
Prue quickly got to her feet and helped up Phoebe and Piper. "Read this now." She pulled out a spell from her pocket, a spell that she had brought along to read if all else failed. Neither Piper nor Phoebe had any complaints. They all only had one thought in mind: To vanquish the demon that killed their grandmother. As they read the spell,, the energy balls being thrown seized abruptly. The Source, realising what they were doing, through numerous energy balls at them, all knocked off course by energy balls thrown by Cole. With no other option, the Source ran towards the sisters in a bid to stop them. He slammed into an invisible barrier and fell to the floor. The sisters completed the spell, and watched with no regret as the Source was swallowed up in flames. With a scream of agony, he disappeared. A deafening silence filled the chamber. Piper sank to the floor, her body racking with sobs. Prue knelt down and embraced her sister, Phoebe following suit. Cole's eyes rested on the three distraught sisters, connected in a tight embrace. His eyes moved to Grams' limp form. He walked over and knelt next to her.
"I'm sorry. . ." He whispered. "This was all my fault. . ."
"Yeah, it was." Piper said suddenly, standing up, her face wet with tears. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be here. She wouldn't be. . ." She grew silent.
"Piper. . ." Prue began.
"No!" Piper shouted. "It was him!" She threw herself at Cole, her fists pummelling his chest. Cole didn't begin to resist. He looked away and closed his eyes.
"Piper!" Prue shouted, pulling her sister back. "Grams would have come here no matter what."
"No. . .not if she didn't know how to!" Piper exclaimed, trying to free herself from Prue's grasp.
"Piper. . ." Phoebe, who had been silent so far finally spoke, "You know as well as I do how persistent Grams was. Even if Cole hadn't told her. . .she would have found her way here." Phoebe took a deep breath to try and prevent her body once again being taken over by sobs. "I want someone to blame too. . .but we just vanquished to the only one we should."
"And it's because of Grams that we did." Prue added. "This wasn't Coles fault or our fault. . .or her fault." She ran a hand over her face and clenched her fist. Piper pursed her lips and nodded.
"I know. . ." She whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned to Cole. "I'm s--"
"It's okay." Cole interrupted soothingly. "It's okay."
Prue wiped her face on her sleeve and took a deep breath. She pulled out a spell from her pocket – the spell to take them home. She turned to Cole. "Can you take her back to the manor? I don't think we can. . ."
"Of course." Cole said softly. "How are you three--" He stopped when she held up the spell. "I'll wait for you." He glanced at Phoebe and held eye contact with her, before she looked away. Did she mean what she had said? Did she truly believe this wasn't her fault? He didn't want to think about it. After everything that had happened, he didn't want to think that Phoebe blamed him for this. He kneeled down and gathered Grams' lifeless body in his arms, before shimmering back to the manor.
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Wow, that took ages. Sorry about Grams, it just took that turn. We will see her again though! So don't flame me! Anyway, review, tell me what you thought.