Paige and Wyatt rematerialized in a clearing. The leaves were gone from the trees, and light snowfall was starting to obscure any evidence of the Wiccan meeting site. This time Paige was the first to notice the blood pentagram that had been crudely drawn on one of the trees, but Wyatt found the bodies.
"That's it," Wyatt said, sitting on a fallen tree that lay on the edge of the former meeting site. "It's over."
"No, it isn't," Paige said. "We have to keep looking."
"This is the last coven I was able to find. There's nowhere else to go," Wyatt said.
"So we're just gonna give up? Let demons take over?" Paige asked.
"I just talked to some of these covens yesterday." Wyatt swallowed. "Over a hundred witches dead, overnight. They must have known about the plan all along."
"All right, then we'll make a new plan." Paige said. "There is a whole planet full of innocents out there depending on us."
"I was afraid something like this would happen. The plan failed before it began." Wyatt looked at her. "There is one chance left. It's something Leo showed me once."
"What?" Paige asked.
"Up there," Wyatt said, looking at the thick layer of clouds overhead. "There's a vault protected by magic so strong evil could never penetrate it. The vault protects all the most valuable artifacts for the side of good, including an urn that holds the all the powers of the Greek gods. With those powers, no demon could stop us, not even the Source."
"I thought only an Elder could release those powers," Paige said.
"That's one of the rules, but in an emergency like this, any whitelighter can do it," Wyatt said. "But the protective powers on the vault will kill anyone else who tries to go in."
"And where are we going to find a whitelighter?" Paige asked.
"We're both half whitelighter," Wyatt said. "We can enter the vault."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Wyatt said.
"Then why didn't you mention this sooner?" Paige asked.
"Because it's dangerous," Wyatt said. "The Source knows about the vault, and he'll be guarding it with everything he has. It'll be a miracle if we survive."
"Wouldn't be the first time," Paige said.
Wyatt glanced around the meeting site again. It seemed to grow more barren by the minute. "We should keep moving then. The faster we do this, the better."
"Right, back to the house," Paige said, taking his hand.
"No," Wyatt said. "We should orb up there now. We can't waste any time."
"What about the others?" Paige asked. "If it's as dangerous as you say it is, we can't pull this off on our own."
"We're the only ones who can enter the vault," Wyatt said. "And I don't want to risk any more lives than I have to."
"Look, I get this whole super witch thing, but if your plan is going work, we'll need help," Paige said.
"Do you think they can hold off the Source long enough for us to get the urn?" Wyatt asked.
"We took out the Source before, you know," Paige said.
"All right," Wyatt said. "We'll go back to the manor."
Again, they orbed together. They crossed the vast stretches of the Atlantic ocean in moments, and reappeared in the living room of Halliwell manor. The rest of the coven was waiting for them there.
"Where are all the witches?" Kevin asked.
"There aren't any other witches," Wyatt said. "The other covens were wiped out before we could get to them."
"Oh my god," Prue said.
"What'll we do now?" Kevin asked. "We can't fight off a horde of demons on our own."
"Maybe we can," Paige said. "If we could get a big enough power boost."
"What are you talking about?" Prue asked.
"The powers of the Greek gods," Wyatt said. "If we can get to them, we can stop the Source."
"The Greek gods?" Jill said. "That's crazy. You know how well guarded the temple is going to be. We might as well just attack the underworld itself."
"I know we don't have much of a chance, but it's the only hope we have left," Wyatt said.
"Just slow down here," Jill said. "We can come up with a new plan."
"Wyatt's right," Maggie said. "We've talked about this before. We always knew it would be our last chance."
"Last being the operative word," Jill said. "We'll never get out of there alive."
"Jill," Kevin said. "There's no other choice, and I don't want to give up now."
"You're going along with this?" Jill asked.
"Are you giving up?" Kevin asked.
Jill was silent.
"All right," Prue said. "Wyatt, you've been there before. What exactly are we up against?"
"Aside from whatever demons might be guarding the place," Wyatt said. "There's a magical barrier over the building that only whitelighters, or half-whitelighters, can pass through. Anyone else trying to go through is killed instantly. Not even the angel of death can break the seal. It's impossible to teleport in or out, and no magic works once you're inside."
"Luckily we just happen to have two half-whitelighters in the family," Paige said. "Now, how are we supposed to get to the temple in the first place?"
"I think our best bet is to orb in as close as possible and make a run for it, using our powers to hold the demons off," Wyatt said. "You can go into the temple while I cover the others with my shield. Once you've got the urn, we'll orb out."
Kevin smirked. "Not your must subtle plan ever."
"I think we're way past the time for subtlety," Prue said.
"Hey, I'm not complaining," Kevin said. "I say we go for it."
"I'm with you," Paige said. "We have to do this."
"This is all happening so fast," Phoebe said. "But I know it has to be done. I'm in."
"I don't think we have a choice. We were meant to do this," Piper said.
"What about you, Jill?" Prue asked. "We'll need you there, and not just for your power."
"Yeah," Jill said, sounding defeated. "I'm in."
Kevin looked at her with concern, but said nothing. The room was silent for a moment as everything began to fully sink in with those present.
"We should do this as soon as possible," Wyatt said. "If demons destroyed the other covens, they may come after us next. We can't give them time to prepare."
"We can probably go tomorrow," Prue said. "It's not like we have any pressing social engagements."
"Tomorrow," Wyatt said. "Then it's settled, if that's all right with everyone."
"Well," Prue said, after giving the others time to voice any opinions. "We should get some rest. We'll need it."
The others assented, and everyone quietly went to find somewhere to sleep. Prue and Piper shared one of the beds, while Paige and Phoebe took another. Wyatt volunteered to sleep on the couch, and Kevin seemed happy with a sleeping bag on the floor, leaving the last bed for Jill and Maggie. It was an improvement compared to the sleeping arrangements at P3, but that was hardly noticed as each of them attempted to mentally prepare for the morning. Their only certainty was that each tick of the clock brought them closer to the moment on which the future of their entire world was balanced.
"That's it," Wyatt said, sitting on a fallen tree that lay on the edge of the former meeting site. "It's over."
"No, it isn't," Paige said. "We have to keep looking."
"This is the last coven I was able to find. There's nowhere else to go," Wyatt said.
"So we're just gonna give up? Let demons take over?" Paige asked.
"I just talked to some of these covens yesterday." Wyatt swallowed. "Over a hundred witches dead, overnight. They must have known about the plan all along."
"All right, then we'll make a new plan." Paige said. "There is a whole planet full of innocents out there depending on us."
"I was afraid something like this would happen. The plan failed before it began." Wyatt looked at her. "There is one chance left. It's something Leo showed me once."
"What?" Paige asked.
"Up there," Wyatt said, looking at the thick layer of clouds overhead. "There's a vault protected by magic so strong evil could never penetrate it. The vault protects all the most valuable artifacts for the side of good, including an urn that holds the all the powers of the Greek gods. With those powers, no demon could stop us, not even the Source."
"I thought only an Elder could release those powers," Paige said.
"That's one of the rules, but in an emergency like this, any whitelighter can do it," Wyatt said. "But the protective powers on the vault will kill anyone else who tries to go in."
"And where are we going to find a whitelighter?" Paige asked.
"We're both half whitelighter," Wyatt said. "We can enter the vault."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Wyatt said.
"Then why didn't you mention this sooner?" Paige asked.
"Because it's dangerous," Wyatt said. "The Source knows about the vault, and he'll be guarding it with everything he has. It'll be a miracle if we survive."
"Wouldn't be the first time," Paige said.
Wyatt glanced around the meeting site again. It seemed to grow more barren by the minute. "We should keep moving then. The faster we do this, the better."
"Right, back to the house," Paige said, taking his hand.
"No," Wyatt said. "We should orb up there now. We can't waste any time."
"What about the others?" Paige asked. "If it's as dangerous as you say it is, we can't pull this off on our own."
"We're the only ones who can enter the vault," Wyatt said. "And I don't want to risk any more lives than I have to."
"Look, I get this whole super witch thing, but if your plan is going work, we'll need help," Paige said.
"Do you think they can hold off the Source long enough for us to get the urn?" Wyatt asked.
"We took out the Source before, you know," Paige said.
"All right," Wyatt said. "We'll go back to the manor."
Again, they orbed together. They crossed the vast stretches of the Atlantic ocean in moments, and reappeared in the living room of Halliwell manor. The rest of the coven was waiting for them there.
"Where are all the witches?" Kevin asked.
"There aren't any other witches," Wyatt said. "The other covens were wiped out before we could get to them."
"Oh my god," Prue said.
"What'll we do now?" Kevin asked. "We can't fight off a horde of demons on our own."
"Maybe we can," Paige said. "If we could get a big enough power boost."
"What are you talking about?" Prue asked.
"The powers of the Greek gods," Wyatt said. "If we can get to them, we can stop the Source."
"The Greek gods?" Jill said. "That's crazy. You know how well guarded the temple is going to be. We might as well just attack the underworld itself."
"I know we don't have much of a chance, but it's the only hope we have left," Wyatt said.
"Just slow down here," Jill said. "We can come up with a new plan."
"Wyatt's right," Maggie said. "We've talked about this before. We always knew it would be our last chance."
"Last being the operative word," Jill said. "We'll never get out of there alive."
"Jill," Kevin said. "There's no other choice, and I don't want to give up now."
"You're going along with this?" Jill asked.
"Are you giving up?" Kevin asked.
Jill was silent.
"All right," Prue said. "Wyatt, you've been there before. What exactly are we up against?"
"Aside from whatever demons might be guarding the place," Wyatt said. "There's a magical barrier over the building that only whitelighters, or half-whitelighters, can pass through. Anyone else trying to go through is killed instantly. Not even the angel of death can break the seal. It's impossible to teleport in or out, and no magic works once you're inside."
"Luckily we just happen to have two half-whitelighters in the family," Paige said. "Now, how are we supposed to get to the temple in the first place?"
"I think our best bet is to orb in as close as possible and make a run for it, using our powers to hold the demons off," Wyatt said. "You can go into the temple while I cover the others with my shield. Once you've got the urn, we'll orb out."
Kevin smirked. "Not your must subtle plan ever."
"I think we're way past the time for subtlety," Prue said.
"Hey, I'm not complaining," Kevin said. "I say we go for it."
"I'm with you," Paige said. "We have to do this."
"This is all happening so fast," Phoebe said. "But I know it has to be done. I'm in."
"I don't think we have a choice. We were meant to do this," Piper said.
"What about you, Jill?" Prue asked. "We'll need you there, and not just for your power."
"Yeah," Jill said, sounding defeated. "I'm in."
Kevin looked at her with concern, but said nothing. The room was silent for a moment as everything began to fully sink in with those present.
"We should do this as soon as possible," Wyatt said. "If demons destroyed the other covens, they may come after us next. We can't give them time to prepare."
"We can probably go tomorrow," Prue said. "It's not like we have any pressing social engagements."
"Tomorrow," Wyatt said. "Then it's settled, if that's all right with everyone."
"Well," Prue said, after giving the others time to voice any opinions. "We should get some rest. We'll need it."
The others assented, and everyone quietly went to find somewhere to sleep. Prue and Piper shared one of the beds, while Paige and Phoebe took another. Wyatt volunteered to sleep on the couch, and Kevin seemed happy with a sleeping bag on the floor, leaving the last bed for Jill and Maggie. It was an improvement compared to the sleeping arrangements at P3, but that was hardly noticed as each of them attempted to mentally prepare for the morning. Their only certainty was that each tick of the clock brought them closer to the moment on which the future of their entire world was balanced.