SIX
"Logash resisted the orbing," explained Melissa. "In his attempt to stop you, Michael, you weren't able to orb out completely. When you released the magic inside you, the rest were caught in the blast. Not even Leo could survive that, even though it normally only takes a Dark Lighters' bolt to kill a White Lighter. Leo, Paige, and Phoebe died almost instantly.
"Pipers baby was able to protect her from the blast. She survived initially. But she went into premature labor. Once the baby was born, Piper didn't have its protection any more. She died almost as soon as the baby was born."
"You know you can't succeed," said Leo. "You may have prevented our deaths this time, but you can't change your past. If we died then it's going to happen no matter what you do.
"Leo's right," said Michael. "If what you've told us is true, you've only postponed the inevitable."
"Not if what the Elders suspect is true," said Melissa. "Logash was originally a nameless minor demon. He wasn't supposed to have the power he has. Somehow, he was able to gain those powers, changing things. If that's true, I'm not changing the past, I'm setting it right again."
"That sounds like a stretch to me," said Michael. "The past is what's already happened. Not what you think should have happened."
"I can't just sit back and let all of you die," said Melissa. "Not when I have the power that could prevent that.'
"Speaking of which," said Piper, "where did you get that kind of power? No one is supposed to be more powerful than the three of us, not even someone from the future. We're supposed to be the most powerful witches in history. I would think that would include the future as well."
"That's another reason we believe this isn't supposed to be happening," said Melissa. "When Michael destroyed Logash and himself, their power was released. My mother was a witch. She absorbed all that power. When I was born, it was passed on to me. As I grew up, I began to learn how to control those powers. When we learned my power was greater than even yours, we suspected that things weren't supposed to happen as they did."
"We?" asked Phoebe. "Who exactly are we?"
"The Elders and me," said Melissa.
"That's why you were able to stop Logash," said Phoebe. "Because of your increased power."
"Yes," said Melissa. "Not even Logash can withstand his own power. I don't have the level of control he has, but the control I do have was enough to stop him."
"Leo's right, though," said Paige. "Believe me, I know from personal experience you can't change the past. I tried."
"I have to try," said Melissa. "Besides, it may be my past but it's your future. Even if I can't do anything about it, you can. Especially now that you know about it."
"She can't change her past but we can change the future," said Paige. "Even though they're the same thing. Okay, now this is really confusing. They can't both be true."
"Well, actually it is," said Michael. "I suggest you not try to figure it out. Right now we have a demon after us. Even if we're destined to die from this thing, we can't just sit around and wait to die. We have to prepare for it. I'm sure he'll be back."
"Kind of hard to prepare when we don't know anything about it," said Piper. "Melissa, if you really are from the future, you should know something about this Logash."
"Not much, I'm afraid," said Melissa. "Most of what we learned, we had to piece together after all you died. And Logash was already vanquished. It's kind of like trying to figure out what happened in a one-car accident where the driver was killed and there were no witnesses. We had to guess about a lot of it."
"Guesses are better than nothing," said Phoebe. "Tell us everything you know or suspect about Logash. It might give us an idea how to fight this thing."
"Well," began Melissa, "I guess it all started when the Seer stole Phoebe's baby."
"Logash resisted the orbing," explained Melissa. "In his attempt to stop you, Michael, you weren't able to orb out completely. When you released the magic inside you, the rest were caught in the blast. Not even Leo could survive that, even though it normally only takes a Dark Lighters' bolt to kill a White Lighter. Leo, Paige, and Phoebe died almost instantly.
"Pipers baby was able to protect her from the blast. She survived initially. But she went into premature labor. Once the baby was born, Piper didn't have its protection any more. She died almost as soon as the baby was born."
"You know you can't succeed," said Leo. "You may have prevented our deaths this time, but you can't change your past. If we died then it's going to happen no matter what you do.
"Leo's right," said Michael. "If what you've told us is true, you've only postponed the inevitable."
"Not if what the Elders suspect is true," said Melissa. "Logash was originally a nameless minor demon. He wasn't supposed to have the power he has. Somehow, he was able to gain those powers, changing things. If that's true, I'm not changing the past, I'm setting it right again."
"That sounds like a stretch to me," said Michael. "The past is what's already happened. Not what you think should have happened."
"I can't just sit back and let all of you die," said Melissa. "Not when I have the power that could prevent that.'
"Speaking of which," said Piper, "where did you get that kind of power? No one is supposed to be more powerful than the three of us, not even someone from the future. We're supposed to be the most powerful witches in history. I would think that would include the future as well."
"That's another reason we believe this isn't supposed to be happening," said Melissa. "When Michael destroyed Logash and himself, their power was released. My mother was a witch. She absorbed all that power. When I was born, it was passed on to me. As I grew up, I began to learn how to control those powers. When we learned my power was greater than even yours, we suspected that things weren't supposed to happen as they did."
"We?" asked Phoebe. "Who exactly are we?"
"The Elders and me," said Melissa.
"That's why you were able to stop Logash," said Phoebe. "Because of your increased power."
"Yes," said Melissa. "Not even Logash can withstand his own power. I don't have the level of control he has, but the control I do have was enough to stop him."
"Leo's right, though," said Paige. "Believe me, I know from personal experience you can't change the past. I tried."
"I have to try," said Melissa. "Besides, it may be my past but it's your future. Even if I can't do anything about it, you can. Especially now that you know about it."
"She can't change her past but we can change the future," said Paige. "Even though they're the same thing. Okay, now this is really confusing. They can't both be true."
"Well, actually it is," said Michael. "I suggest you not try to figure it out. Right now we have a demon after us. Even if we're destined to die from this thing, we can't just sit around and wait to die. We have to prepare for it. I'm sure he'll be back."
"Kind of hard to prepare when we don't know anything about it," said Piper. "Melissa, if you really are from the future, you should know something about this Logash."
"Not much, I'm afraid," said Melissa. "Most of what we learned, we had to piece together after all you died. And Logash was already vanquished. It's kind of like trying to figure out what happened in a one-car accident where the driver was killed and there were no witnesses. We had to guess about a lot of it."
"Guesses are better than nothing," said Phoebe. "Tell us everything you know or suspect about Logash. It might give us an idea how to fight this thing."
"Well," began Melissa, "I guess it all started when the Seer stole Phoebe's baby."