NINE
The images that assaulted Cole's mind were horrendous. He watched as he killed or destroyed one human after another. He recognized them, of course. Many were witches he had destroyed in the past. Others were humans who had simply gotten into his way for one of his assignment. He was appalled at how quickly the bodies were adding up.
The images continued to assault Cole's mind but other than causing him regrets seemed to have no affect on him. There was no mind numbing grief, no soul shattering regret, just the normal regret one has when remembering the bad they had done. He stood facing the Darkness virtually unaffected by the assault the Darkness was making on him.
Cole looked around at the others cowering on the floor. Even most demons knew next to nothing about the Darkness. But they all knew one thing. No one had ever survived its attack. But, for some reason, the Darkness was attacking Cole and it was having no affect on him.
"You can't harm me," Cole said, perplexed.
"I am the Darkness," said the creature. "No one can resist me."
Cole took a step toward the Darkness. It reacted by moving back slightly. Cole moved forward again and again the Darkness receded. The assaults against him were becoming stronger, more intense. Still they had no affect against him. And it now seemed that the Darkness was actually afraid of him.
As the images continued to assault Cole, other images became intermingled with his own. Images of creatures of all types standing against the Darkness without harm. No matter how the Darkness in the images assaulted them it had no affect on them.
Suddenly Cole realized what those extra images were. They were coming from the Darkness. Its power was the ability to discern a persons' greatest weakness and used it against them. But that power wasn't working against Cole for some reason. The harder it tried to attack Cole, the more power it was using. And that power was causing Cole to see the Darkness' greatest weakness.
"Leave them alone," said Cole, moving toward the Darkness. "I won't let you hurt them. If you want them, you have to go through me first."
"I will destroy you all," said the Darkness. "I am the Darkness and I cannot be resisted."
"So you keep saying," said Cole as he continued to advance on the demon. "If you're so powerful, how come you aren't affecting me? I'm just a pathetic human. I should have no defense against you. Yet other than causing me some minor discomfort your power isn't working. You can't harm me."
"No," said the Darkness, "this is not possible. My power is absolute. It cannot be resisted. I am the Darkness."
"All you're doing is showing me what my past is like," said Cole. "If that's the best you have then your reputation is woefully lacking."
Suddenly it dawned on Cole. He knew the Darkness' Achilles heel. Cole continued to move forward, forcing the Darkness back into the entryway. As he advanced, the Darkness continued to recede from him as if under an attack itself.
"Get out of here," screamed Cole. "You're finished. Your power is useless here. I know your secret. And I know how to destroy you. Leave here forever or be destroyed."
As Cole forced the Darkness from the kitchen, the demon turned its full power on him. Forgotten were the three witches and White Lighter it had been sent to destroy. Now, it sought only to destroy the one being in all history that had ever resisted its power.
Leo and the girls began to recover from their attacks. They all stood up, wiping tears away when they noticed Cole forcing the Darkness back into the entryway. They watched in total amazement as the demon appeared to be fleeing from a human with no powers whatsoever.
"You are demon," hissed the Darkness at Cole.
"Yes," said Cole. "I am Belthazor. And you have no power over me. Leave here. I won't allow you to harm them any longer. Leave here now and never return and I won't destroy you. And you know I can."
Suddenly the images assaulting Cole ceased completely. It had finally realized that even all of its considerable power was useless against this one man. A defrocked demon on the run from the Source had done what no creature in history had been able to do. Stand against the Darkness and best it.
Everyone watched as the Darkness suddenly began to fade from sight. Within a few minutes it was gone completely. Cole turned and headed back to the kitchen, noticing everyone standing in the doorway looking at him.
"Are you guys okay?" Cole asked.
"I think so," said Piper, looking around at the others. "I thought we were finished. When that thing attacked there didn't seem to be anything that affected it."
"I told you," said Leo. "No one has ever survived an attack by the Darkness."
"Not until now," said Paige. "So, Cole, just how did you manage to chase that monstrosity off?"
"I'd like to know the answer to that myself," said Phoebe.
"Let's all go into the living room," said Cole. "It's so simple I'm surprised no one ever realized it before."
They all moved from the kitchen to the living room.
The images that assaulted Cole's mind were horrendous. He watched as he killed or destroyed one human after another. He recognized them, of course. Many were witches he had destroyed in the past. Others were humans who had simply gotten into his way for one of his assignment. He was appalled at how quickly the bodies were adding up.
The images continued to assault Cole's mind but other than causing him regrets seemed to have no affect on him. There was no mind numbing grief, no soul shattering regret, just the normal regret one has when remembering the bad they had done. He stood facing the Darkness virtually unaffected by the assault the Darkness was making on him.
Cole looked around at the others cowering on the floor. Even most demons knew next to nothing about the Darkness. But they all knew one thing. No one had ever survived its attack. But, for some reason, the Darkness was attacking Cole and it was having no affect on him.
"You can't harm me," Cole said, perplexed.
"I am the Darkness," said the creature. "No one can resist me."
Cole took a step toward the Darkness. It reacted by moving back slightly. Cole moved forward again and again the Darkness receded. The assaults against him were becoming stronger, more intense. Still they had no affect against him. And it now seemed that the Darkness was actually afraid of him.
As the images continued to assault Cole, other images became intermingled with his own. Images of creatures of all types standing against the Darkness without harm. No matter how the Darkness in the images assaulted them it had no affect on them.
Suddenly Cole realized what those extra images were. They were coming from the Darkness. Its power was the ability to discern a persons' greatest weakness and used it against them. But that power wasn't working against Cole for some reason. The harder it tried to attack Cole, the more power it was using. And that power was causing Cole to see the Darkness' greatest weakness.
"Leave them alone," said Cole, moving toward the Darkness. "I won't let you hurt them. If you want them, you have to go through me first."
"I will destroy you all," said the Darkness. "I am the Darkness and I cannot be resisted."
"So you keep saying," said Cole as he continued to advance on the demon. "If you're so powerful, how come you aren't affecting me? I'm just a pathetic human. I should have no defense against you. Yet other than causing me some minor discomfort your power isn't working. You can't harm me."
"No," said the Darkness, "this is not possible. My power is absolute. It cannot be resisted. I am the Darkness."
"All you're doing is showing me what my past is like," said Cole. "If that's the best you have then your reputation is woefully lacking."
Suddenly it dawned on Cole. He knew the Darkness' Achilles heel. Cole continued to move forward, forcing the Darkness back into the entryway. As he advanced, the Darkness continued to recede from him as if under an attack itself.
"Get out of here," screamed Cole. "You're finished. Your power is useless here. I know your secret. And I know how to destroy you. Leave here forever or be destroyed."
As Cole forced the Darkness from the kitchen, the demon turned its full power on him. Forgotten were the three witches and White Lighter it had been sent to destroy. Now, it sought only to destroy the one being in all history that had ever resisted its power.
Leo and the girls began to recover from their attacks. They all stood up, wiping tears away when they noticed Cole forcing the Darkness back into the entryway. They watched in total amazement as the demon appeared to be fleeing from a human with no powers whatsoever.
"You are demon," hissed the Darkness at Cole.
"Yes," said Cole. "I am Belthazor. And you have no power over me. Leave here. I won't allow you to harm them any longer. Leave here now and never return and I won't destroy you. And you know I can."
Suddenly the images assaulting Cole ceased completely. It had finally realized that even all of its considerable power was useless against this one man. A defrocked demon on the run from the Source had done what no creature in history had been able to do. Stand against the Darkness and best it.
Everyone watched as the Darkness suddenly began to fade from sight. Within a few minutes it was gone completely. Cole turned and headed back to the kitchen, noticing everyone standing in the doorway looking at him.
"Are you guys okay?" Cole asked.
"I think so," said Piper, looking around at the others. "I thought we were finished. When that thing attacked there didn't seem to be anything that affected it."
"I told you," said Leo. "No one has ever survived an attack by the Darkness."
"Not until now," said Paige. "So, Cole, just how did you manage to chase that monstrosity off?"
"I'd like to know the answer to that myself," said Phoebe.
"Let's all go into the living room," said Cole. "It's so simple I'm surprised no one ever realized it before."
They all moved from the kitchen to the living room.