TEN
"Okay, Turner," said Phoebe when they had all gathered in the living room, "spill it. How could you defeat a creature like the Darkness that not even the Charmed Ones could fight?"
"It's very simple," said Cole. "I'm half demon."
"Okay," said Piper skeptically. "That much we know. What does that have to do with it?"
"While the Darkness was attacking me," said Cole, "I began to see its greatest weakness. Dozens of creatures able to stand against it. Creatures that weren't affected by its power."
"There's never been a report of a creature like that," said Cole. "Everyone the Darkness has gone against has died."
"That's because it only went against good creatures," said Cole. "I didn't realize at first, but the creatures in the visions were all demonic. That's when I remembered that everyone the Darkness has ever gone against has been good. It's never been sent against a demon."
"What does that have to do with it?" asked Paige.
"Well, even though it's used as an attack against good," said Cole, "it would also make an excellent retaliation against demons. Demons who failed a mission or betrayed their masters. Yet in the hundreds of years it's been used it's never once been sent to punish a demon. That's when I realized why."
"So what's the answer?" Leo asked.
"It has no power against evil," said Cole. "The visions it was using against me were designed to make me see just how evil I could be. That's the Darkness' power. To show people how evil they can be. For most good creatures, these visions are overwhelming. They can't believe how evil they can be."
"That's not exactly what happened to me," said Piper. "In my vision, Prue was really letting me have it. Telling me how I had failed and how I had not held the family together. It was so real. I knew it was only a vision but I still couldn't ignore it. All I could think of was how I had let her down."
"And that's evil to you," said Cole. "Prue was always the binding force for your family. When she died, that position fell to you. Secretly, you've always worried that you weren't up to task. No matter what anyone else may have said, Prue was the one person you felt you had to prove something to. Failure to prove that was nothing short of evil for you."
"Okay," said Phoebe, "if this thing doesn't have any power over evil, why didn't it affect you? You're not evil any more. How come you were able to resist it?"
"Because I'm half demon," said Cole. "That's why the Darkness couldn't affect me. There's nothing it could show me that could be worse than some of the things I've done in my past. While I regret the things I did it's not much of a shock knowing what I'm capable of. I know what I'm capable of. That's why the Darkness couldn't affect me. That's why it can't affect any demon. Demons don't worry about controlling their evil."
"You said something about not destroying it," said Leo. "Did you think you could actually do that?"
"I have one power that all beings have," said Cole. "The power to resist evil. The Darkness was using its full power on me and that power was having no affect on me. In addition, it was inadvertently giving me insight into its weakness. I've been half demon long enough that I learned some things that you don't need magic for.
"Like how to turn someone's weakness against them. I could have taken the images I was getting from the Darkness and turn them back onto it. Fed by the power it was supplying itself, not even it would have been able to resist. It would have destroyed itself."
"So why didn't you?" asked Piper. "You could have stopped this thing permanent."
"And maybe destroy the four of you in the process," said Cole. "It was still connected to you psychically. When a creature like the Darkness is destroyed, it can be very violent. I couldn't risk that that might have been transferred to you through the psychic link. If it was violent enough, all four of you could have been destroyed."
"At least now I can inform the Elders about the Darkness," said Leo. "If it should appear again in the future, we'll at least have an idea how to fight it. I'm sure they'll start right away looking for some alternate ways defend against it. Now that they know how it works and how to stop it."
"I'm going to make an entry in the Book of Shadows," said Piper. "Just in case this thing shows up again. Future generations need to know about it."
"What about it?" Phoebe asked.
"What do you mean?" Cole asked.
"Well, it's gone for now," said Phoebe. "How do we know it won't come back? You said the Source sent it after us. It is possible he could send it after us again."
"Not likely," said Cole. "The Source is not known for giving underlings who fail him a second chance."
"So what?" Paige asked. "He'll just vanquish it? Good riddance if you ask me."
"I'm afraid that probably won't happen either," said Cole. "That's why the Darkness is so dangerous. Since the Darkness has never been used against a demon, not even the Source knows how to vanquish it. Which is only going to make him that much angrier. More than likely he'll just lock it back in the prison where he keeps it when he's not using it."
"Too bad," said Piper. "It's not a pleasant thought knowing that thing could come back."
"Well, it won't come back here," said Cole. "Especially as long as I'm around. I'm the only one who's ever beaten it. My guess is it won't want to make that mistake again."
"Thank goodness for that, anyway," said Phoebe. "My vision was way too disturbing. I don't care to go through that again, thank you very much."
"I'd better get going," said Leo. "I know the Elders are waiting to hear about this."
"I'd better get started on that entry in the Book of Shadows," said Paige. "Will you guys check it when I'm finished to make sure I haven't left anything out?"
"Sure," said Piper. "Just let us know when you're finished."
Paige headed for the attic as Leo orbed out of the manor. Piper got up and headed for the kitchen to start dinner, leaving Cole and Phoebe alone in the manor. As she snuggled close to him Phoebe couldn't help but wonder how the Source was going to react when he learned the Darkness had failed.
"Okay, Turner," said Phoebe when they had all gathered in the living room, "spill it. How could you defeat a creature like the Darkness that not even the Charmed Ones could fight?"
"It's very simple," said Cole. "I'm half demon."
"Okay," said Piper skeptically. "That much we know. What does that have to do with it?"
"While the Darkness was attacking me," said Cole, "I began to see its greatest weakness. Dozens of creatures able to stand against it. Creatures that weren't affected by its power."
"There's never been a report of a creature like that," said Cole. "Everyone the Darkness has gone against has died."
"That's because it only went against good creatures," said Cole. "I didn't realize at first, but the creatures in the visions were all demonic. That's when I remembered that everyone the Darkness has ever gone against has been good. It's never been sent against a demon."
"What does that have to do with it?" asked Paige.
"Well, even though it's used as an attack against good," said Cole, "it would also make an excellent retaliation against demons. Demons who failed a mission or betrayed their masters. Yet in the hundreds of years it's been used it's never once been sent to punish a demon. That's when I realized why."
"So what's the answer?" Leo asked.
"It has no power against evil," said Cole. "The visions it was using against me were designed to make me see just how evil I could be. That's the Darkness' power. To show people how evil they can be. For most good creatures, these visions are overwhelming. They can't believe how evil they can be."
"That's not exactly what happened to me," said Piper. "In my vision, Prue was really letting me have it. Telling me how I had failed and how I had not held the family together. It was so real. I knew it was only a vision but I still couldn't ignore it. All I could think of was how I had let her down."
"And that's evil to you," said Cole. "Prue was always the binding force for your family. When she died, that position fell to you. Secretly, you've always worried that you weren't up to task. No matter what anyone else may have said, Prue was the one person you felt you had to prove something to. Failure to prove that was nothing short of evil for you."
"Okay," said Phoebe, "if this thing doesn't have any power over evil, why didn't it affect you? You're not evil any more. How come you were able to resist it?"
"Because I'm half demon," said Cole. "That's why the Darkness couldn't affect me. There's nothing it could show me that could be worse than some of the things I've done in my past. While I regret the things I did it's not much of a shock knowing what I'm capable of. I know what I'm capable of. That's why the Darkness couldn't affect me. That's why it can't affect any demon. Demons don't worry about controlling their evil."
"You said something about not destroying it," said Leo. "Did you think you could actually do that?"
"I have one power that all beings have," said Cole. "The power to resist evil. The Darkness was using its full power on me and that power was having no affect on me. In addition, it was inadvertently giving me insight into its weakness. I've been half demon long enough that I learned some things that you don't need magic for.
"Like how to turn someone's weakness against them. I could have taken the images I was getting from the Darkness and turn them back onto it. Fed by the power it was supplying itself, not even it would have been able to resist. It would have destroyed itself."
"So why didn't you?" asked Piper. "You could have stopped this thing permanent."
"And maybe destroy the four of you in the process," said Cole. "It was still connected to you psychically. When a creature like the Darkness is destroyed, it can be very violent. I couldn't risk that that might have been transferred to you through the psychic link. If it was violent enough, all four of you could have been destroyed."
"At least now I can inform the Elders about the Darkness," said Leo. "If it should appear again in the future, we'll at least have an idea how to fight it. I'm sure they'll start right away looking for some alternate ways defend against it. Now that they know how it works and how to stop it."
"I'm going to make an entry in the Book of Shadows," said Piper. "Just in case this thing shows up again. Future generations need to know about it."
"What about it?" Phoebe asked.
"What do you mean?" Cole asked.
"Well, it's gone for now," said Phoebe. "How do we know it won't come back? You said the Source sent it after us. It is possible he could send it after us again."
"Not likely," said Cole. "The Source is not known for giving underlings who fail him a second chance."
"So what?" Paige asked. "He'll just vanquish it? Good riddance if you ask me."
"I'm afraid that probably won't happen either," said Cole. "That's why the Darkness is so dangerous. Since the Darkness has never been used against a demon, not even the Source knows how to vanquish it. Which is only going to make him that much angrier. More than likely he'll just lock it back in the prison where he keeps it when he's not using it."
"Too bad," said Piper. "It's not a pleasant thought knowing that thing could come back."
"Well, it won't come back here," said Cole. "Especially as long as I'm around. I'm the only one who's ever beaten it. My guess is it won't want to make that mistake again."
"Thank goodness for that, anyway," said Phoebe. "My vision was way too disturbing. I don't care to go through that again, thank you very much."
"I'd better get going," said Leo. "I know the Elders are waiting to hear about this."
"I'd better get started on that entry in the Book of Shadows," said Paige. "Will you guys check it when I'm finished to make sure I haven't left anything out?"
"Sure," said Piper. "Just let us know when you're finished."
Paige headed for the attic as Leo orbed out of the manor. Piper got up and headed for the kitchen to start dinner, leaving Cole and Phoebe alone in the manor. As she snuggled close to him Phoebe couldn't help but wonder how the Source was going to react when he learned the Darkness had failed.