TWENTY-FOUR
They made camp that night in a small grove of trees several miles from the village. Leo had kept an eye out for any villagers that might come after them. No one seemed to be following them. After a while they all decided that the villagers wouldn't be coming after them. Cole was a demon and none of them could stand up to him.
"What is this thing I'm wearing?" asked Phoebe as they rested for the night.
"It's a traditional wedding gown," said Margaret. "At least in this realm it is."
"Okay, what's going on?" asked Phoebe. "The last thing I remember was a knock at the door. The next thing I know I'm standing on that platform with Piper and Paige standing next to me. And Cole is facing off against another demon."
They told Phoebe everything that had happened. She sat listening to them as they told of what they had gone through to get to her.
"I vaguely remember something about a man asking to use the phone," she said. "Something about his car breaking down and he wanted to call the auto club. After that I don't remember anything."
"You probably won't," said Cole. "The secretions of a Carack demon can cause some permanent short term memory loss. Nothing serious. Just the few minutes before and after the attack. Other than that you should be fine."
"Thanks," said Phoebe, looking at Cole. "You agreed to help find me?"
"I didn't have much of a choice," said Cole. "I couldn't leave you here alone. And it was clear they didn't know what was going on."
"I appreciate it," said Phoebe.
"What I don't understand," Paige said, "is how you suddenly got your memories back. We didn't' do anything. We couldn't. We don't have any magic here."
"It must be the Power of Three," said Leo. "Individually, you're just three witches. But together you have the Power of Three. That's stronger than even most demons. I guess Gastions' secretions couldn't withstand that."
"Okay," said Piper, "we've found Phoebe. Now we have to find a way back home. The Oracle said some kind of joining would get us home. And something about a circle. But I haven't been able to figure out what it meant by that."
"It also said that time would reveal the answer," said Paige. "But it hasn't done anything. We're no closer to solving this riddle than we were after we saw the Oracle."
"Maybe not," said Cole. "I've been thinking. In a way, when you use the Power of Three, you join your powers together. No other witches can do that. It's what broke Gastions' hold over Phoebe."
"Yeah, so?" questioned Piper.
"Well," said Cole, "maybe that's what the Oracle meant. Maybe by joining your power you can open a portal home. That's also what it meant by time revealing the answer. Without Phoebe, there is no Power of Three. It took time to get to her. Now we know that some form of magic happens when the three of you touch."
"He has a point," said Leo. "Nothing happened until Piper and Paige both touched Phoebe at the same time. Maybe that somehow gives you access to your powers."
"It's worth a shot," said Piper. "Come on, guys. Let's give it a try."
Piper took Phoebe's hand and Phoebe took Paige's hand. As before they all glowed slightly. But nothing seemed to happen. Piper tried to use her explosive power on a nearby rock but nothing happened. And Paige was unable to orb anything. The glow didn't seem to do anything.
"I don't understand it," said Piper. "I could feel the power in me. Why couldn't we use it?"
"I don't know," said Paige. "I could feel it, too. But when I tried to use it, nothing."
"Maybe we aren't doing it right," suggested Phoebe. "Didn't you say this Oracle said something about a circle?"
"Yes," said Margaret. "It said when the joining was complete and the circle was formed we'd be able to get home."
"Well," said Paige, "I guess that means we have to form a circle."
"In a way, that makes sense," said Cole. "Just touching must combine your power. But that's only half of it. It activates your power something like turning on a generator. But the power is unfocused. If you form a circle, that might be what allows you to use your power."
"It's worth a try," said Piper. "Okay, let's form a circle."
Piper reached out and took Phoebe and Paige's hands. Then Paige reached out and took Phoebe's hand. The glow began again only this time it began to grow in intensity. Suddenly Piper pulled her hand away from Phoebe.
"What are you doing?" asked Phoebe. "It was working. I could feel it."
"Me, too," said Paige.
"So could I," said Piper. "But it was only affecting us. Cole, Leo, and Margaret weren't being affected by it. Which means they would have been left behind."
"You have a point," said Cole. "What if we all held hands?"
"I don't think that will work," said Piper. "Unless the three of us are touching I don't think we can generate the power we need. I have an idea, though. The three of you stand between us. We'll form the circle around you. That should cover all of us."
"It's worth a shot," said Leo.
Cole, Leo, and Margaret moved over and stood between the sisters. Once again the girls reached out taking each other's hands. The glow began as before but this time it encompassed all of them. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all concentrated on returning to their own realm. As they did the intensity of the glow increased and then suddenly flashed. When the light subsided, the countryside was empty. They were nowhere to be seen.
They made camp that night in a small grove of trees several miles from the village. Leo had kept an eye out for any villagers that might come after them. No one seemed to be following them. After a while they all decided that the villagers wouldn't be coming after them. Cole was a demon and none of them could stand up to him.
"What is this thing I'm wearing?" asked Phoebe as they rested for the night.
"It's a traditional wedding gown," said Margaret. "At least in this realm it is."
"Okay, what's going on?" asked Phoebe. "The last thing I remember was a knock at the door. The next thing I know I'm standing on that platform with Piper and Paige standing next to me. And Cole is facing off against another demon."
They told Phoebe everything that had happened. She sat listening to them as they told of what they had gone through to get to her.
"I vaguely remember something about a man asking to use the phone," she said. "Something about his car breaking down and he wanted to call the auto club. After that I don't remember anything."
"You probably won't," said Cole. "The secretions of a Carack demon can cause some permanent short term memory loss. Nothing serious. Just the few minutes before and after the attack. Other than that you should be fine."
"Thanks," said Phoebe, looking at Cole. "You agreed to help find me?"
"I didn't have much of a choice," said Cole. "I couldn't leave you here alone. And it was clear they didn't know what was going on."
"I appreciate it," said Phoebe.
"What I don't understand," Paige said, "is how you suddenly got your memories back. We didn't' do anything. We couldn't. We don't have any magic here."
"It must be the Power of Three," said Leo. "Individually, you're just three witches. But together you have the Power of Three. That's stronger than even most demons. I guess Gastions' secretions couldn't withstand that."
"Okay," said Piper, "we've found Phoebe. Now we have to find a way back home. The Oracle said some kind of joining would get us home. And something about a circle. But I haven't been able to figure out what it meant by that."
"It also said that time would reveal the answer," said Paige. "But it hasn't done anything. We're no closer to solving this riddle than we were after we saw the Oracle."
"Maybe not," said Cole. "I've been thinking. In a way, when you use the Power of Three, you join your powers together. No other witches can do that. It's what broke Gastions' hold over Phoebe."
"Yeah, so?" questioned Piper.
"Well," said Cole, "maybe that's what the Oracle meant. Maybe by joining your power you can open a portal home. That's also what it meant by time revealing the answer. Without Phoebe, there is no Power of Three. It took time to get to her. Now we know that some form of magic happens when the three of you touch."
"He has a point," said Leo. "Nothing happened until Piper and Paige both touched Phoebe at the same time. Maybe that somehow gives you access to your powers."
"It's worth a shot," said Piper. "Come on, guys. Let's give it a try."
Piper took Phoebe's hand and Phoebe took Paige's hand. As before they all glowed slightly. But nothing seemed to happen. Piper tried to use her explosive power on a nearby rock but nothing happened. And Paige was unable to orb anything. The glow didn't seem to do anything.
"I don't understand it," said Piper. "I could feel the power in me. Why couldn't we use it?"
"I don't know," said Paige. "I could feel it, too. But when I tried to use it, nothing."
"Maybe we aren't doing it right," suggested Phoebe. "Didn't you say this Oracle said something about a circle?"
"Yes," said Margaret. "It said when the joining was complete and the circle was formed we'd be able to get home."
"Well," said Paige, "I guess that means we have to form a circle."
"In a way, that makes sense," said Cole. "Just touching must combine your power. But that's only half of it. It activates your power something like turning on a generator. But the power is unfocused. If you form a circle, that might be what allows you to use your power."
"It's worth a try," said Piper. "Okay, let's form a circle."
Piper reached out and took Phoebe and Paige's hands. Then Paige reached out and took Phoebe's hand. The glow began again only this time it began to grow in intensity. Suddenly Piper pulled her hand away from Phoebe.
"What are you doing?" asked Phoebe. "It was working. I could feel it."
"Me, too," said Paige.
"So could I," said Piper. "But it was only affecting us. Cole, Leo, and Margaret weren't being affected by it. Which means they would have been left behind."
"You have a point," said Cole. "What if we all held hands?"
"I don't think that will work," said Piper. "Unless the three of us are touching I don't think we can generate the power we need. I have an idea, though. The three of you stand between us. We'll form the circle around you. That should cover all of us."
"It's worth a shot," said Leo.
Cole, Leo, and Margaret moved over and stood between the sisters. Once again the girls reached out taking each other's hands. The glow began as before but this time it encompassed all of them. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all concentrated on returning to their own realm. As they did the intensity of the glow increased and then suddenly flashed. When the light subsided, the countryside was empty. They were nowhere to be seen.