Author's note: I know it took a long time, but I was stuck with this story. I'm really sorry for it. However now it is here, all finished. First I wanted to divide it into two chapters but after that it took so long I didn't think it fair. Enjoy, and pleas review! Thank you all!
Chapter IV. Fight for your soul
The Underworld hadn't changed a bit since they had been here the last time. It was just as cold, dark and fearsome. The darkness apparently didn't bother Rose who led them quite confidently. However Piper wasn't so sure about this whole idea. She agreed on saving Cole, but this way? Searching for some kind of legendary sword, led by a blind demon who they didn't know at all.
But she knew that she couldn't have convinced Phoebe to search for another solution and to be honest she felt also obligated to save her sister's boyfriend. However once he had wanted to kill them – or wanted he anyway? after hearing Rose talking about him, Piper wasn't so sure about it anymore – now he was good, and after he had lost his demonic side, he could have been counted to the innocents.
Of course, it was quite dangerous for them to wander in the Underworld, but Rose assured them that they would use abandoned routes. And really: they've been wandering for about twenty minutes and haven't seen a single demon or warlock or whatever.
"Didn't you say that you don't live in the Underworld?" asked Paige suddenly. From them she was the most skeptic and suspicious about this whole mission.
"I don't live here." Rose answered. "But why is this important?"
"Then how do you know the place so well?"
"I didn't say that I never lived here. Actually I grew up here, just like Cole. We tried to discover all the tunnels, because we always wanted to see whether it's really endless here down."
"See?" Piper immediately caught the word.
"I wasn't always blind. But we shouldn't talk, somebody could hear us..."
Piper didn't miss the bitterness in her voice but she didn't ask more. She had to admit that she found this strange woman quite interesting, and decided that if everything turns out well, she would ask her a few questions... and she will try to change her relationship with Cole as well. It wasn't just her conscience (however it played a big part in it!) but they really should learn more about the Underworld and how it really worked if they wanted to their job better.
After a few more minutes, they arrived at a place where the tunnel divided into two and Rose stopped. She seemed suddenly not so confident any more...
"What's wrong?" asked Phoebe from behind.
"I don't know..." answered Piper who stood next to Rose and watched as the woman was listening to the noises that were coming from the left tunnel. That side looked pretty grim to Piper and the noises made it even more ominous. Screams echoed in the darkness, such painful screams that Piper had never heard before. "Rose?"
The young woman was trembling slightly, as if the screams caused her physical pain and she seemed not to hear Piper at all.
"Rose?" she called again. "Which direction should we go?"
She still didn't react, and Phoebe joined Piper at her side.
"Rose? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing."
"It doesn't seem so..." said Piper and she put her hand on Rose's shoulder. "We have to go! Cole needs our help..."
Rose shook her head and turned away from the tunnel.
"We have to take the other one" she said quietly.
"What's there?" Piper waved at the left side. "It sounds bad."
"It's bad. There's the Chamber..."
"What Chamber?"
"The Chamber of Punishment."
"Punishment?"
"You don't want to know..."
"If it's so near to us, I want to know what it is." Piper declared.
Rose shrugged, but she didn't stop again.
"It is... a kind of prison. For demons who did something... against the will of the Source."
She was still pale, but seemed to be more collected than before.
"Were you there?"
"Not so long, but...."
"But?"
There was a long silence and then she asked.
"Can Phoebe hear us?"
Piper looked back and shook her head. Then she realized that Rose couldn't see the movement and said it loud.
"No."
"Cole spent there almost two years. It was...it doesn't matter..."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why was he in that... prison?"
For a few seconds Rose didn't answer, then she stopped.
"Why do you want to know?"
Piper shrugged. She didn't really know why she was so interested. Maybe she felt guilty that she never asked Cole about his past, or because she never thanked him for helping them out so often. All the same, she wanted to know.
"Maybe we won't have another chance to talk."
"You might be right" the demon admitted. And she started to walk again. "About fifty years ago... that time I didn't live in the Underworld anymore... Cole decided to give up his life here. He wanted to live as a human...in the normal world. So he left and stopped using his powers, in hope that this way the Source couldn't find him. It was a good plan, as he also guessed that after a while the Source would give up on looking for him. But He didn't... "
"They found him."
"No... actually they found...me. And then Cole came back, to save me... He was punished for his betrayal and after that he didn't try to escape again...until he met Phoebe."
Piper didn't know what she could say to that, but she didn't have to think about it, as Rose stopped again in front of another cave-mouth.
"I guess we are here" she said.
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"This wasn't complicated at all!" declared Paige, as they arrived back at the Manor and she collapsed in one of the armchairs.
"Wasn't it?" asked Piper sarcastically. "And who was screaming when that man turned in that... I don't know what!"
"Dragon." put in Phoebe.
"All right dragon, then."
Phoebe was holding the sword that looked absolutely ordinary, even a little bit crippled with age.
"But we destroyed it quite easily" insisted Paige. "Just a spell, an explosion and everything was done."
"But we are not over. The complicated part is just to start" Phoebe said in a sad voice.
Piper awed her little sister. Phoebe was calm and determined, however she could feel the fear radiating from her. If Piper thought about Leo in a situation like this... She didn't even want to think about it! Probably she would have suffered a nervous breakdown by now...
"I'd rather go..." said Phoebe. And she stepped inside the magical circle they left on the ground.
"Phoebe!" It was Rose. She was standing in the doorway, looking still pale and shaken. She looked so young to Piper even if she knew that the demon must be decades older than she.
"Yes?"
"Please... be careful..." Piper saw tears in her eyes. "And tell him...to be strong..."
Phoebe nodded, and told the spell.
For a few seconds Piper watched the place where her sister vanished.
"All right, we better start working, because there's a lot to do!"
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Cole looked much more horrible than last day. His face was bloody and bruised all over and he practically couldn't open his left eye at all. His hair was stuck with blood and dirt. He wasn't wearing his shirt anymore, Phoebe saw that it was in tatters and that he used its parts to stop the bleeding of his more serious injuries. His upper body didn't look better than his face, either: a huge, almost black bruise covered his chest and there were deep cuts on his back, which frighteningly reminded Phoebe of whip-marks.
"Phoebe..." When he glimpsed her, he tried to rise and he managed even, after some struggling, but he was swaying as if he were drunk.
The girl tried not to think about it, that this was all her fault, but it was hard. She wanted to hug him, but knew that it would only cause him more pain. Instead of that she only grabbed his hand. This time, Cole wasn't chained to the wall, but his wrists were chained together.
"I brought the sword" told Phoebe and raised the weapon. "You will try, won't you?" she asked hopingly.
"Yes." Regarding the state his face was in, Phoebe couldn't really decide if he was really determined or just wanted to calm her. All the same, Cole took the sword, however he almost collapsed under its weight.
"Now, go!"
Phoebe wanted to tell something, but she had no idea what she could say. They just looked at each other, then Cole stepped forward and the next moment Phoebe found herself in his arms. He flinched with pain but still held her close. Then he kissed her slowly and Phoebe felt tears running down her face.
"Do what has to be done" she heard him whisper. "And never forget, that I love you."
The tears were running faster now.
"I love you too... I'm so sorry..." she couldn't tell more.
"There's nothing to be sorry for. You saved me... if this doesn't work...please...save me again. I don't want to live like this."
Phoebe looked him in the eyes, her voice was trembling but still could say what she had to.
"I promise."
Cole hugged her again.
"Go! He's coming back soon..."
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Cole was thankful that Phoebe went so quickly and without further argument. Not as if he didn't want to see her, quite the opposite, but couldn't have stayed standing much longer. The moment Phoebe vanished he collapsed to the ground. He hasn't felt so exhausted in his whole life, and every single part of his body burned with pain.
The Source was determined to break his defiance and get the information he wanted. Cole knew that he didn't really need it. The Source could have killed him and then the girls while they were unaware of the danger. This was rather an act of revenge: the Source has never tolerated defiance and Cole did it for a long time. It was as if he had split the bastard in the face, many times. Cole would have smiled about this if it weren't too painful for him...
He knew the methods of the Source... too well actually, as he experienced them many times before on his own skin. However the last nearly two weeks were worse than anything else he had ever gone through. Or almost worse... there were some occasions he didn't even want to remember, especially not now.
But the decision was made and made it lighter. Yes, he would fight. Even, if he has no chance at all. How could he win over the Source if he can't even hold this damned sword? But he can't let Phoebe down... And Rose... Thinking about Rose: Why the hell can't she stay away, somewhere safe, where she belongs? But as he couldn't change this he rather didn't want to think about it. He would fight and go down that way...
The Source was coming back... he could feel it. Cole grabbed the sword with both hands and stood up, just in time to face the Source who stepped in the cave.
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By the time Phoebe had arrived back, the girls prepared the cellar for the fight. There were the weapons on the walls. A huge amount of potions in one of the corners and they all took their planned positions. Cole was upstairs wit Leo, Piper asked his husband before to keep their enemy busy with some questions and it worked out quite well.
"Cole, could you come down to the cellar for a moment?" Phoebe called loudly.
They heard his footsteps, and then the door opened.
"Is something wrong?" he asked from the top of the stairs.
"No, we just need some help here!" answered Phoebe and hoped that her voice didn't betray her.
They could hear him coming down the steps. The cellar was arranged for the fight. They put down the crystals at the bottom of the stairs, only one was missing and it was Paige's task to put it in place when "Cole" achieved the right place.
When Cole stepped off of the last stair, Paige dashed forward to finish the trap... And then the crystal exploded and the youngest Charmed One flew back right into the back-wall.
"I guess we can play forthright then" the demon said and conjured a fire-ball over his left hand.
Piper acted immediately and "Cole" exploded, but not before he shot the fire-ball in Paige's direction. However she had the strength to orb away in time. Piper knew of course that she couldn't kill the Source with her active power, and indeed, the black corn aggregated in seconds and her brother-in-law-to-be stood there again with a devilish grin on his face.
"Is this all?" he asked mockingly.
"This is just the start!" Phoebe exclaimed and levitated. She kicked the Source square in the chest and the man stumbled back but didn't fall. A wave of his hand and Phoebe landed next to Paige on the ground. Piper in the midst of the attack grabbed one of the small vials they made ready in the corner and threw it in the demon's face.
It wasn't a strong potion – they didn't want to injure the body seriously! – but it blinded their enemy for a while. Piper looked at her unconscious sisters and called Leo. His husband orbed in instantly and without hesitation went on his work.
"Do you really think that you can save him? Or yourself?"
The Source shook off the effect of the potion and shot a fireball at Leo. However, the aim wasn't accurate yet and so he could finish the healing process. Piper made another attempt at exploding but she missed and got a fire-ball in return. It hit her on the shoulder and hurt like hell, but she didn't lose consciousness, so she could see that Paige stood up and grabbed a knife from the wall. She threw it at the demon, but he stopped it easily and with the same movement sent it back at her. He didn't hit, either, but Paige had to orb again.
After this, all hell broke loose. Both sides used all their magic and the cellar became a mutinous cauldron. Some objects in the room exploded, others caught fire. Phoebe started a scrum but lost, and after a while Piper started to believe that the Source was right, and they really didn't have a chance.
And then suddenly she heard a new voice.
"Stop!"
It was Rose, who they completely forgot about. But she was there, until now couching in a distant corner. But now she stepped forward and stood in front of the Source. Her expression told of strong concentration and Piper saw her eyes turn in a strange goldenish light. Didn't she say that she hadn't got any active powers? However, she didn't have time to wander about this, because to her even bigger surprise the Source really stopped. He looked at Rose with a confused expression. He raised his hand as if he wanted to conjure another fireball.
"You don't want to fight!" Rose said distinctly.
"You can't..." the Source groaned.
"You feel weak!"
"No..."
Piper couldn't decide who was trembling more of the two, but she saw that Rose became paler and paler every second and had a good guess that she couldn't keep on her hold over the demon much longer. Her assumption was strengthened when she saw a thin blood-brook coming from Rose's nose. The young woman was trembling even harder, and the next moment the Source pushed himself forward and grabbed her neck.
"A worm like you can't play around in my head" he grunted.
Until now the three witches stood almost mesmerized but seeing the demon move they all took action. Their collective attack sent "Cole" flying and he hit the ground hard...but he stood up again immediately while Rose collapsed and went absolutely still. There was grim fury on his face and he started in earnest: shot out two fire-balls after each other, and Paige went down. Then he hit Piper making her fall to the floor as well. He turned at Phoebe and the girl was almost stunned by the cruel intensity of his eyes. How could she not see the difference? This wasn't Cole, this man in front of her had no hint of humanity in his face. She tried to protect herself but had no chance at all. A steel grip grabbed her shoulders and the demon pushed her to the wall.
"I don't see how you could change Belthazor" he groaned. "You are nothing special..."
His hands wandered to her throat and started to stifle her. She made a desperate movement to free herself but he pinched her to the wall with all his weight.
"Now he can watch as I kill you and it will break his heart before he dies as well."
"No..." Phoebe choked out and strained herself even more, but her eyesight started to go blurry and deep in her heart she started to bow to the unavoidable.
----------------------
The Source stopped for a moment and Cole saw a slight surprise on his scarry face. Or was he just imagining things? All the same, he raised the sword and stepped forward.
"You must be kidding" the Source marked sarcastically. He was expressing Cole's own thoughts: he could hardly stand, how did he want to fight the strongest demon who had ever existed?
"I'm not kidding." He said with more determination than he felt.
"Then let's go!"
The Source raised his hand and conjured a fire-ball. Cole prepared himself and in the moment the demon shot out the ball he dove left. However it wouldn't have made much difference because after the first one came a second and he couldn't move in time...but then something happened. The sword seemed to flicker and some strange light appeared around it. The fire-ball glanced off from the sudden field of force and now the Source seemed really stunned.
"The Sword of Acres..." he whispered. But then his mouth drew into a biting smile. "I guess my cover is up then... Never mind, I still will kill them... and you."
He conjured a sword in his right hand and took on a fighting position. Cole scrambled to the feet, as well. He felt the sword still trembling a little bit, and also felt some strange magical power vibrating in it and floating over into him. Suddenly he wasn't as drained anymore, and when the Source attacked he countered surprisingly easily.
And then they started to duel. The blades twinkled and sparkled as they clashed. The Source was quick and a professional fighter, but Cole had a good training as well and he hadn't been one of the best hitmen in the Underworld for nothing. However even with the added power from the sword he was still weak and injured. He felt the pain in his back and arms coming back quickly.
Using his momentary distraction the Source hit him hard with the sword-guard and Cole fell to the knees feeling dizzy as he almost blacked out. His luck however didn't leave him, because in the same moment the Source stiffened and listened to the outside world.
"I guess they have a plan to help you" he said matter-of-factly. "Do they really think that I can't fight you both at the same time? I think I have some revelations for them..."
Cole used the few seconds to collect himself and stood up again. He was worried to death about Phoebe and the others but knew that he can't let his worries influence him now. If he can't finish this in here, there might be other victims today...
"Do you want to make another speech, or can we start fighting?" he countered.
"Is it so urgent for you to die?"
Cole jumped forward and took the lead in the attack this time. The swords distended against each other. They both stabbed and carved and blocked, the duel became constant moving. But Cole soon felt his movements and muscles stiffen, he knew that he didn't have much time left, so he attacked even harder. Maybe this caused what happened next... The Source broke out and stabbed forward and Cole couldn't dodge in time. The pain was excruciating as the blade cut in his right shoulder. He couldn't hold his own sword and it fell to the floor with a loud clattering.
As he fell backwards his dash pulled out the sword of the demon's hands. He wanted to stand up again but the cave around him darkened and he felt his body go limp. He watched helplessly as the Source stepped closer and bent over him. He couldn't do anything when the evil creature grabbed the guard of the sword again and with a distinct movement pushed the iron deeper. It went through flesh and bone and practically pinned him to the ground. Cole screamed and couldn't do anything to stop it, either.
In that moment he knew that he would die. It wasn't that bad...everything was better then this pain. But Phoebe... she still might have a chance... they are strong...the Power of Three... Oh, my god! He closed his eyes and prepared for the final blow... But it never came.
Cole opened his eyes and watched stunned the Source of All Evil. The demon didn't move, didn't even stir. He was standing like a frozen statue, his eyes blurry, almost glassy. What the hell? Then suddenly he understood: this could only be Rose, but he knew as well that his sister won't be able to hold back the demon too long. She wasn't trained; her natural power was raw and immature.
Cole collected all his strength and with his left hand grabbed the weapon that pinned him to the floor. He pulled it with all his might...and then screamed again. Shit...Oh, hell! His eyesight blackened and felt blood flow freely down his arm and side. A few seconds later the sword was out and he was just lying there trembling and gasping for air, absolutely apathetic to his surrounding or to his enemy.
When his senses came back the Source was himself again. He was smiling at him, but there was no happiness in that smile, it was cruel and furious in a sick way.
"You are pathetic" he grunted. "You and your sister, I've always known that one can't trust half-bloods."
Strange, Cole didn't really listen to the Source. He heard and saw him, and the cave, but at the same time he saw the cellar of the Halliwell house, either. The girls were attacking him, or his body, or whatever. Rose was lying on the floor, obviously unconscious. This was the strangest and most unnatural experience he ever had.
The Source turned away from him, and concentrated all his power on the outside world. Cole saw himself throwing a fire-ball at Paige. Then Piper went down, and the other-Cole went after Phoebe. This was the moment when his blindly fumbling fingers found something hard and cold... his sword.
Some of the power he had felt before came back again. He grabbed the sword... The Source was pushing Phoebe to the wall and was choking her. Cole didn't know how he did it – or did he do it? or was it rather the sword itself... - but he stood up. He faltered two steps and stopped behind the Source, the demon semi-turned and Cole would have laughed at his surprised expression if he'd had the strength to it. So he just raised the sword and crushed down. The blade went through the demon easily and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but there was only black blood coming out... and the next moment the Source just vanished. As if he had never existed...
The world was spinning around Cole, for a moment he saw Phoebe... he looked her straight in the eyes... and then everything went black.
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Phoebe was out of breath, and the grip on her throat didn't loosen. She thought about her sisters: were they dead? Was Cole dead? If so, she didn't want to live on, either. She was fading...
And then suddenly it was over. She didn't feel the strong hands on her neck anymore and air was left back in her thirsty lungs.
She opened her eyes and looked in the eyes of Cole. She knew it was really him. His expression was confused and scared and painful, but loving all the same. Then the finely dressed figure faded like an old photo and it was exchanged by the battered and bloody Cole, she had seen in that cave before. Just that he was even more bloody and worn out than before. His right shoulder and upper-body was soaked in blood and his temple was bleeding as well.
Phoebe wanted to say something or just cry out in relief but her throat was sore and she still felt dizzy. And then Cole stumbled, his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor. Phoebe, totally out of breath and weak, collapsed right beside him.
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Leo felt almost everything and orbed in the cellar as fast as he could. He wanted to help the girls in the fight, but his task was to stay safe and heal them if they needed it. If he had been there, and would have taken out by the Source, it could be fatal for all of them.
The sight the welcomed him was a scary one. All three girls were lying unconscious. He knew that it was the order of his heart and not his mind but he chose Piper first. Then he went to Paige and Phoebe. They all came to quickly.
Phoebe's first glimpse went at the bleeding figure on the floor.
"Cole! Oh, my God! Leo..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! It is really him! He stopped the Source...!"
Leo kneeled down beside the ex-demon.
"He isn't breathing..."
"Please..."
Leo didn't know, who or what Phoebe was asking for, but he put his hands over the most serious wound on his shoulder. He felt the energy wander into the other man's body, but also felt, that Cole has already gone far. He strained even more... and the wound started to heal.
"What's wrong?" asked Phoebe between two sobs.
Leo just shrugged.
"Is he still evil?" asked Piper quietly.
"No. I'm sure that he's not the Source anymore."
The golden light coming from his hands intensified and Cole took a haggard breath and moaned quietly. The wound closed but he didn't wake up.
"He will heal" Leo declared.
"But why doesn't he regain consciousness?" Phoebe asked worriedly.
Leo looked up:
"I feel that he is still weak but I can't heal him further. He was adrift to both dark and light magic. Very dark magic, as I feel. I guess he will wake up when he's ready. I'll take him up to your room." With that he orbed out.
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He didn't know where he was but it was neither the cave nor the Underworld. This much he knew for sure. Was this death? But if he were dead, he surely wouldn't be in such a comfortable place. He wanted to see, but didn't have the strength to open his eyes. Was the Source still waiting for him? If so he didn't want to be awake.
Some time later he woke up again and this time he could open up his eyes. He was in a room... in Phoebe's room to be correct. And Phoebe was there too, sleeping peacefully in a chair beside the bed, he was lying in.
Cole sat up, but dropped back again immediately... his head hurt like hell and he moaned out involuntary. Phoebe's eyes snapped open and the next moment she was on the bed hugging and kissing him and mumbling incoherently.
"Oh, my god... I thought... I'm so sorry..."
After a few moments Cole pulled away but still held her hands.
"What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
He thought about it, and then realized that he did remember, indeed.
"I think...I do. In a way... I guess I killed him..."
"So you did!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I told you, you can do it!"
"Yes."
Cole knew that he should feel relieved but he felt only one thing: fatigue.
"I'll tell the others that you woke up. They were worried about you..."
"Really?"
"Even Paige. But I'll go, I'm sure Rose wants to see you..."
"She is still here?" Why wasn't he surprised at all?
Phoebe nodded and slipped out the door.
A few minutes went by, during that Cole thought about what happened in the last days. Then the door opened again and Rose came in.
"Hi."
"You shouldn't be here, you know." Cole warned her.
"It was a pleasure to save your life." She commented sarcastically.
Cole didn't say a word, just frowned. Rose sat down on the chair. She didn't hug or kiss him like Phoebe – she was brought up by demons in the Underworld and wasn't really used to showing her emotions, just like Cole – but he could see that she was happy and relieved. She just bent forward and caressed his hand gently.
"How did you know?" Cole asked.
"I saw the future."
Cole looked at her a little bit surprised. Rose was special and could have been called a Seer but he rarely spoke about her visions and never intervened.
"What did you see?"
"You know I won't tell you... But I saw suffering, sadness and death..."
They sat in silence for a while, and then Rose asked.
"How do you feel?"
"Drained... strange... I guess this whole ordeal must have been hard for a human..."
"You think you are only human?"
"Am I not?" he asked even more surprised.
She shook her head.
"You can never be. You are magical. Maybe you can be separated from your powers for a while but they will find you again and again."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you feel it?"
Now that they talked about it, Cole started to feel something. Something was really different. He didn't feel that emptiness that lurked in his mind and heart after the vanquishing of Belthazor.
"But I'm not..."
"No. The Source is destroyed, but some of his powers stayed with you. Or so I think, at least. You will find out later, but now you should rest."
"How does it come, that my blind little sister sees everything much clearer than anybody else I know."
She shrugged.
"I'll come and visit you more often, but now I really should go."
She stood up but Cole had another question that bothered him.
"Do you think Phoebe will like the idea that I have demonic powers again?"
"Your powers aren't demonic, Cole. Just magical. Not the powers decide who you are. Maybe if Phoebe and her sisters won't mind, if they understand this."
The end