The One That Got Away
"Piper?" Prue asked, unsteadily to the figure that had suddenly appeared.
Piper, still very confused at her own sudden entrance, nodded distractedly. Confused, she looked around at her surroundings, but then quickly concluded that they were in the cave. It was a wild guess, though, because she couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face through the darkness. Then she recalled the first battle she had with Jade, soon after they'd found Prue, and how she and Phoebe had been stuck in this, supposedly same, dark abbess. Then, she realised that the room must be getting darker, if that was possible, because she couldn't even see her sisters' silhouettes. Could this really be the cave? If it was, there must be walls, and if she could find them, she'd probably be able to find a way. Taking an unsteady step forward, Piper hesitated.
Piper spun around as she sensed someone close to her. 'Man, why don't I have Pheeb's kick ass skills?' She thought angrily, knowing that her freezing powers would be useless if she couldn't see her target, and her exploding powers could cause havoc without a target too. 'Better give it a shot,' she thought, randomly freezing the scene. No sound replied to her attack, which wasn't always a good thing.
"Prue, Paige?" Piper called out hopefully. No reply. 'Oh, God…' She thought helplessly.
"DUCK!" A scream came from behind Piper. She spun around, and then threw herself to the rocky ground as several bright flashes filled the abbess. She grunted as she felt something sharp strike her shoulder as she fell. A cry filled Piper's head, then a scream. Piper cried out at the pain that suddenly filled her head, she had to grab her ears in hope to stop the screaming that echoed around her skull.. Then silence.
Scrambling to her feet, Piper swayed. Small fires lit the room with a orangey tint, not enough to see the whole cave properly, but enough to make out her surroundings. Walking unsteadily towards the closest one, Piper suddenly began to shiver. An ice cold feeling began to close in around her. It was a suffocating coldness, something Piper had never felt. It wasn't natural, like the snow in winter, but more of a fear…
Bending double, Piper fought the urge to vomit as a searing heat filled her gut. Piper gasped, trying to find the source of the attack through her watery eyes. No one was there, even though Piper could still sense someone close to her.
"But, Grams, Sasha hates me!" The ten year old Piper pleaded with her Grams.
A young Penny Halliwell nodded understandingly, then she placed an encouraging hand on her grand daughter's shoulder, "Oh, Piper, dear, you need to learn to ignore what other people think and say," Grams explained wisely, "One day, you'll realise that you're much more special and powerful than those mean bullies."
"But… how's that gonna help me now?" Piper begged, not understanding.
"Piper Halliwell, you and your sisters are very powerful. If this Sasha thinks she can take you on, just remember that you've got Prue and Phoebe to back you up. Your never alone Piper, remember that when ever you get scared. No amount of fear can destroy that, just remember, you're never alone, and you've always got your sisters."
'No amount of fear can destroy that… you've always got your sisters…' Piper thought as she gasped.
"No amount of fear can destroy that!" She said aloud, adrenaline suddenly pumping through her veins, "No amount of fear can destroy that when I've got my sisters!" She repeated, feeling much more confident, "NO AMOUNT OF FEAR CAN DESTROY ME! SASHA BURNS DIDN'T HURT ME, NOR CAN YOU JADE! SHOW YOURSELF!" Suddenly, she was surrounded by light and warmth, and Piper saw Paige and Prue appear beside her. Smiling, she gripped her sisters' hands, before realising that Phoebe was still missing. In shock, she dropped Prue and Paige's hands.
"Where's Phoebe?" She asked suddenly. Paige frowned and Prue glanced around nervously, tears forming under her lashes.
"I thought she was with you," Paige quickly explained, but Piper's eyes were still on Prue.
"Prue, what do you know?"
Prue hesitated, trying to fight back her tears. She opened her mouth to speak.
"Hey guys!" A shrill happy voice called from behind them. The three sisters spun around to face a silhouette, which Piper could make out as her sister, Phoebe.
"Pheebs!" Piper and Paige both cried happily, running to their sister. It took them a while to realise that Prue hadn't followed suit. Instantly, Piper regretted her actions, but it seemed Paige felt something too, as she too quietened. "Prue, what's wrong?" Piper asked gently.
Prue stood motionless behind them, only her eyes showed the pure fear she felt. 'Why haven't they noticed?' She thought, desperately trying to speak her discovery to her sisters, but something was holding her back. 'Oh, Piper, come on! Hang on—Paige?' She wished that her and her sisters had telepathy, and then they'd be able to communicate now, even though Prue couldn't speak. Slowly, she noticed Paige had quietened, and Piper was looking at her. 'Oh, thank God!' She thought, trying to will her sisters away from Phoebe. Suddenly Prue flicked her wrists unknowingly and her sisters were pulled towards her.
"What the?" Piper asked, obviously confused at the fact that Prue could be and be a good witch and still be able to use her powers on other good witches. Scrambling to their feet, Paige and Piper cast weary looks at their silent older sister.
'Oh, please, Piper, Paige!' Prue thought desperately. Suddenly Piper looked at her, confused.
"What Prue?" She asked, brushing off dusty jacket. Prue frowned at her.
'What? You can hear me?' Prue thought, aiming it at her sister.
"Well, nah," Piper said, annoyed.
'But I'm not saying this.'
"Of course you are! I can hear—" Piper started, before realising that neither Paige nor Phoebe were replying to Prue. Quickly, she realised that it must be telepathic powers.
'Prue, can you hear me?' Piper tested.
'Yer, duh, see, I told you I wasn't saying anything!' Prue replied smugly. Piper glared at Pure.
'Yer, but I didn't see. What is this anyway?'
'It's freaky, why can't Paige hear us?' Prue stated.
'What about Phoebe?' Piper argued.
'Obviously she can't hear us, she's ev—' Suddenly Prue was thrown away from Piper, breaking the mental connection.
"Of course I can hear you, dear sisters," A sneering voice came from behind Piper. Spinning around, she caught sight of Phoebe.
"Phoebe?" Piper gasped, horrified at her sister's grimacing face. Immediately she realised what Prue had been trying to tell her, Phoebe was evil. But how? There was a glint of gold as some light reflected off the amulet that hung around Phoebe's neck. "Oh, Pheebs, this isn't— Whoa, time out!" Piper cried, as she tried to dodge the flames that escaped from Phoebe's hands. Instinctively, Piper tried to freeze the flames, but somehow they didn't falter. Trying to duck, she realised that her own actions were slowed. Somehow the attack had backfired and was freezing Piper!
"Fire bolt!" Paige called for the flaming bolt that was going for her sister. Just as it reached close enough for Piper to feel its burning heat, it disappeared in millions of blue and white orbs, reappearing as it smashed it the wall. Piper sighed thankfully, as she was able to move freely again. Then she heard a cry as Phoebe grabbed Paige and held her hostage. Paige, being her only defence now her powers were on the blink, being caught now placed Piper in an incredibly awful position. She couldn't risk trying to explode Phoebe, even though that would be as a very very last resort, in case she exploded herself, so what could she do? Remembering a couple of tricks Phoebe had taught her in the last couple of weeks, Piper tried a couple of unsteady dodges as more flames were thrown her way. She screamed as she jumped to dodge a low hit, and ended up on the ceiling.
"Whoa!" She gasped, trying to stop herself flying across the room.
"Looks like the powers that Be have given you powers that should belong to me!" Phoebe rhymed.
"That would make sense," Prue taunted, stepping towards her evil sister, "Seeing as you won't be needing them!" Prue lifted her arm and, with a strong burst of power, threw Phoebe across the room. But the fall hadn't dazed her little sister in the slightest, as she quickly jumped to her feet. But this didn't faze Prue either, who hadn't finished.
"Evil that dwells in these parts,
Will finish before the spreading starts.
From this time, and from this place,
I banish you from this—"
"PRUE, NO!" Piper screamed. Prue dropped her arms, and looked at Piper. Slowly, Piper dropped gently to the floor.
"Piper, she tried to kill you," Prue stated.
"No," Piper argued, "Jade tried to kill me, she was just using Phoebe's body." Prue frowned at the fact, "Prue, you couldn't kill your own sister."
It was true, no matter how much Prue hated Phoebe at this moment, the facts were facts, and Phoebe Halliwell was still her sister. Prue sighed, and then she was knocked to the floor.
"Nice lil' reunion there but I'm not one for sob stories," Evil Phoebe sneered. Piper glared at her little sister.
"Phoebe stop!" Piper ordered as Phoebe was about to attack an unconscious Paige. For a second, Phoebe's face changed. Piper could see her little sister again, weak and vulnerable. Then as a grown woman, strong and determined to battle against evil even without active powers.
Then it was gone. Piper wondered if she'd imagined the whole change.
"Phoebe, no—" Piper cried as Phoebe plunged a dagger into Paige's back. The movement barely lasted a mille second, but the memory would with her. Paige's scream, her own scream, the blood. Instantly, Piper wanted revenge for her sister's death.
"Evil that dwells in these parts,
Will finish now before the spreading starts.
From this time, and from this place,
I banish you from this space!
Take with you now all the hate,
Leave now, with all of haste!" Piper ordered, boosting the spell's power with all her anger.
"Oh, Paige!" Piper begged, collapsing over her baby sister's body. "I'm so sorry!" Feeling completely responsible for Paige's death, piper couldn't bare to live with herself. Turning her watering eyes away from Paige's body, she took in Phoebe's body slumped against the opposite wall. Almost about to explode her, Piper remembered the risk it would be to herself, and then she noticed the amulet had disappeared. But, that didn't change anything… not really, okay, so Phoebe was good, but that didn't bring Paige back. Several more tears flowed down her cheeks. Why was she being put through all this again? She had been alone when Prue died, and now she was alone again, when Paige died. At this rate, she'd have to watch all her sisters' deaths! Could she really live with that?
"Hello Piper."
Piper jumped to her feet as a tall, blonde haired man appeared beside her in a long black cloak. She tried to explode him, not caring for her own safety, but nothing happened. Then she tried to freeze him. Nothing. Panicking, Piper looked down at her hands, wondering why her powers weren't working. The blonde man laughed, and Piper snap kicked him angrily, but her foot went straight through him. She gasped and jumped back.
"Piper, you can't defeat me, I'm the Angel of Death." The stranger stated calmly.
"Wha… What?" Piper gasped, not knowing what to think. 'Is he legit?' She thought.
"Yes."
"Huh, you heard that?" Piper exclaimed, stepping away from the stranger.
"Yes," He repeated.
"Wow, you're one hell of a talker!" Piper stated sarcastically. The man shrugged. "So, why are you here?"
"I'm here for a P. Halliwell," The Angel read off a list that appeared in his hands. Piper gasped and ran over to Prue.
"No, you can't have Prue!" She cried, standing protectively over her sister. The Angel shrugged calmly and summoned Paige's spirit out of her body. "What? No, you tricked me! Paige isn't P. Halliwell, she's Matthews!"
"No, I don't care about physical things. Paige is biologically a Halliwell, and so you had to choose between your two sisters, and you chose." Then Paige's spirit disappeared in millions of white lights.
There was a blinding flash.
