Part 5: A new look

Prue gazed worriedly in her inresponsive sister's face. "Phoebe?? Snap out of it!" Piper shook Phoebe's shoulder a little, but to no avail. Phoebe's eyes were vacant, and seemingly empty.

Piper whispered into Phoebe's ear, "Come back to us, kiddo." She looked at Prue with a frantic look, "What the hell is going on, Prue?" Prue shook her head unknowingly, shock flitting across her face.

Phoebe stood in her premonition, glancing around at her greyish surroundings, seemingly frozen in time. She glanced down at her ring, which was glowing brightly, almost painful to look at very long. The ring pulsated softly, but insistently, its glow brightening to envelope her into its warmth. A voice sprang out of the warm glow around Phoebe, to whisper in a gentle tone. "A kindred soul meets another, here. Welcome, my kindred soul..."

She craned her head wildly around. "What do you mean, kindred ...oh! You're ..the ring?" She looked at the ring in puzzlement, and curiousity. "Wait a minute! You must be joking me! How the hell can you be talking to me, if you're a ring?"

An ethereal form, garbed in a long grey robe, and a kindly face, emerged from somewhere in front of Phoebe. A voice emerged from the being. "I was imprisoned in the ring, and assigned to be the caretaker of all the forms inherent. I was to be bound, or be the protector, of whoever claimed the ring."

"Oh. Wow. This is kinda unreal, but ... I guess I'm glad I have a protector, even if I have two others. My sisters! They don't know where I am!"

The grey robed protector smiled, "Don't worry, Phoebe. They are worried, yes, but it only has been a few minutes since you had your premonition."

Phoebe minutely relaxed, yet was wary. A thought occured to her. "Why am I here? How come I'm like..in my premonition?"

"Call me Michel. As for that... It was my only chance to bring your ...ah, essence, to my realm, well, inside the ring. I felt that I had to tell you about your situation."

Phoebe stood there for a moment, digesting this information, with an expression akin to awe in her eyes. "Oh. Yeah. My premonition. What's...going on?", said Phoebe in a hesitant voice.

"Just...that this is your test, made by you, by your unconcious desire. To prove yourself worthy. The ring will not help you this time, yet it will.", was his cryptic reply.

Phoebe put a hand on her hip, with a cocked head. "That's it? We've gotten ourselves out of tight spots before."

"Don't be so flippant, Phoebe. It will require a test of strength, yet from the heart.", admonished Michel with a shaking finger. Phoebe nodded solemnly, taking his tone seriously.


Seemingly satisfied, he nodded. "Time for you to go back. Be careful. Your sisters won't be able to help you though. Remember your premonition? It will come to pass, no matter what. The ending is how you prove yourself."

Phoebe gulped quietly, nervousness marring her face. She sighed heavily. "Ok...Time to go. Prue and Piper are definetly worried by now, if this is real time..."

Michel grinned knowingly, and nodded slightly, holding his palm out, with a glowing aura.

The white surroundings vanished as if it melted into the greyish background, and time hiccuped and became real.

Phoebe felt herself being shook slightly by Piper, and an anxious Prue who was demanding an answer. Blinking rapidly, awareness swum in, and she suddenly clutched her head, shaking it. Both sisters, who had been worried deeply, let out audible sighs of relief at Phoebe's recovery.

"Whoa...that was unreal.", whispered Phoebe with a weary look.

Prue captured Phoebe's attention. "What is GOING on? That was a premonition wasn't it? But it was different."

"Ah...Um. Yes. it was. Let's see... classic premonition, you two slumped by me, a warlock is about to get me...apparently who we're looking for, but the ring flashes brightly." Her facial muscles scrunched up, thinking of the premonition. As hard as she tried to remember...something about the premonition was missing, like a fuzzy memory, but couldn't bring it into clarity.

"So, what was so different about it? You've never just 'spaced' out afterwards. You really had us worried there for a moment." Piper remarked in a worried tone. Phoebe saw Prue nod in agreement.

Phoebe hesitated. "Ah..I don't know. After the bright light, all I really remember is coming out of my premonition, although...it does feel like I missed something." Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled. "That's Ok. All we have to do is watch out for Santiago, who I just saw in my vision." Prue and Piper shrugged, a feeling of unease still residing in the back of their minds.

End Part 5: A New Look