A/N. Thank you for the reviews.
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Chapter 17"Prue?" Piper gasped as her older sister appeared in a ripple of the air. "How did you…?" Piper stopped short. Something in Prue's eyes told her that this was not the sister she knew and loved. Prue's eyes were staring straight through her, unseeing. As a demon shimmered in next to Prue, but didn't attack, Piper's suspicions were confirmed. Prue had somehow been hypnotised.
"Do it," Nephets hissed to Prue.
"I… I can't," Prue stammered. Deep down she knew this was wrong. She was a Charmed One, a good witch.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Penny demanded, lifting her arm to fight Nephets.
"No!" Prue cried. As much as she didn't want to hurt her family, she couldn't let them hurt Nephets. After all, he had given her a new power. She flung out her arm, intending to send her family flying. Instead, thick dull green acid sprayed from her fingertips.
The baby's force field sprung up around Piper as the acid neared her. Penny telekinetically deflected her share, but Phoebe was too slow to duck or levitate so a glob of green goo hit her face. She screamed in pain and sunk to the floor.
"How could you?" Penny screeched. "She's your sister!"
"I'm part of a new family now," Prue shot back coldly.
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Prue and Nephets materialised in the underworld. Prue took a glance around her and shivered. They were in some kind of cavern with a high ceiling and torches adorning the walls. A fire burnt brightly, but no warmth radiated from it.
"We need more heat in here," Prue ordered.
"Yes my lady." Nephets clicked his fingers and several more fires lit spontaneously.
Prue smiled to herself at the words 'my lady'. She could definitely get used to this.
"Is there anything else you would like?" Nephets asked.
"I want to go hunting."
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Leo held his hands over Phoebe's face, letting the soft warm glow heal her injuries. Once he sensed everything was healed, he removed his hands and smiled down at his charge. "All better?"
Phoebe touched her face tentatively, then nodded in confirmation. "Thanks Leo."
"No problem." Leo pushed himself up off the floor. "What exactly happened."
"Prue's what happened," Piper grumbled.
"Prue?"
"We think she was hypnotised by a demon. It's a long story," Phoebe told him.
"One that I intend to finish quickly," Penny said. "Book Of Shadows. Now." Penny turned on her heel and marched towards the stairs.
"Right behind you," Piper called, beginning to stand up.
Phoebe was up like a shot, over taking her older sister. "Maybe you should stay here," she suggested, patting Piper's shoulder as the pregnant witch struggled to her feet. "No offence, but you're not as fast as you used to be."
"But…" Piper began to protest, but before she could finish Phoebe had scurried from the room.
Phoebe jogged up the stairs, catching up with Penny. "Why don't I scry for Prue?"
"Good idea," Penny agreed, walking over to the book.
Phoebe picked up a crystal and began to dangle it over a map of San Francisco. Clutched in her other hand was Prue's old teddy bear to make the scrying specific to her oldest sister.
"Here's the demon," Penny announced. "His name's Nephets. He's an upper level demon who can seduce his victims into joining the dark side by using a powder along with a spell."
"Vanquish?"
"Power Of Three spell. The victim requires a potion to be un-hypnotised."
"Great. Piper can do that while I write the spell." The string grew taut in Phoebe's hand and dropped onto the map. "Found her."
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Piper and Phoebe pulled into a deserted warehouse and instantly spotted Prue. The eldest witch had an innocent man pinned against a wall, his feet dangling a few inches off the floor.
"Oh, this is not good," Phoebe mumbled as she climbed out of the car. "Prue!"
Prue whipped her hear around and released the innocent, who fell to the floor. He scrambled to his feet and ran off. Prue twisted around, but he was already gone. "Now look what you made me do!"
"Trust me, you'll thank us for it later." Piper launched the potion through the air.
Prue spread out her fingers, letting acid contact the vial and causing it to explode. "You think you can stop me?" The oldest taunted. "I'm more powerful than the two of you put together." She shimmered away.
Phoebe rolled her brown eyes at the spot where her sister had just stood. "Glad to see her ego hasn't changed."
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Piper slammed the front door so hard the panes of glass rattled. Unfortunately, it didn't do anything to soothe her frustration and she clenched her fists. How could Prue do this? In the months Piper had known her, the eldest Charmed One had always been so strong. 'Must be a pretty powerful demon,' Piper thought grimly.
The middle Charmed One followed Phoebe through the house and into the kitchen, when the youngest Charmed One suddenly stopped, causing Piper to knock into her.
"I wish you'd tell me before you do that," Piper complained.
"How did you…?" Phoebe asked.
"I used to be one of you, remember?" Prue sneered. "I knew you'd come back here."
Used to be? Piper really didn't like the sound of that. They needed to get the old Prue back quickly. "Phoebe…" She hissed.
"I'm on it," Phoebe murmured. Discretely, she slipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out a potion vial. "Ready?"
"Ready." Phoebe threw the potion towards Prue as Piper flicked her wrists and froze her and the demon.
"It worked," Piper muttered. Secretly, she was hoping her primary power wouldn't have affected Prue. But apparently she had been completely turned. Not for long.
The vial continued to sail for Prue, smashing right at her feet. As blood red smoke engulfed her, a grey mist rose from Prue. When the smoke cleared, it revealed the oldest sister, her ice blue eyes clouded with sorrow.
"Piper. Phoebe. I'm so sorry."
"Apologies later. Vanquish now," Piper ordered.
Prue glanced at the statue like demon and scurried over to her sisters. "Unfreeze him."
"Wh…"
"Just do it."
Piper made a slight gesture with her hand and Piper sprang into motion. His brow creased when she saw all three Charmed Ones together. "How?"
"You can't defeat sisters," Phoebe replied.
"Especially not the Charmed Ones," Piper added.
Prue flung out her arm and Nephets flew into the kitchen counter. "Now!"
The Charmed Ones joined hands and Phoebe began to chant.
With the Power Of Three
We vanquish thee
Off the hell you must go
Never again to be our foeThe second time around Piper and Prue joined in, adding the power to Phoebe's. With the full force of the incantation, Nephets burst into a million pieces, showering grey dust all over the kitchen.
"It's good to have you back," Phoebe cried, slinging her arms around Prue's neck.
"It's good to be back."
"Guys, where's Grams?"
"Uh oh!" Prue raced into the living room, leaving Piper and Phoebe lagging behind. Prue skidded into the living room and cringed. Penny was sitting in a kitchen chair, her arms tied behind her back and her mouth gagged with cloth. Her brown eyes widened in relief when she saw her granddaughters.
"Oh, oh!" Prue scuttled to Penny and pulled down the gag.
"It's about time!"
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Phoebe dug her feet into the soft muddy ground. The swing she was perched on moved backwards and she lifted her feet up to let it fall back down. A pair of clean white trainers fell into her line of vision and she gazed up to see Jake looking down at her.
"You came," Phoebe stated.
"You said it was important. Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine," Phoebe assured him. 'Now Prue's back to normal,' she added silently. "It's about earlier."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have said it."
"Don't you mean it?"
"Of course I do."
"I love you too."
"I just should have waited… what?"
Phoebe rose from the swing and slipped her arms around Jake's athletic waist. "I love you too."
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"Andy, where are we going?" Prue had to bite her lip to stop herself from giggling as her boyfriend led her somewhere, his hand clamped over her eyes.
"It's a surprise."
Prue shivered as a brisk wind whipped around her and the heel of her shoe sunk into something soft. She could hear what sounded like water lapping at dry land. "Well, how much further is it?"
"We're right here." Andy removed his hands from Prue's eyes.
The witch gasped in delight. Before her on the sand lay a picnic blanket covered with all her favourite foods. Surrounding the blanket was tiny flickering candles buried in the sand, casting a warm golden glow. The rest of the beach was lit with hundreds more candles and the light of the silvery moon. "And, did you…?" Prue turned to face Andy and let out another gasp.
Her boyfriend had lowered to his knee, his arm reached out to her. Held between his fingers was a sparkling diamond set in a white gold band. Andy slid the ring onto Prue's finger. It fit perfectly. "I know we're young Prue but I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you more than words can say. Will you marry me?"
Silent tears of joy slid down her cheeks, and Prue didn't think she had ever been so happy. All that was needed was a simple word and her childhood dream would come true. "Yes!"