Charmed
(Season 4, Episode 2)
"Where the Sun Don't Shine"
By P3Nathan
On the other side of the steel door to the room where Phoebe was being held prisoner, a demon guard held a bowl of mashed up leftovers. The demonic brethren often debated whether a prisoner in the Underworld dungeon would die quicker by starvation or by eating everything that was offered, but this is what the Source had ordered, so this is what the guard did. He took a key from inside his pocket and inserted it into each of the four locks that ran down the door. He entered the dimly-lit room. He couldn't see the witch. He squinted his eyes; thinking she might have been in the shadows.
Nothing.
"Witch?" he called.
No answer.
He began to panic and was about turn around and go to alert his brethren. However, before he could, Phoebe floated down to the ground behind him holding a flaming torch and gave him one swift pummel across the back of the head with it. The guard fell to the ground unconscious and Phoebe let out a quick manic laugh at the relief of her success, not wasting any time before running out the door to her freedom.
Prue, Piper and Leo groaned as they recovered from their rough journey on the hard dirt ground. The portal had dropped them from quite a height; not enough to do any serious damage, just enough to make sure they'd be aching for a while.
"As soon as we get Phoebe back, I'm booking a spa day" Piper announced as she got up and stretched.
"Count me in, I'll be ready for a…whoa!" Prue stopped as she looked up at what stood before them.
Beyond the few metres of dirt that lay at their feet, a vast river of fire burned brightly; so much so that it was painful to look at directly. At the other side of the inferno stream was a backdrop of treacherous cliffs and an angry-looking volcano that smoked black.
"Here we are," Leo informed them. "The Underworld."
Piper looked around; her amazement quickly waning in favour of her more-familiar nerves.
"It'd make for some impressive photos. Intimidating… but impressive."
Prue turned to face Piper and Leo. "There doesn't seem to be anyone around here. I can't wait to unleash the Power of Three on that hell-bitch; I just knew she'd set us up!"
Leo looked by Prue. "Maybe not…"
Prue turned back around to see what he was looking at. Down the river of fire, a large boat floated above the flames towards the trio. It stopped right in front of them. "I don't like boats."
Piper stood closer to her sister's side. "Well, bright side? I'd say the chances of us hitting an iceberg are pretty slim."
Prue rolled her eyes.
"What are you waiting for?" a voice echoed around them.
Atop the boat, a red-haired woman appeared in a veil of fire. Prue instantly recognised her. "You!"
Piper looked perplexed at her sister. "You, who? Who's she?"
"You know Charon?" Leo asked.
Charon smirked. "I had a feeling we'd meet again."
"When Phoebe and I fought the ghost of Alcatraz," Prue explained, "she took his soul."
Piper raised an eyebrow. "What is it with you and these grim-reaper, soul collecting types?"
"I'm a very busy spectre," Charon growled impatiently. "I'd appreciate it if we could move this along. All aboard" She grinned as she gesticulated as if she was giving a Mediterranean cruise.
The three of them looked more than a little reluctant.
Charon sighed. "I can get you closer to your sister… and," she leered, "I assume you're relying on The Power of Three to get home, am I right?"
They didn't answer; it was obvious that she was right.
"Well then, your journey starts here. Keep your arms and legs inside the vessel at all times. I don't want anyone accidentally cremating themselves… or do I? Hahaha, no really, take a seat, everyone!"
Prue, Piper and Leo boarded the vessel.
"She doesn't have any owes," Leo pointed out.
Piper turned to him. "Yes, that's the weird part."
Charon raised her arms and the boat began to float down the flames.
Prue looked into the distance; anxious but determined. "We're coming Phoebe."
(Opening Credits)
Cole Turner slept; battered and bruised. He was exhausted from the beatings and from trying desperately to shimmer every few minutes; just on the off chance that there was a fluke that allowed him through the Source's magical security. He slowly came to; gradually opening his swollen eyes. Remaining on the ground, he turned his head to look into the shadows.
"You're still here aren't you?" Cole called to the darkness.
There was a moment of silence before an answer came. A female voice responded.
"I'll be here as long as you need me to be Belthazor."
She stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself. It was Janna, the last witch Cole had killed. She smiled at him.
"As long as you're working through your guilt, I will be here."
Cole sneered. "What do you take me for?"
"A killer" she replied.
"You're not her. It's being here. It's just Underworld mind games. She's dead and she was good, she wouldn't be here."
Janna moved closer to him. "You're not wrong Cole. But tell me, does that make what I represent any less true? Does that really make the shame any easier?"
Cole turned away; he couldn't look at her, real or not. "I was under a spell"
Janna sighed. "Well then. Sounds like I'll be here for some time."
Prue looked around as the boat floated through a chamber of various doors. She looked up and saw that there were more doors high above; further than the naked eye could see. "Is this where Phoebe is?"
"Oh no. These doors are saved for the very worst souls and it's strictly the dead only" the ferrywoman clarified.
Piper slumped into her seat a little as if to hide from the evils that lurked around her. "The very worst?"
"Yes. When most people screw up, they reincarnate and learn from their mistakes in their next life. However some souls are far beyond that. You need to be pretty determined to end up locked down here; quite impressive really" Charon kept looking straight on as she spoke.
"I don't like this. Can we trust her?" Piper whispered to Leo.
"No, but I'm not sure we have much of a choice" he responded.
The Source sat on his throne facing the demon guard who delivered food to Phoebe.
"My liege, I am deeply sorry," he bowed. "I will find her I promise you."
"No need" The Source stated calmly. "She won't escape through the spell I put on the dungeon. Her prison break will be short lived."
The guard breathed a sigh of relief.
"But since you didn't know that, you will be punished for your failure." The Source picked up his sword and sliced off the guards head in one smooth motion. The guard's remains erupted in flames and ash before his severed head could even land on the floor.
A pair of red glowing eyes appeared next to the ruler of the Underworld and Klea shimmered in a second later. "Charon is ferrying them across the Styx now, sire"
"Ah, they'll be going through the chamber of corrupt souls" The Source sounded quite excited by the prospect. "Well then, we don't want to make this too easy for them. This could be the perfect opportunity to see how the power of three fares minus one couldn't it?"
Phoebe looked behind to see if anyone was chasing her. It was hard to know for sure; everywhere in the Underworld was so damn dim, but it seemed the coast was clear. Phoebe knew that she should probably be suspicious of the lack of resistance she was facing; but she wasn't about to look a potential gift horse in the mouth and miss the opportunity for a getaway. She had no idea where she was going. All she could do was hope for the best.
She ventured into a huge tunnel. Phoebe thought she had experienced the worst smells that The Underworld had to offer back in the dungeon, but oh was she mistaken? The tunnel was full of water that went up to Phoebe's knees. She pushed through and found herself waist deep. She dreaded to think what she was walking through; 'it smells like something died in here' she thought.
Phoebe stopped suddenly as she felt something bash against her waist. She looked down and gasped at the sight of a body floating close next to her. It looked like it had been in the tunnel for quite some time. Phoebe jolted back to get away from the corpse only to realise that it wasn't a lone body. She froze for a moment in shock, just trying not to have a nervous breakdown, as countless bodies in various stages of decay floated around and in front of her. 'Breath through your mouth, just breath through your mouth' she thought. She attempted to steady her breathing, afraid that she might be on the verge of a severe panic attack.
She managed to calm herself as much as was possible under the circumstances and was able to think somewhat more clearly. She wondered if she could levitate over the water. No. Phoebe had gotten better at moving through the air, but the tunnel looked much too long and she feared that if her power deactivated before she got to the end, she'd end up with her head dunked under the putrid water. She'd have to brave it on foot. She took in one more deep breath through her mouth and began to power through. She held her arms above her head, desperate not to touch anything, as she forced her way through the sea of cadavers. She wondered for a moment if Cole was one of them, but she knew she couldn't let herself be distracted and that he wouldn't want her to be. 'Keep moving Phoebe, just keep moving'. Tears in her eyes, she was finally able to make out the literal light at the end of the tunnel. 'I did it!' she thought. Seeing the finishing line to the horror, she practically leaped towards the end. She just wanted to be out of there, so much so that she was now willing to use her hands, shifting her way through. The water grew shallower and shallower as she reached the end of the tunnel and she ran out of there elated at what she had achieved. She held her knees and looked at the floor, taking a moment to steady her breathing once again before carrying on.
She looked up and her smile quickly faded. For a moment she thought she was hallucinating; that perhaps the smell and the trauma had skewed her mind. No. It couldn't be. Phoebe was back in her prison. The tray of food had been left on the ground in front of the steel door, which was once again locked shut. The flaming torch that she had used against the guard was back in its original place.
It was all for nothing. Phoebe gawped at the closed door. She realised that the dungeon had some sort of magical loop; not only that, but it had been placed in the perfect position to get the escapees hopes up just enough to bring them crashing down.
Her eyes filled with more tears than she thought possible. She clasped her hands over her mouth as an uncontrollable wail burst out of her. She fell to her knees, still soaked and stinking. Tears streamed down her face as the unbearable anguish vibrated through every part of her body. She took her hands away from her mouth, remembering what she had just touched and her cries of pure sorrow echoed through her cell.
Cole sat up on the floor.
"Raynor used magic on me," Cole told the apparition.
Janna rolled her eyes. "Right. What kind of magic exactly? What spell did he cast? A lets incinerate Janna spell? It would've sucked if you'd left my family something to bury, so thanks for that by the way!"
"He made me embrace my demon half. I couldn't fight off Belthazor's urges anymore." He answered; shame in his voice.
"You ever think that might be your biggest problem?" Janna continued.
"What?"
"You talk about Belthazor as if he's a totally separate being. Now, granted; I'm no geneticist, but I'm not entirely sure that's how it works."
Cole stayed silent for a while and looked down at the ground. "How can I ever be good if I accept my demon half?"
"By taking responsibility for your own actions! Cole, can't you see it? You get it into your head that you're fighting against this uncontrollable being, so when you screw up, it's just Belthazor's fault! The way you separate the two halves of yourself; to separate his actions from your own... it's a massive safety net. Only not, because see how safe it's made you?"
"I don't..." Cole began, suddenly feeling like he'd hand the wind knocked out of him.
"It's okay; you don't have to say anything. Like you said, I'm not really here... so I'm not telling you anything you don't know deep down."
"I'm so sorry I killed you" the words came out in a whisper, like the truth of the moment needed to be treated gently as possible. Cole finally looked her in the eye. "I truly am."
Janna smiled. "I won't forgive you, Cole. But I will leave you with one last question."
Cole nodded.
"One way or another, you've always lived your life locked in the darkness. Right now, that's quite literal. My question is: Does it still feel comfortable in the dark, or are you brave enough to walk into the light?"
Before Cole could ask what she meant by that, Janna faded and he was alone. He looked around and took in the surroundings and the silence. He closed his eyes.
"Thank you."
Charon suddenly stopped her ferry moving as whispers echoed through her mind. They were still on the fiery River Styx and in the middle of the Chamber of Corrupted Souls, so naturally, Prue, Piper and Leo became a bit uncomfortable with the sudden stop.
"Why aren't we moving?" demanded Prue.
Charon nodded, "Very well."
Prue realised that Charon wasn't responding to her.
Piper and Leo stood up, anticipating trouble. "It's like what happened with Klea" Piper indicated.
Prue stood close to her sister and brother in law as Charon raised an arm.
"I'm afraid our tour must come to an unexpected end. Allow one of our worst souls to show you out." She gestured above and a loud creaking could be heard as one of the doors high above them swung open. A cloud of black smoke was released and swooped down to the ferry. It hovered next to Charon and morphed into a solid form. It was shaped like a male human; but it's cracked face, mangled teeth and hideous razor sharp claws suggested demon. Its arms were unnaturally long.
"I thought these were normal souls!" Piper panicked.
"When a soul is so corrupt, it takes on demonic attributes in the hereafter. Jack was a particularly nasty piece of work back in his day and I dare say he's quite hungry," Charon mused.
"Jack?" Prue scoffed. "Threatening. I dated a Jack."
"I believe in your world he was better known as..."
"The Ripper" Leo finished.
Prue suddenly wasn't so brazen.
Piper's jaw dropped. "You have got to be freakin' kidding!"
Jack licked his lips with a disgustingly long tongue as Charon waved goodbye.
"Try not to wreck the boat, I just had it repainted." She flamed out.
Jack swiped at the three of them with his claws. Leo instinctively grabbed Prue and Piper, orbing them out. Jack sniffed about the boat confused; he went and examined the space that they had just inhabited a second ago.
The three orbed back in at the other end of the boat behind him.
Piper waved her hands and blew a hole in the bottom of the boat just beneath Jack's feet. She had been aiming for the beast himself, but it turned out rather lucky, as an inferno burst up through the hole from the River Styx.
Jack winced as he tried to avoid the flames. Fortunately, the boat was still magically suspended so a hole in the boat was apparently not a reason to panic.
He lunged at them with his claws ready to swipe again.
Prue waved her arm and caused Jack to bounce back, while also repelling one of his arms and causing him to scratch himself across the cheek.
Now more furious than ever, he charged towards them once more.
"Don't freeze him" Prue told Piper, "I have an idea."
Piper nodded. She couldn't ensure a freeze anyway. She was gradually beginning to get a grip on her new explosion power, but it was still very temperamental and since she activated both of her magical abilities the same way, it made it difficult to separate the two.
Prue focused on Jack as he hurtled towards them, screeching with rage. The moment he got too close for comfort, Prue lifted her arms. Jack was lifted off his feet, but kept up his forward momentum; causing him to fly right over them and head first into the River Styx.
Piper looked down at the flames. "You did it!"
Piper nearly jumped out of her skin as Jack burst from under the fire, roaring and slashing the air. "How the hell do you tread water when there's no water?"
"We need to get out of here now!" Leo insisted.
Prue waved an arm and the ferry continued to move forward on its journey. Prue looked straight on, determined to get to Phoebe as soon as possible, so the boat moved a lot faster than it did with Charon.
Jack watched as they left him behind and sank into the fire, defeated.
"I'm sorry my liege" Charon said. She stood beside The Source and Klea as they watched Prue, Piper and Leo sailing in the glass of a mirror.
"No need Charon. I didn't expect a vulgar simpleton like him to defeat them. I just wanted to see their determination in action."
"They will get to Phoebe now. I can't imagine they'll have much trouble with the guards" Klea spoke up.
"Indeed. So eagerly they crawl into my web. They don't realise how tangled they are already. Foolish girls" The Source mocked.
"Is it time?" Klea asked.
"It is."
Cole prepared himself in his prison for what was about to come. He could feel the The Source approaching. Being half demon meant that he was able to sense The Source's essence. It wasn't like when a whitelighter sensed a charge, or when someone felt the presence of a spirit. No, this was something else entirely. It was difficult to describe, but whenever The Source was near, one was filled with a feeling of…hopelessness would probably be the most fitting word. An undeniable and cruel nothingness within the very soul.
The Source materialised before him.
"Please. I know what you're thinking of doing to me and I am begging you, please don't"
Cole looked into the darkness within The Source's hood. The fact that his face was hidden made him all the more insidious. Impossible to read; who would know if ever a sign of weakness showed?
"Your task, Belthazor, was to bring about the destruction of The Charmed Ones. I fully intend for you to fulfil that task."
"Are her sisters coming?" he asked.
"They are."
Cole looked sternly at The Source. "They will defeat you."
"I can see into the witches' souls, Belthazor. They are unaware of trouble that lies ahead. They will lose."
Prue, Piper and Leo ran towards the dungeons. They saw various doors before them.
"Which one is it?" Prue wondered.
Before they had a chance to look any further, three demons shimmered in their way. The first demon threw an energy ball at Prue and she quickly deflected it with her power, vanquishing him instantly.
Prue ran past the demons. "Fend them off, I'll check inside!"
The second demon shot a lightning bolt at Piper. She instinctively raised her hands and the bolt froze in mid-air. Piper sighed. "Finally, thank you!" The demon approached her. "Okay, now blow him up", she waved her hands at the demon and he obediently exploded. The force of the blast knocked Piper backwards and she lay against the wall unconscious.
"Piper!" Leo cried, but couldn't rush to heal her, as the third demon came after him with a fire ball.
Meanwhile, Prue looked at one of the steel doors. She closed her eyes and projected her astral body into the prison. She looked around at the horrible conditions and almost screamed with relief when she saw Phoebe led on the ground. She pulled her astral-self back to her physical body and turned to see what was happening behind her.
Leo orbed out, so the fire ball just missed him. He orbed back in behind the demon, picked up a rock and managed to knock him unconscious by beating him on the back of the head with it. Leo ran over to Piper right after and began to heal her.
"She okay?" Prue asked.
"She'll be fine" Leo reassured, his golden healing light doing its job.
They gasped as Cole shimmered in. He fell to the floor and coughed up a little blood.
"Oh my God, Cole!" Prue ran towards him and helped him up.
"So glad you guys are here" he wheezed. "They said you were coming, so I just about managed to fight them off to get to you."
"Don't worry, we found Phoebe," Prue made sure he was upright before she turned back to the door and waved her arm. Every lock was dismantled as it forcefully swung open.
Prue slowly approached her sister, who hadn't moved from the ground. Piper, Leo and Cole soon followed Prue inside.
"Phoebe?" Prue said softly.
Phoebe looked at her big sister. Her eyes were swollen and her face was expressionless. "You're not Prue. It's just another trick."
Prue looked worried. "Sweetie, it's us. Look, Piper and Leo are here too. We're taking you home."
Phoebe shook her head, almost violently. "No."
Piper came in closer to her sister. "Phoebe, honey, we've missed you."
Phoebe shook her head again, her eyes filling up. She'd done so much crying already that it made her eyes burn. "No, you're not here. He's toying with me. He won't let me go home."
Prue and Piper struggled to keep it together as their baby sister began to weep. Prue gently wiped a tear from her sister's cheek. She looked to Piper. "Hold her hand."
Piper did so, while Prue held Phoebe's other.
"The Power of Three will set us free" Prue chanted.
"The Power of Three will set us free" Piper followed.
The witches looked to their sister. Phoebe took a deep breath. "The Power of Three will set us free." It was more of a whimper than a chant, but it seemed to do the trick.
A golden triquetra appeared on the ground next to them. They looked at it glow as it lit up the room.
No longer doubting that she was with her sisters, Phoebe allowed them to help her to her feet. She saw Cole. "You're alive?"
Cole smiled: "You know I'd never leave you like this."
Prue held a hand over the triquetra. "Take us from where the evils roam, open the portal and send us home." The triquetra flared and opened up into a portal. Unlike Klea's, this was light blue and sparkled with white lights.
The three sisters, reunited, held onto each other tightly as they jumped into the portal. Leo patted Cole on the back and followed soon after. Cole looked around, smirked and was the last to jump in. The portal and the triquetra disappeared into the ground as the last person in the room faded into it.
Phoebe stared into the mirror on the dresser in her bedroom. Cole came in and sat beside her.
"How are you doing?" he asked, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not sure yet" she said, not taking her eyes off her reflection. She at least felt better physically, simply because she had been able to shower and use her own bathroom; things she expected she would never take for granted again.
There was a knock on the door. Prue and Piper walked in. Piper held a tray of various pastries that she had made from scratch.
"Hey, brought you some treats" Piper announced cheerily.
Cole looked to Phoebe. "I'll give you guys some sister time"
Cole left the room.
Phoebe hopped onto her bed and Piper lay the tray down in front of her. The sisters sat next to each other.
"How are you feeling?" Prue looked concerned.
"Okay" Phoebe nodded unconvincingly.
Prue and Piper didn't say anything.
Phoebe sighed. "I'm still half expecting to wake up back in that place."
Piper felt ashamed. "I'm sorry we couldn't get to you sooner."
Phoebe looked down at the food in front of her. "I really started to think I wouldn't see you again." Phoebe found herself in floods of tears again. Her sisters held her. "Oh, I need to stop crying, my eyes are like sandpaper!"
"You know what?" Prue began, "you cry all you want." Prue stood up. "Remember what we said when we first found out we were witches?"
Phoebe nodded. "We said we'd be careful…"
"We'd be wise…" Piper continued.
"And that we'd stick together," Prue emphasised. "I think maybe we should keep that last part in mind a little more. We will never be separated like that again. Understood?"
Piper and Phoebe nodded.
"Damn right. Sisters forever" Piper smiled.
Prue looked at her two younger sisters; so happy to have the family back together. "Maybe we should give you some time to eat. We're just downstairs okay?"
"Okay" Phoebe said.
Prue and Piper locked their arms around Phoebe from either side of her. Phoebe giggled, enveloped in the love of her family.
"Love you" the three sisters said in unison.
Prue and Piper left the room. Cole was waiting outside.
"Sister time help?" he asked.
"I think so" Prue nodded.
Piper sensed a little tension. "I'm going to… cook more things", she quickly left.
Left alone, Prue and Cole looked at each other. "How are you? Sucks that Leo can't heal you up properly."
"Ah it's fine, I've survived worse."
"Have you? Things seemed pretty rough down there."
"I'm just glad Phoebe safe."
Prue nodded. She was never exactly comfortable around Cole, but something was more off than usual. Maybe he was just shaken like Phoebe, but internalising more.
"I have to admit, I expected more of a fight. It's lucky that you managed to get away just as we got to the dungeon."
Cole didn't respond.
"Just remember that we're here Cole"
Cole braced himself, wondering if that was a threat.
"For Phoebe and for you" Prue finished.
"Oh" Cole relaxed. "Thank you, I appreciate that."
Prue turned away and headed downstairs. Her instincts were telling her that something wasn't quite right, but they all needed to rest before they could think or act clearly.
Phoebe was asleep in bed. Cole led next to her. He stroked her hair and smiled.
"Phoebe. Sweet Phoebe" he hissed. He leaned into her a smelled her neck, allowing the tip of his tongue to brush against her skin. "How I look forward to getting so much closer to your precious family."
Cole's eyes blackened and a sinister grin crossed his face.
Phoebe was far too tired to be wakened; she slept, blissfully unaware of the evil that led next to her. The Source of All Evil was in her home; in her bed.
He breathed heavily next to her as she rested.
Next time on "Charmed"-
'The Normal Life'
As the fallout from "All Hell Breaks Loose" intensifies and the future becomes more and more uncertain, Piper is given the ultimate choice at the worst possible time.