A/N: Hey guys! Enjoying the fanfic? Hehehe.

RandyOrtonxWifexx: Yessss! Lol – Evil grin. –

Charmed Opal (Guest!): YOU'LL SEE! YOU'LL SEE! YOU'LL SEE! YOU'LL SEE! Does that answer your questions? ;) Also... – wacked with handbag. - ... Ow!

lizardmomma: Dun Dun Dun! Haha.

So here's another lovely chapter! Enjoy and please, please review! Continue letting me know how I'm doing – knowing you're enjoying motivates me to write more, and sometimes, you guys give me great ideas!

...

"Mom?" Corrine asked cautiously, taking a step closer to Prue.

Prue smiled sadly at Corrine. "In the flesh... So to speak."

Corrine couldn't believe her eyes. Prue was still ghost-like in appearance; however, she had on a normal, everyday outfit, not her white funeral dress. It was as if she were still alive... only not.

"How..." Corrine asked, her voice breaking. "I thought... I thought I couldn't see you."

"You can't," Prue said with a sigh. "But this is a special circumstance." She glanced over at the ghosts of her three sisters, then down at their bodies.

"Prue..." Piper said, eyes wide. Phoebe gripped Piper's hand. Paige shifted uncomfortably.

"Never thought this would be how we would meet again," Prue said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"But at least we're together," Phoebe pointed out, trying to add some optimism to the conversation.

Prue nodded, though she looked troubled. "I can't stay long. I'm only here to collect you three," she said to her sister's. "And to explain why this can't be fixed."

"I don't understand," Corrine pleaded with Prue. "Why can't we fix this? Reverse it? Why can't we... Why can't we reverse what happened to you, too?"

Prue closed her eyes. Golden lights enveloped her, and she became solid. She moved toward Corrine, grasping her daughter's hand.

"I'm so sorry things ended the way they did... I never wanted to leave you," she said firmly, never breaking eye contact with Corrine. "The demons had other plans."

Corrine held Prue's hand so tightly, she was surprised her mother didn't wince in pain. Corrine tried to argue, when she suddenly felt light-headed. Suddenly, the ground flew up to meet her.

There was white everywhere; so bright, it blinded Corrine at first. She turned in circles, with no idea where she was. No one was around.

"Hello?" She called, and her voice echoed.

"Corrine?"

Corrine turned in circles until she spotted the owner of the voice – Prue. Corrine's eyes widened and she ran to her mom, gripping her in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad to see you! I thought I'd never see you again!" Corrine sobbed. "I love you so much, mom!"

Prue held her, shushing and soothing her. But inside, her stomach was in knots and her heart was pounding in panic.

"I love you, too, Cor," Prue said firmly, wishing she had said it the day she died, before it was too late. She tried to keep her nerves from creeping into the tone of her voice.

Finally, Corrine pulled away. But the smile on her face dimmed when she noticed the look on Prue's face. "What is it?"

"Cor... Do you remember what happened before you got here?" Prue asked, frowning. "Anything at all?"

Corrine shook her head. "Well..." She frowned, her eyes widening. "Rebecca! We were attacked... She's in trouble! I have to go to her!"

"Corrine," Prue said softly, an edge to her voice. She gripped Corrine's arms, bringing her attention back. "You can't help Rebecca. I'm so sorry... But... Think about it. Where am I? Where are you? How did you get here?"

Corrine opened her mouth to argue. Suddenly, what Prue said made sense, and it hit her like a punch to the gut.

"I...I'm dead?" Corrine asked weakly, wondering if the dead could throw up.

Prue blinked back tears. "I'm so sorry... This wasn't supposed to happen. This shouldn't have happened. I'm so, so sorry."

"Can't we... Can't we fix this?" Corrine asked, hope in her eyes. "I mean... If it shouldn't have happened... I'm part of the Power of Four! I'm needed! Melinda and Kat need me!"

Prue looked away from Corrine's accusing eyes. "I swear, if there was something I could do, I'd..." She cut off. When she looked back at Corrine, she was gone. "What the..." Prue murmured, looking around in shock.

Corrine gasped, eyes opening wide. Melinda and Katelyn were right there, helping her stand. She was unsteady, and they gripped her arms until she felt more balanced.

"We thought we had lost you, too!" Melinda said, panicked.

Corrine put a cold, shaky hand to her clammy forehead, taking a breath before turning to Prue. So, that was the conversation she had with her mom; the one the Elders had made her forget.

Prue knew without asking that Corrine had remembered; her daughter's look said it all.

"I told you then, and I'm telling you now," she said to Corrine, glancing at everyone in the attic in turn. "This can't be fixed. What is done cannot be undone."

"Why the hell not?" Piper demanded, crossing her ghostly arms. "We're the damned Charmed Ones. You can't tell me our destiny is fulfilled and fate decided a fruit basket with a card saying 'Thanks for saving the world!' was too much to ask for."

Prue glanced at Piper. "The Charmed Ones are the most powerful magical beings of all time. You're destiny was far from through. There was still much you were meant to do, much you were meant to accomplish. This wasn't supposed to happen." Her tone was firm, her eyes sad.

"Okay..." Paige said, finally over her shock at seeing the Mighty Prue. "So... What changed?"

Prue glanced at Paige. There was so much she wanted to say to her youngest sister. How tragic, to be introduced to her sister's, to be introduced to magic, and then only a handful of months later... It's all gone, taken away.

Prue licked her lips. "What changed is you upset the natural balance of things."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piper asked defensively.

"It means," Prue said firmly, "that the Power of Four are also incredibly powerful magical beings. They are Good, as were the Charmed Ones. And that much good magic, that much power in one generation... It off-set the magical balance between good and evil."

"So?" Phoebe asked, shaking her head. "I don't understand what that has to do with anything... The girls would have become the Power of Four eventually. Why did it happening now shift the balance so much?"

Prue sighed. "Because. The Charmed Ones and the Power of Four are not meant to exist together," she explained. "The girls weren't supposed to get their full powers until the Charmed Ones had fulfilled their destiny. By bringing the Power of Four to fruition, the balance shifted drastically to the side of Good. To even that out, one set of witches had to be eliminated."

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all gaped at Prue.

"So, we couldn't just reverse the Power of Four incantation?" Piper demanded to know. "We had to die?"

"I'm sorry, Piper. But this is the way it has to be." Prue replied with a shrug.

"Why couldn't they just... take our powers away? Or reverse time, or do something besides kill us," Phoebe demanded to know.

"I don't know," Prue replied. "I don't make the rules. All I know, is you wanted the Power of Four, and that wish couldn't be granted without consequences."