Eternal Flame
part 21
"Your time has passed, Halliwell. You and your sisters...are mine."
Phoebe could feel the bones in her neck crumbling under the weight of Celia's revived strength, her composure rapidly beginning to falter, as she felt the impact with great force, her hands clasping themselves tightly to the other woman's arm, her eyes wincing, as all of her surroundings began to fade away like pieces in a puzzle, everything around her seeping into a giant black hole. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, she was completely lifeless against the victory her enemy was about to stake her claim on, her body growing limp, just as the grip loosened itself, sending Celia spiraling backwards, her invincible form sailing halfway across the room. Phoebe fell to her knees, as she grasped her neck with careful ease, willing herself to try and swallow, her throat rather swollen, as she struggled to maintain a pulse, choking as she tried to steady herself.
A hand held itself out to her, making no means with which to dispute, its power overwhelming, as she looked up into his eyes. Those eyes. What was it about them, that she strangely took comfort in all of a sudden- that she suddenly almost wanted to lose herself in... The hand continued to await a patient response, as its owner felt her finally take it for all it was worth, pulling her into an upright position once again, bringing her back to consciousness. His eyes, his touch....the way his skin brushed against hers. She knew it. He hadn't wanted to fight- he hadn't wanted to fight her. Celia, on the other hand, had angrily been tossed aside and fought to regain her balance, her red dress entirely clothed in specks of dust, as her dirt-stained hands turned to frantically wipe it off, her white hair in a mass of tangles.
"Twice now," Phoebe managed, her gaze still focused upon her savior.
"I'm sorry?"
"Why are you- I don't understand. You had me right there. You could have done it and I would have never seen it coming."
"Did you really think I was just going to leave you there like that?"
"It would sure have been an easy death," she volunteered, her eyes trained on his every move.
"Not for me," he recited rather softly. "In fact, it would have been awfully far from it."
"What are you talking about?"
"She already wants to kill us all. I can't afford to put myself-"
"You haven't put yourself anywhere, but in my way. How does that compensate for saving my life?" she demanded.
"Because your life means more to me than hers does. And if you don't believe me, I can prove it."
"So if you're still going to kill me, just do it," she whispered. "I've probably got nothing left to lose, anyway. Take my blood."
"I can't," he whispered back, just as softly, as he looked at her for a moment longer, his blue eyes drifting to Celia.
His white t-shirt was torn in several spots, where his own blood had begun to seep through the cuts, his bruised body aching just as much as hers. Red. He was bleeding red...didn't he- she fought to recall it...that day in the mausoleum. Mortals bled red. She was sure of it. Upper level demons were green, and mortals were red. Wosret would have been immortal...he'd most likely sold his soul to evil, just as Celia had, yet how was it that he'd successfully spared her life yet another time, without so much as a thought.
"You care about this witch?!" Celia spat, her eyes widening, as she threw out a hand, sending him tumbling into the remains of the circle she'd composed for herself, the flames beginning to rise up around him, responding to his presence full force, encompassing him in the heat. "Well then. If I can't have their blood, I see no harm in taking yours."
But he diverted her attempts, washing away the flames just as easily as they'd come, pushing her back, as he moved his hand slowly over the remaining minions, watching as all of them disappeared from sight, their bodies going up in a vast pile of smoke- the very same flame that threatened his life only minutes before. Paige crumpled to the floor in a defeated position, as her elbow came down hard on the pavement, her shock breaking through, as she slowly allowed herself to look up at him, her expression wearing thin, as the realization began to sink in completely. She squinted her gaze, her fingernails gathering unnnecessary handfuls of dirt, as she struggled to get herself back on her feet.
"Is your wish for death really so strong that you'd resist taking them?"
"I don't wish to die," he said quietly. "But I know this can only end one way."
"Good man," she sneered. "And so be it."
"But if I'm-"
"Your obligation to them is undeniable. You wish them to survive this, in place of your own demise. Why?"
He nodded. "Well, if it's any consolation, I honestly liked you better as a brunette."
"Unfortunately for them, I can't afford to relinquish my hate. They want an army, and they will have one."
"Don't," he advised.
"Don't?" Celia repeated, her eyebrows raised in extreme curiosity. "I spent years...so many years, Wosret. Contrary to popular belief, I am not about to see my work go unrequited."
"Let them go."
"I will breach that portal, and I will have my chaos...something has to be spilled, and so help me it's going to be you." She paused a moment. "You could have ruled for an eternity, yet you shrug it off like you are capable of so much more. What is so important for you to give up your destiny?"
"I don't believe in it," he countered, shaking his head. "Not anymore."
"Destiny will lead you to your faith. The same faith I kept when I still thought you actually cared. I can see now I shall take control alone, while you perish in the fall."
"And perish I shall," he added indifferently.
"You feel nothing?" she pleaded.
"Dammit, we have to do something," Paige hissed. "They're going to face-off. We have to-"
"Oh. Yeah. Save evil for a good cause," Prue mouthed, as she kept her eyes trained on the two of them, her expression never leaving their sight. "Not a chance."
"Look, Phoebe is going to die too," she pressed. "We can't just leave her there. She's caught right between them."
"You can't. It's just like he said. There is no saving him," Chloe mumbled. "You heard Nick. You have to destroy him. There's nothing else to it. If they have their day, it's going to be hell on earth...literally. You have to vanquish him."
"No," Paige whispered.
"Why are you being so-"
"Because that's not Wosret," she mumbled. "It's Cole."
"Cole?" Prue questioned. "Have you lost your mind completely? Before you said you had your suspicions, but I never expected-"
"Prue, he could have snapped her neck on the spot. He could helped Celia rip our sister to pieces. But he didn't. He's not going to."
"Okay, so he's still in there somewhere. The question is, where?"
"Not somewhere. He never left."
"It's impossible," Chloe agreed. "In order for him to surpass the spell, he'd have to possess a strength greater than he knew how. He wasn't ready for it. She's much stronger than the Source could have ever hoped to be."
"And how would you know about the Source?" Paige snapped. "You could never hope to have the slightest idea of what he went through."
"Oh, but I do. And if that void was big enough to be filled with the Source's shoes, there's no reason why Wosret couldn't easily slip by him without cause to notice. He would have taken Cole without any trouble at all. That's why we offered him a way around it. Well...they did. But he wouldn't take it. He was too damn stubborn."
"We?"
"The Triad. Look. I already told you, you don't-"
"You made a deal with them?"
"You're missing the point."
"And why should we listen to a damn thing you say?" Paige quipped. "You've only been making our lives a living hell since we-"
"I'm telling you the truth," she argued. "The least you could do is believe it!"
"If you were really on our side, you just wouldn't let him die. You'd join us," Prue told her.
"You need the Power of Three. It's why you came back- they knew you were needed here to destroy her. You have to take them both."
"No, there's another way, and we're going to find it," Paige said defiantely.
"Then you're going to need my help," she agreed. "Look, I have something that just...well, to say it would work would be a stretch, but right now it's all we've got."
"Mmm...you....might want to hold that thought," Prue then suggested, as the entire cave suddenly erupted in piles of fairly large demons, their distorted bodies weaving too and fro, the crowds literally beginning to swarm around them, filling up the space in a matter of seconds, as they began to head straight for their intended targets, a few carrying extremely large swords, as they plunged deep into the deadly masses. Their backs were covered in scales, and their mouths hung open in pure hunger, as they strived to make their kills, some attacking others, while the ones who had complete freedom, made rapid dives toward The Charmed Ones, their weapons alert and ready to draw blood.
"Okay, I'm not thinking calling her a crazy bitch was now a big understatement," Paige quipped, her eyes growing wide with horror.
"They're already closing in," Chloe whispered.
"And if we ever see the manor again, I am going to pry that damn book free from that attic and carry it with me at all times," she vowed.
"Book?"
"Of Shadows? It's what we use to defend ourselves on quite a few occasions," Prue spoke up.
"But you also do spells from memory, right? I mean, you can write your own?"
"Hate to tell you this, but I don't exactly know of one that would kill that many demons."
"Then maybe we'll die here, afterall," Chloe volunteered. "It's not like I haven't thought about it-"
"No. We're not. Sword!" Paige shouted.
"But your powers don't-"
"Yeah, well, they do now. Looks like whatever he did just might have worked before," she concluded, holding up the object in her hand, as she twirled it within her grasp with perfect ease. "Take what you can, leave the rest to me. And if I'm right, you'll sure owe me one big apology."
"You're on," Prue stated calmly, eyeing them up with careful precision, concentrating on the impending doom, as she flung a hand to her side, sending an entire row of the demonic beings across the far end of the cave, her eyes brimming with an intense bout of anger.
"Whether you like it or not, chaos has already started to reign across my future kingdom," Celia vowed. "Either way, I will have my crown. So make your choice, Wosret. Her or me."
"And I thought...I already did," he mused carefully.
"You dare to choose your own worst enemy over the woman that risked her heart and soul for you?"
"No," he shook his head.
"Oh." She breathed a tremendous sigh of pure relief, as she placed a calm hand to her heart, her lips curling themselves into a tight smile. "Well, that's good. I'm glad you're finally coming to your senses. We'll take her, and then we'll drain her sisters...just as we'd planned. Then-"
"No," he repeated calmly, his handsome complexion studying her with a great sense of depth, as he neared her face with caution, his blue eyes seeping into hers.
"And you've never been afraid to take a life, as quickly as you once tried to betray mine."
"Maybe you didn't hear me. I'm through taking orders. This little game of yours has to end. And it's going to end now."
"Game? This is my salvation!" she screamed. "This is my entire existence, and yet you continue to toy with me!"
"This world no longer belongs to the Old Ones. That died when the Source died. It would be suicide to try and claim it now. Evil no longer has a foothold in this one."
"And you," she pointed out. "Are the world's biggest fool."
"But it's better than being the world's biggest failure...isn't it, Celia?"
She angrily charged him, as she tossed him to the right, watching as he fell hard to the ground, her hand immediately seizing Phoebe's as roughly as she could, bringing the witch directly in front of her. A knife appeared in the palm of her hand, as she drew it to the young witch's neck, the blade starting to slice deeply into her skin, cutting right into the surface. The Charmed One screamed, tightly shutting her eyes, her blood racing through her chest, as she fought to hold her breath, preparing herself for the final impact. Droplets of blood began to trickle downward, Celia's free hand absorbing it, as it melted into her flesh, sizzling as it planted itself deep into her system with a profound reluctance.
"Do you have any last words?" she whispered into her ear. "Your sisters are fighting for their lives, your husband is dead and buried, and all you've got-"
"Mommy?" a voice broke through the noise, the little girl's frightful cries traveling through the battlefield below, as she stood at the top of the cave, surveying the damage with tears in her eyes, her small hands clinging tightly to the stone wall beside her, as she fought to remain in her place, her expression distraught with pure grief.
"Is love," Phoebe choked out.
"What?"
"I'll never be like you, because I have love," she whispered. "You never had it- not even when you fell for Wosret. Because in order to have love, you have to return it. He didn't even know you were alive."
"But love never stopped me from killing," she hissed. "It's the passion that remained forever at my debt, and I shall fulfill it. Take them now!!!" she shouted. The flames began to rebuild themselves, forming a protective shield around her, drawing Phoebe into its power, cutting her off from everything around him, drawing her into the darkness. The fire rose itself a bit higher, shrouding them from the battle that raged on outside the fire. Paige hit the wall, as a demon yanked her hands behind her back, taking her to him, as he placed his weapon high above himself into the air- just as Prue tackled him to the ground with another wave of her hand, his body literally splitting in two, as his cries rose above the chaos.
"Are you okay?!" she yelled.
"Just fine!" Paige threw out, as she gathered the fallen sword into her hand. "Thanks!"
"Anytime!" her older half sister tossed back. "Chloe!"
"Do you know why Cole found himself falling for you?" Celia continued, her gaze subsiding from the two witches, as it fell intently back upon Phoebe once again, her lips pursed casually, her eyebrows raised in pure amusement. "Do you really want to know?"
Phoebe remained silent, gritting her teeth, as she felt the sharpness pinpoint itself on her skin. She winced, her eyes brimming with soft tears.
"Mommy!" Alex screamed again from up above.
"Because you were his ticket into acceptance, his only way to ever contain hope of redeeming himself. You were merely an outlet for him to crush that anger he still worked at from within to destroy you...piece...by piece."
"You're lying," she countered, her voice breaking.
"I chose him because he still had just the evil I needed to make Wosret rise again and take his stead. If I would have known how rusty Wosret's skills were-"
"Not rusty," a deep tone poured through the noise, its level just as flawless as before. He gently brushed off his jeans, as he lightly crossed his arms over his chest, his striking features relaying a gorgeous smile. "Smart."
"Silence," she hissed.
"I'm living proof you never had Wosret pegged from the start," he stated, shrugging. "My wife is the only one that has ever risked her heart and soul for me. And she's standing right in front of you."
"Wha...what....what is this, some kind of sick joke?!" she spat. "I am the only one-"
"It was you," Phoebe mumbled to herself. "All along....it was you."
"True love is about to be broken," Celia rasped. "You said it yourself. And now? You're going to stand there, and you're going to watch her become something you could never learn to love. Say goodbye to your precious."
"From where she walks, and where she stands, take her beneath, the dirt and sand. Pull her below, where she will never find, the true love, she thought she left behind," the small voice chanted, as Alexandra Turner rose her petite fingers to the sky, the red balls of fire immediately emerging in them, her body shaking slightly from the effort, as she tossed them with all her might into the circle.
"Alex, no!" Phoebe screamed, as she was thrown near the flames, the sparkling balls hitting Celia right on, setting her ablaze, as she fought to cool herself of the untolerable heat, her white hair completly covered in shades of red, as it worked to consume every inch of her, her shouts muffled by the intense pain that echoed off the walls around her, the traces of humanity escaping her striking tension, as her body began to explode.
A figure pulled itself into the flames with rapid precision, taking Phoebe into his arms, as he pulled back, carefully laying her onto the cool dirt below, as he watched the demons being pulled to Celia's rescue, their lifeless bodies being drawn to her against their wills. Cole breathed a large sigh of relief, as he bent over her, his eyes filling themselves with tears, as he felt them seep into the cuts upon his face, the raw bruise near his right eye catching the pain as it filled him entirely, his attention slowly drifting to the very top, as Nick Merrick carefully swung an arm around Alex's shoulders, as he knelt down beside her, talking to her in words he couldn't make out, as she looked fearfully out into the destruction a few steps below her once more. Hesitantly, he drew a few strands of hair from Phoebe's face, as he gingerly ran a hand down the side of it, stroking it with the slightest touch.
Paige dropped the sword she had been holding, her eyes darting to Prue, who rubbed a dirt-stained hand against her cheek, as she limped over to her, both of their gazes falling on the fallen couple at the exact same moment. Beside them, Chloe lay unmoving, her eyes closed, her hands calmly outstretched. Her chest was no longer rising and falling as it had before, and her lips were slightly parted. She looked so peaceful, her hair spread out before her, her face pale and beautiful.
"She saved us," Cole told them, his composure faltering. "She...saved all of us."
Paige let her eyes run over the shattered body, a hand bringing itself to her mouth.
"And they knew it. It's why they sent her to us. It was her plan all along," he continued, his voice etched with pure emotion. "She had it all figured out before we did."
"The other way," Prue realized sadly, as she bent to examine the young woman, taking her cold hand into hers. "She was the one we were meant to leave behind. They spared me for her."
"But she was tied to us," Paige guiltily realized. "And out of our distrust, we couldn't even give her that much."
"She knows," Nick Merrick beckoned from above, as he slowly held up a small crystal sphere within his grasp, a faded smile touching his features, as he examined it rather briefly. "She gave everything she had to that little girl. Believe me....she knows."
"She went in because she had to," Prue advised. "Isn't that what you-"
"Breaking the barrier that held her to her upbringing," Cole said softly. "It's not-"
"And you didn't have me for a minute," Paige told him. "I knew it was you the whole time. I know this might sound strange coming from me, but you really do suck at being evil."
"I did what I had to, or else you would have all been dead-"
"Dead?" Phoebe spoke up.
"If I would have let her think it was still me for even a second-"
"An innocent woman is dead because of you...Cole...she's dead and nothing we do can bring her back," she concluded, as she brought herself to her feet, angrily watching as he did the same.
"And she died risking her life for us. Because she knew it was the-"
"No...." She shook her head, her mouth set in a tight line. "No, that's not the way it works. You knew that. You knew that, and you still took it upon yourself to mess with me. We were in this together, and you-"
"Phoebe..."
"Cole, I don't- I mean, I can't even...what you did...." Her eyes had already begun to let the tears fall freely again, as she sniffled slightly, shutting her lids, as she took a deep breath. "It was wrong."
"Wrong?" he whispered, wincing, as he moved a step forward, a hand going out to reach her, as he watched her immediately shrink back, her feet forcing themselves to take a leap in the opposite direction. But their faces were nearly touching, his lips once more so very close to her. He lightly grasped them this time with his own, giving her everything he had, as he finally felt her touch penetrate against his. She didn't break it at first, letting him linger upon her lips as she had many times before, his kisses warm and gentle. But then it was over just as it had begun, as she cautiously took two more steps away from him.
"You took me and you used me," she whispered.
"Dammit, somewhere in your heart you know that isn't true," he whispered back. "You're only saying this because you're grieving. It's hard, I know. Believe me, better than anybody I know what that's- you can't keep living like this. I heard you, and I know you feel...inside of you...that what I did was for you. It's always been for you...I never doubted for a moment that you would fail me at being the strong woman you are. And I was right, wasn't I?"
"Strong? You were throwing punches at me like there was no tomorrow. What was I supposed to do, realize it was you, and say, honey all's fair in love and war?"
"But you fought back," he argued. "You knew what you wanted, Phoebe, and you went for it. That's the woman I've been waiting to see again, and I saw her tonight. Inside of you...all along."
"Just like you knew you would, hmm?"
"I'm not going to lie."
"It was her soul," Paige interjected. "Not Cole's, but Chloe's. Nick was sent to-"
"At first I really did think I was meant to come here and witness his demise," Nick admitted. "But I guess they had me in mind for a higher power. That was when it occurred to me that she was the only one who never fit."
Catrina and Melinda carefully emerged from the shadows, as they came up behind Alex, their faces expressionless, as they too began to wonder what was to become of the situation a few feet down from them, extremely moved by all that had already transpired around them.
"Do you think she's mad at him?" Catrina whispered.
"We're supposed to save people," Melinda murmured.
"But he had good intentions."
"Yeah, but Miss Franklin is gone now," Melinda told her. "Nothing he or any of us says can bring her back to us."
"She was a hero," Catrina whispered.
"Daddy?" Alex spoke up, her eyes hesitantly trained on him now, as she made her way down, carefully stepping over the debris, as she looked at him long and hard, her lips forming a small pout of uncertainty.
"It's okay, Ally. It's safe."
"But...but I saw you," she said quietly. "You fought on Celia's side. You didn't fight on Mommy's. Daddy, what does that mean? Don't you want to fight with us anymore?"
"That's what I'm trying to explain to your mom, sweetie. I only did it to make sure you and her were safe. You have to-"
"Why?"
He brought himself down to her level, his strong hands resting upon her at arm's length, as he gazed at her face, breaking inside, as he felt the sudden coldness that eminated off her, his warm smile fading as fast as it had come. "Sometimes in order to win, you have to expect that you might have to lose in one way or another. It's not because you start to plan on it, or even because you're deliberately trying to hurt anybody. It's to protect the people you love."
"You didn't love Chloe?"
"Not the way she wanted me to," he whispered. "But I did care for her very much, and...wherever she is right now, she knows she died a hero."
"Like you were?" she asked him, her brows knitted together in confusion.
"Ally, it's not...look, in this world there are all kind of heroes. Heroes who...do many different things to show the world who they are, and what they mean to do. Chloe is an even bigger hero because she gave her magic to you."
"So what kind of hero are you?"
"Sweetie-"
"Are there bad heroes, Daddy?"
To their left, a large portal slowly began to open, as a bright light invaded the shadows of their prison, melting the darkness just as quickly as it had penetrated the walls only moments earlier. It beckoned to them as it grew larger in size, hovering in mid air, as it awaited their destination.
"Our ride," Prue mouthed, as she glanced at them, modding. "We'd better go."
"Exactly as you left it," Nick promised, as he lifted the two other girls into his arms, placing them down directly in front of it.
"Alex? Alex, come here," Phoebe instructed. "Stay by me, okay?"
"Phoebe."
"No," she whispered. "I've heard enough."
"Please," he whispered. "We have to talk. You and I....we have to- we're not done here. As a matter of fact-"
"There's nothing to say," she replied simply, as she stepped headfirst into the swirling mass, a lingering Alex gazing at him from behind her, her tired face unreadable, as she continued to look after him, longingly.
"To hell there isn't," he stammered. "You're pushing me away again, just like you did the last time it concerned-"
"No, Cole, you pushed me away."
"Dammit," he breathed.
"C'mon," Paige advised. "I don't want to see you get left behind."
"Ow."
"Oh, don't be such a baby, alright? I've got you."
"Paige, do me a big favor and please do not ever think about touching me again. I'm...perfectly capable of doing this...by myself."
"Limping? I think not. Now, c'mon, Mr. Stubborn. You're hurt worse than Prue, and I'm not asking, I'm telling."
He carefully slid his arm across her shoulder, as she began to support him as best she could, as she watched Nick and Prue tread in ahead, placing a firm hand about Cole's waist, as she let the light greet them on the other side. Behind them, Chloe's remains slowly began to vanish in a series of small sparks, a transparent hand reaching for them rather carefully, pulling her lightly from the earth.