Title: Dark Rapture
Chapter 5
By: Bridget McKennitt
Summary: Stolen away in the black of night, a dark ritual has transformed Phoebe
into a true Queen of All Evil. Phoebe feels the changes within her and knows deep
down she's good, but does she really want to go back to her former self after she's
had a taste of being truly powerful?
Disclaimer: Check chapter 1.
Phoebe entered the board room with Mastat right behind her, high heeled boots
clanking with every step she took. "Hello boys." She sat down at the head of the
table and crossed her legs. "What do you have for me today?"
"The chambers in the Underworld have been cleaned up and put to good use.
The children center you wanted is up and running for the younger demons."
"Good. And has the Moonbeam coven been destroyed?"
"Yes, my Queen."
Phoebe smiled. "Alright then. Now onto new business."
A week had past since Phoebe became leader of the Underworld and business
was progressing smoothly. That wasn't bothering Phoebe though. It was the fact that
her sisters had been too quiet after the little stunt she pulled on them. Knowing
Piper, she assumed they would have stormed the Underworld with potions in hand. But
they hadn't. From reports her demons gave her, they didn't even counter the Charmed
Ones at all. It was strange, to say the least.
Phoebe stood up. "This meeting is adjourned."
Mastat leaned in. "Is anything wrong, my Queen?"
"No, yes, I'm not sure. I just realized that my sisters haven't been seen
in quite awhile. I want someone to check up on them at the manor."
"Are you sure that's wise? You did put out an order that the Charmed Ones'
home was off limits, for good reason."
"I know, I know, but I have this feeling that something's wrong. Find a
Chameleon to spy on them and have him report directly to me."
Paige smiled into the crib at baby Wyatt. "Shh, it's okay, Wyatt. Your aunt
is right here."
"Too bad his other aunt isn't here." Paige looked up and saw Leo in the
doorway. "How's my boy?"
"He's fine, but apparently his father is not. Come on, Leo. Spill." Paige
crossed her arms and stared at her brother-in-law.
"You know what's wrong, Paige. Your sister killed an innocent in front of
you. Not any innocent, but her boyfriend, and in a gruesome way. She planned it so
you would know that she's never coming back, ever."
"I know that, Leo!" She opened her mouth, but glanced at Wyatt. Paige grabbed
Leo's arm and led him outside the living room. "But I'm hoping for a miracle that
Phoebe will come back to us because without her, how can we be the Charmed Ones?
We can't. It takes three and Phoebe is our third. So go up to the Elders, don't
stop off to a bar, and find out anything that could be of use to us. Okay?"
While Leo orbed Up There, Paige went up to the attic. She had an idea, but
she would have to call upon two ancestors; Grams and her mother Patty. "Hear these
words, hear my cry. Spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now
the Great Divide."
Two sets of sparkling white lights appeared in a large circle of lit candles
and the ghostly images of Grams and Patty appeared. "Paige, what's wrong?" Grams asked.
"As if you had to ask. Phoebe's gone completely to the other side and she won't
listen to Piper or me. So, I was hoping, that maybe you guys can talk to her?"
Patty smiled weakly. "I don't know if we can get through to her. She has killed
an innocent and usually after that, there is no going back."
"I know, but without her, we're not Charmed. Please, can you just try?"
"Of course we will," Grams said smoothly. "In the meantime, keep Piper sane.
You'll need her before this day is through."
"What do you mean?" Paige asked.
"Well, she is your older sister and as you've pointed out, you are already down
one sister. Don't lose the other."
The two ghosts linked hands and left the attic amid sparkling lights. Paige
only hoped they could do it.
Phoebe stretched out her arms and gazed appreciatively at her new condo. Her
place was equipped with the most technologically advanced stereo, TV, etc., while
furnished with tasteful but very expensive furniture. It paid to be Queen.
She sat in her love chair and waved her arm at her stereo, causing it to play
soothing music. There were still reports to go over and a leader's job was never done.
Which reminded Phoebe about her other job she had before becoming Queen. She really did
love being an advice columnist. Too bad she had to give it up. Making a mental note to
write a resignation letter to Elise, Phoebe went back to reading her reports.
Suddenly a twinkling in the air made her look up. There, just a few feet away
in front of her, was her mother and grandmother. Phoebe's heart twisted in pain and joy.
They had never visited her before just for her own sake. Yet the words that left her
lips were cool and controlled.
"Greetings. What do I owe the pleasure of having the two of you here? You've
never done so before. It was always for Prue, or Piper, or even Paige." Her tone was
controlled, but became bitter and angry in the end. Phoebe stood up and clenched her
hands into fists.
"Honey, please don't be upset. It wasn't like we intentionally stayed away
from you."
"Right. And I'm supposed to believe you on that, Grams? Before I became a
witch, I thought I would never see you again, or even meet the mother I never knew.
And now that I know it's possible, what happens? You neglect me in death like you
did in life!" Phoebe raised her arms towards the ghosts. "Leave me."
Instead Patty drifted closer. "We can't, Phoebe. Look around you. You weren't
meant to live this life. Your destiny is to be a Charmed One with your sisters, not
being a leader of the Underworld. Reconsider, for your own sake, for your sisters'
sakes as well as your nephew. They miss you, you know."
Phoebe rolled her eyes at her mother's words. "They only missed throwing the
vanquishing potion at me. Now I tire of you both. If you don't have anything fruitful
to say, then I'll just have to make you go. Ghostly figures in my sight, Grams and
mother long since dead. Land of Elders they will go, send them off in haste of flight."
Sparkles of dark lights surrounded the two as they disappeared out of the
condo. Phoebe smirked and yawned. "What a shame they had to leave so soon. It was,
after all, their first visit to me."
"Piper?" Paige softly knocked on her sister's door before entering her
bedroom. "How are you holding up?"
Piper looked up with blank eyes. Paige sighed and moved closer to hug her
sister. "Not holding up, I see."
"I was wrong you know," Piper said softly. "It's not the other demons we
needed to destroy. It was Phoebe."
"Now Piper--"
"Don't Piper me, Paige. It has to be done. Phoebe must die."
Paige stared flabbergasted at Piper. "Are you listening to yourself? We can't
kill Phoebe!"
"We can and we will. Check in the Book of Shadows for spells or anything that
will help us break into the Underworld, past all her demons, and into her lair. The
quicker we do the hit, the better."
"I don't think I can do that, Piper. No matter what, she is still our sister,
and she was the first one who welcomed me into this family. Heck, she saved my life
from Shax." Paige stroked her sister's hair. "There's still a potion in the book that
will turn her good. I can make it in a jiffy and orb us both down there. We can make
her come back to us. Please? It's worth a shot."
Piper shot Paige an 'are you stupid?' look. "Didn't you tell me that you
already tried that and she nearly killed you for your effort? No, we have to neutralize
the problem now. Do you want your nephew to grow up always looking over his shoulder
for his aunt's dagger to stab him?"
"Not fair using Wyatt in this." Paige sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll help. But I'm
also going to make that potion just in case."
As Paige left the room, Piper opened the album in her lap and stared at the
old photos within. She had grown up with Phoebe, knew her ever since her baby sister
was born. While Phoebe was a handful and fought often with Prue, she was always there
for Piper. To make her laugh, to cheer her up, to draw her out of her shell. It was
Phoebe. When Prue died and for a moment, it was just the two of them, it was Phoebe's
strength that she drew on. Now her sister committed the ultimate betrayal of everything
they stood for.
It did not occur to Piper that it was because of her that Phoebe was pushed
over the edge and into darkness.
"Alright, we have spells for fog cover, 'Look The Other Way,' and potions
galore." Paige looked up from the work table. "You know, it's kinda ironic that most
of the spells we're going to use came from Phoebe herself."
Piper stopped her pacing to look at her sister. "Are we done?" she said,
ignoring Paige's comment.
"Just about. All I have to do is a spell to take us to her location."
"Then say the spell." Piper picked up the potions and handed some to Paige.
"The quicker we get this over with, the better, right?" She picked up a dagger and
dipped it in a bowl of poison.
"Magic forces black and white. Reaching out through space and light. Be she
far or be she near. Take us to her whom we fear," Paige chanted as an eerie glow
covered her and Piper, before disappearing with them both.
The transportation spell took them, not to a cavern in the Underworld as they
thought, but to a condo in the city. While Paige was a little off balance from the
surprise location, Piper plunged ahead and threw a potion at the wall Phoebe's chair
was facing.
Phoebe jumped up and turned around, a snarl on her face at the intrusion.
"What the hell are you two doing here?"
"Sending you to it," Piper said and flexed her hands.
Phoebe laughed. "I knew you were a fool, Piper, but I didn't realize you
were that stupid. Of course your powers don't work on me. I'm still related to
you! However, my powers work just fine on you." She waved her arm and flung Piper
against the white wall. Phoebe moved in closer. "Were you trying to kill me, big
sister? Aww, how sad that you failed. First you failed in saving Prue's life, and
now this?" She chuckled. "You do realize that, don't you? That you could have saved
Prue's life? Before Prue even ran to take the energy ball, you could have froze it.
But no, you didn't. You let Prue die. You're just as big a murderer as I, except I've
never killed my sister. You've already killed one and started on the next."
While Phoebe was taunting Piper, no one noticed Paige as she orbed in behind
Phoebe and put her in a lock hold. Phoebe started to choke and struggled to get free.
Piper reacted quickly by pulling out her poisoned dagger and stabbing it into Phoebe's
stomach.
"Take that, bitch!" she cried out as she twisted the dagger in gleefully and
yanked out.
Paige released her hold and watched in horror as Phoebe dropped to the floor,
trying to stauch the flow of blood from her wound. But Piper wasn't done. She grabbed
Phoebe by the hair and used the dagger to slit her throat. She then released her to
fall into her own puddle of blood.
"Oh my goodness!" Paige stared at Piper with her bloody hands and insane look
in her eyes.
"We're going to leave her here like this. She doesn't have a whitelighter to
call on anymore and it'll be more painful for her to die this way." Piper glanced at
Paige. "Come on already. Orb us out of here."
Paige walked around the dying Phoebe and took hold of her sister, orbing them
both away.
Meanwhile Phoebe was lying in her own blood as she tried in vain to press
her hands against the wounds Piper had made. She began to cough up blood and her
sight started to blur. Was this how she was going to die? No, not if she could help
it. Phoebe tried to move but realized that she was immobile. The poison was already
kicking in. If she didn't die by blood lose, then surely the poison.
Suddenly sparkles of light appeared before her and the shape of her mother
appeared. Her face was full of sorrow and as she knelt down next to Phoebe, her form
became real. "My poor baby. What have they done to you?"
Phoebe tried to move her mouth to talk, but her lips betrayed her. Yet somehow
she was able to communicate with her mother. Perhaps it was because Patty was already
dead and Phoebe was close to it. "They killed me."
Patty shook her head. "No, they tried to, but you're still alive."
"Barely."
"Yes, yes, I feel that you are close. Listen to me, honey. I'm so sorry that
you felt that your grandmother and I abandoned you all these years. We never realized
how you felt. However, I am making it up to you with this last gift." Patty smiled,
and Phoebe noticed how much her own smile resembled her mother's. As if reading her
mind, Patty agreed. "You look so much like me, Phoebe, it's amazing. Not only that,
but you also inherited my warmth. The other side may have tried to stamp out that
warmth, and this side may have tried to smother it, but it will always be there. Now
pay attention, we don't have much time left. Once I heal you, my own spirit and magic
will be greatly weakened. So much so that I will cease to exist in this world, and
barely in the spirit world. But it doesn't matter, because I love you."
"No, don't. And you can't heal, you're not a--"
"Whitelighter? I know, but there are other methods of healing. Now hush for
a moment. A mother has to do what a mother has to do. Flesh of my flesh, and blood
of my blood." Patty placed her hands over her daughter's wounds and they began to
glow a golden color. "Magic spirit I possess, give her more and leave me less." Phoebe
could feel her wounds slowly closing and an infusion of energy. When Phoebe was fully
healed, Patty jerked her hands away as she slowly began to become transparent.
Phoebe's eyes began to water as her mother started to fade away. "Thank you.
I love you, mom."
Patty whispered, "I love you, too," and was gone. Perhaps forever.
Phoebe stood slowly and felt her stomach and neck. Nothing was left to show
that she was even injured, except for the blood on her clothes and on the floor. She
walked to her full length mirror and smiled to herself. Her 'beloved' sisters thought
she was dead. Well, were they in for a big surprise. Especially Piper. Phoebe didn't
have the heart to hurt Paige, someone needed to take care of her nephew after all, but
Piper was fair game.
"Silly, silly, stupid Piper. Now it's your turn to know the meaning of pain."
Piper was in the attic cleaning away the mess when a noise behind her made her
jump. She turned around and gasped in shock when she saw a very much alive Phoebe with
a smirk on her face. "Yo--you're supposed to be dead!"
"I know. What a shame mom came to me and sacrificed herself so I could live.
And it's all because of you." Phoebe raised her hand and squeezed it into a fist,
watching in satisfaction as Piper dropped to knees, choking. "Don't even think about
calling for help. I had a trusted associate of mine pick up my nephew and so Paige
and Leo are now chasing him around San Francisco. Don't worry though. I would never
let anything happen to Wyatt. I love him too much. You, on the other hand, I don't."
Piper tried flexing her hands to freeze or blow up Phoebe, but nothing happened.
Phoebe released her hold on her neck. "Aw, you still think you can use your powers on
me. How stupid of you." Phoebe waved her arm, sending Piper flying into the wall behind
her. She laughed at Piper's pain. There was more where that came from.
"Well, well. I see you're not the most powerful mommy witch anymore, are you?
Without my nephew in your belly, you're not invincible. You can't even harm me with
your powers. Know what that means?" She caused a ring of flames to surround Piper.
"It's time for a little fun."
"Bitch!" Piper hoarsely cried out.
Phoebe allowed a fake sympathetic expression to linger on her face. "It's a
good thing I'm going to kill you, Piper. I wouldn't want Wyatt to grow up with a potty
mouth like you. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I believe I owe you something." Phoebe held
out her open palm and a knife flew to it. "A stab to the stomach, and a slit throat."
"Don't you dare!"
Phoebe snickered as she glanced at Piper. "You are in no position to order me
around." She threw the knife at lightning speed, going through the fire, and deep into
Piper's stomach. "Scream if you want. No one can hear you anyway." Using her telekinesis,
she twisted the knife in even further.
Piper bit her lip to stop herself from screaming, but a few sobs escaped. Phoebe
called the knife back at her and stared at its bloody blade. "Nearly forgot. You used a
poisoned dagger on me. Well, I have a special kind of poison to use on you." Phoebe took
out a vial from her pocket and uncorked it, dipping the blade into the vial. "Hurts
like fire, but that's not what makes it so special. If Leo tries to heal you, well, pray
that he doesn't because I've laced this with the poison from a darklighter's arrow. Not
potent enough to kill him, but it'll cause him a great deal of pain."
"You'll pay for this, Phoebe, make no mistake about that. I'll hunt you down
and finish you off this time." Piper flinched from the flames as she got a little too
close.
"Empty promises. Now shut up so I can fully enjoy this." She sent the knife
flying again into the hole she already in Piper's stomach before pulling it out and
letting it nick Piper. "Oh, I just had a splendid burst of inspiration." Phoebe waved
her hand and the knife embedded itself in the wall. "I won't kill you in such an
outright manner. I think you need suffer a great deal more, and what better way then
through the use of my own Charmed power of premonitions?"
Phoebe dismissed the fire and used her telekinesis to draw Piper towards her.
She placed her hands on either side of Piper's head. She began to glow a violet color
as a burst of energy shot out down her arms, through her hands, and directly into Piper's
mind. Piper gasped and started convulsing as she began to receive the full force of
visions, horrible images of pain, suffering, death, torture, and she could not look
away. Everywhere in her mind the images followed, and when they did, so did the pain
that the victims felt.
Phoebe dropped Piper onto the floor and kicked her hard with her boot. Piper
did not notice though because her mind had slipped into a premonition induced coma,
an overload of pained images that. Just. Would. Not. Stop.
Mastat shimmered in and took one look at Piper shaking on the floor, blind
to the world, before glancing at Phoebe. "I left the baby in his crib. Are you done
here?"
"Yes, Mastat. Her mind and body wasn't meant to handle the awesome power of
premonitions, and she'll soon die for it. Not even Leo can save her now." Phoebe
laughed bitterly. "And to think they once called my power weak."
Mastat glanced at the Book of Shadows on its stand. "What about that? Should
we really leave it here for the good witches to use?"
"Hmm." Phoebe went over to the book and stroked its cover. "Look at that,
evil touched the Book of Shadows. Or maybe it still recognizes me as family and that
precedes anything else. No, we'll leave it here. I can't let Wyatt grow up ignorant,
after all." She picked up the book. "Follow me."
The two shimmered and shadow rippled into the Piper's bedroom where Paige and
Leo were holding Wyatt. Paige gasped. "You're alive!"
"And I can touch the book. Here, take it. You'll need it to teach Wyatt the
ways of the craft, especially since his mother won't be there for him." Phoebe floated
the book into Paige's hands.
"What have you done to Piper?" Leo demanded.
"Killed her. Well, nearly anyway. She'll be dead soon enough and that's what
counts." Phoebe smiled wickedly and glanced behind at Mastat. "Come on, let's leave.
This place bores me." As Phoebe shadow rippled back to the Underworld, she gave a
flying kiss towards her sister, brother-in-law, and nephew.
