Summary; AU post S.3. A strange demon teen comes into her powers, killing Shax and saving Prue along the way. Unknown to the elders, the Source's army will reorganize around the young demon whose identity might just bring Prue and Cole a little bit closer. Prue centered.
Disclaimer; I don't own Charmed, and never ever ever will!
Prologue
Demon Blood
Rage. Fury. Anger. Loss. Failure.
I, shaking, watch her slim figure lying on my bedroom floor, burned to the bone. Her long black her is nothing but a mess that roots, stinks… Her flesh is carbonized. Her screams are still pounding my head. Rage runs down my spine, as I, madly, stare at the bastard who has brutalized the one person I adore.
He smirks awfully, cooly. I think I should be scared. I'm not. He walks towards me. I, beyond shocked, don't step back. He grabs my head with his right hand and squeezes it harshly. It hurts.
I close my eyes and scream furiously, in tears. Never in my life I'd been so afraid. I feel it. Death's cold hand wrapping itself around me, taking me down to hell, where I should be.
He laughs.
Bastard.
Suddenly, after what seems like an eternity, I stop screaming and realize that I'm still alive, and that the more I scream, the more enraged I become. Something, loss, tears my heart slowly, layer by layer, until it gets to the core of my soul. Until I lose touch with reality.
I scream louder as I feel my own blood down my head. Something inside wakes up, everything hurts now, but specially, specially and for some unknown reason,my knuckles kill me, my back seems ten times heavier, my head is about to explode.
And then, as sudden as he'd broken into what was left of my home, and attacked my friend, within a couple of seconds, he lets go of me and I get thrown to the ground, next to her. Next to Paige.
I've been awake for long, but I haven't opened my eyes just yet. My heart beats but I know it's only because it's supposed to. I, as I recover conscience, take hold of Paige's burned hand and quickly let go of it. I turn around the fastest I can and attempt to throw up but I haven't eaten in ages so my stomach just burns and twitches and I get to the keep the sickening feeling.
I force myself up, and gradually raise my head. The room is destroyed. Clothes and pieces of furniture are everywhere, ashes contaminate the thick air, impossible to breathe anyway. I try to force my mind into thinking, but there is nothing, nothing but a feeling that that beast awakened. Thirst. Blood thirst. His blood.
I managed my way where my closet used to be and throw the one sweatshirt that I find. A high school blue and gray "blue devils" sweatshirt. I throw it on, and without looking back I storm out of the room into my missing parents'. Suddenly, my dad's words are clear in my mind.
"Ash, Ash, if something weird ever happens, something terrible, you must go to my room and inside my closet you'll find a weapon. Use it against anyone who tries to hurt you."
"Don't be an ass, dad. Don't get all Tony Soprano like…"
"Ash, just remember, and…?"
"Yah?"
"Don't trust anyone."
I won't, dad. I open closet's door fiercely and almost rip it out of it's place. My mind is still collapsed but my senses, oh dear, they are shot. Suddenly I hear everything, I feel everything… The rain outside, collapsing hopelessly up against the window, the wind breaking the air, the rain hammering its rails, I feel, I feel the urge to go out and run, run as fast as I've ever ran. My muscles have become tight, heavy, strong… and my sight, is stuck on one little leather box.
I reach for it, shaking. I blow the dust on it, and it breaks open. And there it is, my weapon, white gold medallion. I put it around my neck and turn around to face my reflection in the mirror.
Stunned, I watch as it smiles me. I take my hands to my face, just to make sure I haven't gone crazy, but there is no smile on my face. There is no movement in my reflection
"Kill the bastard, Ash." My reflection says.
"How?" I ask. My voice sounds weak, soft, broken and hoarse.
"Use your powers."
"My what?"
"Follow him. Follow where your anger tells you to and you'll find him. When you do, just let your anger overtake, and then, run back home. Understand?"
"I have no home"
"This will always be your home"
I slowly nod, suddenly feeling a tug in my throat. My lips tremble as pain overcomes me, and fear, fear drowns me. Questions start to form in my mind. What happened? Why am I still alive? What is that? What am I? Where are my parents? Is the only thing I get to think before my reflection comes right out of the mirror and slowly, gently, brushes a cold, deadly kiss on my forehead.
"You'll know, Ash. You'll now, in time. Now…" out of nowhere, she hands me a gold knife and makes me hold on to it strongly. "When you kill Shax, come straight home, understand?"
I nod.
"Don't get caught" my reflection whispers before vanishing into the hair, leaving me alone. Staring at myself looking for something that's different from yesterday, different from when I was just…. Anyone.
Rage still intoxicates me, but I don't fight it. I let it take control, and get washed by it's delicious freedom. And then the silence, only broken by the natural noises she didn't usually hear. Now cars, trains, people stormed in my mind, taking me to my knees, changing my point of view to rage's side.
A light in my eyes flashed on, as I, vanished into the hot, thick air.
"Look…" Prue started, visibly angry because she couldn't get the puzzled doctor to believe her. One would think that he'd a be little more opened-minded after he literally got pulled out of his work by the very mad Prue and the very annoyed Piper, but still he refused to believe what he was hearing, although he felt like somehow, his life depended on it. Still, it was everything too surreal, but it did remind him to that one case that he heard of just too many years ago to remember clearly. "I know this all sounds really incredible but it doesn't make it any less true…"
Prue's voice was soft but strong and demanding at the same time while she tried to explain something that she knew she just would never be able to word out. She tried to sound calm but deep inside of her, her instincts, or simply her gut was telling her that something was terribly wrong. She was afraid, truly afraid for the first time in years.
"…you are a healer, you do good, you save lives. So either, Doctor, you've saved to many lives, or you're about to save one they don't what you to save…" Prue went on, moving her hands around as if it would make her a little bit more reliable in the Doctor's eyes. She started at him, pleading almost, to believe her, for their lives were at a stake.
Piper, next to Prue, watched her eldest sister fail to convince the man.
"THEY?" he screamed, although, what he thought was "her?"
And it all clicked in his mind, even if he didn't quite know how… He remembered that one baby, that one father… that one Jade. Jade Draco. He turned his head, suddenly amused, to Prue's side, because she, she looked incredibly like her.
Dr. Griffiths suddenly knew why his life was being claimed, and if only he'd been more smart and less afraid, he'd have known.
"Yeah, demons, more specifically, Shax. He's the Source's assassin."
Piper started at him and analyzed the way he was looking at her eldest sister.
"Prue…?" whispered, but Prue was too caught up trying to explain, trying to make him understand but overall, trying to understand herself, because it absolutely meant no sense that The Source had sent his personal assassin to kill a middle-aged powerless and harmless to any demon, even to a low level one, lousy Doctor Unless. Of course. Unless of course he wasn't completely harmless. Unless, he knew something that made him dangerous for the Source himself.
"Look, I get it this is…"
"No joke" Prue caught in, suddenly knowing what was going to happen, sort of, sort of like a Dejà Vú.
Piper raised her eyebrows, not believing that he could actually be so naïve. Naïve, which reminded her of Phoebe and her ridiculous romance with Cole. She shook her head for it wasn't time to think about that sort of thing. She needed herself completely focused, otherwise she wouldn't be of any help to vanquish Shax.
Her mind was dragged back to reality when Prue stopped talking. Piper turned to her sister.
"What?"
"I don't know. I just felt a chill." Prue answered, slightly gazing around the wooden floor, as if the answer where there. She looked up, with her heart feeling slightly heavier than just seconds before. She started to sweat.
"P..Prue?"
"PHOEBE?" Prue called out, knowing that her sister wouldn't answer.
Both of the sister's hearts stopped for a second when Phoebe didn't answer, and Doctor Griffiths uneasiness became more nagging, as if he were finally realizing that there would be a no tomorrow.
"Phoebe, you there?"
No.
The chill got worse, the heard a blasting noise as the doors cracked open, the glasses of the window's exploded into a thousand pieces as the Source's assassin burst into the Halliwell home, claiming his victory.
Prue quickly grabbed Piper's hand and squeezed it, pulling her behind. "PHOEBE, WHERE ARE YOU?" she screamed, hoping that wherever she was, she'd hear her, and knowing at the same time that she'd have no such luck.
Both sisters were knocked down by Shax, as he positioned himself in front of the Doctor, who looked at the big, manly like blue devil.
"Dear God" the atheist Doctor muttered.
Shax smiled wickedly, and terrified his victim just by the look in his empty grayish eyes.
He lifted his hand, ready to kill the only man left who knew about the underworld most private secret.
"NO!" Prue screamed from the floor. She jumped up and pushed the Doctor aside quickly, no enough no to get hit by Shax's magic, and fly across the receiver, and through the wall.
She felt a sharp pain on her head, only smaller than the worries and fear that invaded her when she thought about what Shax could do to Piper, and just as she felt herself going
numb, the feeling of failure and defeat washed over her. After all, she hadn't protected the innocent, she hadn't protected Piper or Phoebe.
Piper, helplessly got back up and stood, arms open, in front of her deadly harmed sister, just to get hit by Shax, and just like her sister, got thrown through what was left of the wall.
"Prue…" she whispered, before losing conscience.
Shax admired evilly what he'd done to the infamous-no-more charmed one's before turning back to face the Dr, much paler and freaked that he thought anyone could ever be.
"WHAT ARE YOU?" he cried out.
"The end." Shax answered, as he blew his hair off of his face, so his victim could see death's face.
Shax let out an animalistic roar as he extended his arm and threw the Doctor through the window, killing him instantly.
He smiled at his work. His art. And turned around ready to leave.
"Bastard…" a icy voice called his name. It was barely a whisper, yet it seemed threatening. There she was, Ash, Jade, the same girl he was never supposed to kill. The same one he had nearly killed before. He knew he'd pay for that.
She was pretty, much prettier than anyone would have expected her to be. Shax started into her cold, evil, gold-like glare. She stepped forward him fearlessly.
"You killed her!" she roared, clenching her hands, revealing two large upper canines. Not knowing how, Shax felt something he rarely felt; Fear.
She seemed far gone, like she didn't know, or even pretended to care about where she was. She flicked the golden knife, making Shax fear her even more.
"Won't understand, Jade." He managed to say.
"Not very smart, are you? Letting me out, and all." Ash said, walking into the Halliwell manor. Her short brown hair, boy-ish like was drenched in sweat and blood.
"How is she alive?" he thought, stepping back.
Something inside of Ash struggled as she watched the monster roar in frustration. She was scared, but she was also hurt, and confused, and enraged.
She threw the knife hit Shax right in the heart, making him scream, twitch and fall down on his back. Ash quickly jumped on top of him and before she knew it her hands were in fire, as her head spun around.
Ash grabbed Shax face madly as he burnt, and then exploded, throwing Ash backwards. She fell back landing on her wrist with her full weight. She felt them crack as a sharp shot of pain went up her spine. Then, the images, what had happened, came slowly back to her. She felt weak but stood up. Something inside of her was taking over again, as if suddenly, two different people struggle within her personality. She watched Prue and Piper, lying unconsciously and she felt a tug in her throat.
Her first instinct was to run.
Her second was to stay and place her sore hands on top of Prue's head. That's what she did, and before she could figure out how, she felt somewhat a cold energy through her hands. Next thing she knew, Prue's icy blue eyes shot open as the black haired woman gasped for air.
They stared at each other worriedly. Prue scanned the young girl, staring at the blood all over her body, and then, at the brutalized Doctor. Then, at Piper, and finally at the young girl again, just to scream something that sounded like "what have you done?!" but the words never left her mouth. She grabbed Ash's arms tightly and then shook her, screaming at her, but Ash was too shocked, too terrified to do anything. She was staring at her hands endlessly, wondering what she done, and how.
"LEO!" Prue screamed, over and over again, but she just didn't get an answer.
At the precise same time, Phoebe struggled fighting not only Cole's but also Leo's requests.
She screamed, crying in rage, to her much amused boyfriend.
"YOUR DAUGTHER?!"
"I NEVER KNEW!" Cole roared, out of control. He couldn't understand how that had happened to him. Sure, he had had his affairs, but he never thought of the consequences, he was always careful, he had been careful for centuries and just now his long lost daughter showed up.
"Look, guys, I think…"Leo tried to arbitrate.
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" both Phoebe and Cole roared. Then, Phoebe's gaze grew darker. "Is she a full demon?"
Cole shrugged his shoulders and bowed his head. "I have no idea."
"But she killed Shax" Leo finally spoke. "and she also killed an innocent…"
Phoebe's heart grew tighter as she thought about her sisters.
"Is she a threat, then?"
"I'm not sure" but then he added. "The Source thinks of her as her new soon-to-be assassin."
