Chapter 0: Priscilla Callie Matthews.
Word Count: 2,226
My name is Priscilla Callie Matthews. Everyone calls me Callie as I was never really into the whole tradition of the woman's names starting with P in my family. I'm twenty years old today, and to be honest I'm surprised I'm still alive with the war I'm fighting. If one can call it a war, I do though, because a war makes it sound like both sides have a chance to win. It gives me hope calling it a war. Hope is so scarce now a day.
Today is also, my twin sister, Pandora's birthday, but I won't get the chance to tell her happy birthday. She's not dead, no, it's just…just we don't talk any more. One would think that with being in war family is everything and I would be talking to her, seeing her, hugging her every chance I get but…it's complicated.
I do think family is everything though; my little brother, Henry, can attest to that. He was named after my dad and turned eighteen a few months back. I'd give the world for him. If it ever came down to me or him, it would be him every time even though I know he'd hate me for it. With my dad dead and my mother on another plane of existence I'm the only one left to protect Henry. Even with him being taller than me, I'm still his big sister and I have to protect him.
While I miss my dad, I'm glad he didn't have to live to see the extent of the war. I'm glad he doesn't have to live with the knowledge that Pandora...chose our cousin Wyatt over Henry and me. My mother, Paige Matthews, a Charmed One, died way back before the war when a threat known as the Titans came about, but she came back as a full whitelighter and met my dad. It's a miracle that me and my siblings have witch powers but I guess the Halliwell blood is stronger than one gives it credit for or maybe the Elders had something to do with it. I don't really know though I blame the Elders. However, the powers of whitelighters and the Elders is so limited now, especially with their numbers dwindling they – plus the leaders of the Resistance – have decided that they would better be of use setting up a safe house on a different plane so I hardly ever see my mother. One that no one could get to without knowledge of its existence. I can count on one hand the people that know of its existence outside of the sanctuary.
Myself, Zola, Sandra, Ryan, and Chris, my cousin.
Not even my brother knows of the other plane. Consequently, he believes our mother to be truly dead. A whitelighter loss in the early stages of the war isn't uncommon.
If one wants someone moved into the sanctuary, they start asking around not knowing who has the right connections for a safe place for their loved one to go. Hopefully it gets back to one of us, if it does we decide if it's a real concern and not someone trying to trick us – betrayal is something that seems to happen more and more. We're picky, but we have to be. I know we've probably turned away more than we've let in, but those let in will never be in harm's way.
In fact, the entire Resistance is set up like that. Safe houses and treatment centers are only known if you need them. Few members know of more than two or three places to go at night to sleep and eat, unless of course you are one of the leaders. A few of the leaders, because of the knowledge they know, carry around a suicide potion if it ever looks like they're going to be captured.
My Uncle Leo, Wyatt and Chris's father, also lives at the sanctuary with my youngest cousin, Patricia – the daughter of my Uncle Coop and Aunt Phoebe, both deceased. Patricia is only sixteen and while that isn't too young to fight in these times it is too young for me to lose in a fight. While that may be selfish, the Halliwell line has lost enough of its members, and I have to keep the few promises I make.
I know better than to make a promise in a time of war, but family is family and I promised Patricia's older sisters, Prudence and Penelope, to keep their sister safe. The girls, Prue would be nineteen with Penelope turning eighteen, are both tougher than I'll ever be even though they're long dead.
About four and a half months ago, the two sisters were part of a planned attack that went array. The enemy knew we were coming and had the upper hand. They took prisoners, Prudence and Penelope among them. They were taken to a strong hold well within enemy territory. Two weeks later all of the prisoners were put on display in a makeshift parade that led to their very public execution. We couldn't do anything for them. Wyatt had all their heads put on spikes and placed in front of his hideout.
If we get the chance we always try to rescue the prisoners before the notorious parades. Most of the time we lose more men than we save when we try breaking the grounds. None of the leaders are up for that tactic any more. Now we just wait for one the notorious prisoner parades. Wyatt has grown quiet attached to his parades, even going so far as giving execution duty as a reward for his followers. If anyone is still alive from the torture they were no doubly put through since capture they're to be put on show in a cage to be lead through the enemy's territory with a good army of men guarding them, taunting us. It's our best chance if we want to rescue anyone, it would also be our last. The end of the parade is a bloody mess of prisoner executions.
It seems that family doesn't matter to Wyatt. Wyatt: The dictator of this world, the Twice Blessed child, the prophecy child, the heir to Excalibur, leveler of entire cities, General of demonic forces, and my eldest cousin, seems to care little about family. Well…maybe that's not true, but power and allegiances come first for him. However, family still matters to him. It's why he's constantly trying to get any of us to cross enemies lines and pledge allegiance to him; I know he asked Prue and Penelope to join his side, I know they refused. I also know that he'll choice power over family any day.
One should have seen the extent he went about trying to get Chris to betray the Resistance. It was that effort, that want of family that made it clear to Chris and myself that Wyatt could still be saved. That he wasn't meant to be this terrible ruler. It was why Chris, Wyatt's younger brother, traveled back in time to fix this, to stop Wyatt for turning to power – cause he isn't evil. There is no good and evil in Wyatt's world just power.
Chris disappeared over half a year ago. In doing so, he passed his place as one of the Resistance leaders to myself. Chris traveled back twenty-one years into the past, before he was actually born, to try and find a reason for Wyatt's distorted ideals and then he was going to stop it. Chris, Myself, and Bianca, Chris' fiancé, worked out that whatever happened to Wyatt happened before Chris was born – otherwise Chris might have been effected as well – when Wyatt's morals were still under construction and could be altered.
Shortly after Chris left for the past, Bianca switched sides back to Wyatt for she worked for him before meeting Chris. I'm not sure why, and to be honest I don't want to. I like Bianca, but I didn't trust her the way Chris did and it had nothing to do with her profession. Now is a time when demons, assassins, mortals, and witches stand on the deciding line of good and evil. That line is so very blurred and just seems to get fuzzier as time goes on. However, about three weeks ago I haven't seen or heard about her. I can only assume Wyatt disposed of her.
That scares me. I've always know Wyatt to be a powerful being, but to actually know what his power can do is terrifying. Bianca was a powerful witch and Wyatt would have no problem killing her I'm sure. What's an even more terrifying thought is that if Chris fails to return by my twenty-first birthday then it means he has failed in general. It means that Wyatt couldn't be saved and the Resistance has the full okay to try and assassinate Wyatt. I'm hoping that Chris returns before then because I know when that happens I'll have to step down from my position as leader as I will not be able to take such dramatic actions. I don't think I could kill Wyatt even if I was able. I know I can't take Pandora's life and I'm positive she would also be on the green light list of enemies to kill.
Chris left his sister in my care, Melinda, who is the same age as Henry. Those two are partners in every sense. Much like the way Chris and Wyatt and Pandora and I use to be when they the four of us were younger, how Chris and I were before Bianca – we got into a few fights concerning her. She didn't take my place, but our relationship was strained and war isn't a place for strained relationships. I was surprised when he included me in on his plan to save Wyatt but that could have been for a number of reasons. I was going to take his place in the Resistance or maybe it was the fact I still remember when Wyatt wasn't like this, that I believe with Chris that he could be saved. Melinda and Henry are more angrier and sad over what Wyatt's become. Henry once told me it's not that they hated Wyatt but it was just that they weren't living in a delusional fantasy like Chris and I. I laughed at that. What kind of fantasy is this?
Though no matter what people think of me they still respect my decision as leader. It's a bit odd to think that so many people look to me for answers now that Chris is gone. I'm only a year younger than him but I feel so inexperienced. I can tell some people think that too when they look at me. They're surprised Chris named me as his successor instead of his friend and partner on raids, Adam, or his sister for name sake, but if you think about it really does make sense.
Chris wanted someone that wasn't gun-ho on just slaughtering Wyatt's army like Adam was. He wanted someone that knew the enemy still had beating hearts and emotions. He wanted someone who had a reason not to go on a killing spree. His was Wyatt, mine is Pandora. Melinda and Henry may know the same stuff as we do but they don't know it to the extent that we do. They didn't really know their cousins, their sibling before the war like we did. Chris wanted experience, Melinda and Henry were really just too young.
The ones that recognize this, had little problem with me being in charge. However, it's still unsettling to know that that people, mortals, witches, whitelighters, Elders, magical creatures, and demons look to me and the other leaders. Not only do they look to us for answers, but they also follow us.
It's odd the amount of trust they confide in us in a time when trust is as fragile as winter leaves.
Most days, I'm not sure how Chris did this, how the other leaders do this. Having those lives – so many people – in your hands is so terrifying. Cause what if I'm leading them astray? It's a bit easier knowing I'm not alone though. Henry, Melinda, and the other leaders: Zola and Sandra, both Elders that are this plane's access to the sanctuary, Titan, a Fire Lizard demon, Kimberly, a mortal, and Ryan, a full witch with the active powers of Aerokinesis, are all at my sides and me at theirs.
I go by Cassie, it's my twenty birthday, and I am one of the leaders of the Resistance against Wyatt, my cousin. I have lost most of my family to this war, lost even more friends, and I'm scared out of my wits here hoping my cousin Chris can fix everything in the past.
A/N: So I revamped this story. I have a good part of it already written but not all of it. I hope to update once a month. The first few chapters should be the same as before with minor details edited and a new direction in mind. Hope this goes well.
