Hello! Charmed is back for its eleventh, and sadly last, season! I have lots of plans for this season and I hope you'll like it. It will be probably darker, but will also have some funny moments. Anyway, it's good to be back and let me know if you think I can improve something in my story or writing.
The New Beginning
Prue walked into the manor with a baby in her arms; Andy was beside them. The baby girl opened her eyes and smiled at her parents.
-Isn't she the cutest thing ever? –Piper said meeting them at the door. –How is she doing?
-Oh, you know, she probably just wants her cradle; those hospital beds are not that good. –The older sister answered. –She seems so tired. –She looked at her baby, with love.
-I'm just glad she's ok now. –Piper added.
-Us too. –Andy said. –Why don't you catch up while I take little Charlotte upstairs? –Andy grabbed his daughter and left.
-It's been two weeks since we last talked. –Piper said with a sad smile. –How are you doing?
-I'm ok. I'm sorry we've been distant, it's just that with Lotty's heart condition…
- Congenital Heart Disease, right?
Prue nodded.
-It's been hard to focus on anything else, but she's getting better; the doctor said that she's most likely to heal on her own, without even needing surgery. We just needed to stay in the hospital to follow her situation.
-Those are great news. –Piper smiled. A tired smile.
-But what have you been doing? I've been in the hospital for what, four months…
-Not much. –Piper said. –The restaurant is doing great, Mel is going to school, demons attack now and then... –She added, remembering what had happened in the previous weeks:
*Flashback*
A demon made of electricity attacked the manor. Piper and Phoebe attacked it back, but he evaded.
-Careful! –Piper shouted as Phoebe almost got hit by a lightning.
Suddenly, another demon appeared and vanquished the first one, flaming away right after and leaving the sisters surprised.
…
Phoebe and Piper were talking to one of Billie's friends.
-So she's still missing? –The friend asked and the sisters nodded. –No sing of her?
-I'm sorry. –Piper said.
-But don't give up hope… -Phoebe added and Piper shot her a worried look.
…
Paige, Piper and Phoebe were running in the Underworld, being followed by demons shooting fireballs.
Piper turned around and blew some of them up, and Paige crushed others.
-There are too many of them! –Phoebe shouted.
Then, a huge demon appeared and vanquished the rest, attacking the sisters right after.
-Really? –Piper shouted.
Phoebe raised her hand and red sparks flew to the demon, knocking him down. Piper waved her hands and melted him.
-What was that? –Paige asked. –Since when do demons help us? Even though he attacked us right after…
-The Underworld is a chaos, there's no one to rule. –A voice said from the shadows. –Not since you vanquished the strongest demons.
-Who are you? –Phoebe asked, but didn't receive an answer.
*End of Flashback*
-Just the usual stuff. –Piper finished.
-I see. –Prue responded. –What about Phoebe and Paige?
-They're ok, just busy. Phoebe's writing another book, and Paith is doing great too; Paige is back at being a full whitelighter, she seems very happy.
-I'm glad everything is fine, then. I guess I'll go get some rest now. See you later. –She added with a tired look on her face. Piper stared at her leaving, with a concerned look.
Right after, Leo arrived.
-Don't be too hard on her. –He said. –She's been through much.
-I know, but I was worried too; she could have at least called, but she chose to keep us away. I just wanna know what's going on.
Leo put his arms around her and they stood there, in silence.
…
At Paige's place, she was awakened by the sound of a thunder. She got up and walked to the window, to close it, but when she turned around, someone grabbed her and covered her mouth. She tried to orb, but she couldn't.
-Let me go! –Paige shouted, but her voice wasn't loud enough.
The man who grabbed her put her on the floor and tied her. When she finally saw his face, she was shocked. It was the source's mangled face.
She panicked, but she couldn't even move her fingers now.
He stared at her, silently, but then his head started to spin very fast and when it stopped, it was Sigma's face.
-Did you really think you could get rid of me so easily? –He asked and then thrust his hand into Paige's chest; she felt like he was gonna rip her heart out. Paige coughed in pain, and when he was about to pull off his hand, she woke up sweating and with her heart beating fast. It was already morning and she was sitting in her bed.
-Oh god… -She sighed. –What the hell was that? –She sat on her bed.
-What? –Henry asked from the door.
-Hmm, nothing. –She said and then sighed again, but this time smiling. –Waking up with you here is one of the best feelings ever. I missed this so much.
-I know, I missed it too. –He said. –What were you dreaming about?
-Oh, nothing. It's over now, anyway.
-Ok. I have to go now, see you later. –He said kissing her.
-Love you. –She said as he left.
…
At Phoebe's loft, she was playing with baby Prue and Paith, when her phone rang.
-Hi Elise! Yes, my article is almost ready; I'll send it to you later after I add some details, don't worry. –She talked while walking around. She stopped by the window and was hit by a water bubble in the face. –Elise, I'll have to call you later. –She hung up, with water dripping from her hair and face.
She walked to the window and saw a woman standing on the sidewalk, waving at her.
-Coop. –Phoebe shouted. –Watch the girls for a while for me. –She said rushing to the door.
-Hi. –The blond woman wearing a long coat said. She had piercing brown eyes and a strange accent.
-Are you crazy? Who are you? And what did you throw at me?
-Oh, that was just water, silly; I needed to drag your attention. And my name is Camille, I'm a mermaid. –She said casually.
Phoebe looked around afraid someone had heard.
-How can you be a mermaid? You have legs! –She whispered and pulled her into a quieter space.
-I have this necklace. –She showed a pendant in her neck. –It gives me legs for some time, but it can only be used in urgent situations. –She talked about it very naturally, which intrigued Phoebe.
-And what's the urgent situation?
-Four months ago we saved a girl from drowning in the sea; she was in some sort of coma, until yesterday. She woke up and the first words she said were "Phoebe Halliwell". We knew she was taking about you, one of The Charmed Ones, so I was sent here! –Camille said excitedly.
Phoebe was silent for a while, remembering Billie's last moments; she hanging from the hole on the floor and then falling into the ocean.
-Is she blond, as tall as me and has green eyes? –She asked nervously.
-Exactly. You know her!
-Oh god, can you take me to her?
-Sure, follow me. –Camille seemed excited, she was different from Phoebe when she became a mermaid.
As Phoebe followed, she grabbed her phone and called Piper.
…
Paige and Henry were watching TV, when he accidently switched the channel:
"There were two women talking.
-After my husband went to war, he saw the men he had killed for months! He couldn't even sleep anymore. –One of them said.
-It happened to mine too; he had strange dreams and hallucinations. It felt more than just PTSD, so I did some research and found out that he was being haunted. It was the ghosts from the war…"
Henry switched the channel again.
-They definitely don't know how ghosts work. –He said laughing. –If only they knew what we know…
-But it's possible, isn't it? I mean, ghosts do haunt people. Maybe one of them is being haunted. –Paige stated.
-But you told me they can't control minds, create nightmares and stuff; that was surely just PTSD, I would know.
-You must be right. –Paige said remembering her dream; they had been happening a lot lately. She shook the thought away and kept watching the tv.
…
Piper, Phoebe and Camille met at a beach.
-Phoebe. –Piper called. –What are you talking about Billie?
-She's alive, the mermaids saved her!
-What? Are you sure? –Piper asked hesitantly. –I know you have problem accepting death sometimes, and you also lost…
-Don't say his name. –Phoebe asked. –And yes, I'm sure; all the pieces fit. –She said and Camille nodded.
-It's true. –Camille added.
-And why are you helping us? Mermaids are not kind. –Piper said to Camille.
-Not all of us are like that! I come from a different community; we protect the sea and it's creatures from you humans. We're not cold hearted like the explorers and we have other powers as well.
-I see. Sorry. –Piper mumbled.
-It's ok. –She said quickly smiling again. –Oh, look, here they are! –She pointed at something in the sea.
A man appeared from the sea carrying Billie, who was inside some kind of magic bubble, fainted. When he reached the beach, his tail turned into two legs. He was wearing nothing but what looked like a green loin-cloth. They were followed by a brunette; when she came out, she was wearing a bikini top and a skirt.
-Billie! –Phoebe ran to her. –What happened? I thought she was awake.
-Right after Camille left, she fainted again and haven't waken up yet. –The man said.
-That's ok, we can take her to the manor to rest. –Phoebe said.
-No. –The man responded.
-What? –Piper exclaimed, raising a brow.
-Our magic is the only thing keeping her alive. –The brunette explained. –And besides, she's been with us for months and no one came to see her.
-We didn't know where she was! We looked everywhere. –Piper defended them.
-Not everywhere. –The man said. –Anyway, we just called you because that would have been the girl's wish; she'll stay with us until she gets better. Let's go. –He turned around.
-No way! What's the point of bringing her here and taking her away a minute after?
-I came here mostly to see you, the famous Charmed Ones, but I see you're in no place to take care of her, I can sense that leaving her here would be a terrible choice. We're going. With the girl. –He added.
-No! –Piper was about to freeze them when the girl raised her arm and a ring of water trapped her and Phoebe. –Let us go!
The brunette smiled and jumped into the water with the man and Billie.
-I'm sorry, I didn't know it would end like that. –Camille said and followed, leaving Piper and Phoebe disappointed and angry. The ring of water fell on the floor and set them free.
-No! –Piper shouted again, but they had already left.
-We'll come back. –Phoebe said. -And we'll get our friend back.
The two stayed there for a while, staring at the sea and assimilating the information.
…
Somewhere in the underworld, a woman was sitting in a black throne. A small man came into the room and gave her a glass with a dark red liquid, like blood.
-Did you do what I asked to? –She asked; her voice was soft, but also dark and terrifying.
-Yes. –He answered. –I told them that the Underworld has fallen to chaos; they don't think a great threat will come from here, at least not for a while.
-Perfect. –She said with a cold voice.