Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights

Xxx

Late at night, twenty-five year old Chris Halliwell walked down the empty hallway of the Memorial hospital. He was dressed in green scrubs and was pushing a stroller of laundry to deliver to the laundry room. Since a couple of years Chris worked as an orderly in the hospital, meaning he was responsible for cleaning up after everyone else. It was a simple job, but Chris liked it. The job was not that rewarding and did not pay well, but the hours made it easy for him to sneak out in case of a demonic emergency. Chris had been actively demon hunting since his teenage years, which is what he considered to be his real job, his destiny even. After finishing college, he tried to get another job, but was quickly fired after failing to show up in time due to his "other job". This job was perfect, plus it was nice to be able to help people in another small way. Nobody knew he vanquished demons to protect the innocent, but now people were actually grateful to him.

Chris put away the laundry and wanted to go on break, when he suddenly heard a strange jingling sound in his head. He instantly recognized what it was, as his father, aunt and brother had explained it to him a hundred times. It meant that a charge was calling out to him. However, that was impossible, Chris did not have any charges and he didn't want them. He had no desire to be a Whitelighter. He loved being a witch and he hated the Elders for everything they had done to his family. He would never work for them.

When he was younger, Chris wanted to be like his father, helping charges with magic, but as he grew older, he realized that the passive nature of Whitelighters was not really for him. Chris was not like his father, his brother or his aunt. He loved being a witch, he loved fighting demons. He had convinced himself that that was his destiny, not being a guide to others. And now the Elders were trying to tell him otherwise with that stupid jingle.

Chris headed into a personnel bathroom and splashed some water on his face from the tap. The jingle stopped and he took a deep breath. It had given him a headache. Suddenly, he noticed a trail of orbs appearing behind him in the mirror.

"Just leave me alone. I don't want this!" Chris called as he spun around.

Chris was surprised to find himself looking at his brother Wyatt, instead of an Elder like he was expecting, who looked back at him with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Wyatt asked with a frown.

"Never mind, I thought you were someone else." Chris said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you know I don't like to say this but I need your help." Wyatt said. "You know that demon I've been chasing? I think I know where he will strike next."

"So?" Chris asked. "Can't you take care of it yourself?"

"Tried that, the bastard is slippery." Wyatt said. "It is some kind of reptile like demon, throws poisonous darts."

"Why do you always end up with the disgusting demons?" Chris asked. "Two weeks ago we had to deal with those Scavengers."

"Bad luck, I guess." Wyatt replied with a shrug. "Can you help me out?"

"Fine, I was supposed to go on my break anyway." Chris replied. "Lead the way."

Wyatt dematerialized in a column of orbs and rose up to the ceiling. Chris sensed his direction and orbed after him. A moment later, the brothers reappeared in a rocky patch near the beach. Chris could hear the waves crash at the rocks and looked up and the starry night sky. Wyatt signaled him to be quiet and to follow him. Chris followed his brother across the rocks until he stopped at a large rock, which overlooked a small fishing dock where light was burning in a small building.

"So does this thing attack from the water?" Chris asked.

"No, it doesn't go near the sea. It just picks remote locations away from the city. I think it comes from the forest." Wyatt said. "After a while, I noticed a circling pattern, like a hunting ground."

"Right." Chris replied. "So how do we vanquish it?"

"Got a potion right here." Wyatt said padding his jacket. "It's fast, too fast for my force field, so I need to you stop it from getting away."

"Okay." Chris replied.

The two brothers waited and Chris grew impatient fast. He needed to get back to the hospital, he did not want to spend an entire night in the cold. Wyatt was wearing a tick jacket, he was just wearing his hospital scrubs.

"So who did you think was showing up in the hospital?" Wyatt asked.

"It's not a big deal." Chris said. "I thought it was the Elders or something. I heard this stupid jingle."

"You got your first charge? That is awesome." Wyatt said excited.

"No, it's not." Chris said. "I'm not like you. I don't want to be a Whitelighter. I want to be a witch. They have no right to force me to do this."

"Look, I know you don't like the Elders, but this goes even beyond them." Wyatt said. "You were born as part Whitelighter, it is a part of you and a part of your destiny."

"I don't think so." Chris said. "It's not me."

Wyatt was about to reply when Chris shushed him. He noticed movement in the building and a moment later two fishermen stepped out, who began loading supplies in a small boat while drinking beers. That same moment, a shadow emerged from the forest edge to the right. It was a demon resembling a large and ugly lizard with dark green scales but with a somewhat humanlike face. It raised its claws and a dart of glowing green energy formed at both its wrists. The demon lashed out and the darts were fired at the fishermen, who briefly flashed green as the dart hit them, before slumping to the ground instantly like rag dolls.

"Let's move." Wyatt said as he reached for the potion.

Wyatt began running toward the demon, which turned to them and screeched. It raised its claw and fired another dart, but Wyatt raised a force field to deflect it. At that moment, Chris raised his arm and telekinetically flung the demon across the beach. However, the demon proved very agile as it jumped up and landed on the rocks while throwing another dart. Chris was barely able to deflect it and it zapped against a rock.

"Hold it!" Wyatt yelled.

Chris held out his and hand telekinetically grasped the demon. He tried to hold it in place but the demon was too strong and slowly moved toward him, fighting through his attempts to push it back. At that moment, Wyatt threw the potion and hit the demon in its mouth as it screeched. The demon let out a final deafening screech and exploded in a fiery blaze.

"Are you okay?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm fine." Chris replied. "What about the fishermen?"

"The dart contains a poison that paralyzes them, but leaves them aware." Wyatt said. "Stinger Demons devour their victims alive."

"That is disgusting." Chris replied.

"I know." Wyatt said. "The paralysis should wear off in about an hour. I'll put them back in the building. From the looks of it, they were pretty drunk, so we don't need to worry about exposure."

"Okay, I should get back to the hospital." Chris said.

"You know, Chris, you really need to think about this Whitelighter stuff." Wyatt said. "You might not want it, but you could be great at it. Forget the Elders for a moment and just think about your charges. You could help so many people."

"I don't care, Wyatt." Chris replied. "I help plenty of people the way I want to. I don't want this new responsibility forced down my throat, especially not by the Elders of all people. I just don't want to be a Whitelighter. Simple as that."

Before Wyatt could reply, Chris dissolved into a column of orbs and disappeared, leaving Wyatt alone on the beach. He sighed and then walked over to the fishermen to help them back inside to wear off the paralysis. Unknown to him, a trail of black orbs appeared between the rocks taking the shape of a young woman with dark skin and short black hair, dressed in a leather coat. She had a tribal marking on the right side of her face. She aimed a crossbow at the unsuspecting Halliwell, but discovered that she had just missed her true target. The crossbow disappeared in a puff of smoke and a moment later, the woman disappeared the same way she had arrived.

Xxx

Early in the morning, Prue Halliwell rushed out of bedroom dressed in a white blouse and black pants, with her hair being an utter mess and still wet. She had an important interview today and she was running a few minutes late in her planning. Since she started working at the Bay Mirror about two weeks ago, she had been working hard to make a good impression, but if she were late for her interview, all her hard work would be thrown out the window. She was still in her probation period and that weasel working in personnel was just looking for a reason to fire her.

As Prue ran to the kitchen, she nearly tripped over an unpacked box. She was still unpacking her stuff after moving back to her parents' apartment to look after her little sister. Meanwhile her parents were enjoying the book tour of her mother's new book in New York. Prue felt a little overwhelmed, with the new job and the move, her life was a complete chaos at the moment. As she poured herself some coffee, her younger sister Payton entered the living room dressed in jeans and a light grey jacket, along with a school bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Morning, you're up early." Payton said.

"Got an important interview today." Prue replied.

"Who are you interviewing?" Payton asked.

"This man who has been named volunteer of the year." Prue said. "He pretty much spends all his time at the children's hospital. I'm supposed to interview him about his work."

"Oh, that's nice." Payton replied.

"Yeah, I guess." Prue replied. "I mean, of course he does amazing work, but an interview like that is hardly going to get me on the front page."

"You're just starting out, you can't expect to get the best stories right away." Payton remarked.

"I know." Prue replied in an annoyed tone. "I just feel like I need to prove myself and deliver an amazing piece. Everyone still beliefs I only got the job because of mom."

"Look, you're an amazing journalist." Payton said. "I spell-checked all your term papers, remember? You're writing is great."

"You're really too smart for your age, you know that." Prue replied.

"I know." Payton said with a smile.

Payton made herself breakfast while Prue quickly drank her coffee and tried to arrange her impossible hair into something a little decent. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and both sisters looked up in surprise. Prue looked at the clock and saw it was eight in the morning, who could possibly be at the door this early?

"Expecting someone?" Prue asked.

"No, Henry sometimes gives me a ride, but he never makes it to first period." Payton said.

"Maybe it's one of the neighbors." Prue said.

Prue walked over to the front door of the apartment and opened the door. Once opened, she saw a young man with short and wavy dark brown hair and green eyes. He seemed about twenty-five and was dressed in a dark green v-neck shirt and jeans. Prue had no idea who he was, but she was quickly smitten by his appearance.

"Hi, can I help you?" Prue asked.

"Yes, I believe you can." The man said with a slight British accent that sounded dreamy. "You're Prue Halliwell, right?"

"Yes, I am. Do I know you?" Prue asked.

"Not yet, but we'll get to know each other pretty soon."The man said. "My name is Noah, I was sent by the Elders to be your new Whitelighter."

"Excuse me?" Prue asked confused.

"I'm your new Whitelighter." Noah repeated.

"Why?" Prue asked.

"Well, since the Source has returns and the Charmed Ones are gone, the Elders felt that you might need some extra guidance, since they suspect the Source will be coming after you." Noah explained. "They want you to be as ready as can be."

"But we have Whitelighters in the family." Prue said."Why would we need a new one?"

"Do you mind if I come in? I don't think we should have this conversation in a public hallway." Noah replied.

"Sure." Prue said as she stepped aside to let him inside and closed the door behind him. "Since when do Whitelighters use doorbells anyway?"

"Well, since this is our first meeting, I thought it would be polite." Noah said while Payton joined them in the living room. "You must be Payton, nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you." Payton said a little uncertain. "So why do we need a Whitelighter?"

"Because the Elders felt that you might need the extra attention." Noah said. "You cousins are very busy fighting demons, plus they have their own charges to look after. Since you lack the same experience in fighting demons, the Elders believed you might benefit from having your personal Whitelighter."

"I don't know. All of this is a little sudden." Prue said. "We don't even know you."

"I understand, but my only goal here is helping you any way I can." Noah said as he walked around the apartment while looking around. "Where is your other sister, by the way?"

"She lives in dorms at her college." Prue replied. "Could you please stop inspecting our apartment?"

"Sorry." Noah replied. "I take it the Book of Shadows is being kept at the manor, do you have another book or spells or altar room here?"

"No, when we need to use magic, we go to the manor." Payton replied.

"Okay, hold on." Prue suddenly said. "Look, I appreciate you coming over and all, but we have lives to get to. Not to mention, we never agreed to taking on a new Whitelighter. We have never needed one before and I don't think we'll be needing one now."

"I understand your apprehension, but I have to disagree." Noah said. "You never needed a Whitelighter before, but things have changed. Your parents are gone and the Source is back, you and our cousins now bear the responsibility of the Warren line. I am only here to help."

"Okay, we need to talk about this first." Prue said. "But right now, I have to get to work and Payton needs to get to school. Could you please leave and come back another time?"

"Uh..Sure..Yeah I can do that." Noah said a little caught off guard before dissolving into a column of orbs and disappearing.

"What was that all about?" Payton asked after he left.

"I don't know. He just showed up out of nowhere, what else was I supposed to say?" Prue called out. "I don't even know what this will all mean for our lives. He is a direct line to the Elders. Do we really want that in our lives?"

"I know. We need to talk about this." Payton said. "And we need to let Penny know."

"I agree." Prue said and then suddenly noticed the time. "Oh no, I really need to get going or I am definitely going to be late."

Prue quickly gathered her things and put on her coat. Her hair was still far from perfect, but it would have to do. The whole thing with Noah had thrown her a little off her game, but now she needed to focus on her interview. She really did not need a Whitelighter popping up to distract her, especially not a really cute but somewhat annoying one. After finding her keys hidden in the couch, Prue said goodbye to Payton and quickly left the apartment . If she got lucky in traffic, she could still make the interview in time.

Xxx

That same morning, forty-something year old Jordan Miller walked down the street on his way to the children's hospital. Today, he was supposed to be interviewed by a journalist of the Bay Mirror since he was named volunteer of the year for his work. Jordan loved working at the children's hospital, but he really didn't want any of this attention. His volunteering was what made him happy and gave him a purpose, he didn't need recognition for it. Not to mention, he was quite awkward and shy when it came to dealing with adults. Children were much easier.

As Jordan walked down the street, a flurry of black and purple orbs appeared behind him, though nobody seemed to notice. The orbs took the shape of a young man with sleek dark brown hair and cold steel blue eyes, dressed in a black suit. The man walked close up to Jordan and started whispering in his ear.

"Come on, Jordan." The man whispered. "You know the true reason you work at a children's hospital. You are incapable of dealing with adult relationships, which is why you have no friends and had never been in love. The children are a safety blanket to deal with the fact that your life is an utter failure. It's pathetic, really."

Jordan kept walking as the words entered his mind as his own thoughts. He wished he could stop thinking these negative emotions. His work should make him happy, but lately he felt like he was slipping into a spiral of depression. Sometimes he wondered if it was all worth it to keep going. What purpose did his life really have?

"That's it, Jordan." The man whispered. "Your life will never amount to anything. If you fall of the face of the earth, who would really miss you? Another volunteer will pick up your job, the children will forget and it will be like nothing you did ever mattered."

Jordan stopped and stared up at the sky. He was in front of the hospital. What was the point of it all? Nobody would miss him when he was gone. He had no loved ones, the children would be fine, they would easily forget him once they could go home to their families again. If he were to jump of the hospital right now, would there be any one that would mourn him? As Jordan's mind spiraled on the depressing thought, the suited man behind him smiled as they entered the hospital together.

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To be continued… Please review! To those who may recognize the name Noah from my earlier stories, his involvement will be explained.