"LEO!"
Three sets of rapid foot steps thundered down hard against the hardwood flooring of the Halliwell manor as the sisters raced down the stairs, eyes frantically scanning for their Whitelighter. In the eldest arms, she clutched the famous Book of Shadows, the Halliwell family heirloom since the dawn of magic. Along side of her, her younger siblings each carried assorted potions of many colors.
"Piper! He's not answering!" Phoebe the middle child said with frantic brown eyes as she slowed to a stop on the last step, staggering a bit to regain her balance from the high heeled boots she was wearing. Her brown dress pants were covered in a horrible black ooze and her white cotton top that clung off of her shoulders and had long almost gypsy like sleeves was splattered like a painting with the horrible ooze. She had managed to wipe it off of her face and got what she could out of her boy-short brown hair.
"Gee, ya think!" The ever sarcastic red-headed sister Paige said with a skeptical stare as she whirled around to stare at Phoebe. Unlike her older half sister, Paige was lucky enough to have gotten away with a few splatters. And since she was wearing her own black jeans with a very loose gray shirt that sat calmly on one shoulder, while draping down her other arm, the newly created stains were hardly noticeable. Her luscious red lips were pushed together in a tight line as she tipped all of her ammunition into one arm, using her just-freed hand to run a hand through her red mop that used to be pinned rather nicely with two Japanese chopsticks.
"Okay missy, there is no need to get smart with me right now!" Phoebe retaliated, letting out a small yelp as the oldest sister blew past her on the stairs, nearly knocking all of her potions out of her hands. "Piper! Watch it!"
"Can it Pheebs." Piper ordered, her own brown eyes lit ablaze with fury. "LEO!" She roared again, her voice booming off of the walls, making the vase full of flowers sitting on the coffee table rattle about a bit. "LEO!"
"Maybe he's busy with the girls...?" Phoebe suggested, when suddenly there was a crash from the attic.
"Doesn't matter." Piper said, the heels on her own boots tapping off of the hardwood floor as she started for the kitchen. "You called Chris to grab Wyatt right!"
"Yepp." Paige confirmed with a proud smirk, nodding one as she and Phoebe scrambled to follow their furious older sister. "Chris has apprehended baby Wyatt and has already orbed him to Magic School."
"Good." Piper growled in her angry voice, dropping the book onto the island in the counter as she whirled around to grab something from behind her. Her hair missed Phoebe by inches as it snapped like a whip around her, tied in one of her long leather ties. Donning her usual neutral color scheme, Piper wore simple blue jeans with a dark brown sleeveless turtle neck. Around her wrist was a bracelet she was given by Leo for their anniversary a year ago, before the Titan's Disaster. She treasured that bracelet deeply, and it seemed to be the only thing on her that wasn't darkened by black stains.
"Piper what are we going to do?" Paige decided to be the one to ask as she looked at her older sister, "When we killed that one little black thing, two more appeared!"
"Leo told us to expect that." Piper reminded her, reaching up into the cabinet and grabbing one of the bottle containing various herbs and ingredients for their famous potions. Neither Phoebe or Paige could see what Piper was mixing with her back turned to them. "He said we can destroy their physical forms for a bit, but they'll come back, with friends."
"Well what the hell are we supposed to do then?" Paige asked with a frown.
Phoebe glanced between the two with a grim look, setting her potions down on the table. "Trust Leo." She said, and Piper rolled her eyes, letting out a heavily irritated sigh.
"Let's just hope he's gotten off of his comfy white chair up there and gotten those girls like he was supposed to..." She mumbled, and Phoebe sighed, the memory of Leo's last visit flashing before her eyes.
...
"So they're only girls?" Piper asked her ex-but-not-really-ex-husband Leo as the sisters sat in the living room, each donning a comfortable position on either the couch or the arm chairs as Leo stood before them, straight as a board, donning his white robe.
"Well.. yes." Leo said unsurely, knowing how strange it must have sounded. Phoebe watched him with interested eyes, but inside she couldn't help but look at him with pity. She could sense his pain while he was around Piper, his longing for his own life once more. But Phoebe understood Leo's position a lot more then Piper had recently, and found that despite his cruel actions by throwing them into godhood and [nearly] abandoning Piper in Vahalla, she couldn't be angry at him.
"And you said they were how old again?" Piper asked skeptically, as if she wanted to here him say it simply to embarrass himself.
"Well.. their... er..."
"That really doesn't matter right now, Piper." Phoebe said, cutting the horrible tension between the two like a knife to meat as she fixed deep brown eyes onto Leo. "What matters, is keeping them safe, while waiting for this new evil to arise, right?"
Leo nodded eagerly, relief swelling him like a balloon would helium. "Yes." He said with a sigh of ease, "The girls don't know anything about their powers yet... Or even... that they're really related." Leo laughed awkwardly, "Their a cross country though.. They live in Pennsylvania..."
Paige frowned. "...How random is that?" She asked with a smirk, and Phoebe and Piper shook their heads with a defeated sigh.
"So... they live all the way on the OPPOSITE side of the Country... they have no idea who they really are.. and this new evil is out to get them... Do they know what the girls can do?" Piper asked Leo with a business type stare, as if they meant nothing to her. Phoebe said nothing, only feeling Piper's resentment for Leo burning inside of her strongly like a flame .
Leo shook his head, trying not to seem hurt by Piper's hatred. "No.. they have no idea who the girls really are as of right now... Currently we have a whitelighter dispatched to their area to keep an eye on them... he's been in school with the girls now for the past month or so... Another whitelighter is keeping track of the third girl who attends a different school."
"So their seperated?" Phoebe asked curiously, "What schools do they go to..?"
"No.." Leo said with a determined shake of his head, "Phoebe, you know I can't tell you anything about them yet either,,, it only takes one mind reader to find out everything they would need to know about the girls..."
Phoebe sighed with disappointment. "Oh fine." She pouted, and Paige laughed, looking at Leo.
"Okay, so about this new evil.. you can tell us about that right...?" She asked with a devious smile.
Leo nodded this time. "I can only tell you what I know myself..."
"Well then!" Paige said, clapping her hands with excitement and moving from her spot on the arm chair, moving over to the desk and grabbing a pen and a notepad from the drawer, moving back to her spot and plopping back down... "Let's get started then, shall we?" She asked with her usual smile, moving her shoulders into a tiny shrug as she smiled with anticipation.
Leo smiled, amused by her usual charades. "Well, you know there are dimension's parallel to ours, correct?" He asked, and the sisters nodded, waiting for more.
"There are also worlds... universes parallel to ours as well." He said, and the sisters exchanged interested glances, "These universes are scattered far apart, trillions upon trillions of light years away." Leo explained, his eyes shimmering with such deep passion as he spoke, "And in these universes, there are parallels of good and evil, just like our world. Not many know about these other universes... Not even some of the oldest of Elder's are aware of the true wonders of what's really out there." He said, opening his hands as if he were unraveling a miniature version of the millions of universes. "Because usually these universes are untouched by others. Each universe has it's own set of rules, set of laws that the inhabitants of that universe must abide by... Their own natural balance."
"So what you're telling us, is that there could be billions of versions of us on other worlds in different universes?" Paige asked, and Leo nodded.
"Kind of." He replied. And Paige grinned.
"Wicked." She said, nodding her head and grinning like she was a teenager again. "So there could be another me somewhere far away?"
"No." Leo said, "Not another you. Another beckon of good like you.. Another good vs. evil thing, you know?"
"Ah. I gotcha." Paige said, nodding in understanding. "I still think it'd be cool if there was another me." She commented with a slight pout.
"I think one Paige Matthews is enough for this universe.. and all of the others." Phoebe grinned, reaching over and patting Paige's let with a nod. Paige turned to Phoebe with a scowl, sticking her tongue out at her playfully.
"Back on topic." Leo said, pulling the conversation back. "Just like I said there was another good.. There's always another evil."
"Of course." Piper commented, but Leo simply pushed on.
"The same principle applies to all universes. Good vs. Evil. The Eternal Struggle." Leo said, "And in some universes, evil triumphs. And good triumphs."
"Do we know what ours is supposed to do?" Phoebe asked with a smile, and Leo cast her a glare.
"You know I don't know that answer." He said, and Piper frowned skeptically.
"Why not, Mr. All-Knowing? You know this much." She commented with a scowl, and Leo sighed impatiently.
"If I knew everything, a lot of things would be different." He commented, staring at Piper hard. She fell silent quickly, turning her face away from him. He frowned, returning to his conversation.
"There's one universe in particular that has a long history of good vs. evil. And it seems good is intended to win that battle.. to keep the natural balance of ALL of the collective universes aligned... But the evil on that world would not give up as usual. Somehow, the evil from that world may have found a way to shatter the fine lines between their universe and so many others."
"So what? They're coming here?" Phoebe asked with a frown. By this point, Piper had given up her childish act, staring at Leo with a serious frown.
"We're not sure." Leo said, "Unfortunately it's hard to say. The barrier hasn't been shattered completely yet.. but it seems out barrier is shattering along with it.. and a few others.. But each world has that back up defense... That one power created to battle off situations like these." He said with a smile.
"Those girls." Phoebe said, and Leo nodded.
"Those girls." He mimicked her words, and Paige grunted.
"So if that evil doesn't come here..?" She questioned curiously.
"Then the universe that it has invaded will have to deal with that problem." Leo said, and Piper frowned.
"Well that's mighty white of all of the other universes, don't you think?" She commented, and Leo shrugged.
"It's all apart of the natural order of things. Each universe has its own path. And when something as big as that invades it, it threatens to destroy the very fabrics of existance... It seems selfish yes... But in the end, if everyone from everywhere jumps into one place to fix the problem-"
-"Existence would be obliterated." Phoebe finished with wide eyes, and a heavy silence filled the room. No one said anything as the severity of the situation sunk in.
"Man... Sixteen and the key to saving the fabrics of existence... These girls sure are important, aren't they?" Paige finally mumbled, breaking the silence.
Leo nodded with a grim smile. "Yes Paige... They are very, very important.."
...
"Phoebe!" Piper snapped, and she blinked. "Earth to Phoebe!"
"Sorry!" Phoebe said with a frown, moving to see Piper's newest potion. "Do you think that'll work?" She asked, instantly jumping back into reality as Piper and Paige exchanged glances.
"Well, it's all we've got until Leo shows..." Piper said, when suddenly the creature from before appeared in the doorway, heads leering from side to side. They were tiny really, looking almost like enlarged ants were huge yellow eyes that stared at the sisters hungrily. There were three this time, all leering from side to side like they were dancing.
"They're back!" Paige shouted, and Piper whirled around grabbing the potion and throwing it at the three. It exploded and the creatures shrivled into what looked like little black raisins.
"You made them RAISINS?" Phoebe asked with a scowl, and Piper shrugged, looking as baffled as the other two.
"It worked, didn't it!" She asked, grabbing the book. "C'mon!" She said, stepping over them and starting for the front door at a fast jog. "It'll be harder for them to corner us if we're on the road!"
"Where are we going?" Paige asked as she watched Piper grab the key's to her SUV, motioning Paige to grab whatever she could. Phoebe was the last out of the kitchen, balancing as many potions in her hands as possible.
"Anywhere but here!" Piper announced, practically kicking the door down when she used her foot to thrust it open. "Just get in the damn car!"
The Throne Room was filled with a thick silence. No one said anything as the three man-rather.. two and a half men-stood awkwardly in a circle, unsure of what to say next. What was there that could be said?
"So the barrier's been broken." The oldest said with a wise smile. He donned a black scholar's robe over black dress pants and a white dress shirt. He had an odd, whimsical air about him, even in this grim situation. His brown hair had a few grays in it, but those grays seemed only to be a representation of the wisdom he carried. He was an Elder, a man who had seen many things, and knew the oldest of magics. His name was Gideon, and he was not only one of the greatest Elder's known to the magical community on Earth, but he was the Headmaster of Magic School. and an old time friend of Leo Wyatt, who stood beside him awkwardly, glancing at him dumbfounded when he spoke. It wasn't surprising Leo found himself envious of Gideon's seemingly innate ability to seem so calm, when the fabrics of Existence were slowly unwinding. Even now, at this second as Leo shifted his weight and looked down at the ruler of this universe.. an abnormally large mouse with a large heart and a generally happy disposition... he could imagine each and every thread coming undone, slowly loosening the tight knit scarf of Existence.
"Yep." The mouse said with a grim stare, glancing around the throne room. "Maleficent succeeded... Her Heartless broke through to your world guys.. Gosh, I'm so sorry!"
Gideon shook his head, smiling widely. "Oh no, Your Majesty, please! Do not apologize. Some things simply cannot be helped!" From there, Gideon turned to Leo with a grin. "I should be apologizing! We were send here to meet with you and discuss plans of action.. and out finest man seems to want to wear his human attire once more!" He joked with not only the mouse, but Leo as well. Unfortunately, Leo didn't find it as amusing as Gideon had. Up until a few hours ago, Leo was in Wyatt's room, sneaking a visit to see his son. He never dressed the part of an Elder around his son-it didn't feel right. This whole mess had caught him off guard. None the less, Leo turned his eyes to the mouse and frowned.
"I'm so sorry." He apologized, but the mouse shook his head. "Oh no no! Don't apologize Leo! I don't mind at all!" He exclaimed, smiling slightly, "Gosh, have you seen my clothes?"
The three shared a small laugh that seemed to ease the awkward tension between them. Yet again Gideon took lead, turning to Leo.
"As you know, King Mickey is the ruler of this universe." He stated with a smile. "And he has his knights, like we have our sisters." He turned to the mouse called King Mickey, frowning. "Unfortunately, it seems your dark witch Maleficent hardly forgot to take care of them, hasn't she?"
King Mickey scowled. "Yep." He nodded, "I sent my friend, Donald and Goofy back to the world the Keyblade Master lives on to retrieve them.. A little bit ago I sent him a message informing him of the possibility of the upcoming danger that lied ahead... I never got anything back.. I just hope the letter made it there in time, ya know?" He sighed, his tiny shoulders sagging, "Sora and Riku are the only ones that can help to get this mess straightened up... That.. and your girls..."
Gideon and Leo exchanged looks. "Unfortunately at the moment, our girls are still under the facade that they are merely human." Leo explained with a frown.
"And it is against our.. laws to yank them from their homes and pull them into this mess. Not without prior exposure." Gideon stated simply without any emotion but joy, causing Leo, and the King to simply stare at him.
"Can't that be a problem if they get to the girls before you guys do?" The King asked glancing from Leo to Gideon.
Gideon paused, thinking. "Quite possibly, yes."He said with a smile, "It is a rather huge problem actually.. For the girls have no prior training to this.. We'll have to consider this.. a crash course then... hmm?" Gideon asked with an amused chuckle, and Leo and the King exchanged glances, looking baffled at Gideon's unsettling calm attitude towards the entire situation.
"Well alright then.." Leo said, hoping to move the conversation along abruptly. "What are we going to do?"
"Well, I'll go back and see if the sister's are alright." Gideon offered with a smile, "I'm sure by now the Heartless have reached the Manor.. Considering it's a magical hotspot for ANY creature. Leo, I advise you go find our girls and be ready to grab them whenever.. It's going to be hard enough getting it past their teenage skulls that magic exists and it's not a fairy tale, let ALONE the fact they've got such an amazing destiny ahead of them.. wouldn't you agree?" He asked in a chipper voice. Leo merely nodded, looking at the King.
"I'm going to see how Donald and Goofy are making out then!" King Mickey announced his plans as well. "When I finally get Sora and Riku here.. I'll give ya' a holler!"
"Excellent!" Gideon said with excitement, glancing to Leo. "We'll be leaving then. I look forward to our next meeting Your Majesty!" Gideon said, bowing to the King slightly. Leo mimicked his bow awkwardly, looking up to see the King staring at Gideon awkwardly. But he notice Leo gazing at him and smiled, waving. Somehow, as disturbing as the idea seemed in his head, being around King Mickey put Leo's nerves at ease a lot more then being around Gideon. But Leo pushed this thought away, as Gideon orbed out to find the sisters. Leo followed immediately after leaving the King to run out of the Throne Room, summoning his golden Keyblade in hand.
This must seem like such a scrambled mess.. But I promise! It will get better!
Chapter two coming up soon
I do not own any of the Charmed cast, nor do I own Kingdom Hearts and Disney