Welcome to Powers!
This story follows on from Allies, a Power Rangers series, but you don't need to have read that one. (I hope.) This is a short(ish) story; really I'm only setting up things for a later story.
Anyone following me from Allies: Bear with me. The next series will feature characters from Allies, although it won't be set in that universe. Also, thanks!
Power of Four
"This is not normal." Piper said, staring at the demon they'd been fighting.
"After five years, you're worried about normal? Blow it up!" Phoebe reminded her.
"But he's stuck. He can't go anywhere."
"Yeah. How'd that happen?" Paige asked.
"Beats me." Piper said, circling the demon, who'd managed to get himself enveloped in rock to the point where he couldn't move. Only his face was free.
"You might want to vanquish him. I can hold him there, but he's smart enough to find a way out eventually." The sisters whirled to see a young girl standing behind them. In her late teens, she had blond hair and green eyes. Standing with her arms folded, she was gazing at the demon with remote curiosity. The only jarring thing about her appearance was a bow strung across her back.
"Who are you?" Piper demanded.
"Uh…demon? Feel free to vanquish him first. I'm not going anywhere."
"Yeah, you say that now." Piper muttered.
"He's breaking free." the girl said calmly. They turned to see the demon had freed one hand. "Ah ah ah, naughty naughty. Behave." Stone flowed back over his hand before he could throw the fireball he'd been holding. "I can only do that so many times."
"Yeah yeah yeah. I'm doing it already." Piper blew the demon up without even looking at him, keeping her gaze on the girl. "Now who are you?"
"Kaia." She bowed. "It's nice to meet the Charmed Ones."
"Thanks. I think." Paige said. "So…who are you?"
"Kaia. Weren't you listening?" She looked back at Piper. "This is just a courtesy call. I won't be in town for long. I figured I should let you know I was here, though."
"Yeah. See, we still don't know who you are." Phoebe said.
"Ask Leo. He knows me." With that she turned and was gone before they could call after her.
"Well, that was…odd." Paige said.
"Yeah. Leo!" Piper called. Phoebe winced and moved away.
"Take it easy, Piper. Some of us still want the use of our ears, OK?"
Before Piper could retort, Leo orbed in in a swirl of color and light. "What's wrong? Is someone hurt?" He crossed automatically to stand next to his wife.
"No, we're not hurt." Piper said. "Thanks to a girl who helped us."
"A girl." Leo repeated.
"Yeah. Kaia." Phoebe said.
"She said you knew her." Paige offered.
"Kaia? I don't…how did she help you?"
"Covered the demon in rock so he couldn't move." Piper said precisely.
"Oh." Leo said slowly.
"You know who she is?" Paige asked.
"Maybe. I need to check with the Elders, though."
"Oh no you don't, mister. Take us home and tell us who she is before you go anywhere." Piper ordered.
"Piper, I…"
"Ah! Now." Leo nodded finally, wrapping his arm around Piper and glancing at Phoebe and Paige before orbing out.
"Well, this should be interesting." Phoebe said, taking Paige's hand. The pair orbed away.
"Spill, mister." Piper said. Leo nodded, pacing back and forth.
"I don't know if I'm right. But if I am…Kaia's not her real name. She was born Thariin, and she's not human."
"So what is she?" Paige asked.
"Elf. The last pure one left."
"Elf." Phoebe repeated slowly.
"Thariin has powers…stuff other Elves couldn't do."
"Elements, right?" Paige said. "Wood, earth…she's in the Book of Shadows."
"Right." Leo agreed. "She's not evil, so you don't need to vanquish her."
"So why is she here?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know. The last I heard of her she was in California. She doesn't…" he gestured briefly. "She's not like you. She doesn't seek out evil. She fights it if it threatens her, but if not she doesn't care much."
"So…there's something here threatening her?" Phoebe suggested.
"I guess, yeah. Unless she's traveling. She does that sometimes…what did she say?"
"She won't be here for long but she wanted to let us know she was in town. And that you know her." Piper recited.
"We've met. I wouldn't say I know her."
"When did you meet?" Paige asked interestedly.
"One of my first charges, a witch, was fighting a demon who could create earthquakes. They'd been fighting on and off for a week or so, and Thariin just…showed up, one day, and said she'd come to help us out. Lisa was desperate enough to accept, and they went off somewhere. I never found out what happened, but they vanquished the demon and Thariin left. I haven't seen her since."
"Does she work for the Elders?" Phoebe asked. Paige had gotten up and was standing at the window.
"No, Thariin very nearly predates the Elders. She's her own force, with her own Champions. And she's…"
"Sitting on our lawn." Paige interrupted.
"What?" Piper got to her feet and came to look out the window. Phoebe, with slightly more presence of mind, went to the front door.
"Kaia, right?" She hunkered a few feet away from her. "You wanna come in?"
"Did you know there's, like, a dimensional vortex-y thingy under your house?" Kaia opened her eyes and looked curiously at Phoebe. Beside the bow, a quiver of arrows now hung from her shoulder.
"Uh-yeah, we knew."
"What's up with that? Oh, no, never mind. You're witches, after all."
"So?" Phoebe asked.
"So your ancestors would naturally be drawn to places of high power. Doesn't it attract demons, though?"
"We attract demons. Do you mind coming inside? We shouldn't talk about this outside."
Kaia looked around in surprise. "They don't see us."
"Who?"
"Anyone. Your sisters do, and Leo does, but unless there's some other white magick user on the sidewalk, we're safe. And if they're white we're safe anyway, right?"
"You're…what, hiding us?"
"Yup."
"Why?"
Kaia looked surprised again. "Why not?"
"Kaia!" Leo called from the door. "Come inside, and stop confusing my girls."
"It's more fun that way, Leo." She didn't move until he strode across to stand over her, and then she held out her hand and made him help her up. "Did you miss me?" she asked, eyes dancing.
"I guess." Leo said casually, leading the way inside.
"You guess?" she repeated.
"Sure. Lisa missed you."
"Good kid, Lisa. Powerful."
"Yeah. You know the girls?" He gestured at Piper and Paige.
"Yeah. I do."
"So…what should we call you?" Paige asked.
"In this time and in this place, I am Kaia." Her laughing manner had gone; she was deadly serious now. "How good are they, Leo?"
"I've never seen stronger witches." Leo was equally serious.
"Even Paige?"
"Hey!" Paige objected.
"Sorry." Kaia said. "But you're relatively new at this."
"She's just as strong as the others." Leo said quietly.
"Good. May I see your Book of Shadows?"
"You said what?" Piper asked.
"Your Book of Shadows." Kaia repeated patiently. "I believe Cassandra Warren wrote something you'll want to see."
"Melinda's daughter?" Phoebe asked in surprise. "Paige, would you…"
"Sure." Paige held out both hands. "Book of Shadows!" The huge Book orbed into her hands and she laid it carefully on the table.
"What are we looking for?" Phoebe asked.
"Pyralis. He's an upper level demon, doesn't come out to play much."
"So why are we worried?" Piper asked.
"Because he's coming. And unlike most every other demon, he's not going to come see you first. He's just going to get on with killing everyone and everything in sight."
"Here." Paige said. "Pyralis. He doesn't look all that dangerous."
"The best ones don't." Kaia murmured.
"Sounds like something you could fight." Paige went on.
"What is it?" Phoebe asked.
"Pyralis controls and diverts lava and can control fire." Paige read. "There's no vanquish, guys."
"Because Cassandra didn't fight him." Kaia said. "Because I wouldn't let her."
"Who are you to let Cassandra do anything?" Piper asked.
"Pyralis attacks me. My earth. Me. Cassandra's Wiccan rituals were rooted much more in earth magic than yours are. She knew who I was and she listened when I told her to get the hell out of Dodge."
"She ran from this thing?" Phoebe asked in surprise.
"Pyralis was completing his cycle when Cassandra knew of him. He needed the heart of a Halliwell, or magical being of equal power, to complete his rituals. With Cassandra under my protection he couldn't get one in time, and when his window closed he was forced back to the Underworld. " Glancing at Leo, she added, "I don't follow the Elders but I did know the prophecy of the Charmed Ones, and I did what I could to help it along."
"So I guess we owe you." Paige said.
"No." Kaia rose to her feet, crossing behind Paige to look at the Book. "He set himself against me. And I couldn't stop him, only delay him. I needed you."
"Us?" Phoebe repeated.
"Yes. There's…there has to be a spell, right?" She looked at Leo again. "Cassandra was strong, but you three are so…I can't beat him on my own."
"How do you know he's coming?" Leo asked. Kaia made a face.
"I can feel him. It's like something burrowing around my insides. I can sense him coming."
"Sooo…how long do we have?"
"Not very. A few days, I guess."
"You guess?" Paige repeated.
"It's not a exact science. He's risen twice before, so I don't have a whole lot of experience to go on."
"Only twice?"
"Since I've been active." She didn't clarify, continuing to stare at the Book.
"That's not much."
"No, it's not. He's way ahead of schedule, and I don't know why." Kaia sounded irritated.
"Well, try not to worry about it." Leo said. "We'll work something out."
"Yeah." Kaia started pacing again.
"Do you, uh…want a drink, or something to eat?" Paige asked.
"What? Oh…no, thank you." She dropped into a chair. "I'm sorry, I know I'm a bit…" she gestured briefly. "Off the walls? This guy…brings up bad stuff."
"It's OK." Phoebe assured her. "We're used to odd people…that didn't come out right." Kaia laughed.
"It's better than a lot of things I've been called. Paige? Some water would be really nice."
"Sure." Paige rose and headed into the kitchen, coming back after a minute with a glass of water. Kaia took a sip and then held the glass as she talked.
"At the most we have five days. He won't rise before tomorrow, anyway."
"You're sure?" Piper asked.
"I'm sure. He might send some minions after us, but he won't be here until tomorrow at the earliest."
"He has minions?" Phoebe looked up from her notebook.
"Pyralis rivals the Source for power. And he's not afraid to show it, either."
"What does he want?" Paige asked, looking at the Book again.
"Pyralis remembers when there were no living things on the earth; only him and his kind. He wants to return it to that." Leo explained.
"With him in charge." Kaia added. "I can keep you safe from him, and from his minions; but I can't stop him, only limit the damage. And the more damage control I'm doing, the less I can protect you. You need a spell."
"Well, you've come to the right place for that." Phoebe assured her.
"I thought so." She drained the rest of the glass and gave it back to Paige. "I need to…there's some things I have to do. Can I come back later on?"
"You want me to take you somewhere?" Leo offered.
"I don't have time to talk to the Elders, Leo, but thanks for the offer. I'll manage." Leo looked slightly abashed at that; Kaia rose to her feet and headed for the door.
"Kaia!" Paige caught her arm. "Where are you going?"
"I have to go do some things. It won't take long."
"Can I come with?"
"Why? Don't trust me?"
"There's that." Paige agreed. "But I wanna see what you do."
"There's not much to see. This time I'm going to watch, and you won't be able to see what I see."
"What are you going to watch?" Phoebe asked curiously.
"My newest Champion's going to be born soon. I need to see the birth."
"How can you tell?" Piper asked.
"I can't. Not for sure. That's why I need to see it." The girls looked at one another.
"There are people who are potential Champions." Leo explained. "Before Phoebe woke your powers, Piper, you were potential Champions. And Paige, you were a potential before you met the others. The Elders knew about you, but no one else would have…that's why no demons attacked you before that. But, if Phoebe hadn't read the Book, or if you'd never met the others, Paige, you never would have become Champions."
"Whoa, wait. Jeremy was after us for months before we got our powers." Piper protested.
"Because he knew your grandmother." Leo explained patiently. "So he knew you were going to be the Charmed Ones. If he hadn't known her…he couldn't have sensed you. No one could, not the way demons do now."
"A potential Champion of mine will be born soon," Kaia took up the explanation, "and I need to see the birth to see if he really is going to be mine."
"You'll know just from the birth?" Piper asked.
"This one, yes." Kaia grinned faintly, and then looked at Paige. "Still want to come?"
"Sure."
"We may as well really go, then. Can you orb me?"
"Sure…" she was a little more hesitant this time.
"Good. We're going to LA, then." To the others, she added, "We won't be very long."
