Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Charmed, but I'm equally obsessed with both!
A/N: Um…yeah, I'm pretty sure nobodies ever done this before, if only because they are so different. I'm sorry if I posted this wrong, I wasn't sure how to. Even if you only know one of the shows, I'm hoping that I can describe the people enough so that you get who they are, but drop me a line if you're confused and still interested. Please give it a try?
Prologue
The cloaked figure stepped out of the shade. Rain poured down, creating the illusion of night, befitting the current visitor. He checked his surroundings before moving farther out into the opening. This time, nothing could go wrong.
-
Later, as illusion became reality, the same figure reached its destination. His grey cloak appeared black; wet and heavy from the rain. His brown boots squelched across the rain softened ground. The mud sunk; then stuck to his feet. His face was covered by an oddly decorated mask.
He paused before the solid mahogany door, its emblazoned symbol radiating an aura of distinct evil, and pain. Reaching out a gloved hand, the stranger knocked three times before retreating the limb to the safety of his cloak. The minutes ticked by before the sound of a bolt being thrown reached his ears. Slowly, the horror-bound door swung back, revealing another figure, this one shrouded in the darkness itself. It slipped father into the shadows, beckoning for the visitor to follow. Cautious now, the visitor did as it was willed.
Once inside, the door slipped shut, temporarily removing all light, little though there had been. Before eyes could adjust to the gloomy darkness, an orange ball of demonic fire appeared, suspended in the outstretched hand of the host. Her soulless eyes shone eerily. Turning, the host moved off, her visitor following mutely. His discomfort was growing with each step. Why couldn't he stop fighting?
The two silently descended to a dungeon many thousands of feet below the rain-soaked ground. The host extinguished her fire, for there was no longer a need for it. Many thick candles lit the large room, their placement causing odd shaped shadows that flickered and danced around the room. All about the place were shelves and tables; in the centre was a large basin filled with off-white sludge, mist gently rising quietly from its surface. On a table near the basin sat many bottles, bowls, plants, and a large book; lying open to a very complicated spell.
The host crossed the space quickly, pausing in front of the book to read. After rereading the spell several times, the woman began to measure and mix, pout and stir. A few more moments passed and the woman began to chant words in a language long forgotten to mortal man. The mixture before her began to bubble and hiss menacingly. The man shrunk back into the shadows while the woman's chanting grew in sound until she was yelling to the heavens.
"Dorma espinathe escane puronaths!" With a final scream, the woman collapsed to the ground. Thunder shook the stone room, shaking bottles off the tables, books of shelves, shattering all things fragile or weak. Moments stretched till eternity, then collapsed in on themselves and the shaking and rumbling ceased.
Standing, the man crossed the room to where the host was also regaining her footing. Picking up the bowl, she poured the foul concoction into a large, oddly-shaped bottle. Then she held it out to her guest.
"This will let you see your targets. You need only poor it in a large basin and add an article far each person you desire. But take note: this will only work once, though you may add all the objects you desire." The man nodded and took the offered bottle. Turning again, the host picked up a ragged scrap of paper. Checking her work, she handed the paper to her guest, smiling wickedly. "This will allow you to transfer their powers into the targets you picked. But be careful whom you chose for the powers can only be relinquished by choice and will be destroyed if you try to take them by force. If your targets are killed, the powers will also be destroyed. But I'm sure you will do well, Balthazar. You always have."
Smiling, the guest turned to leave.
"Oh, a final warning," called the host. "Their bodies only last so long, do not out last your stay." With a parting nod, the visitor left hurriedly, leaving behind a grinning seer.
-
Outside, the demon stepped Out, and the body crumpled to the ground, breathing shallow and labored. The demon stared down at the body, and the mask that failed to hide the eyes of a young boy, eyes where fear and pain were all they knew. He couldn't have been more than fifteen, and after all this time, there was no way he could fight the demon's power anymore.
Balthazar crouched down next to the boy and removed the mask.
"Can't have you dieing on me, now can I? Too much time and effort weakening your resistance; and I haven't the time to find another." The boy tried to glare, but his energy was expended. Slowly, his pale eyes closed. The demon continued to study his victim. The boy was tall and strong, yet slight, with waist length brown hair. His eyes were pale violet when open, and he possessed an interesting gift. When activated, it allowed him to see through things and identify weak areas in his opponent's body.
Truly an amazing catch, thought Balthazar. It was a much better disguise than anything else he'd found, and he could hardly walk around in his demonic form. Dark red and black skin the texture of sand was liable to get him noticed. Add fangs, claws, soulless eyes, and a less-than-normal speech complex and he really couldn't be much more obvious.
-
A few hours later the demon nudged the boy into consciousness.
"We're going back," growled Balthazar.
"Don' wanna," mumbled the boy, slipping towards the safety of unconsciousness once more. But before he could reach it, Balthazar stepped In and the boy sat up. His eyes flashed the soulless black of the demon inside him; then returned to their pale state. Standing, the boy hurried into the night.
-
Later, Balthazar had finally managed to procure all the items he needed. He checked on the boy, who was sleeping fitfully on a stone bench carved into a wall, a thin blanket wrapped around his shivering body. The demon sighed. He'd have to wait a few days before he went out again; else the child's body give out. The risk was too great.
Turning his attention back to the basin, Balthazar poured the strange bluish potion into it. He then began to add the items he had collected; one to represent each person he wanted to posses these new…gifts…they were about to receive. First, a scrap of rough orange cloth. Then a scrap of dark hair, dark enough that it appeared the purple-black of the night. Third, a page or writing, unique and strange. Finally, an odd looking knife with ruby blood dripping from it.
Then Balthazar reached for the tattered paper the seer had given him. He read it over once; then read it aloud:
Bring through time, bring through space
To the here now of this place
Let what was theirs now dwell here
And rest in those whose items are near
The bluish mixture glowed brightly before vanishing, replaced by a thin layer of transparent mist. A thin column of smoke rose from the centre of the basin, reaching up until it was lost in the shadows that hid the ceiling. Moving forward, Balthazar saw images of four sleeping figures: a young blonde boy, a fair-skinned girl, a dark haired girl, and a young tanned man with a scar across his nose.
Above the basin appeared four groups of glowing orbs. They circled the smoky pillar, shining brighter with each passing second. Stopping suddenly, the orbs began to descend. Each passed through a separate image, causing the form visible to toss a bit before peaceful sleep returned.
"Now, dear child, we wait," whispered Balthazar to the boy. "Now we wait…"
TBC
A/N: All thoughts are welcome, especially any advice you might have. Please keep in mind that this is the prologue, and I'm trying really hard to make this story as good as I can. I'm hoping to update soon, but I'd like to know if I'm writing this for anyone other than my beta reader, even though I love her so.