HELLOOO ALL!
I'm very sorry to have let you all wait until now for a new small, small chapter, but i want to reassure everyone that i haven't abandon this story. Here it's the second chapter in his FULL glory. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Shaw129 for your offer and help, to Juubi's father, Hanmac, CrazyKiller2606and to all of you that haven't lost faith in me to continue this story even when I myself have nearly lost mine. To my Beta Jose a big FAT thank you...
And so ENJOY!
"Shinobi" – Regular Speech
'Shinobi' – Regular Thought
'Shinobi' – Premonition/ Flashback
"Shinobi" – Shout / Jῡtsu / Demon / Monster Speech
'Shinobi' – Demon / Monster Thought
Shinobi – Station of a Place or Time
Evening - Restaurant - San francisco - 1998
The three sister were sitting at the table, together with their father, Victor. The atmosphere at the table could be describe as awkward at best. While Piper and Phoebe were ready to at least listen to their father; Prue seemed ready to punch him yet incredibly she managed to restrict herself. Clearing his throat Victor started.
"Girls, it's so nice to see you. It's not like we don't have a lot to talk about."
Phoebe had to grab Prue's hand, to keep her from making a scene, and with a small tentative smile she replied.
"We do. I mean, yeah, we have a few questions."
"You know, the last time we ate dinner together, you would only eat food that was white. I'm glad to see you've outgrown it." say Victor looking at Piper, after smiling at his youngest.
"That's right. I was four." responded Piper, noticing how Prue seems to bite her lips to keep from shouting something in the first five minute of the dinner.
"I remember, Phoebe was only one…" continue Victor with a wistful smile. "You know, you couldn't walk yet but you could swim. You were a fish.". Phoebe could only laugh in delight. "This feels right doesn't it? This feels natural, almost like normal..."
Prue nearly snap right there, ready to let her power run rampant and tear him apart, only the firm grasp of her sister's hand keep her, a traitor memory sprang to her mind.
* Flash Back On *
"My clan, the Uzumaki clan, has protected your family for over four hundred year…"
Silence reigned in the lounge after his earth shaking declaration, Naruto sipped his drink while the sisters were predictably shocked. To their defence it's not every day you find out that your family has been protected by someone else for over four hundred years…
Yet the silence was not to be.
Prue couldn't believe the gall of Naruto, how could he insinuate such a thing. Rage consumed her, it couldn't be true, because if it was the case then it was his fault that her mother die. Rage and hatred clouded her mind and with a cry she used her telekinetic abilities to swing Naruto to the wall. Hard. Ignoring the startled cry from his sisters, she let her power run free, hurling furniture against the downed blond. Shouts echoed in the air. Idly she recognized her voice as the one that was shouting.
"You LIE! Where were You, when me and my sisters, were attacked? Where were, You when warlocks and demons, nearly killed us? Where were You, when grams died?Where were You, when I had to raise my sisters? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN MOM DIED?"
At the end of her rant she was bent over, exhausted, completely drained physically and emotionally. Her sisters were frozen, horrified, rooted to the couch by the sheer ferocity of their sister's outburst.
"Do you feel better now, miss Halliwell?"
With a movement so fast that It seemed a blur, the sisters turned their head and their eyes widened by the sight that greeted them: Naruto was calmly sipping his tea, unharmed and spotless, precariously balanced on a small mountain of broken furniture, his eyes firmly fixed on the oldest sister. Prue narrowed her eyes, ready to slam him again but two pairs of arms embraced her. Her sisters, she realized with some difficulty.
"Prue enough, please". "Piper is right sis, please let him explain…"
Taking a deep breath, Prue, put a rein on her emotions and let herself be seated between her sisters, hands together. With a small smile of thanks, she turned her eyes to him. And while the fury was still there the hatred had nearly vanished. With a gentle squeeze of her sister's hand, Piper asked the question that all three sisters wanted.
"Naruto ca-will you explain, please?"
Without moving his eyes, the blond, simply snapped his fingers and the room seemed to blur for a moment. The next, the lounge was back to it's earlier conditions. Ignoring the gawking look he received, he placed the cup on the now restored table, crossing his legs he started talking.
"For you to understand you have to let me tell you the story of My people. The Story of the Shinobi. W-".With a scoff Prue interrupted him "Ninja do not exist! Stop telling bullshit and speak the truth bef-".
Whatever she was trying to say died in her throat when an ungodly pressure bore down on them. The furniture, the windows, even the walls of the house cracked under the pressure.
The sisters were forced on their knees, grabbing their throats in a vain attempt to breath, tears ran freely, escaping their eyes while visions of death, each one more grotesque than the others, invaded their minds.
"Miss Prudence 'Prue' Halliwell, while I understand your, hostility, towards me. Please stop your whining . You think you're the FIRST family who has lost members because of the warlock or demons? NO! And, you won't be the last. Death is one of the only absolutes in life. What happened to your family was a tragedy yet life doesn't wait for anyone. So while I'm sorry for your loss and if my words have hurt you or your sisters please…Let your elder speak, child!"
His last words were whispered in a nearly demonic voice, while his once blue orbs flashed an angry violet, tomoe flowing in an endless chase on concentric rings. All the while the pressure continued to suffocate them…
Then it vanished, just as suddenly as it appeared, without warning, and without a trace. Finally able to breath, the sisters took hungry gulps of air, all the while sending fearful looks at Naruto. Closing his eyes Naruto let the the next few minute pass in silence, leaving the sisters to try and calm down.
"I'm sorry it's…There is so much hurt, so much anger, so much Hate, inside you. For an empath like myself it's difficult to be near people with such strong emotion" Said Naruto in a wise and old voice, cracking with power. "Yet things are not as they appear, don't let your anger cloud your vision, don't let your sisters pay for your error…Look underneath the underneath, you have to. I hope you can excuse my outburst…"
Sharing a silent, half incredule, half WTF look between them, Prue offered a tentative smile in return and coughing into her hand to steady her voice she replied.
"I-It's alright, I'm sorry too…I-I over reacted, please continue…"
* Flash Back off *
'Look underneath the underneath…don't let my anger control my action' thought Prue, biting her lips until she tasted blood. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, calming her nerve and putting on a fake smile, she say.
"Almost. But after all this time, why here, why now?"
"Well, I heard the food is pretty good here and it is dinner time" replied her father, with his annoying smile.
Fortunately for the 'happy' family the waiter arrived with the food, with a smile Victor declared.
"Bon appetite."
Unknown Location ~ Same Time
"The Targets have left the house"
"..."
"Acknowledged. What about Him, already some minor demon have tried their luck an-". "..."
"I understand."
"..."
"Negative, He's leading the team to survey. Operative Inu (犬 meaning: dog) and Operative Hikigaeru (ヒキガエル meaning: toad) can be sent in his place."
"..."
"Hai. Phase Three in T- one hours and fifteen minute"
"..."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Back at the Restaurant - San Francisco - 1998
"So how was your dinner?" asked Victor to his daughters, with a small smile and a fond and longing look on his face.
"Really nice dad…" reply Phoebe with a smile on her face. 'Well we could do without you and Prue at each other throat but we can't always have what we want...'. Not to say that the dinner was bad but the tension between those two was thick enough that she could have cut it with a knife.
"You know I don't understand. If you can afford a spot like this, why didn't you help out when Grams died? We actually could've used it then." added Prue without restraint.
"Give him a chance, Prue. Dad's explained. The money, all this, it's new." said Piper coming in defence of their father.
"It's okay, Piper. I'm a big boy. I didn't come back earlier because I was afraid I might disappoint you." reply Victor with a small unnoticed grimace.
"Too late" mutter Prue under her breath.
"I wonder what's keeping that dessert?" add Piper trying to divert the attention to something else.
"I'm not hungry" snapped her sister.
"Always in a hurry, Prue. You skipped crawling and went straight to walking." reply their father with a sigh.
"Ah, we're sharing memories. Well, I got one of my own, you're back walking out the door." said Prudence, ignoring the pleading look from her sisters.
Yet instead of answering her father give the same annoying 'I~Know~Something~that~you~don't' smile that seemed printed on his face for the entire meal, unseen by either her or her sisters, Victor simply stuck out his foot; tripping in the same move a waiter that was delivering their dessert: a delicious chocolate flambeau.
Now on a crash course to the floor.
With a surprise shout Piper froze the entire restaurant, ignoring the surprise (and a little fear, are their power so sensitive?A little surprise and puff, magic show?) looked as Piper hastened to take the dessert and just as her fingers closed on the tray, time starts moving again.
Ignoring the sound of the waiter face kissing the floor, Piper hid her worry, behind a small nervous smile and with a squeaky voice asked. "Who wants flambeau?".
With a small "Uhmn" her father signaled the waiter to take the dessert back, his eyes never leaving hers for even a small moment. "Nice reflexes. Now let me see if I get this straight…" Looking at his middle daughter who was smiling nervously he said: "Piper, you freeze time." moving on his eldest he add. "Prue, you move objects?" moving to his speechless youngest, he say: "And what's about you, Phoebe? Premonitions I imagine?". Letting a small smile grace his previously blank face, and ignoring the shocked look from his daughter, he added: "Maybe we should talk about this elsewhere."
Meanwhile at the Halliwell House…
Sitting comfortably on the couch, Piper and Phoebe, were reading a magazine passing the time in comfortable silence, until they were interrupted by the entrance of the mail man. Before he could open his mouth Piper shouted at him.
"What are you doing here?"
"What do you think, wrench?" reply with a sneer.
Before Piper could respond Phoebe interrupt the two of them. "GO out!".
"No, you're gotta get out" he reply.
"We got it under contro-". "No you don't because they're on their way back." reply the mail man, stopping Phoebe where she stand, before his form shift like multicolored rippling water and his form retake the guise of Fritz, the new neighbor. with a weary sigh he continued. "I thought you were in charge. Look, shape shift into yourself and we'll get back to the book later. Nice plan Marshall."
Phoebe shift into Marshall while Piper transform into Cynda. Crossing his arms, Marshall reply.
"Don't piss me off, Fritz. How was I supposed to know Prue would come back with her sisters."
"That little witch was supposed to be out on a date with that cop. " add Cynda with a barely hidden sneer.
"you really think that you could have trick Prue to take the book out?" say Fritz.
"Well, we sure as hell can't now, can we?" rebutted his brother.
With a resigned sigh Fritz open his mouth to reply before his sister butt in, morphing into a monster and with a deep and guttural roaring. "Kill them of course".
Before one of her brothers could reply, golden chains, made of pure energy sprang from the floor, walls, ceiling imprisoning them before they could even react. Grunting in pain from the strenght of the chain holds Fritz struggle to speak. "Wha...urg...what the f-ARGGG."
"Normally when Trash, like you, who think they can intercede in the game of King, Emperor and Conquer, appear before me, I slaughter them. But in your case you will be more useful as pawn… Kotoamatsukami (Distinguished Heavenly Gods ) " .
The last thing that the three demon would ever seen was a figure rising from the ground like a ghost, his lonely, red eyes shining with power, from the shadow of his white fox shape mask, as the black tomoe in it spun lazily.
"Feeling like showing off, Kitsune?" asked a playful voice, belonging to a toad masked man casually sitting on the table, swinging his legs and humming a tone to himself.
"Why are you here, didn't you need to keep the sisters under watch, Hikigaeru?" reply with a snort, the now revealed Kitsune.
"Cloneeee~" he sing-song happily. "What do you want?" snapped Kitsune.
Hikigaeru keep silence for a while before replying in a serious and emotionless voice.
"We proceed to phase three…"
10 minute later - Halliwell Manor - San Francisco - 1998
Entering the house the last member of the Halliwell family keep the silence that descend after the shocking announcement (to change with something better) of Victor. Moving into the living room, they settle on the couch the same tense silence blanketing the room: three sister were a little lost about what to do seeing as their father seems happy to just look around with a fond look.
Piper let her eyes vander the room,searching for something to break the now uncomfortable silence, before her gaze fall on a picture on a shelf. Unable to help herself a little chuckle escape her lips attracting the sharp eyes of her older sister.
"What is so funny?" ask Prue.
Taking the photo in her hands, Piper show it to her sister before answering with fondness. "Do you remember the day this was taken?".
With a raised eyebrow Prue reply "Yeah, family picnic. It rained."
With a little laugh Victor took the picture from her hand, looking lovingly at the smiling face of his late wife. "And your mother packed us all up and she brought us home and we had the picnic right here in the living room. Do you remember that Prue?".
"Barely" she replied turning away.
"Prue…" murmur Phoebe.
Without a world their father pick up another photo, before slowly turning around to face his eldest.
"This one was at one of your piano recitals. Not a very good shot. My fault. I had to take the pictures that day. Your mother was too busy holding her breath. If you look closely…" he said giving it to her. "you see there, that's her."
"I never noticed that before." say Prue.
Picking up one last photo, Victor smile sadly, before showing it to his daughters. "And this one used to be a five by seven."
On the photo his smiling wife was showing proudly her swollen stomach, while her mother smile from behind her and her two beautiful daughters were grinning at the camera yet a corner of the photo was cut out.
"When I was still in it." add Victor after a small pause.
"I think Grams cut you out." supply Phoebe with an apologetic smile.
"There's a bunch of other stuff in the attic. Grams left us some things." add Piper with a smile.
"Not all she left us." sing song Phoebe
"Phoebe, let's not go there." say Prue with a pointed look to her sister.
"What, it's not like he doesn't already know and I'm sorry but it's kind of a relief to talk to someone about it." say Phoebe with a shameless shrug of her shoulder.
"Um, does anybody want coffee?" intercede Piper
"I mean, one day I am a member of the Y generation with average hair and a thing for caffeinated beverages, and the next I am a witch." continue the youngest, ignoring the vain tentative of her sister to change the topic of their discussion.
"Dad, do you take cream or, um, sugar with that?" add Piper before disappearing in the kitchen.
"I just read from the book and 'wham!' I am Tabitha. The only thing is, is I got stuck with the power to see the future. How uncool is that?" finish Phoebe with a small downcast look.
"Well, from what your mother always said, it was actually considered one of the more desirable powers." he said crossing his arms.
"Unless you see things you don't desire." she mutter to herself
"So how long have you known? About us, our powers, how long?" asked Prue, arm crossed, while Piper spy from behind her shoulder.
"I knew there was a possibility. That's why I came back, to find out. It must of happened when your grandmother died, right?" he asked tapping his chin.
"Yep, I just read an incantation from the book and…"."PHOEBE" The way her older sister bark out her name make Phoebe grimace. 'Oh Oh...' she trought.
"Ahh, the Book Of Shadows. Not exactly summer reading. Is it still up in the attic? You know, I haven't seen it in years. Mind if I have a look?" asked Victor with an odd look in his eyes.
"Why? So you can disappear again? No thank you!" asked Prue
"What exactly are you accusing me of, Prue?" reply Victor, crossing his arms.
"Figure it out." she replied angrily.
"Come on, Prue, take it easy." say Phoebe trying to defuse the situation.
"Are you kidding me? Am I the only one who sees what's going on here?" reply Prue with a glare.
"Couldn't we all just take a deep breath…" try to say Piper but was ignored by the others.
"Think about it, Piper. He wines and dines and now he's back in the house he hasn't set foot in for twenty years and the first thing he wants to know is where's the Book Of Shadows?" say Prue.
"You're just looking for something to blame him for." murmured Phoebe rolling her eyes.
"Admit it. Tell them why you're here." continued Prue, ignoring her sisters.
"Prue, stop." pleaded Piper with a soft voice.
"For the first time in your life, Victor, tell them the truth." finished Prue with a heavy stare.
With a resigned sigh their father seems to deflate "Alright, fine. You're right. I am after the book. That's exactly the reason why I came back."
Ignoring the hurt and betrayed look of his youngest daughters, he locked eye contact with Prue "But not for the reasons you would like to believe. It would make it easier for you Prue, wouldn't it? If I were evil. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, I'm not. I'm here to protect you."
"Yeah, right." muttered Prue with a pointed look to her sisters. Ignoring her, Piper, ask to her father: "To protect us from what?"
"Do you think that being a witch is all rose and rainbow? that at the end of the day, you can sit down and relax? A happy ending?" his eyes seem to focus on something only he could see, with a broken voice he continued: "Don't kid yourself Prudence…all you will ever get is: Demon, Warlock, Fallen Angel, Monster, Spirit and what's so ever is trying to kill you. No place will be safe…" His Voice broke then, closing his eyes to hide the tears that shone in them he finished with a soft, hurt whisper. "I'm trying to protect you from yourself! That's why I want that damn book. It's where the power of three started and it's where it must end."
For a moment it seems that his argument reached his daughters, doubt and worry reflect in their eyes. For a moment he let himself hope that he could DO IT and the rest of the plan could be avoided. That his beautiful, strong and independent daughters could live a normal, boring, safe life.
Yet the moment slipped away…Prue's eyes hardened and with an angry hiss, she spoke: "You're unbelievable. After all these years of being an absentee dad then you waltz back into our lives and tell us how to live. And when we don't listen you give us some crazy threat…"
"I never wanted you to have those powers in the first place. I battled with your grandmother after your mum died. She wanted you to find out you were witches when you grew up. I didn't. I fought for you, hard. Your grandmother was too strong." he said trying to let them understand.
"Wait, you're blaming Grams for why you disappeared. She loved us, she raised us." said Piper with her first angry look of the evening.
"believe me, nothing short of that would've kept me away. You have to believe me. All I want is for what's best for you. Phoebe, you believe me don't you?" plea Victor, only for his daughter to look away.
"We've done fine without you." reply Prue with a harsh tone.
"Prue, you can't fight this." he say with despair, before murmuring: "I couldn't."
"I'm not you." she said through gritted teeth.
"Are you sure? Are you sure you can protect your sisters forever?" he nearly shouted.
"We'll protect each other." say Piper with tears in her eyes.
Looking away their father could only whisper: "Then you'll die together."
"No one can hurt us as bad as you." shoot Prue before using her power and throwing him to the other side of the room. Hitting the door frame Victor slide down before picking himself up with some trouble, before taking his jacket and murmuring: "If you wanted me to leave, all you had to do was ask."
Opening the front door, he limp away, fading into the night.
"Why did you have to do that?" cried Phoebe before following her father outside.
"Did you have to throw him so hard?" asked Piper stopping in front of her older sister. "We could've just, you know, talked about it like normal people." she finished with a angry tone.
"We're not normal." murmured Prue before moving away.
Victor Hotel Room - Some Time Later - San Francisco - 1998
Letting the door close behind him, Victor embrace the dark, cold silence of his little hotel room: gently trailing a finger along the wall he couldn't help but let escape an humorless chuckle as his mind replay how his littl-NO, grow up daughters ended their conversation.
'God, I feel like shit…I hope this farce can end already' he thought, flopping in one of the comfortable armchairs in the room, hiding his face in his hands.
"Rough night?" asked an amused voice to his left.
Snorting Victor peeked from between his fingers, before grumbling under his breath. Casually leaning against the back of his chair was one of his accomplices; his fox shape mask poking out from under his white cloak. With a heavy sigh, he straightened himself up "Have you…"
"Yes" reply Kitsune. "They're ours"
A small tired smile blossomed on his face, the heavy weight on his shoulders vanishing. Rising up Victor skipped over to the mini bar with a new spring in his step, pouring himself a large glass of whiskey, taking it to his lips he stopped himself and after a moment prepared another for his guest.
Accepting it with a nod, Kitsune move his mask to the side; sipping their drink the two man left the silence lull them in his comfortable embrace. Kindly resting his empty glass on the table, Kitsune's form seems to fade like a mirage, his voice breaking the silence at last.
"All the condition are clear. Phase Three has Begun."
"All Hail to the King" reply Victor to the now empty room, the murdering, nearly manic grin on his face hidden behind the glass.
Next Morning - Halliwell Mansion - San Francisco - 1998
The next morning tension reign supreme in the Halliwell Mansion. Piper and Prue were sitting in the dining room, breakfast forgotten in their plate, looking rather depressed and a little ticked off. Even when Phoebe entered the kitchen, a hot cup of coffee in hand, her two older sisters completely ignored her; she sighed and the silence was broken with a murmur.
"Good morning, Phoebe"
Taking a napkin from the table she waves it around before speaking: "Uh, guys. Can we call it truce just for five minutes please? I have a confession. Remember when we agreed to not see dad? Yeah, well, I did."
"Hello, I was with you." reply Piper with a small tired, smile.
"No, by myself…" say Phoebe. "Before dinner and I had a premonition about dad when he hugged me." she paused for a moment, took a deep breath and continued. "He was stealing the Book Of Shadows."
Showing a small hurt smile, she murmur.
"Yeah, you were right about him, Prue. I didn't want the premonition to be true. I was hoping, praying that there was a perfectly good explanation for it. Hoping that, that he was really here to be with us. I just wanted him back in our lives." blinking away the tears in her eyes,she whispered. "He's our dad."
Standing up Prue moved to embrace her, eyes wet, feeling her sister tremble in her arms she kissed her forehead and whispered in her ears: "I know, Phoebe."
Watching them Piper has to turn away, discretely wiping away the tears that was threatening to fall; in doing so she notices a glitter from the corner of her eyes. Intrigued she walked over.
'A ring?' she trought picking it up, before realization struck.
"Hey, look…" she say catching the attention of her sister. "Dad's ring. What's it doing here?"
Walking over Prue take it, looking it over; before Phoebe spoke from behind her:
"It must of came off when he, uh... fell."
With a disinterested look in her eyes she gently placed it on the table before leaving the room.
Phoebe could only sigh before going outside to pick up the newspaper; absently waving at Fritz and Marshal, who were talking to each other, from across the road before nearly jumping out of her skin when turning around she found her father behind her.
"Don't be afraid." said Victor
"What are you... you have to leave." she said trying to keep her hammering heart under control.
With an unnoticed look to her neighbors, Victor replied: "Phoebe, please, this is very important."
"I can't. I don't wanna talk to you anymore." she answered looking everywhere but at him, missing the proud look in his eyes.
"Phoebe, you gotta get the book out of the house." he tried again, adding a note of urgency in his voice, all the while thinking: 'Damn…I'm good, I could be an actor'
"You have to leave." murmured his daughter trying to slip past, only to stop as her father grabbed at her arm.
"Phoebe, trust me. Look…" says Victor, knowing that his action would trigger a vision from her.
And trigger it did, as her father, shook her shoulder Phoebe experience another vision.
*Premonition On*
Victor took the book of Shadow from her, a smug, cruel grin paste on his face…
Yet as she look at him, his form seems to blur out of focus before in his place stood a beaming Marshall.
With a sign Fritz and Cynda follow him as they walk off with the Book of Shadow.
* Premonition Off *
Stunned, Phoebe stood there, looking at her father open mouth; never noticing that he let her go; her thoughts was jumping around in her head, trying to make sense of everything she saw. Yet before she could find her voice again; Marshall and Fritz accost them with a curious look on their face.
"Excuse me, hey. Is this guy bothering you, Phoebe?" ask Marshall.
"Uh, no. This is my, uh... this is Victor." she reply breathless, giving them a strained smile.
"We were just saying goodbye." add Victor with a nod.
"Yeah, I gotta run." reply Phoebe before running inside, never noticing the proud look on her father face.
Not even bothering to close the door behind her she run towards the stair, not even bothering to stop and greet her sister Prue, runnin up two step at the time stopping only to shout: "Dad's not after the book, it's Marshall."
"What?"
"My premonition, it wasn't dad. Gotta find a spell and banish them." reply Phoebe, turning around.
"Banish who?" asked Prue confused.
"The neighbours. They're shapeshifters. Fritz and Marshall and the…" trailed of Phoebe as Piper and Cynda come in from the kitchen with a batch of cookie in hand.
"Cookies. Just baked." asked Cynda with a smile.
Before Phoebe could respond Fritz walk in with a look of delight confusion on his face "Hey, door was unlocked. Everything ok?"
Walking up the stair Phoebe give him a strained smile and replied: "Yeah everything ok".
"We're you going, Pheebs?" asked Piper, surprise at the behavior of her sister.
"Uh, just to get something. Will you save me a cookie?" she reply with a smile to Cyndia.
"Okay" reply Cyndia.
Just as Phoebe walk up the stair Victor enter the house with an arrogant gaith: "Daddy's home." he sing song. Prue and Piper look shoot at him a look of pure disbelief.
Meanwhile Phoebe enter the attic, rushing to the closet,she hurriedly threw away the clothes and there it was: the Book of Shadow. Flipping the page with hurry she started to murmur to herself.
"Come on, come on. I have no idea what I'm looking for."
Hidden from view Kitsune gently flick his finger, causing the page of the book to turn themselves, hering Phoebe whispering "Okay, I can take a hint." he allowed himself to smile, it's was so rewarding to watch over them: watching them grow, laugh, cry but more important watching them live…
Phoebe meanwhile read the spell on the page the book open to: "When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam, rid all beings from these walls, save sisters three now heed our call."
Running down the stairs she repair it to herself, nearly hitting her sisters who were blocking her way; following their gaze she nearly scream: "Dad, you can't be here, you have to leave now."
Just then another Victor show up, stopping himself shoulder to shoulder with his double and for a moment the sisters could only watch in surprise as their two father.
"Whoa, time out. What's going on here?" asked Piper with surprise.
"Don't worry about it, sweetie. Everything's gonna be fine." said Victor #1 with a sweet smile on his face.
"Don't trust him." reply Victor #2
"Wait a second. Last week we had no dad and now we have two?" shrieked Piper indicating the two.
"Phoebe, remember, remember when you were little and you were afraid of the dark and I would leave the hall light on and the door open just a crack." say Victor #1 moving forward a little.
"Oh, that's original. What kid isn't afraid of the dark?" replied his double, moving to his side.
"Prue, she's never afraid of anything." Victor #1 reply without missing a heartbeat.
"He's right, Prue. You were never afraid of the dark." add Piper
"Lucky guess. I said I came back to protect you. Now there's only one way to do it. Kill us both." reply Victor #2 rolling his eyes.
"You're bluffing." said Victor #1 with alarm.
"Am I? Just do it because I wanna go out with a bang." responded Victor #2 with a grin.
"Do it, Phoebe." said Prue
"The spell will kill everyone including dad." replied Phoebe, eyes shining with tears
"It's the only way. Prudence…" softly said Victor #2.
"Prue, the protection ring." whispered Piper to Prue, gently tugging her sleeve. With an imperceptible nod Prue use her power to slide the ring on the table until it softly touched her father's hand and at her nod he put it on his finger.
"Phoebe, now!" shouts Prue. Without waiting for another moment the youngest sisters start chanting.
"In the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam,
rid all beings from these walls, save sisters three now heed our call."
Cyndia transform into a horrendous monster, roaring with anger, while a strong wind sprang to life into the house.
"When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam…Daddy"
She shout as their father fall to his knee hugging his ringer bear hand to his chest, seemingly in agony, yet he was able to shout back even through his tears: "It's okay, keep it going. You need to do it together!"
hearing this the three sisters chant as one.
"Rid all beings from these walls, save sisters three now heed our call."
As the last syllable leave their lips, the shapeshifter melt in boiling,putrid, white goo their agonized scream echo in the air for a moment longer. And yet the sisters ignore all of this, choosing to run to their father side. Accepting his daughters help Victor murmur between deep breat:
"For a moment there I wasn't sure what you would do."
Giving her father a small smile she whisper back: "For a moment there neither did I."
Smiling gently at her father, Phoebe ask: "I thought you didn't want us to use our magic?"
Hiding his pain behind a smile, he reply: "I didn't. Not as long as I still thought of you as my little girls. But you're obviously not anymore…"
Taking a step forward Piper hug her father, together with her youngest sister, whispering in his ear: "We're still you're little girls, we're just…". "Witches." finish Prue joining her sisters; for a moment everything was perfect and their little dysfunctional family took the first step to start healing.
Yet all good thing come to an end as a malicious voice echo in the house.
"Ohhh how marvelous…a happy ending!"
As one the three witches and their father turn around; there calmly sitting on the handrail, feet kicking the air, seemly without a care in the world stood a demon that was well known to the three halliwell sister.
"YOU!" snarled Prue, a reflexively blast of telekinetic power, exploding towards the demon even as she moved in front of her family.
"Yeah, Miss Prue remembers Tobi, Tobi is HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPY! " replied Tobi in his trademark sing song voice, even as his visage rippled when the attack harmlessly went through him.
Piper went to freeze him but a hand on her shoulder stopped her, turning to look at her father, she received only a smile before Victor stood protectively in front of his daughters, ignoring their alarm and with a calm, strong voice say:
"Hello; Tobi, was it? I have to ask you to left this house. It seems that my daughters don't want you here…Truth be told, neither do I."
Momentarily stunned by the guts of the old human, Tobi couldn't suppress his mirth, body shaking with barely suppress laughters, he replied: "Ohhh~ And what will you do if I, how we say, refuse to leave?" tilting his masked visage to the side, he add as an afterthought: "Are you going to throw me out Little Human"
"Me? Oh no, I'm just a simple human…" reply Victor, seamly surprise by the question, before a sly, smug smile blossom on his face. "HE on the other hand…" finish Victor indicating something behind him with his finger.
'HE? Fuc-'
even the seemly invincible demon was take by surprise, having only time to widen his eye before hundred of thousand of tiny, nearly invisible, hidden seal light up with vengeance and thousand as many, glowing, golden chain sprang from every surface of the house, around him, restraining his limbs, cutting in his clothes and biting in his skin, in the process and whipping his limbs out so that he was crucified in the air.
Ignoring the startled cry of surprise and shock from his daughters, Victor smile pleasantly, without taking his eyes from the now crucified demon, he spoke seemly to the empty air:
"Now Now, don't you think this's a bit too much, né Naruto?"
A flash of gold later and a figure was kneeling at Victor feet, head bowed, right first over his heart.
"Gomen'nasai (ごめんなさい - I'm sorry); but the Uzumaki no fuinjutsu: 1024 Daiaguramu seigen shīru (うずまきのfuinjutsu：1024ダイアグラム制限シール - Uzumaki fuinjutsu: one thousand and twenty four diagram restriction seals) it's the only seal with enought power to keep him bound on this plane without tapping on the layline…Yet it's power it's only weekned." reply Naruto, his voice devoid of any and all emotion, not raising his head.
Prue, Piper and Phoebe could only gack at the the blonde man kneeling near Victor; his appearance couldn't be more different from the day before: instead of a suit his body was cover in a black ninja pants, a black long sleeve t-shirt, black ninja combat boot and black finger gloves. The shoulder of his t-shirt bore the crest of the Uzumaki clan, his shinobi hitai-te tied to his forehead, soured by his messy blond hair. His modified green jōnin flak jacket consisted of a integrate steel grey-ish over-vest with neck guard, samurai shoulder guards, extension to protect the lover throat and abdomen and steel gauntlet together with steel protection on his shins and samurai protection on his upper legs. All complemented with a black facemask that cover everything except his eyes: his cold, emotionless eyes.
Sufficient to say he look like a warrior; a dangerous warrior.
"Kukukukukuku…I never imagine that you were into bondage, Naruto~kun!" the demonic voice rose the three sister from their shock, turning around once more to regard Tobi, they could see at once, that the seemly invincible demon was hurt: black, smoking, droop of blood fell on the floor.
"I would like nothing more to rip your heart, still beating, from your chest and crush it beneath my foot…Yet I will not waste time on a mere clone; one day . . And as the light leave your eyes, I will taste it like I will taste a vintage wine, this I swear Tobi!" snarled Naruto, hate dripping from his words like honey from a hive.
His only answer was a crazy, dark laugh from Tobi as his form warp on itself on his left eyes a last taunt echoing in the air: "I don't have time to play with you today but we will see each other again Naruto~kun, take care of your charge, we don't want to let the game finish when it's only just began, don't we? byebye…"
"Tsk" mutter Naruto, under his breath, before snapping his finger once, watching the chain snapped as their glowing remain floated like firefly in the afternoon light.
"Naruto?". hearing his name being call, he look behind his shoulder at the amused look on Victor face and the incredulous, disbelieving one of his daughters. 'Uhrg…Troublesome' he thought to himself.
Halliwell mansion - Some time Later - San Francisco - 1998
"No, Andy, I'm fine really. Dad's gonna be here any minute, so can I take a rain check on dinner? Okay, thanks for the good advice." said Prue smiling at the telephone in her hand, from her set atop the arm of the chair. Her purple dress gently hugging her curve while a blue sweater top it all.
As Prue hangs up; Phoebe question her from the couch, the midnight black sleeveless spaghetti dress, she wore teases the eye with the sensual curves of her breast.
"So he's dad now?"
"Yes, Phoebe, and by the way my dress looks good on you." reply her older sister even as Piper enter the living room, a black dress, with lovely epaulettes, enhances her beauty.
"I don't have any nice clothes, Prue." answer Phoebe with a pout.
"Dad said it was casual." pointed out Prue with an eyes roll.
"I don't care. I wanna look nice for him. Who knows how long it'll be before we see him again." reply her younger sister with a small smile.
"You don't think he's gonna stay around?" asked Piper with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, let's just say I no longer have a romanticised image of him. And I'm glad about that actually. At least dad is real now." reply Phoebe with a shrug of her shoulder.
"And at least he's not a monster which is very reassuring considering we share his genes." pointed out Prue with humor.
"I'm just glad he came back no matter how long he stays. Kind of nice feeling like a normal family again. Whatever that means." say Piper just as the doorbell ring. "Speak of the devil." trailed off Piper going to open the door, letting her sister to chuckle in good spirit.
Piper walk in her sisters laughing, together with a strangers; Prue was the first one to remember who was he suppose to be, and ask:
"Uh, hi, you must be Mr. Wyatt."
"The handyman?" question Phoebe, giving the stranger an contemplative look; dirty blond hair frame a nice face, strong jaw and kissable lips, his brow eyes show a professional but friendly gaze, together with his working uniform he made his good impression. 'not bad' trought Phoebe 'not bad at all…he has nothing on Naruto,but who does…'.
"Call me Leo." respond the man, with a friendly and warm smile.
"Gladly" answer Phoebe flirtatious.
"This was on the steps." reply Leo, holding up a yellow envelopment, before looking around the room "This place is, uh, you don't find many like this around anymore." he finish politely.
"Yeah, it's kind of falling apart." answer Piper with a smile.
"The problem isn't the manor, it's the manner in which it was treated. I'd love to see more." he reply with another smile.
"I would love to show it to you. The attic is right this way." say Phoebe, taking his arms in hers and pulling him along before a shout from her sister Prue stop her.
"He's not coming." say Prue with a small frown on her face.
"Who's not coming?" asked Piper incredulous.
"Dad. He sent this. Um," clearing her throat she start reading the note. "girls, something's come up, I hate to leave town. Can't make it to dinner. Probably best if we let the dust settle anyway. I know there's a lot you would like to forget but here's what I remember. Love dad." she finish holding up a videotape.
together the three sisters sit on the couch to watch the tape, losing themself on the memory recorded there.
Same Time - Attic of Halliwell Mansion - San Francisco - 1998
Leo was moving around the attic, searching, before with a grin of victory he took in his hands the book of shadow and start to seemly talk to himself.
"I'm in…"
"..."
"No, no trace of him or others. I'm waiting instruction…"
"..."
"Understood"
Putting the book back, he never saw two cold blue eyes watching him from the shadow.
"Come Little Angel…let's play a game"
CHAPTER END
Comment and review are appreciated, helpful and constructive one, if someone want to just insult people at random please refrain from doing so.
Until the next time...
Akira Uzumaki
Complete Upolad: 03/05/2015