Legacy 201: Divine Witchervention
Part 7
Xxx
Lightning erupted above the hospital as Wyatt summoned his full power. It was time to teach his little brother a lesson and prove he was better. Chris needed to accept that he was superior and that he would always be in his shadow. Even their parents knew it was true, since before he was even born. Wyatt raised his hand and lightning coursed down at Chris from the clouds. The so-called God of Light avoided the blast by moving with superhuman speed, which manifested as a blur of light. He fired several arrows of light from his bow, which Wyatt waved aside with a gust of wind.
"Give it up, little bro." Wyatt said. "You might be able to evade my attacks but you'll never defeat me. Just run away and cry like you used to do whenever I won something."
"No, I'm tired of your arrogance." Chris replied. "You always think you're better than everyone, but you're not."
"I'm better than you." Wyatt remarked. "Everyone knows it, even mom and dad."
"Really?" Chris asked. "Is that why you've almost turned evil so many times? You never deserved the power you were born with."
"Excuse me?" Wyatt asked angrily.
"You heard me." Chris replied. "I had to go back I time to save you, so who is the weak one here?"
"That wasn't you." Wyatt countered. "You're so desperate to get out of my shadow that you're bragging about another version of yourself. You haven't achieved anything."
"I have proven myself." Chris snapped at him. "Without me, you could have never defeated the Morrigan."
"Oh please, all you did was fetch my sword." Wyatt remarked. "You'll never be more than a supportive player."
"Shut the hell up!" Chris yelled.
Chris shot forward in a burst of light. He moved around in circles so fast that it was impossible to see him. Wyatt surrounded him with a shield of electricity as Chris began firing a barrage of arrows. The shield repelled most of the arrows, though Chris was firing too many to handle. Eventually several arrows pierced the shield and hit Wyatt in the leg and shoulder. He fell to his knees and the shield faded. Chris stopped moving and towered over him with his bow drawn.
"Admit that I beat you." Chris demanded.
"Never." Wyatt replied.
Wyatt summoned a powerful bolt of lightning that hit everything in his surroundings. Chris tried to move out of the way, but was caught in the blast and thrown against a parked ambulance. His arm was badly burned, though his injuries were engulfed in light and instantly healed. He got back on his feet and fired his bow, though before the arrow could hit, it was transformed into a white dove that flew past Wyatt. The elder brother turned around and saw Noah had arrived with Laura and Henry.
"What are you doing!?" Noah asked. "Have you gone mad?"
"No, they have been affected by Penny's magic, she turned them against each other by fueling their rivalry." Laura noted. "Henry, can you break her influence?"
"I think so." Henry replied.
Henry snapped his fingers and Wyatt and Chris were engulfed in a flash white light. Wyatt could feel the anger instantly leave his body. Penny had so easily manipulated them into turning on each other. Wyatt honestly believed they had moved on from their rivalry long ago, but he guessed their issues were still there under the surface. Noticing his injuries, Chris approached him and healed them with his light.
"Chris, I'm sorry." Wyatt said.
"Yeah, me too." Chris replied. "I guess we still have stuff we need to work on."
"There will be time to talk about it later." Noah said. "Where is Penny now?"
"Oh no, this is very bad." Laura said as her eyes started to glow. "I'm seeing what happened. Penny left with Rhea. We were too late."
"What?" Henry asked. "How could that happen?"
"Penny is still overcome with grief." Laura explained as the glow faded. "She's is in constant pain and angry at the world around her. Rhea offered her a way out, to stop feeling the pain."
"By giving up her humanity." Noah concluded. "I knew this was too much to handle. I should have never given you the essence, all of this is my fault."
"What do you mean?" Chris asked.
"I warned them that you weren't ready, neither was I." Noah admitted. "It's not just Penny, we're all still grieving."
"Noah, this isn't your fault." Wyatt said. "We knew what we were signing up for. We all took in the essence willingly to stop Rhea. It's what we do."
"We're all human here, we all have our flaws." Chris added. "That doesn't mean we're giving up."
"Chris is right." Laura said. "We were all tempted by the essence and were able to regain control. Penny can do the same, she just needs our help."
"So how are we going to bring her back?" Henry asked.
"By working together." Wyatt said. "All of us, including you, Noah. You're not just our Whitelighter, but you're part of this family."
"Wait, how did you know I'm your Whitelighter now?" Noah asked.
"I sensed it when you arrived at the manor." Wyatt replied. "It was faint, but I recognized the charge connection. Besides, it only makes sense if the Elders entrusted you with the essence."
"And you're all okay with it?" Noah asked.
"I don't really like the Elders very much, so I usually don't support their choices." Chris admitted. "But you've been a good Whitelighter to the girls, so I'm good."
"It makes sense for us to stick together as a family after everything that happened." Laura added.
"I don't really know you yet, but I can get used to it." Henry concluded.
"Thank you." Noah replied with a faint smile. "I'll do my best."
"So what's the plan?" Wyatt asked.
"We're too exposed here, Rhea could attack at any moment." Noah said. "We need to get back to the manor and regroup. I think we're going to need Payton to get through to Penny."
Xxx
Inside the Golden Elysium Hotel, Penny stood on the balcony in the main lobby, overlooking the Furies training their combat skills. She could sense their desire for vengeance and violence, it was calling out to her. This was the place where she belonged. She and Rhea could conquer the world and spread as much violence as she desired. There was only one thing that felt wrong, something was nagging her in the back of her mind, a little voice telling her to go home to her family. She ignored the voice, as family only led to more pain. Caring about others meant feeling the pain of losing them, so it was better to be alone.
"Amazing, aren't they, my Goddess?" A Fury noted as she walked up to Penny and kneeled.
"They're strong warriors." Penny replied. "Their hearts are full of strife."
"We have been praying for your return for centuries." The Fury said. "We are proud to serve our creator."
"What is your name?" Penny asked.
"Megaera." The Fury replied. "I'm the leader of this tribe."
"And the previous Goddess of Strife created you?" Penny asked. "I had no idea, but that explains the connection I feel."
"Eris created our kind." Megaera confirmed. "She saw the evil in the hearts of mankind and knew that vengeance would always be needed."
"And now we get to bring about a new age of divine rule." Penny said. "Those who act against us will be punished."
"I am glad that you decided to stand with us, my Goddess." Megaera replied in an almost whispering tone as she moved closer. "Rhea offered us great things, but our true loyalties are toward you."
"What are you saying?" Penny asked.
"Rhea wants you to be her general as she reclaims this world." Megaera said quietly. "Why settle for being a general when you can be a Queen?"
"I'll think about it." Penny replied. "Do not speak of this again to anyone."
"Of course." Megaera said. "Just know that you have our talons."
Megaera walked away and Penny continued watching the Furies train. If they were truly loyal toward her, she had her own army at her disposal. Rhea offered her a world free of pain, where she could inflect as much violence as she desired. It sounded like complete freedom, but Megaera was right about one thing. As long as Rhea lived, she would always have to bow down. She would play along with her game for the time being, though she would watch carefully for the chance to strike.
The elevator behind her opened and Rhea stepped out, having changed into a beautiful golden dress with a stunning fur shawl draped around her shoulders. She joined Penny on the balcony.
"Impressed?" Rhea asked.
"With the Furies or this hotel?" Penny replied. "It is nice, but we're a long way from ruling the world."
"Patience, my dear." Rhea said. "A kingdom is not formed in a day. I understand that the ruler of this nation resides in a place called Washington. We will go there once this city is ours. Make him bow and the rest shall follow."
"And then what?" Penny asked.
"This world has been ruined." Rhea said. "I shall cleanse it and allow nature to flourish once more. Humanity will have its place in the new world, but they shall no longer be free to do as they please."
"What about the other Titans?" Penny asked. "I'm sure there are more out there somewhere."
"Most of them were loyal to Cronus." Rhea replied angrily as she clenched her fists. "They stood by as he imprisoned me, so they shall be destroyed."
"Sounds like a plan." Penny noted.
"I'll need your help of course." Rhea admitted. "Not just with the Titans, but to learn about this world and its people. However, I cannot depend on you in this state."
"What do you mean?" Penny asked.
"You're still plagued by humanity deep inside." Rhea replied. "Only once you fully embrace your divine power shall you be free."
"How?" Penny asked.
"Lose yourself in your anger." Rhea said. "Act without mercy or remorse, take a life and your own mortality shall be erased forever."
"You want me to kill someone?" Penny asked shocked.
"You are the Goddess of Strife, are you not?" Rhea noted.
Penny hesitated, although her divine powers craved violence, she had not thought about killing someone. Once again that little voice called out to her. It was her humanity trying to reason with her. However, opening that gate meant opening herself up to all the pain she had been running from in the first place. Rhea looked at her with a frown, waiting for an answer. Penny realized that any moment of weakness would cause the Titan to turn on her, so she nodded. At that moment, a Fury rushed in their direction, thankfully offering a distraction.
"We have detected an intruder." The Fury said.
"Perfect timing." Rhea replied as she looked at Penny. "What better way to prove your intentions than to kill the intruder?"
Xxx
On Prescott Street, Noah arrived in a column of orbs, followed by the cousins. He had attempted to orb straight into the manor, though something had magically blocked his path. The moment he materialized, he saw what the problem was. The vegetation that Payton had grown inside the manor had spread out across the entire street, essentially turning it into a forest. Entire cars had been lifted up and wrapped up in tree branches while flowers and vines grew out of cracks in the asphalt. Wild animals such as deer, badgers and foxes were roaming around freely, while frightened neighbors were watching the strange events from the safety of their homes.
"What happened to the manor?" Chris asked.
"Payton." Noah replied. "She was supposed to create a sanctuary to hide from Rhea, though it appears that she has lost control."
"We're getting attention." Wyatt noted as he looked at the neighbors. "This is going to go over well in next Homeowners association meeting."
"Henry, can you do something about this?" Noah asked. "We need to get to the manor."
"Sure." Henry replied as he rolled his eyes. "When did the God of Celebration become the God of Cleaning?"
Despite his protests, Henry started to use his abilities to turn things back to normal. Noah and the others went on, though the animals were alerted to their presence and flocked around the manor to form a defense line. Noah wondered if Payton was actively controlling the animals or if they were naturally drawn to protect her.
"I got this." Wyatt said.
Wyatt clapped his hands, unleashing a powerful gust of wind while thunder sounded above. The animals cowered in fear and quickly ran into hiding. The manor had become completely covered in vines and flowers, acting as the beating heart of the forest around it.
"I can barely sense Payton in there." Noah said. "Her magic is acting like a protective barrier."
"Then we blast our way in." Wyatt replied.
"No, we have to be careful." Laura said. "If Payton has created this sanctuary, she is connected to everything here. Destroying it could cause her to lose control completely."
"Let's just knock then." Chris suggested. "We're her family, she knows we're not a threat."
"I hope you're right." Wyatt noted.
The foursome made its way up the stairs to the front door. Wyatt knocked and waited, at which point the vines surrounding the door dispersed to create an opening. As they walked into the manor, Noah smelled the sweet fragrance of the flowers that had grown to cover everything in sight. Payton was lying on a chaise lounge and was surrounded by colorful butterflies.
"You're home at last." Payton said excited. "What do you think? Don't you just love it?"
"What have you done to the manor?" Chris asked. "We can't live like this."
"Why not?" Payton replied. "This is how nature intended it. The forest will provide everything we need. It is a peaceful home that we never have to leave."
"Does your forest has internet or a coffee maker?" Wyatt asked.
"Why would we need those?" Payton asked.
"Payton, you need to focus." Noah said. "You're not a real God, you've only been given this power temporarily, to defeat Rhea, remember?"
"Oh, Noah, you know I'm a pacifist." Payton replied. "You made me like this."
"Guys, you try to talk some sense into her." Laura said. "I'll try looking into the future and form a plan to defeat Rhea."
Laura sat down in one of the overgrown chairs and closed her eyes. Within a second, her glowing white eyes shot open in terror and she screamed.
"Is she alright?" Payton asked. "I can grow some calming herbs."
"Laura, what happened?" Wyatt asked. "What do you see?"
"I don't see anything." Laura replied. "There is nothing, except complete darkness. The world is gone. I must have gone too far ahead in time."
"Did Rhea do this?" Noah asked.
"No, it feels different." Laura said. "It's something darker and more sinister. I need to figure out what caused this."
"Shouldn't we focus on Rhea first?" Chris asked.
"No, this can't wait." Laura replied. "I'm going back and seeing flashes, but something is preventing me from seeing everything. I need my painting supplies. If I don't paint what I see fast, I'm afraid it will be gone forever."
"Go, we can handle things here." Noah said. "If there's a threat greater than Rhea in our future, we need to know."
Laura nodded and disappeared through silver sparkling lights. A moment later, the front door opened and Henry entered.
"Alright, I turned everything except for the manor back to normal and wiped everyone's memory." Henry said. "What's with all the gloomy faces? Where is Laura?"
"She needed to take care of something." Wyatt said. "It's just the four of us now."
"You mean three." Payton corrected him. "I can't leave. I have to protect my sanctuary. The birds have started to nest upstairs."
"Payton, snap out of it." Wyatt said. "The entire city is in danger, your own sister is in danger. Did you even notice she was gone?"
"Penny?" Payton asked concerned. "Where is she?"
"She sided with Rhea." Noah informed her. "She's hiding from her pain so she has given into her anger. If we don't save her, we could lose her."
"Stop, I don't want to hear that." Payton replied as she covered her ears. "I only want to think about peaceful things."
"You need to hear it." Wyatt said harshly as he pulled her up from her chaise. "We need your help. If we don't save Penny together, we risk losing her forever. Like Prue!"
Hearing her sister's name, Payton screamed out and caused the entire manor to tremble. The animals grew wild while the plants and vines rustled. Wyatt pulled his youngest cousin into a hug and she broke down crying in his arms, which caused the plants and flowers to wither.
"I'm sorry." Wyatt said. "I didn't want to say it like that."
"It's okay." Payton replied as she wiped away her tears. "I needed to hear it. I can't lose another sister, or anyone of you."
"We're not going to lose anyone." Wyatt said determined. "We're going to that hotel and get Penny back. After that, we'll vanquish that Titan and get our lives back."
The others nodded and Noah felt relieved. Wyatt had finally stepped up and taken charge, just as Noah had hoped. He was a born leader and their bond as a family was more powerful than anything. Although he had his doubts, he now believed that the Elders had made the right choice entrusting them with this divine power. His own pain was holding him back and had caused him to lose hope. He needed to trust in the cousins, just as they trusted him as their Whitelighter. It was what Prue would have wanted.
Xxx