Gathered around the table in the dinning room everyone was talking and having a good time. "I would like to propose a toast," Piper began standing up. "To our family, friends, and most of all- the demons and our innocents, for letting us to be able to see how much unity really need to be spread these days. Let the magical and non-magical problems keep rolling to only keep us stronger. Blessed be!"
"Blessed be," everyone answered back.
As dinner was soon done, they all headed to the sunroom to gather around the big tree. "This is all amazing, we never had anything like this in Tortall. The tree, the food, everything," King Roald remarked about the holiday.
"I guess that it is, it's just that I've been here for a while to understand most of the things that go on around town. But, you know that we kind of do have something close to this back in Tortall, the Midwinter Festivals," Jon answered.
"Well, once when you get back to Tortall, you're going to have to start up Christmas there," Queen Lianne commanded.
"I beg to differ, "Alanna butted in." But if Tortall has Christmas and all then history will be altered and we're not allowed to do that. You see the Elders are already having problems on trying to restore history by the fact that Jon, Gary, George and I are here. If Christmas is to happen in Tortall then they will have no way to reverse it."
"I believe that you're right. History will be hard to fix if Christmas is to happen," Roald answered.
"Thank you, let's just drop the subject for now and just enjoy opening gifts," Alanna suggested. All the gifts were passed around and finally opened. However, Jon held Alanna's back.
"Last but not least, Alanna, this is for you. Merry Christmas."
"Thank you, Jon." Alanna said. When she opened her gift she saw two cameras; one digital and the other a normal 35mm with a removable 75mm lens. "Oh my gosh, you really didn't have to give me this."
"But I did. Come here, there's more," Jon got up to head towards the basement door.
"Wait, if its-"
"Alanna it's not that, it's something else. Something to help with those cameras of yours."
Everyone encouraged her to go, they, after all, knew what it was already. By the time when she met him at the door she saw a bow tied on the knob. "Go on ahead- open it." She was about ready to protest but he gave her a look saying it was for real.
She slowly turned the knob on the door, pushed it open, and started to go down the steps. Jon turned a light on and instantly normal, and red lights lit up. "A dark room," she breathed.
"And its all for you."
"But how could you-"
"Don't worry about that, it wasn't much. I needed something to do anyway so I refurnished this area to be your dark room."
"I can't believe that you did this for me," Alanna exclaimed.
"But I did," Jon whispered softly as he embraced her into a warm hug. "I did it to show you that I love you."
"Thank you so much, I love it- the cameras, the room, and I love you; no matter what."
Jon bent down to brush his lips against hers. "Hey you two, you better not be making out down there!" Pipers voice boomed from the door.
"We better go back," Alanna said. Jon nodded and he followed her up the staircase. By the time they got back up into the living room Wyatt had all ready settled down with his new toys, and everyone else was sipping on hot chocolate and talking about the small ways of life to Jon's parents.
"About time kids! Hey Alanna, why don't you take out that camera of yours and snap a few shots to see what it does," Phoebe suggested.
"Why not," Alanna said eagerly as she pulled out the medium sized black and silver digital camera. Positioning the camera to the angle she wanted, "Say Merry Christmas," she said. The flash went off and in the view finder the picture that she just took had the most odd image in it- another person. She immediately went to the preview option on the camera and saw the same exact thing that she saw before but instead it wasn't in a human form, rather a demonic form. Alanna looked to the area of where the demon would have to be. However, she saw nothing peculiar. She put the cameras mode back to the viewfinder and pointed it right where Piper and Phoebe were- there it was, but in human form, the demon.
"Hey, what's the matter," Phoebe asked.
"Demon- right behind you." Suddenly a tall lamp turned into a human. He attacked by throwing a fireball that formed straight from the palm of his hand sending it towards Alanna. As if in slow motion, the fireball was hurtling its way towards her before it hit her though she tapped into Prue's powers and bounced the fireball back towards the demon by using her mind. The fireball then smashed into the demon and a fire started to flicker upon his clothing. The fire then went to his skin scalding it first then penetrating it.
Alanna and her damned conscience tapped into Piper's powers and with a wave of Alanna's hand she froze him before he let out a scornful cry. "What the hell are you doing," Paige shouted.
"I don't know! I was thinking that we could get some information from him, but I was just wondering if there was any way for us to do that now," Alanna shrieked as she walked over to the frozen dying demon.
"There is, Prue and I did it once. Just unfreeze his head and mouth and it should work. Go on ahead- try it. All you do is point you finger to his head and just unfreeze that part by casting an invisible circle around it. But be sure that its three circles like the normal unfreezing way," Piper advised. Alanna did as she was told and instantly he was thrashing his head about.
"What's going on? How come I am not dead yet! You fucking bitches! You will pay for this if you don't release me," the demon bellowed in fury.
"First of all, we will answer your questions if you answer ours." Alanna stated in a stern matter. "Who sent you?"
"Selah, demon of pleasures and pin, she is one of the most deadly of us," he answered.
"Doesn't Selah go by 'Bridgett Hewlett' that works at our club P3" Alanna asked.
"Yes,"
"What," Piper shouted. "You mean to tell me that I hired a demon to work at our club?"
"Never mind that right now, who does Selah work under," Phoebe quizzed.
"The Source. Scrimshaw demon of pains, fears, and death- the most deadly of all. Invincible- he is not easy to defeat, that is if you dream to die," The demon replied with a crooked grin forming on his face.
"If I were you then I'd slap that look off of your face before I undo the freezing charm and just let you die the most painful death." Alanna cut in her breath ice cold. "Now in order for us to get to Scrimshaw what do we have to do?"
"He travels in between time, our next meeting is going to be in Rome 76 BC and if you don't mind, I'm going to be late."
"Oh don't worry. We're going to be sending our condolences to your fucking friends saying that you fed us enough information and evidence for us to vanquish you," Paige seethed. "Unfreeze him," she commanded. Alanna obeyed. Once unfroze the demon's agony returned so ferociously that his cries of death were louder than any other demons.
"Sheesh, first attack in over six months and they just have to try it on a holiday- how thoughtful," Piper raved.
"And the worst part about it is that he had every damned nerve to attack while spirits are around," Alanna fumed.
"Spirits," Gary asked.
"Lianne and Roald are spirits only that they turned into a flesh like form after they stepped out of the circle," Phoebe answered. Jon, Gary, and George all nodded their heads.
"What I want to know is if it is safe for us to return to the heavens," Lianne pondered.
"I'll go and check with the Elders to see if it is," Leo offered.
"Please," Roald spoke up. During the entire questioning he had a look of pure horror upon his face. It surprised Alanna that Lianne was shaky yet calmer then she had ever seen her.
"And Leo, while you're up there, check to see who Scrimshaw and Selah are. The more we know the more we'll know on how to vanquish them," Piper ordered.
Leo was half way about ready to orb (An ability belonging exclusively to White Lighters, allowing them to transport themselves around Earth, and also to their home plane. Half-White Lighters can also orb, but neophyte ones can only orb in the same place. Just thought that you would like to know, also when a White Lighter/ Half- White Lighter or any witch that can tap into their powers the orb is light blue) but was distracted when Wyatt started crying. "Don't worry I'm going to be back," he said as he picked up his ten month son to give him a quick hug. Alanna looking over at Piper saw that she had a distressed look to her face. Poor Piper, Leo being a White Lighter and all has her worried like hell, she thought. When Wyatt was stable, he handed him over to his wife and then took off at last.
"What," Piper asked Alanna.
"It's OK Piper, we all know that with Leo being a White Lighter that it's hard on you and Wyatt. But please understand that you're not alone,"
"Thank you," Piper replied quietly. "Everyone to the attic now," Piper ordered a few short moments later. Once up there she placed Wyatt in a high chair while Lianne tended to him. Everyone else followed the orders that Piper gave out- even Roald and Lianne (who was still tending to Wyatt but helping everyone else at the same time) who didn't have to help, did.
Phoebe was scrying a map of Rome in 76 BC for any demon meetings. Paige too was scrying a map but it was on of San Francisco 2003. Piper ordered Alanna, Jon, George, Gary, Roald, and Lianne to check to see if there were any old Book of Shadows that were left behind by their ancestors in old trunks and boxes and Piper was looking in the Book for any information there about any Scrimshaw vanquishings in the past. For an hour they were all busy at trying to the best that they could with the commands that Piper gave. Finally "Piper we've got something here," Phoebe claimed.
"What is it," Piper asked.
"Got a demon meeting at a torn down hut alongside the very edge of the village of Capami," (Just made up the town- not real… keep reading)
"Isn't Capami have a ten mile distance from Cagliari," Jon asked.
"More like a twenty mile distance I'd say, but you were close," Phoebe answered.
"Very good Jon, you know the countries that surround this one. Very well," praised Roald to his son.
"Father, it's nothing to be so excited about. I mean I have to learn this in school if I want to pass senior year," Jon protested.
"But remember Jonathan, the more that you know about the present times, the easier it will be for you to find out more about Tortall. What you may think about this may seem like no big of a deal but to your mother and I it is," Roald said quietly. He left Jon to think about this before he turned to Alanna, "What is the worst that could happen during this entire ordeal?"
She had to think about this question. Yes, they could loose their lives and if that is to happen then the past and future will change dramatically. Yes, they could loose their freedom if they are to loose this battle and Wyatt could loose his happy life- it's already been torn by the fact that his father was a White Lighter and mostly gone to see the Elders, and if he lost the last of his almost perfect family then who knows what could happen. But the worst… "The Source becoming too powerful for us to handle," she finally answered.
"OK, back to Capami- how are we going to bust into that meeting," Paige spoke up.
"We can revise one time traveling spell that is in the Book already," Phoebe suggested.
"I agree, let's start looking and get moving!" Piper ordered. No one knew what was in store for them, but admitting privately to themselves that Alanna's words were true was enough to scare the hell out of them. They only prayed that the Source didn't become too hot to handle.
There! Done w/ 7! Yeah! OK It may take a little while for the descriptions to be posted but never fear they WILL be here! LOL
Ciao,
Alanna-Lianna
P.S. If you want to see how I'm doing with the posting my e-mail is: alimluvshrh@yahoo.com Have Fun!