Is it just me, or are these chapters getting longer and longer?
Thanks everyone for reviewing. I'm truly honoured. I would dedicate this next chapter to you, but all of my chapters are dedicated to you, anyway. Your encouragement means the world to me.
At the risk of repeating myself: review, review and then review some more!!!!
Chapter 12: A first time for everything
The bell rang and the class exploded into action. The teacher tried as hard as he could to make his voice audible above the noise that arose, but to no avail. The instructions for the assignment he had given out, went unheeded. The weekend was finally here and the students found it next to impossible to think about work.
The main topic of all conversations was of course the Autumn Prom, which was now only a week away. The dresses, the dates, it was all everyone could think about. The first prom of the year was vitally important for all the students who had social aspirations in school. The impressions created there, would have to be lived with for the rest of the year.
Talia's musical laugh was heard above the raucous. She held her books in her arms and flirted mercilessly with all the boys surrounding her. One of them held the door open for her, and the group exited the classroom. Many girls threw her dirty looks on her way out, but she had gotten used to that after he first couple of week in school.
Once outside the school, the group dwindled until there were only Talia and Josh, left. Josh swallowed hard and stared deeply into the pair of brown eyes that had captured him from the first time he saw them. It was now or never, he decided, and took a deep breath before continuing, suddenly nervous.
"Hey Talia, I was wondering, do you have a date for the prom?" he asked.
"No," she answered with a twinkle in her eyes. She already had an inclination on where this was going. Josh hadn't made his attraction to her a secret, after all.
"Well, would you like to go with me?"
"I'd love to," she answered with a dazzling smile.
Josh let out a shaky breath he hadn't realized he was holding. A silly grin spread over his face. Talia's laugh rang again surprising him.
"What?" he asked confused.
"The expression on our face," she giggled, "you look relieved, like a great weight's just been lifted off your shoulders."
Josh looked sheepish.
"I know other guys have asked you and you said no to all of them. I couldn't be sure I wouldn't get shot down too."
"I said no to everyone else, because I was waiting for you to ask me, silly," she said sweetly.
They looked deeply into each other's eyes and it suddenly seemed that the rest of the world melted away, leaving them in a place where all that mattered, was them. "Talia!" came a voice from behind them forcing Talia to turn round and break eye contact.
"Hi Judy," she said smiling. Talia had, to Wyatt's delight, liked Judy from the first time she met her. The girl's open and pleasant personality had appealed to Talia, whose former world had been anything but that.
"Got a date for the prom yet?" the younger girl asked.
"As a matter of fact," answered Talia turning slightly to look at Josh by her side, "Josh just asked me and I said yes."
"That's great!" said Judy obviously genuinely delighted, "you guys will be the best couple at the prom: the captain of the football team and the most beautiful girl in school! Only to be expected of course," she teased.
"Oh come on Judy, the title of "the perfect couple" belongs to you and Wyatt!" answered Talia rolling her eyes.
Judy giggled.
"So, date found, now we move onto the really important stuff: what are you wearing," she teased.
"Don't know yet," answered Talia, not really bothered about it.
Judy looked genuinely shocked.
"Talia, this is only one of the most important events of the year! And it's only a week away!!"
Talia shrugged. Appearances had been important in the underworld too. There, demons had mostly worn robes and the more impressive the better, especially in her presence. Or, they preferred leather, and a lot of metal. Not exactly suitable for a high school prom. She had in fact never bothered much about her appearance. She never really felt the need to impress. She never had to. She did like wearing leather sometimes, when her mood suited it. Her mind drifted off to Valdis, but was soon brought back to the present by the pressing matter at hand. Even in the underworld she preferred the clothing of mortal teenagers her age, so that she was often seen regally strolling in the corridors of the Source's underground palace, in nothing other than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
"Well have you got something in mind?!" asked Judy, truly scandalized by Talia's indifference to such an important subject.
Talia shook her head. This prom business seemed to be a bigger deal than she gave it credit for. She suddenly started feeling anxious about the whole thing. This was her first prom after all. What if she did something terribly wrong and everyone found out about her? As she looked at Judy, Talia knew that by accepting Josh's request to go to the prom with him she was getting into much more than she bargained for.
Josh saw her reaction and nearly laughed out loud. He snaked an arm round her waist and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "No matter what you wear, I'm sure you'll be the most beautiful girl there."
Talia turned to look at him and smiled at him gratefully. Their eyes locked once again and neither saw Judy's grin, which nearly spit her pretty face in two, at the sight they made. They were once again interrupted, this time by Wyatt, who was standing some way away from them, calling out Talia's name.
After having spotted them, Wyatt ran up to them, and though Talia had at first smiled at the sight of her favourite cousin, her smile disappeared as he came nearer and she saw the expression on his face. When Wyatt finally reached them he was out of breath and he gasped for air between the words that rushed out of his mouth.
"Talia, here you are, I've been looking for you everywhere! My dad is here to pick us up. Did you forget about that thing we had to do today after school?"
Talia caught on. Leo was mostly up in Elderland nowadays, and though he made a conscious effort to be with his family, he was rarely there. And he never, ever, came to pick them up from school. Talia and Wyatt told the other kids that they walked home from school, but the truth was that they only walked into an alley close by, where no one could see them, and flamed and orbed home from there. When Wyatt had suggested it a long time ago, Piper had of course been against it, thinking that it would be thought of as using magic for personal gain and that it would mean trouble. But he talked her out of it, the way only he, could. With one of Talia's powers being flaming, this strange routine had continued after her arrival to the Haliwell household. Wyatt's expression warned her of a demon attack. If Leo had been at the school, it can't have been good.
"Yes, of course," she said, playing her part perfectly, "I'm sorry Wyatt, I forgot. Josh," she leaned to kiss him gently on the cheek, "call me. Judy, I'll call you."
Wyatt kissed Judy quickly on the lips, nodded in Josh's direction and he and Talia hurriedly walked away leaving two teenagers looking forlornly after them.
"Demon attack?" Talia whispered to Wyatt, as soon as they were out of earshot.
He nodded and she followed him to their alley with no more questions. It had begun.
***************
"Piper, do something!!" Paige choked out, trying to squirm out of the grip of the demon that had his hands around her throat.
The demon in question was in fact a minautaur. Its great bull's head was supported by its even greater body, which was covered in long, tan-coloured hairs. When it had flamed into the Haliwell manor it had been carrying what looked like a battle-axe, but it was now lying out of his reach on the floor, thanks to Phoebe's fighting skills. This effort however had resulted in Phoebe's injury and Piper, suddenly found herself torn between helping one sister bleeding on the floor, and helping another sister having the life chocked out of her by a big, hairy beast!
Piper raised her hands and tried to blow up the monster. The minautaur staggered backwards momentarily, but was soon back to normal and glaring at Piper. Paige had in the meantime been unceremoniously dropped on the floor and was now spluttering for breath on hands and knees, unable to help. Piper tried to freeze the advancing beast, but to no avail. The demon growled and continued his advance on a brave, but helpless, Piper.
And in midst of all of this chaos, out of a shower of blue lights and through soaring flames, appeared Wyatt and Talia.
"Mother!" yelled Talia when she saw Phoebe's crumpled and bleeding form on the floor. "Wyatt," she called urgently with more authority than anyone present had ever heard her use before.
Wyatt heard her plea and bent over his aunt with his hands over the bleeding using his healing power. The wound was pretty bad he judged. Phoebe had been thrown hard against a mirror. The mirror had smashed on impact and a million pieces had found their way into Phoebe's body. She was bleeding heavily.
Talia turned to face the demon that had done this to her mother. She narrowed her eyes in hate. He would pay. She would see to that.
Paige in the meantime had recovered enough to use her summoning power on an athame that lay on the mantle ready to be used. She aimed the athame straight at the minautuar's heart but he deftly picked it up from the air before it had time to finish its trajectory and threw it back at her. Paige barely had time to orb to safety. The creature continued walking threateningly towards Piper.
"Minos!" bellowed Talia causing everyone in the room, including the beast whose name she had called, to turn in her direction.
"Princess Talia," said the minautaur and his ugly face split in an evil smile.
"It's me you came to get," called Talia, "so come and get me!"
"Prepare yourself, traitor," growled the demon, as he prepared for her attack.
Talia threw herself at the creature twice her size with a determination that came off her in waves, filling the room and spelling his death.
Phoebe finally got up to see her daughter fighting hand to hand with the demon that had attacked her so viciously. "Talia no!" she called. But it was too late, Talia had let her anger take over, and Phoebe's pleas fell to deaf ears.
Before her astounded family's eyes, Talia became a whirl of colour as she cleverly ducked and twisted, eluding the minautaur's grasp. Lightning fast kicks and punches found their way to the demon's leather-hard skin. Talia continued her onslaught like some great unstoppable force.
She was good, thought Wyatt, better than her mother, and Phoebe was a force to be reckoned with any day.
"We have to help her," said Piper determinedly, standing by his side.
"How?" asked Wyatt, "your powers don't work on him, and if you can't freeze him, neither can I. If Paige throws another athame, she might hit Talia. All we can do is watch," and admire, he added quietly to himself.
Talia's ongoing attack seemed to finally tire the minautaur. He didn't seem as if he could take much more of this and he was quickly loosing ground. The hair on his body seemed sweaty and matted and he was breathing heavily. He suddenly found himself flying though the - thankfully open - patio doors and into the garden outside, courtesy of Talia's foot. The demon landed in an inelegant heap.
Talia approached him slowly and menacingly. In her open palm formed a fireball. The minautaur's eyes widened at the sight. Hellfire! He had heard all about the fireballs the Source's daughter could throw. They rivaled the Source's own. As he looked into her brown eyes he saw his death approaching as surely as the sun was setting at that very moment.
Talia cocked her head at him and then said in a steady, almost pleasant, voice, "Goodbye." The fireball left her fingertips and headed straight for the terrified demon that crouched helplessly on the grass.
Soon all that was left of the minautaur were a few scorch marks on the ground.
Thanks everyone for reviewing. I'm truly honoured. I would dedicate this next chapter to you, but all of my chapters are dedicated to you, anyway. Your encouragement means the world to me.
At the risk of repeating myself: review, review and then review some more!!!!
Chapter 12: A first time for everything
The bell rang and the class exploded into action. The teacher tried as hard as he could to make his voice audible above the noise that arose, but to no avail. The instructions for the assignment he had given out, went unheeded. The weekend was finally here and the students found it next to impossible to think about work.
The main topic of all conversations was of course the Autumn Prom, which was now only a week away. The dresses, the dates, it was all everyone could think about. The first prom of the year was vitally important for all the students who had social aspirations in school. The impressions created there, would have to be lived with for the rest of the year.
Talia's musical laugh was heard above the raucous. She held her books in her arms and flirted mercilessly with all the boys surrounding her. One of them held the door open for her, and the group exited the classroom. Many girls threw her dirty looks on her way out, but she had gotten used to that after he first couple of week in school.
Once outside the school, the group dwindled until there were only Talia and Josh, left. Josh swallowed hard and stared deeply into the pair of brown eyes that had captured him from the first time he saw them. It was now or never, he decided, and took a deep breath before continuing, suddenly nervous.
"Hey Talia, I was wondering, do you have a date for the prom?" he asked.
"No," she answered with a twinkle in her eyes. She already had an inclination on where this was going. Josh hadn't made his attraction to her a secret, after all.
"Well, would you like to go with me?"
"I'd love to," she answered with a dazzling smile.
Josh let out a shaky breath he hadn't realized he was holding. A silly grin spread over his face. Talia's laugh rang again surprising him.
"What?" he asked confused.
"The expression on our face," she giggled, "you look relieved, like a great weight's just been lifted off your shoulders."
Josh looked sheepish.
"I know other guys have asked you and you said no to all of them. I couldn't be sure I wouldn't get shot down too."
"I said no to everyone else, because I was waiting for you to ask me, silly," she said sweetly.
They looked deeply into each other's eyes and it suddenly seemed that the rest of the world melted away, leaving them in a place where all that mattered, was them. "Talia!" came a voice from behind them forcing Talia to turn round and break eye contact.
"Hi Judy," she said smiling. Talia had, to Wyatt's delight, liked Judy from the first time she met her. The girl's open and pleasant personality had appealed to Talia, whose former world had been anything but that.
"Got a date for the prom yet?" the younger girl asked.
"As a matter of fact," answered Talia turning slightly to look at Josh by her side, "Josh just asked me and I said yes."
"That's great!" said Judy obviously genuinely delighted, "you guys will be the best couple at the prom: the captain of the football team and the most beautiful girl in school! Only to be expected of course," she teased.
"Oh come on Judy, the title of "the perfect couple" belongs to you and Wyatt!" answered Talia rolling her eyes.
Judy giggled.
"So, date found, now we move onto the really important stuff: what are you wearing," she teased.
"Don't know yet," answered Talia, not really bothered about it.
Judy looked genuinely shocked.
"Talia, this is only one of the most important events of the year! And it's only a week away!!"
Talia shrugged. Appearances had been important in the underworld too. There, demons had mostly worn robes and the more impressive the better, especially in her presence. Or, they preferred leather, and a lot of metal. Not exactly suitable for a high school prom. She had in fact never bothered much about her appearance. She never really felt the need to impress. She never had to. She did like wearing leather sometimes, when her mood suited it. Her mind drifted off to Valdis, but was soon brought back to the present by the pressing matter at hand. Even in the underworld she preferred the clothing of mortal teenagers her age, so that she was often seen regally strolling in the corridors of the Source's underground palace, in nothing other than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
"Well have you got something in mind?!" asked Judy, truly scandalized by Talia's indifference to such an important subject.
Talia shook her head. This prom business seemed to be a bigger deal than she gave it credit for. She suddenly started feeling anxious about the whole thing. This was her first prom after all. What if she did something terribly wrong and everyone found out about her? As she looked at Judy, Talia knew that by accepting Josh's request to go to the prom with him she was getting into much more than she bargained for.
Josh saw her reaction and nearly laughed out loud. He snaked an arm round her waist and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "No matter what you wear, I'm sure you'll be the most beautiful girl there."
Talia turned to look at him and smiled at him gratefully. Their eyes locked once again and neither saw Judy's grin, which nearly spit her pretty face in two, at the sight they made. They were once again interrupted, this time by Wyatt, who was standing some way away from them, calling out Talia's name.
After having spotted them, Wyatt ran up to them, and though Talia had at first smiled at the sight of her favourite cousin, her smile disappeared as he came nearer and she saw the expression on his face. When Wyatt finally reached them he was out of breath and he gasped for air between the words that rushed out of his mouth.
"Talia, here you are, I've been looking for you everywhere! My dad is here to pick us up. Did you forget about that thing we had to do today after school?"
Talia caught on. Leo was mostly up in Elderland nowadays, and though he made a conscious effort to be with his family, he was rarely there. And he never, ever, came to pick them up from school. Talia and Wyatt told the other kids that they walked home from school, but the truth was that they only walked into an alley close by, where no one could see them, and flamed and orbed home from there. When Wyatt had suggested it a long time ago, Piper had of course been against it, thinking that it would be thought of as using magic for personal gain and that it would mean trouble. But he talked her out of it, the way only he, could. With one of Talia's powers being flaming, this strange routine had continued after her arrival to the Haliwell household. Wyatt's expression warned her of a demon attack. If Leo had been at the school, it can't have been good.
"Yes, of course," she said, playing her part perfectly, "I'm sorry Wyatt, I forgot. Josh," she leaned to kiss him gently on the cheek, "call me. Judy, I'll call you."
Wyatt kissed Judy quickly on the lips, nodded in Josh's direction and he and Talia hurriedly walked away leaving two teenagers looking forlornly after them.
"Demon attack?" Talia whispered to Wyatt, as soon as they were out of earshot.
He nodded and she followed him to their alley with no more questions. It had begun.
***************
"Piper, do something!!" Paige choked out, trying to squirm out of the grip of the demon that had his hands around her throat.
The demon in question was in fact a minautaur. Its great bull's head was supported by its even greater body, which was covered in long, tan-coloured hairs. When it had flamed into the Haliwell manor it had been carrying what looked like a battle-axe, but it was now lying out of his reach on the floor, thanks to Phoebe's fighting skills. This effort however had resulted in Phoebe's injury and Piper, suddenly found herself torn between helping one sister bleeding on the floor, and helping another sister having the life chocked out of her by a big, hairy beast!
Piper raised her hands and tried to blow up the monster. The minautaur staggered backwards momentarily, but was soon back to normal and glaring at Piper. Paige had in the meantime been unceremoniously dropped on the floor and was now spluttering for breath on hands and knees, unable to help. Piper tried to freeze the advancing beast, but to no avail. The demon growled and continued his advance on a brave, but helpless, Piper.
And in midst of all of this chaos, out of a shower of blue lights and through soaring flames, appeared Wyatt and Talia.
"Mother!" yelled Talia when she saw Phoebe's crumpled and bleeding form on the floor. "Wyatt," she called urgently with more authority than anyone present had ever heard her use before.
Wyatt heard her plea and bent over his aunt with his hands over the bleeding using his healing power. The wound was pretty bad he judged. Phoebe had been thrown hard against a mirror. The mirror had smashed on impact and a million pieces had found their way into Phoebe's body. She was bleeding heavily.
Talia turned to face the demon that had done this to her mother. She narrowed her eyes in hate. He would pay. She would see to that.
Paige in the meantime had recovered enough to use her summoning power on an athame that lay on the mantle ready to be used. She aimed the athame straight at the minautuar's heart but he deftly picked it up from the air before it had time to finish its trajectory and threw it back at her. Paige barely had time to orb to safety. The creature continued walking threateningly towards Piper.
"Minos!" bellowed Talia causing everyone in the room, including the beast whose name she had called, to turn in her direction.
"Princess Talia," said the minautaur and his ugly face split in an evil smile.
"It's me you came to get," called Talia, "so come and get me!"
"Prepare yourself, traitor," growled the demon, as he prepared for her attack.
Talia threw herself at the creature twice her size with a determination that came off her in waves, filling the room and spelling his death.
Phoebe finally got up to see her daughter fighting hand to hand with the demon that had attacked her so viciously. "Talia no!" she called. But it was too late, Talia had let her anger take over, and Phoebe's pleas fell to deaf ears.
Before her astounded family's eyes, Talia became a whirl of colour as she cleverly ducked and twisted, eluding the minautaur's grasp. Lightning fast kicks and punches found their way to the demon's leather-hard skin. Talia continued her onslaught like some great unstoppable force.
She was good, thought Wyatt, better than her mother, and Phoebe was a force to be reckoned with any day.
"We have to help her," said Piper determinedly, standing by his side.
"How?" asked Wyatt, "your powers don't work on him, and if you can't freeze him, neither can I. If Paige throws another athame, she might hit Talia. All we can do is watch," and admire, he added quietly to himself.
Talia's ongoing attack seemed to finally tire the minautaur. He didn't seem as if he could take much more of this and he was quickly loosing ground. The hair on his body seemed sweaty and matted and he was breathing heavily. He suddenly found himself flying though the - thankfully open - patio doors and into the garden outside, courtesy of Talia's foot. The demon landed in an inelegant heap.
Talia approached him slowly and menacingly. In her open palm formed a fireball. The minautaur's eyes widened at the sight. Hellfire! He had heard all about the fireballs the Source's daughter could throw. They rivaled the Source's own. As he looked into her brown eyes he saw his death approaching as surely as the sun was setting at that very moment.
Talia cocked her head at him and then said in a steady, almost pleasant, voice, "Goodbye." The fireball left her fingertips and headed straight for the terrified demon that crouched helplessly on the grass.
Soon all that was left of the minautaur were a few scorch marks on the ground.