A/N - I am aware that Season 6 ended with Leo not being an Elder any more. Again, just a little liberty that I've taken.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
"Wow," whispered Paige in awe. She had always heard Leo talk about going "Up There", but she had never really registered it as a place that actually existed. From what Piper and Phoebe had told her from their experience of coming here (the one time they had had a chance to remember), she had managed to paint a hazy picture of what it would be like, but her expectations didn't come anywhere near to what the real thing was like.
Paige looked around her as she followed Leo, striding to keep up with his pace. All around her, Elders and White lighters were conversing in hushed tones. The Elders wore brilliant gold robes, much like the ones she teased Leo for wearing, and white lighters wore similar ones in a cream colour. Paige smiled wryly at the obvious display of hierarchy. There were some young men and women wearing ordinary clothes like she was, and Paige assumed that they were white lighters not too worried about sticking to a dress code.
Paige felt as if she was gliding on air rather than walking. The clouds and mist were so thick at her feet that she could barely see past her knees. She prayed that there wouldn't be a sudden hole through which she could drop. Paige distracted herself from these unsettling thoughts and instead looked up above her. She couldn't tell whether there was an end to the space above her, but what she could discern was something that resembled the blanket of clouds exactly like the one at her feet, not revealing whether there was anything beyond. The whole area around her was brightly lit, but Paige couldn't tell where the light was coming from. It was so dazzling as to hurt the eyes, but at the same time dim enough so that she could see normally. This astonished her to such an extent that she didn't even realise it when she had reached the Elder's council.
Tall pillars with intricate etchings formed an oval around a large area. Paige looked up again, only to see a ceiling on which there were carvings, which seemed to move and change shape. Back on the 'ground', there were several steps between each of the pillars, on which some Elders were sitting. They were chatting to each other in what Piper liked to call "White lighter-ese" – a fast and rapid language that was full of clicks, clacks and other un-formable sounds. Paige hoped to God that she wouldn't have to master that language.
At the sound of Leo and Paige approaching, the Elders ceased talking and fixed their eyes on Paige. She couldn't read their expressions at all – they showed no emotion or feeling on their faces. To Paige, it seemed that the stone pillars were more welcoming. As she looked around, she set eyes on one familiar Elder – a boy of about 17 years old with shaggy brown hair. This was Kevin – he had inherited the powers of foresight from an Elder named Ramus nearly two years back. Even though Elders and White lighters didn't technically age, Kevin was definitely a lot more tall and muscular than he had been two years ago. As he made eye contact with Paige, he gave her a comforting grin. Somehow, this relaxed her immensely.
Leo announced, "This is Paige Matthews. Paige, these are the Elders." Leo rattled off a series of about twenty names, some of them unpronounceable. Paige nodded and smiled, hoping that she wouldn't have to address them by name anytime.
A tall, thin Elder with greying hair spoke. "Paige, we're very happy that you have volunteered to help us. However, from your past experience, you'll know that being a white lighter is not an easy job." Paige nodded again, and then cleared her throat. "Sir," she began.
"Please call me Nathaniel." He smiled, the second Elder to do so. Paige thought that she saw a couple of Elders looking disapproving, as if the invitation by Nathaniel was too informal.
"Nathaniel," Paige corrected herself. "I know that being a white lighter isn't the easiest job in the world. But as a witch, saving an innocent is a priority for me, and as a white lighter, so will saving a charge."
Another Elder, a younger black one, said seriously, "With all due respect Paige, some of us were opposed to you becoming a white lighter, mainly because you don't have the full powers. You may be able to orb and glamour, but your sensing power isn't fully developed, and you can't heal. This means that you'll have to work twice as hard as any other full white lighter. If you are confident that you can do so, and keep up with your duties as a witch, then I suppose that I can't object." A slight grin crossed his face.
Leo spoke up, "I can definitely vouch for Paige's dedication and determination."
"So can I," agreed Kevin. Paige flashed a quick smile of thanks at him, and then at Leo.
Paige asked, "How can I heal my charge if he or she is hurt?
Nathaniel replied, "We're aware that your white lighter, Chris, has gone back to the future. We've agreed to let Leo stay on Earth and become the Charmed Ones' white lighter again. If you need to heal, you can call on Leo's help, but only as a last resort. Please don't abuse this help. And above all, you must not let your personal problems ever jeopardise your duties."
Paige started, wondering how he knew what she was feeling. It was eerie. "I won't," Paige finally assured him fervently. She resolved to let go of all her doubts, little knowing that it would definitely not be easy.
Leo spoke up, "Well, now that all the formalities have been done, I think that we should go back down. The others will want to know the news." Leo held out his hand, and Paige grasped it tightly, feeling less confident now that it was actually official. Smiling goodbye, they orbed out.
One by one, the other Elders drifted back to their conversations. Nathaniel and the black Elder remained.
A female Elder walked up to them. "Was that one of the Charmed Ones, Albert?" she asked, straightening her robes. The black Elder nodded. "A witch and a white lighter," she mused interestedly, "and a Charmed One on top of that. Let's hope that she can handle it."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
"Wow," whispered Paige in awe. She had always heard Leo talk about going "Up There", but she had never really registered it as a place that actually existed. From what Piper and Phoebe had told her from their experience of coming here (the one time they had had a chance to remember), she had managed to paint a hazy picture of what it would be like, but her expectations didn't come anywhere near to what the real thing was like.
Paige looked around her as she followed Leo, striding to keep up with his pace. All around her, Elders and White lighters were conversing in hushed tones. The Elders wore brilliant gold robes, much like the ones she teased Leo for wearing, and white lighters wore similar ones in a cream colour. Paige smiled wryly at the obvious display of hierarchy. There were some young men and women wearing ordinary clothes like she was, and Paige assumed that they were white lighters not too worried about sticking to a dress code.
Paige felt as if she was gliding on air rather than walking. The clouds and mist were so thick at her feet that she could barely see past her knees. She prayed that there wouldn't be a sudden hole through which she could drop. Paige distracted herself from these unsettling thoughts and instead looked up above her. She couldn't tell whether there was an end to the space above her, but what she could discern was something that resembled the blanket of clouds exactly like the one at her feet, not revealing whether there was anything beyond. The whole area around her was brightly lit, but Paige couldn't tell where the light was coming from. It was so dazzling as to hurt the eyes, but at the same time dim enough so that she could see normally. This astonished her to such an extent that she didn't even realise it when she had reached the Elder's council.
Tall pillars with intricate etchings formed an oval around a large area. Paige looked up again, only to see a ceiling on which there were carvings, which seemed to move and change shape. Back on the 'ground', there were several steps between each of the pillars, on which some Elders were sitting. They were chatting to each other in what Piper liked to call "White lighter-ese" – a fast and rapid language that was full of clicks, clacks and other un-formable sounds. Paige hoped to God that she wouldn't have to master that language.
At the sound of Leo and Paige approaching, the Elders ceased talking and fixed their eyes on Paige. She couldn't read their expressions at all – they showed no emotion or feeling on their faces. To Paige, it seemed that the stone pillars were more welcoming. As she looked around, she set eyes on one familiar Elder – a boy of about 17 years old with shaggy brown hair. This was Kevin – he had inherited the powers of foresight from an Elder named Ramus nearly two years back. Even though Elders and White lighters didn't technically age, Kevin was definitely a lot more tall and muscular than he had been two years ago. As he made eye contact with Paige, he gave her a comforting grin. Somehow, this relaxed her immensely.
Leo announced, "This is Paige Matthews. Paige, these are the Elders." Leo rattled off a series of about twenty names, some of them unpronounceable. Paige nodded and smiled, hoping that she wouldn't have to address them by name anytime.
A tall, thin Elder with greying hair spoke. "Paige, we're very happy that you have volunteered to help us. However, from your past experience, you'll know that being a white lighter is not an easy job." Paige nodded again, and then cleared her throat. "Sir," she began.
"Please call me Nathaniel." He smiled, the second Elder to do so. Paige thought that she saw a couple of Elders looking disapproving, as if the invitation by Nathaniel was too informal.
"Nathaniel," Paige corrected herself. "I know that being a white lighter isn't the easiest job in the world. But as a witch, saving an innocent is a priority for me, and as a white lighter, so will saving a charge."
Another Elder, a younger black one, said seriously, "With all due respect Paige, some of us were opposed to you becoming a white lighter, mainly because you don't have the full powers. You may be able to orb and glamour, but your sensing power isn't fully developed, and you can't heal. This means that you'll have to work twice as hard as any other full white lighter. If you are confident that you can do so, and keep up with your duties as a witch, then I suppose that I can't object." A slight grin crossed his face.
Leo spoke up, "I can definitely vouch for Paige's dedication and determination."
"So can I," agreed Kevin. Paige flashed a quick smile of thanks at him, and then at Leo.
Paige asked, "How can I heal my charge if he or she is hurt?
Nathaniel replied, "We're aware that your white lighter, Chris, has gone back to the future. We've agreed to let Leo stay on Earth and become the Charmed Ones' white lighter again. If you need to heal, you can call on Leo's help, but only as a last resort. Please don't abuse this help. And above all, you must not let your personal problems ever jeopardise your duties."
Paige started, wondering how he knew what she was feeling. It was eerie. "I won't," Paige finally assured him fervently. She resolved to let go of all her doubts, little knowing that it would definitely not be easy.
Leo spoke up, "Well, now that all the formalities have been done, I think that we should go back down. The others will want to know the news." Leo held out his hand, and Paige grasped it tightly, feeling less confident now that it was actually official. Smiling goodbye, they orbed out.
One by one, the other Elders drifted back to their conversations. Nathaniel and the black Elder remained.
A female Elder walked up to them. "Was that one of the Charmed Ones, Albert?" she asked, straightening her robes. The black Elder nodded. "A witch and a white lighter," she mused interestedly, "and a Charmed One on top of that. Let's hope that she can handle it."