Chapter 6: Shocking Revelations

"What are we going to do?" asked Pheobe as the sisters headed back to the kitchen.

"Well, we're going to help them and train them and do everything we can for them," Piper replied, cleaning up the mugs from the table.

"Yeah, I know that. What I meant was what are we going to do about Varali? We can't help these girls if she's not going to accept this," Pheobe said, taking a seat at the table.

"Oh," Piper said, sitting as well. "There has to be something we can do for her to get her to come around. It's just weird. I mean, you saw what happened back there, how powerful is she?"

As Piper and Pheobe mused over the question, Pheobe caught a glance at Paige. She also had taken a seat and now her head seemed to be getting closer and closer to the table. Pheobe elbowed Piper.

"How's that table smell?" Pheobe asked, making Paige jump.

"Huh?"

"You had your head down there far enough. What aren't you telling us?" Pheobe asked.

"What else did the Elders tell you?" Piper chimed in.

"Well, they just told me a little bit about the girls," Paige said.

"Like what?" asked Pheobe.

"For starters, each girl comes from a magical mother and a mortal father."

"So is their magic carried down the female line?" asked Piper.

"Seems that way. The Elders didn't really tell me much about Violet and Veronica, just that it would be a bit easier to get them to accept their destiny. They did, however, tell me a little more about Varali," said Paige.

"What's that?" Pheobe asked.

"And why would they tell you more about her than the other two?" Piper asked, confusion written all over her face.

"Because, according to them, she's going to be a hand full. Apparently she's really unique. She, like the other two, came from a magical mother and a mortal father. It's just who her mother is that makes her so different." Paige stared at her sisters for dramatic effect.

Obviously, it wasn't working.

"Well, you gonna tell us what the hell you're talking about?" Piper said, staring at her sister blankly.

"Varali's mother is the mother," Paige said. Pheobe and Piper stared at her. "She's Mother Nature."

"Oooh," Pheobe said.

"Oh boy," Piper commented.

"Yeah. So you see, Varali pretty powerful. She houses basically all of her mom's powers, although her mother is, of course, stronger than she is," Paige said.

"So, why does this make her a hand full?" asked Pheobe.

"Because, not only is she powerful, she's also stubborn as hell. She likes stability, she hates change, and with this now on her back, she's not going to be very receptive to anything," Paige offered.

"Gotcha."

"But wait, Varali said her mother is dead," Piper said, confused once again.

"From what the Elders told me, it was against the rules for Mother Nature to fall in love with a mortal, but she did. She fought for what she wanted, just like you and Leo. When things got a little dangerous for her and Varali's father, Mother Nature, or as she went on Earth, Damia, left for her realm. However, when Varali was four, some source of evil came after her. Damia took Varali to her father's and made him promise to take care of her and to tell her that her mother was dead," Paige said.

"And her father just agreed?" Pheobe asked.

"Well, not at first but once Damia told him how important it was for the safety of their child, he agreed."

"I don't blame him," Piper said. "So, Mother Nature is an actually person."

"Yep. She watches over everything. Wood nymphs, leprechauns, fairies, trolls, and of course the weather."

"Does she cause all these earthquakes?"

"Piper!" Pheobe said.

"What? I'm sorry. I hate those darn things. But at least I don't go running through the house naked screaming RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Piper said, looking at Pheobe with amusement in her eyes.

"Okay, like I told Prue, I was wearing slippers!"

Piper and Paige laughed.

"So, Paige, what are we supposed to do?" Piper asked.

"I don't know," Paige shrugged. The sisters were silent for a moment.

"I think I have an idea," Pheobe said, jumping up from her chair. "Paige, can you go get Varali?"

"Why me?" Paige asked.

"Because you're the only one who can get to her and get her back here fast enough."

"Okay, but if I come back missing an arm or something, I'm so blaming you," Paige said.

"Yeah, that's fine. Now go! Piper, come with me."

"Okay," Piper said, getting up as well as Paige orbed out of sight, "but where are we going and what are we doing?"

"You'll see," Pheobe said, grabbing her sister's hand and dragging her to the attic.

Veronica sat at the dinner table pushing her peas around on her plate with her fork. After driving Violet home, she decided not to go back to her dorm room. After all that had happened that day, she needed some time at home with her family. But as she played with her food, no appetite in sight, she really just wanted to be alone and now surrounded by her parents and little brother.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Veronica's trace was interrupted by the sound of her mother's voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

"You don't look too good. Are you feeling alright?" her father asked.

Veronica only got a chance to nod. Her brother cut in on her answer.

"How could see be? Look at her, she looks horrible. Oh wait…she looks that way everyday!"

"Shut up, Ryan," Veronica said, still staring down at her place.

"Aw, what's the matter? Big sis can't handle the-"

"Ryan, that's enough," their father intervened.

"Veronica, are you sure you're alright?" her mother asked once again.

"Yeah. I just-" She stopped.

"You just what, honey?"

Veronica looked at her brother. "Ryan, can I have a minute alone with mom and dad?"

"Heck no. Whatever you have to say, I definitely want to be here to hear," Ryan replied. Veronica looked at her parents.

"Ryan, take your dinner to your room," their father said.

"But-"

"Ryan Alexander Wilson, go!" their mother yelled.

"Alright, fine. But don't start yelling at me if I start playing video games." With that, Ryan grabbed his plate and walked up the stairs to his room. After hearing the door close, Veronica finally looked up at her parents.

"Alright jellybean, what's on your mind?" her dad asked, setting his plate aside. Her mother grabbed the plates from the table, placed them in the kitchen, then came back and took a seat next to Veronica.

"Well, you know how they say you learn something new everyday?" Veronica started.

"Yea, what did you learn? Something in chemistry?" her father asked.

"Heavens no! I can't even learn how to turn the burners on properly," Veronica replied causing her parents to chuckle.

"Then what did you learn?" her mother asked, worried about the expression her daughter held on her face.

"Well, something happened today."

"Something bad?" her dad asked, tension rising in his

"No, dad. Well…I don't know," Veronica said, putting her head in her hands as a sign of frustration.

"It's alright, sweetie. Just tell us what's going on," her mother said, running her hand along the back of Veronica hair.

"Okay. I was kinda sorta…attacked today."

"WHAT! What do you mean, what happened?" her father panicked.

"It's okay, dad. I'm alright. Some woman showed up. It's just what happened afterward that freaked me out."

"What's that?"

"Well, something happened during the attack that I didn't want to believe and then when the woman took me back to her house, along with two other girls, I knew that what happened was real." Veronica was completely shaken. Her mother tried to calm her.

"What happened during the attack?" she asked.

"Well, when the guy…thing…whatever he was went to throw something at the woman, I threw out my hands and…I don't know…something just happened. This weird feeling came over me and the next thing I knew, the thing was reversing itself and slamming into the guy."

"Oh," her mother said, dropping her hand from Veronica's hair. Her father looked like he was going to be sick. He looked at his wife.

"Then, when I went to the woman's house with her, her sister, and another girl that her sister showed up with, I met another girl and the woman's other sister. Apparently, these two girls were attacked as well and one of them was hurt."

"Oh God," her mother said. She was staring at her husband.

"Yeah," Veronica said, oblivious to her parents' exchange. "Then the woman I was with disappeared and about a half an hour later reappeared right in front of us." Veronica paused, unsure how to tell her parents the rest. Finally, she just let it out. "She told us that she and her sisters were witches and that…we were too."

"Oh boy," her mother said, getting up from the table. Her father followed suit. Veronica was terrified. Did her parents think she was absolutely insane?

"We knew this day would come," she heard her father whisper to her mother.

"Yes, but I was hoping not now. Not while she was going through this transition in life. It's too much for her. She can't be an Enchanted One yet." At that, Veronica jumped to her feet.

"What? You knew? You knew about all this?" she asked.

Her mother turned toward her. "Yes, honey."

"Why didn't you tell me? And how did you know?"

"Well, you see, your mom…well she's-"

"I'm a witch too." Veronica's eyes bulged out of her head.

"WHAT?" she yelled. Her mother came close.

"It's true, what those women told you. I knew about your destiny but when you didn't display any special abilities when you hit puberty, like you were supposed to, I thought you didn't inherit it. But I guess I was wrong."

"But, what about Ryan?" Veronica asked.

"The magical line only travels down the in the female gene," her father chimed in.

"Oh," was all Veronica could muster.

"Look," her mother said, pulling her into a hug, "I know you're scared…terrified even, but you're going to be okay. Who are these women who helped you?"

"They called themselves The Charmed Ones," Veronica said.

"Oh," her mother said, pushing her to arms length, "then you're in really good hands. They are amazingly powerful witches. They can help you with anything you need. Don't worry. And I'll be here too. To help you through"

"I am too, even though I don't have any real experience in the field, only what your mother has…done to me upon occasion," her father said, joining in on the hug. Her mother playfully punched him.

"Thanks guys. I was so afraid of this. But I do have one little favor to ask you," Veronica said.

"What's that?" her dad asked.

"Can we not tell Ryan about this? That's the last thing I need, him finding another reason to annoy me."

Her parents laughed. "What Ryan doesn't know won't kill him," her father said, kissing the top of her head.

When Violet opened her front door, she wasn't surprised to see her mother passed out on the couch. She set the mail she had picked up on her way in down on the table in front of her mother. She noticed as empty liquor bottle under the table. No wonder you're out cold, she thought to herself. Ever since Violet's birth, her mother had changed. She was distant and dismissive as if she wanted nothing to do with life and her family. Violet's father tried to stick around, but couldn't take it anymore. He left when Violet was ten. That was when her mother started drinking. Violet tried not to blame herself for the way her mother was, but every time the abuse started, she couldn't help herself. Especially with her mother yelling how much she hated her as she slapped her around.

Violet tiptoed to her room. The last thing she wanted was to wake up her mother. She walked down the small hallway to her room. After silently shutting the door, she swore to herself. She hated living in this apartment; there was never any escape from the hell she called her life. But after today, maybe there was an escape.

She removed her jacket and hung it on the doorknob of her closet. She plopped onto her bed, lying on her back.

"Wow," she said, "who'd a thunk it? Little Violet Sofia Peters, a witch."

"I wouldn't say that too loud if I were you. You might wake your mother." Violet turned at the sound of the voice and almost fell off her bed, she twisted so hard. What she saw next did make her fall off the bed. Standing in front of her was an elderly woman with a slim figure. Violet recognized her immediately.

"Grandma?" she said, shaking.

"Yes, dear," the woman replied.

"But how? You're…dead." Violet was in complete shock.

"I know sweetheart, but after what's happened to you today, you must believe that this is real."

"Oh, I do. It's just….wow…so cool!" Violet said. Her grandmother laughed. "But I don't get it. Why are you here?"

"Oh honey, I've always been here. It's just that now it's safe to show myself to you."

"So you mean you've been here for a while? And you've seen…everything?" Her grandmother nodded, a sly grin growing on her face. "Even me…sneaking out that window," she pointed across the room, "to be with Chuck Danes?"

"Yes, dear. I see all…well not really. But I do see what else goes on around here…with your mother."

"Oh, so you know she's a nut job," Violet said, sitting on her bed.

"I know…that she needs some help. But, enough about that. The real reason I'm here now is because I know that you have learned something about yourself. I'm here to answer any questions that you may have," her grandmother said.

"Okay. How did all of this happen? I was normal yesterday," Violet said.

"Actually, you were always like this. It just took a while to surface. Our magic travels down our female line."

"Our magic?"

"Yes, dear. I'm a witch, too," her grandmother said.

"Oh."

"Yes, you see, you're mother is too. But when she found out about it, she didn't want anything to do with it. She had me bind her powers."

"Huh?" Violet asked, confused.

"Uh, bind so that she could never use them."

"Oh. Why would she want to do that?"

"You're mother was never a true bed of roses," her grandmother replied.

"I can tell."

"I can not stay long, but I just wanted to tell you when you got this from. I wanted you to know that this was meant to happen, that you are meant to do good. Don't be afraid. You are never alone in this." Her grandmother began to fade.

"Wait," Violet called, "what do I do?"

"Just follow your heart, listen to your instincts."

Violet watched as her grandmother faded into nothingness. She got up and walked to her bureau. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She smoothed her dark hair back.

"Welcome to your new life," she said to herself. "Pretty darn cool."

Varali sat on the couch flicking through varies channels on the television. She was waiting for her dad to get off work so they could have their dinner date. Bored with the lame shows on T.V, she turned it off and sat there. She glanced over at her dad's work space. It was covered with papers and other various junk. She walked over to it.

"Dad, you're a pig," she said as she began straightening up. She picked up a fast food wrapper. "Glad to see you have such a healthy diet. I so should get pay for being the maid around this place. Without me, you'd be living in an ant farm."

As she cleaned, her mind wandered to the events of the day. She was still pissed. How could three strangers tell her who she was? She knew who she was and she didn't need anyone telling her differently. As she mused, she was startled to see a mass of white light appear right in front of her. To her dismay, Paige was standing in her path.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Varali snapped.

"Coming to help you, let's go," Paige responsed.

"Pe-sha! I'm not going anywhere with you! Get out!" Varali said.

"Please, I'm not trying to hurt you. I really need you to come with me," Paige pleaded.

"No! Now get the hell out before I call the police…or my dad, I don't know which one would be worse for you." Varali turned for the phone.

"Varali, please." That made her stop. "My sisters and I can help you in more ways than you can imagine. You just have to trust me," said Paige. Varali turned and stared at her. "Please, this is really important."

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Varali was curious to know what Paige was talking about. "Alright, fine. But if one thing happens, I'm out of there…but not before kicking your ass," Varali said, heading for the door.

Paige's stomach dropped. "Noted," she said. "But, I have a better way of leaving."

"What's that?"

"Give me your hand and I'll show you," she said with a smile. After a moment, Varali walked over and took Paige's hand. "Hold on to your cookies," she said as she orbed the two of them back to the manor.