Chapter Five – Rebirth
Chris and Wyatt both looked in the direction of the woman who just shimmered into the New England Manor. She stood in her white medical coat, and black heels. Chris shot into the air, not believing she was here, not after last time. Wyatt stood up, forming an energy ball in his hand, he was guessing why she was here too; he could feel the anger coming from his brother.
"Bianca." Chris gritted, "You've got some nerve."
"Oh Please Christopher." Bianca replied. "And Wyatt, put those down before you hurt someone."
"What do you want?" Chris asked
"To see my son."
"You haven't seen him in nearly ten years. What makes you think you can see him now?"
"Cause I can, look can we leave the past behind us." Bianca said walking up to Chris.
"No!" Chris said stepping in her way. "You can't. You can leave."
"I am not leaving." She said coldly.
"Wanna bet?" Wyatt said, "Leave, or I'll make you."
"Oh please Wyatt, don't say big words you don't understand." Bianca snapped. "Besides Josh is in-" Before she could finish, a cry swept through the house. Bianca recognized it easily as a Phoenix cry, Josh had passed the test. She looked down at the ashes, they begin to glow red, fire. Fire erupted from the ashes. Chris and Wyatt stepped back.
A wall of fire erupted from the fine line of ashes, on the ground, it was a cyclone of spinning fire. The cry of the Phoenix swept through the house again, a large very warm wind picked up in the house. The cyclone of spinning fire, began to take shape into something more, a bird of fire. A Phoenix. The wings were long, each wing was at least five feet long, and the head of the phoenix bent down because the ceiling was too low, its yellow golden eyes had a black slit in them. The Cats eye.
Bianca looked up, it was the most beautiful thing she ever saw, she was so proud. Wyatt looked up in half shock and half amazement, the Phoenix was very beautiful. Chris looked up and wished that somewhere in there was Josh. The Bird looked at everyone in the hall of the Connecticut home. It looked at Bianca and then very quickly, it moved it's direction to Wyatt. It looked at Wyatt, and clicked its beak, letting out a piercing Cry. And then Chris, the eyes of the Phoenix widened when it saw Chris, a joyous look. The wings of the Phoenix clasped around Chris, Wyatt was scared Chris would catch fire. Chris however wasn't scared, he knew his son was in there somewhere, he had to be. The Wings were completely around Chris, they gave off no heat, but he didn't dare touch them; he didn't want to test it.
The bird then began to grow smaller, its head was up right, Chris felt hands and arms around his neck. The body of a young man was taking shape, Chris looked around him, it was Josh. He was thanking god, and then the fire began to retract to the head, and then Josh's face appeared. He looked like he was still in the some trance, and then his body fell limp and hung on Chris. The Father wrapped his arms around his sons naked muscular body. But as Chris did that, the skin was extremely warm, he felt like he was holding a very large cup of fresh hot coffee. Chris fell to the ground with Josh in his arms. Chris resting on his knees, he was holding Josh's head up with his arm, as he did when he was a baby. Josh's face and forehead was drenched in sweat, and he seemed to be sleeping; but fading in and out. Wyatt brought over a blanket to cover Josh's nude body, Bianca smiled.
"He passed." She smiled.
"Passed what?" Chris said, "And how can it possibly be good. He nearly died."
"Well that was the point." She replied, "He had to be killed, he did die."
"Just leave!" Wyatt said, "We've got this under control."
"Uh no you don't, you see he may have passed the test, but now he has to receive his powers." She said, "You're in for a long one."
"Explain!" Chris
snapped.
"You see," Bianca began, as she kneeled on the arm
of a chair, "A Phoenix power only belongs to woman, and only woman
were able to take it; when given to men, they nearly die."
"What?"
Chris asked, Josh turned and moaned in his arms.
"Men, have to prove themselves. Just because the have Phoenix blood, doesn't mean that they automatically receive their powers, in fact the only powers he has had where the ones you gave him. You gave him the mind part of it, and I enhanced it with fire, but since he's only quarter Witch the power was very weak."
"So he's now finally getting his Phoenix Powers?" Wyatt asked.
"Yes." Bianca replied, "When men in our society have reached the middle stages of what is called Puberty they have to prove themselves in order to get their powers. Just another basic building block of our world."
"So what's next?" Chris asked.
"He's going to burn again, but this time, it will come from inside him. He has been blessed by the Phoenix Knight, which means he passed the test. He burned his soul and-"
"What do you mean burned his soul!" Chris yelled.
"Look on his chest, notice how the mark is there; in the Phoenix battle grounds he burned his back, I am not sure if you saw his burning."
"We did." Wyatt and
Chris both said.
"Well then, the burn had to pass through his
body, soul, and heart for the purification to be complete." She
paused and looked at Josh who was still sweating in Chris' arms.
"The next part of it, will be harder, since he's only half
phoenix, he won't feel the full effect, but just know, only love's
true form can stop his hell." She then looked at Chris in the eye,
with a sympathy look. "I'll be watching." And she shimmered
out.
Wyatt was glad to see her leave, Chris felt his son's warm body in his arms. There were no injuries to his body, he looked like he did before. Josh felt warm, more warm then he ever had before, this was worse then he had Ammonia when he was six. Wyatt knelt down by Josh, and for the first time in a long time, Wyatt felt helpless. Chris felt Josh's body shift, and Josh opened his eyes.
His vision was faded and out of focus. He looked around, he couldn't make anything out.
"Dad." He said.
"I am right here buddy." Chris said taking his hand, but as Chris took his weak limp hand, he was burned. Chris screamed in pain. "Damnit!"
"What happened?" Wyatt said.
"His hands are burning hot, like fire." Chris replied.
"Dad."
"Josh I am here."
"Help me. I am so hot."
"I am here, I am here." Chris replied, "Wyatt help me get him to the shower."
"Water, are you sure?" Wyatt asked, "Phoenix fire cannot be put out by water."
"No water." Josh murmured, with his eyes now closed, "I am so hot. Help me."
"We have to try." Chris said, "Help me." As Chris lifted Josh under one arm, Wyatt took the other, but then they saw in their horror, the blanket burning off Josh's body. Josh moaned again, the moan of pain. Chris and Wyatt took Josh's very warm nude body running through the family room, and into the bathroom by the stair way. The put Josh's body into the shower, and Chris turned on the water to cold. Lifting his son's body up, the water poured on them. Josh stopped moan, and seemed to be at peace. Wyatt took a towel from the sink and got it wet with water, cold water. He rung it out and placed it on Josh's face.
Josh was conscious
enough to feel the divine joy of the cold water on his very warm
body, it was brought him peace and relaxation. Then the water was
killing him, it hurt him. He screamed.
"WHAT!" Chris said.
The water felt like a hundred needles piercing his skin, it was tortuous and painful. "STOP!" He pleaded, "WATER-STOP!" Chris shot his hand forward using his telekinetic powers, the water shut off. Josh shot up from his fathers grip and was in a fetal position in the shower. He was crying. Chris stood up, soaking wet with water, he looked at his son.
"What is this?" Chris asked Wyatt, "This is almost unreal."
"I know. I have heard nothing about this."
"Go find Bianca, bring her back here-" Chris' voice was drowned out by screaming. Josh tried to get up, but his insides were burning. It was like someone set fire to his organs, he cried out in pain. "HELP ME!" He said. Chris went over to Josh, but as he touched him, Chris burned his hand yet again.
"He's as hot as fire." Chris shouted to his brother.
"Oh god." Josh yelled, Some one help me!" He was now on his knees, the burning was now fading away, and he was beginning to feel almost normal. He cried into his knees.
"Dad!" He yelled.
"I am here, I am." Chris knelling down by his son, afraid to touch him.
"What's going on?" Josh asked, he looked up for the first time and looked his father in the eye. "What's happening to me?"
Chris hadn't seen his son cry since he broke his arm when he was eight. It always secretly killed him to see him in such pain. "You're getting your powers." He said to his son, he couldn't think of any other answer.
"Oh god." Josh said putting his head to his knees, "I don't want them. I don't want them!" He sobbed, then the burning again through his body. He screamed in pain. Chris turned to Wyatt, "DON'T JUST STAND THERE! FIND HER!"
Wyatt orbed out instantly. Chris turned his attention to Josh, his body was getting red, burning hot. He looked up, trying to keep a strong face, but tears kept falling.
"Happy Birthday,
Daddy." A 3 year old Josh said walking up to Chris.
It was San
Francisco, and a 20 year old Chris Halliwell, was celebrating his
birthday with family friends. He looked at his 3 year old son,
bringing him a painting. Josh had curly brown hair, and a Sponge Bob
shirt and kaki shorts on. "I made this for you." He said. Chris
knelled down and took the painting as he looked at the still drying
painting. It was just circles of colored paint.
"This is you." Josh said, pointing to a small circle of yellow paint above a big circle of pink paint. "And this is me." He said pointing to a circle of Green paint above red paint.
"Thank you." Chris replied, "I love it." He kissed his son on the cheek, and Josh slapped Chris with his hand full of blue paint, and he laughed. Chris was shocked at what Josh did, but he laughed.
"You're going to play like that huh?" Chris said, he put the painting down, and took this son, and tickled him. "Well I got a tickle monster." Josh screamed, and laughed. "NO FAIR!" He said through his laughter.
As Chris brought himself out of the memory, he remembered how happy of a child Josh was, now the laughter and joys were only a memory. Josh was looked up at his father, he took his hands hiding his nudity. Then he screamed again, but this time, his scream was so loud and high he burst into flames, Chris was paralyzed at the scene. His son wasn't turning to ashes, it just burned him. The flames vanished after a very long thirty seconds. Josh then broke down again. "Help me." He murmured.
"WYATT WHERE ARE YOU?" Chris yelled, Chris walked forward he slightly, touched his sons' skin, it was burning red hot.
"Daddy." Josh said. Chris looked, he hadn't heard, "Daddy" in years. "Help me please." Chris couldn't take it, so gritting his teeth, Chris wrapped his arms around his son, he could feel his flesh burning. And they vanished in orbs.
Then they both dropped into snow, and Chris let go of his son, he dove into the snow, his skin was burning. He could hear Josh's cries and sobs in the snow. He looked up and saw Josh, kneeling towards him, he was trying to do the same thing his father was, burying himself in the snow. Josh felt his body temperature finally going down. He looked up into the sky and saw the dark black clouds, they where both in the middle of a blizzard. Josh extended his arm, and opened his hand. He looked at this father, has Chris sunk his arms and hands in snow, waiting for the pain of his burns to go away.
"Dad." Josh said, extending his arm. He looked at his father and then Chris looked up and smiled, the snow seemed to slow down. And, Chris looked at this son laying in the snow, slowly dying inside. He looked and Josh, his body still steaming in the snow. It was something he knew Josh was hurting inside, but he looked like he had accepted what was going to happen. He was to die.
"Christopher Perry Halliwell." Said the man over the podium. Chris in his cap and gown (Graduation) walked up onto the stage, and took his diploma in his right hand and shook the mans hand. Chris walked across stage, and saw his young son, Wyatt, and Parents sitting the audience. He faced them and moved his tassel from left to right, and his family clapped and smiled. Josh was clapping and jumping up and down, Piper had tears in her eyes, and so did Wyatt. Chris had to blink his eyes to make sure he was looking at Wyatt right, Wyatt crying.
Chris looked up, as
Josh screamed he was breathed in flame again. Chris shot up, he was
weak, but he got on his knees, then the flames went out. Josh was
crying again.
"I can't do this. I can't do this." He laid
in the snow.
Then Chris remembered what Bianca said "Only loves true form will stop this hell." Chris looked at Josh, he didn't know what love's true form was, but he knew he wasn't going to let Josh die. He took Josh's hand and lifted him up, his skin was still burning hot. He hugged his son like he never had before.
"We're going to get through this." Chris said, "I love you Joshua!" He said, fire began to fill around Josh again, Chris still held on, if Josh was going to die he was going to die with him. "I Love you Josh, I always will. Hold it out fight it."
Josh screamed as the fire now hotter and brighter then ever engulfed himself and his father. Chris gritted his teeth, "I LOVE YOU!" The fire melted all the snow with in ten feet of them, and then they were completely trapped within in the flame.
