Charmed Kitsune
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Naruto x Phoebe x Prue x Piper x ?
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Story Start
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"Hello? Anyone home?" The youngest sister announced grandly as she entered the kitchen of 1329 Prescott Street.
"Morning Miss Matthews, how are you this evening?" Naruto asked, setting down a paper he had folded under his arm on the kitchen table.
"Oh Hello." Paige awkwardly greeted the blond. "Are my sisters in?"
"They're currently collecting items and potion ingredients to stock up on. I volunteered to help you start training and you'll be transitioned over to Piper's care for potions once they get back." He said as he gestured to the items laid out on the table. "With that in mind let's get to work."
Paige opened one of the packets and took a dubious sniff. "Urrgh. Why do I have to learn potions first? Shouldn't I concentrate on my powers?"
"Your powers are going to take time to develop, especially considering we don't know all the mechanics behind your power. As far as anyone knows you're the first of your kind so we have nothing to base on as far as previous experiences would allow us to account for. The only thing we know for sure is that white lighters are pacifist so your power might not even being combat related like your sisters."
"Well what about my orbing power? Can't I just orb a weapon at the demons?"
"That might work for the weaklings and warlocks, but higher level beings have either a degree of invulnerability or regeneration. Something like that wouldn't work." He said as he began pointing to each herb and explaining their origin and their effects. He then picked out two of them. "Now put a dash of those two into the pot."
Paige nodded and tentatively took out a part of each of the herbs contained in the sachets, then put them into the potion bowl. "Nothing happened. Don't potions usually go poof or something?" she asked as Naruto chuckled.
"Yes, but depending on the potion it requires a different combination of ingredients. Now pick which one you think would complete the potion. Worst case scenario we blow up the kitchen and deal with Piper's wrath."
Paige couldn't help but feel nervous. She knew in this one instance Naruto was joking, but he earlier stressed how dangerous mixing the wrong potions was. She hesitated for a few moments her hand hovering over some of the patches and she sharply exhaled. Her hand was shaking slightly as she finally placed a hand on the pouch and turned to Naruto for confirmation. The fact that he remained rather impassive did not help her at all. Closing her eyes she tossed the bag in and waited for the worst case scenario only to get a puff of smoke released from the concoction.
"A nice start depending on the potion you either have to chill or heat them to certain degrees. You also have to stir them into a blend usually." the two of them began casually chat as he continued to help her get the hang of potion basics as well as giving her a crash course on what he mentored the sisters in. The two of them joked around and chat to the point where Paige felt comfortable enough to open up a bit to Naruto. Prue, Piper, and Phoebe were her unknown older sisters; they were experienced in magic and so many other things that made her self-conscious. Though, since Naruto wasn't a long lost relative it was a bit easier for her to open up to him.
"It's just, when I think about my reaction I feel…"
"Like you failed." Naruto finished as Paige was currently stirring the bowl of another basic potion.
She nodded in response, "…well yeah."
"There's no shame in showing fear. It's just one of the many things that make you human. Trust me, we've all had our moments. The only thing you can do is to confront your fears."
A discontent look formed on Paige's face as she set the mixture on the table. "What if I freeze up again?" she asked with a faint mixture of fear and doubt in herself.
"If you let your fear take hold then you're just filling a self-fulfilling prophecy." Naruto closed his eyes and braced himself for what was about to happen. He was sent flying to the ground as the fiery orb made contact.
"Oh god!" Paige cried out. She turned finding herself confronted with two bounty hunters. Panicking she did the first thing that came to mind and grabbed some of the potions and threw it at the demons. The potions broke upon impact earning only a snarl from one of them.
"Our turn witch."
Twin fireballs flickered to life in the hunters hands. A whimper escaped Paige's mouth as those flickering hellish flames began to bring back that traumatic day. The day she lost her adopted parents.
"The witch is too inexperienced to be a threat. Kill the traitor first then dispose of her." The shorter of the two informed the other.
The demon's words snapped Paige out of her BSOD. If she didn't do something these demons were going to kill Naruto. She couldn't let that happen. She was helpless to save her parents, but now she had power. She had the power to do something.
As the balls of flames were launched Paige acted. "Fireballs!" she cried, praying her power could at least alter their projector and cause them to mix, but something strange happened. The balls of flame were not illuminated by her white-lighter power. The balls stopped in midair, blazing with power. Paige could feel a warmth course through her along with a sense of familiarity.
"Burn!" the command came in a tone that Paige would later admitted terrified her. The balls of flames slammed back into the hunter vanquishing them. And with that Paige took another important step towards her destiny. She ran over to check to see if the blond was okay.
"I have to say, while I wasn't expecting the method you used, you certainly took care of those hunters." The blond said as he stretched and let out a grunt.
"What the hell!" Paige angrily exclaimed. "I thought you were hurt you jerk!" she continued to rant upon realizing that the blond seemed completely fine. "Why did you do that?"
Naruto leaned against the counter, resting his palms on the counter. "We really don't have time to take things slow. I admit, my method was a bit dangerous and harsh, but it put you in a situation where you had no choice but to fight back. Besides you were in no danger, if I thought you would have been killed I would have stepped in."
Despite still being upset at the blond for his little stunt, Paige felt glad that she was able to react this time.
''What happens if there is demon stuff? What if Charmed Power is needed? What if my power is needed?" a few days had passed since that incident. Paige was slowly adjusting and becoming accustomed to her role. Though of course her potions training was going to be put on hold as Piper had to go on a business trip.
"Relax, Piper. Now that Paige is with us, we still have the Power of Three. After all, the Power of Four was never expected so as long as there is three of us we're still an Ultimate Power and I think we'll last a few days without your power to freeze. We'll just consider it training to adapt without it," Phoebe said. "And if you don't hurry up you'll…" Phoebe placed her hand on Piper's shoulder, about to shoo her out the door when she had a premonition of Piper missing her flight. "…miss your flight." She trailed off.
''Okay, we really need to go if we are going to get you to that plane on time," Prue said, materializing Piper's ticket. She turned to Phoebe. 'Do you still have my list?'
''Dry cleaning, call the cable guy, cancel Piper's hair appointment, do the shopping doesn't really leave me time to practice my premonitions." Phoebe remarked with a dismayed sigh.
Paige laughed. ''I'd help you out, but unfortunately Social Workers don't get that much time off, especially compared to other jobs even when you consider holidays. Are we still on for training this evening?"
"If I have the energy by the end of the day." Phoebe remarked. A little while later the phone rang. She then answered the phone. "Hello? Oh, hey, Marianne. Oh geez, I completely forgot about Alcatraz. I can't go." Though, after some pleading from her friend Phoebe gave in. She figure she could spend some time with her friend and then do the chores afterwards. "You know… I'll be right over."
Meanwhile at Alcatraz two spirits were convincing. One that of an older man with brown hair, dressed in a blue collared shirt and slacks, the other a young woman, red hair with a dark aura and hazel eyes. "You don't seriously plan on spending the rest of eternity around here do you?" The soul collector taunted. She flicked a piece of her fiery red hair away from her face as she smirked at the ghost in front of her.
The ghost didn't respond or turn his head in acknowledgement for a long moment. "I'll find a way off this rock on my own, don't worry." He finally offered, pacing the long prison hallway.
The soul collector laughed mirthlessly. "Who are you kidding, Jackson? You've been stuck here since they executed you. Thirty six long years trapped between life and death."
"Big deal." Jackson snapped. He suddenly kicked out against an empty soda can and it crashed into the wall on the opposite side of the jail. "I've learned how to do things in that time…" Jackson started toward her and stepped through the bars into the cell that he often occupied. "… Break the physical plane. Prepare for my revenge." He retorted.
"Revenge. How mortal." She scoffed with a roll of her eyes.
"Go to hell." Jackson cursed, striking at the soda can a second time with his foot.
The soul collector shrugged nonchalantly. "That's what I do. Only never alone I ferry souls there. Everyone I can get my little hands on so to speak." She explained.
Jackson cast a dangerous glare. "Yeah, well, you're not going to get your little hands on this one, lady, so just forget it." He warned.
"Don't worry, Jackson. I don't want your soul. I want a witch's. They're prize catches. Trophies." She soothed with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
Jackson suddenly appeared intrigued. "What does that got to do with me?" He questioned.
"If you let me get you off the island, get your revenge, witches will try to stop you and the only way to do that is to become vulnerable to me…" The soul collector replied eagerly. "…then I'll have them right where I want them…" She trailed off at the sound of the gate opening as another tour group arrived. "…speaking of witches…"
The tour group stopped in front of the cell that Jackson and the soul collector were waiting. Phoebe was among the group, but she had her eyes trained on the information sheet as the tour guide began his speech. "Twenty-eight inmates died here nine by attempting to escape, four by execution. Legend has it that one of them still haunts the prison to this very day. The ghost of Alcatraz believed to reside in this very cell." The tour guide began, waving pointedly behind him at the cell they were standing in front of. Several of the spectators laughed at the prospect but the tour guide continued undeterred. "Let's see if he's in, shall we?" The tour guide took the moment to open the cell door and close him inside. "Now, if you listen closely, you can actually hear the ghost cries." He went on, appearing enthusiastic as a gust of wind blew through the abandoned prison so that an eerie moan sounded around them. "There. Hear him?"
Jackson had come up right next to the tour guide and rolled his eyes in disbelief as he was obviously not making any cries to be heard. "What an idiot." He hissed, turning away in boredom.
Phoebe's head snapped up in surprise and her eyes widened as she saw the ghost and the soul collector. The soul collector was able to react first. "Look at him as your 'get out of jail free' card." She suggested, clenching her fist at the guide. The tour guide suddenly dropped to the ground mid-sentence.
Phoebe reacted immediately. "Marianne, call 911." She ordered, running up to the bars. "What did you do? Who are you?" She demanded to the two ghostly people.
"You can see me?" Jackson asked in surprise.
The soul collector rolled her eyes dramatically. "Forget her for now. There's your ride off the island. Hop in." She prompted with a pointed look at the body.
"No, no!" Phoebe warned while the people around her had gone into hysterics over the mysterious fall of the tour guide. Jackson grinned tauntingly at her before possessing the body of the dead tour guide.
"Hope you enjoyed the tour. See ya'!" The soul collector laughed. She flamed out and Phoebe suddenly became aware of the people in her tour group staring at her. Phoebe hesitantly backed away and tried to appear 'normal' while they waited on the police.
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Chapter End
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I probably did Paige's progression a bit quicker than I originally intended. Anyway, was doing extensive research into this episode, and well, can't cut it without cutting a narratively important antagonistic character. Also with other interesting developments I have in mind.