Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed. If I did, I would be publishing this and making money from it! This is purely a plot idea in my head and I do not intend to make any money from it.
AN: Okay. So now that I've made the lawyers happy…On with the story!! This is my first Charmed fan fiction and depending on the reaction to it may not be my last. This little plot bunny has been kicking around in my head for years and now my muse (Lexi) has decided to actually write it down. Please read and review! Lexi really lives for getting reviews. (For all of those who read my CSI: NY fan fiction, do not be alarmed. I am hard at work writing for those stories!)
Chapter 2.
The Five Elements
(Earth)
The first memory that Kesia had was that of her mother cradling her. She was the oldest of the daughters and it was expected of her to take care of her sisters. She paused to look in the mirror. She was the first daughter to leave paradise for the mortal realm and she wanted to make sure she looked like a mortal.
Watching her reflection, she smoothed out her waist length black hair. She peered at her eyes. They were an emerald green color, framed by thick black lashes. Her eyebrows arched gently above her eyes, giving her a regal look. She then glanced down at her body. She was slender, but not skinny. She had curves in the right places. Smiling, she conjured some mortal clothes for her body. She chose some low-rise jeans with a green halter top. "Perfect."
She heard her mother clear her throat behind her and turned. "Yes, Mother?"
Gaia looked at Kesia. "Oh, my darling daughter. My first born. I am going to miss you. I know that this is part of growing up. If you hope to one day take my place, then you must spend this time in the mortal realm. You must see the intricate dance that good and evil do every day. You know that it is the job of the Earth-Mother to be completely neutral in the struggle."
Kesia sighed. "I know this, Mother. I promise, I will go and learn all I can. If I am chosen to be the Earth-Mother, then I want to make sure that I do the right thing."
Gaia smiled. "I'm lecturing again, aren't I?"
Kesia nodded. "Yes."
Gaia nodded again. "I'm sorry, dear. You are just the first daughter to leave and I'm feeling a little forlorn. Just promise that you will be careful."
Kesia smiled. "I know, Mother. To tell you the truth, I am a little nervous as well. I promise to work on my magic control."
Gaia blinked back some tears and opened her arms for a hug. Kesia walked over and felt herself embraced and surrounded by the love that Gaia felt her.
Gaia felt a subtle caress of thoughts next to her own. : Yes, Kronos?:
:Gaia. It's time. I will take your daughter to the mortal realm if you want.:
:Thank you. I open my wards for you to enter.: Silently, Gaia made an opening in the magical protections surrounding her fortress. Then, she softly kissed the top of Kesia's head. "Kronos is here to take you to the mortal realm. Have you decided on a place to live, yet?"
Kesia nodded. "I've decided to live in New York." She turned as Kronos walked into the room. "Hi, Kronos. Thank you for taking me to the mortal realm."
Kronos smiled as his deep blue eyes twinkled. "Of course, my dear. Anything to help Gaia out. Are you ready to leave?"
Kesia nodded. "Yes. I've already said good-bye to my sisters."
Kronos held out his hand to her. "Then come with me, little one"
Kesia picked up her bag and then took his hand. She took one last glance at her mother before Kronos transported them to the city.
The first thing that Kesia noticed was the noise. She felt Kronos squeeze her hand, so she looked up at him.
"I have to go now. Stay safe."
Kesia nodded. "Thanks, Kronos." She waved at him as he disappeared. Then she picked up her bag and began to walk to the apartment building she had picked out to live in.
Several hours later, she was all moved in to her furnished apartment and decided to go look for a job. She knew that being in the mortal realm, she had certain choices. With her powers, she was just a powerful witch at this time. But, she thought, even powerful witches need a way to make a living.
She thought about what she was interested in. I really like law and order. Maybe I can get a job on the police force. With that thought, she decided to go apply at the police academy.
(Six Months Later)
Kesia stood in uniform with the remaining members of her recruitment class. She was proud of herself for completing the rigorous training. She had learned a lot about herself in these six months.
"Nervous?"
Kesia turned around as smiled when she saw a good looking blonde with blue eyes approaching her. "Hey, David. Why would I be nervous?"
"We graduate today. Now we get to go patrol the mean streets of New York. The thought of getting shot doesn't scare you?"
Kesia shook her head, no. "No. It takes a lot to scare me. I know that I can take care of myself."
Before they could continue the conversation, they were asked to take their seats. Kesia waited proudly before her name was called. "Kesia Clark."
Kesia smiled as she walked across the stage to pick up her diploma. As she glanced out at the crowd, she saw the familiar face of Kronos. She gave him a quick smile and decided to try to talk to him telepathically. :Kronos? What are you doing here?:
:I wanted to see your big day. Your mother mentioned that you were graduating today.:
:Is Mother here?:
:No. She and the girls are watching from above. She didn't want to cause a disturbance by coming down and she doesn't trust the girls down here, yet.:
Kesia gave him a small smile and sat back down. After the diplomas had been handed out, they went to attend a small reception. She was talking with David when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. When she turned she saw Kronos smiling at her. "Hey! Thanks so much for coming. I just wish that Mother could have been here."
"I know. She had to take care of the girls."
Kesia heard David clear his throat behind her. "Oh. I'm sorry. David, I'd like you to meet an old friend, Casey. Casey, this is one of my classmates and a current good friend, David."
Both men shook hands. Kesia caught a glimpse of Kronos' raised eyebrow. :Sorry. Casey was the best I could do on the spot. I obviously can't introduce you as Kronos, can I?:
:You're right, of course. I would have preferred something like Philippe, though.:
:Whatever.: Kesia glanced at David, who had an unusual expression. "Are you okay, David?"
David looked at her. "I'm fine. Just getting a little tired. Time flies when you're having fun. I just want to learn my new assignment."
"Me, too. I believe that we are supposed to learn them tomorrow. I hope that we get assigned to the same precinct. That way I'll know at least one person!"
:Kesia? I need to go. Will you be alright?:
:I'm a big girl, Kronos. I'll be fine. Tell Mother that I miss her.:
:I will. Until next time.:
Kesia watched as he made his way outside and sighed a little. David noticed her mood and asked her what was wrong. "Nothing. I just miss my family. I didn't realize that I would miss my sisters so much."
"How many sisters do you have?"
"Four. I'm the oldest at twenty-four. Kansas is twenty-two, Kai is twenty, Kim is eighteen and Keahi is sixteen."
"Wow. Your mom must be very busy."
Kesia shrugged. "Little bit. It's probably better now that we are for the most part grown. We can pull our own weight. It was Mother that told me to move out. She said that the only way I would finish growing up would be to be on my own. Still it doesn't surprise me that Casey was here. Even if Mother couldn't be, she would want someone here that I know well."
"Speaking of Casey. How long have you known him?"
"All my life. He's a friend of my mother's. He's like a big brother to us."
"Really?" David looked curious. "He didn't look old enough."
Kesia laughed. "He carries his age very well." She signed. "I should leave. I'm really tired and need to hit the sack. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay. Be careful on the way home. See you tomorrow."
Kesia waved good-bye and turned to go change her clothes. Once changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, she grabbed her bag and made her way to her apartment. About two blocks from her apartment, she heard scuffling noises coming from the alleyway. Not thinking about her personal safety, she turned into the alley.
Silently she made her way to the sounds and almost gasped out loud to see a black and red demon attacking a slender blonde woman. The woman was trying to fight back but the demon was too strong for her. Kesia made up her mind quickly and extended her arms. Around her, the pavement of the alley began to shake. The windows rattled ominously as a couple of loose bricks fell to the ground. Then, with a noise that sounded like a gunshot, a chasm appeared underneath the demon. The demon tried to jump out of the way, but the breach was too wide. With a scream it fell into the pit she had created. As soon as the demon vanished, she quickly closed the rift so that the demon could not get out.
Then she made her way over to the woman. "Are you alright?"
The woman was shaking. "I'm not sure. I thought I was prepared for it, but I wasn't. I guess I'm just lucky that you came along. I'm Stacy, by the way."
"Hi, Stacy. I'm Kesia. Do you have a safe place to go?"
The young woman looked up. "Yes. I need to go back to my teacher's apartment. She warned me not to go hunting without her, but I thought I was ready. Now I realize how wrong I was. Thank you so much for your help."
"You're welcome. Stay out of dark alleyways."
Stacy laughed. "I will." She turned and walked away.
Kesia stood there for another moment. So that's what it feels like to use my power for good. That's nice. I guess I can do this during my off hours. This just feels right. With those positive thoughts, she made her way home.
(Wind)
Kansas peered at herself in the mirror, much like her older sister Kesia had done when she had left paradise. She also had dressed in jeans and a shirt to prepare for her journey into the mortal world.
She was as different from Kesia as night and day. She had white-blonde hair, with dark grey eyes. While Kesia was fairly tall, she was short. The only thing they had in common was the nice curves that all of Gaia's daughters had.
Overall she was pleased with her appearance and was ready to go. Almost bouncing with joy, she made her way into Gaia's work room. "Mother. I'm ready to go. Can I leave now?"
Gaia looked at her second oldest. "Well, you are certainly eager to leave."
Kansas looked at Gaia. "I know. It's been a year since Kesia left and I just want to join her. Plus, this way I'll actually get a chance to see her in person! We can talk on the telephone. I miss talking to her."
Gaia laughed. "Okay. I understand. Kronos will be coming to take you down, like he did with Kesia. Have you decided where you want to go?"
Kansas smiled. "Chicago. For some reason, every time I look at the map, my eyes get drawn there."
Gaia smiled. "I know the feeling. That's what happened when I first went down. I ended up in Egypt. Of course, things have really changed over the last four-thousand years, so who knows where I would end up now."
Kansas laughed and then screamed in delight as she saw Kronos walk in. "Kronos!!" She ran over to him and gave him a hug.
Kronos raised his eyebrows. "Are you excited?"
"Yes! I want to go to Chicago. Can we leave now?"
"Hold on, little whirlwind. I need to talk to your Mother a second. Go make sure that you haven't left anything behind." He turned to Gaia as Kansas flew out of the room. "Are you okay? Another bird is flying the coop."
Gaia smiled. "I know. It's sad, but it's for the best. Unlike you, Gaia is no longer immortal. While we lead very long lives, it gets tiring. I'm ready to be reborn."
Kronos nodded in solidarity. "I completely understand. Sometimes I wish that I could be reborn. They say that time heals all wounds, but what heals time's wounds?"
Gaia smiled. "The Earth. Wow. You certainly are maudlin today."
Kronos chuckled. "It happens. I'll bounce back eventually. Speaking of which, I hear Kansas coming. We'll talk later." He turned to Kansas as she bounced back into the room. "You ready to go?"
Kansas looked at him. "You bet." She quickly grabbed his hand and Kronos quickly transported her to Chicago.
When Kansas got her bearings, she noticed the life that was present in the city. "Wow. It's so lively here. Thanks for bringing me here."
Kronos smiled. "Not a problem, little whirlwind. Go make yourself a life." With a smile, he disappeared.
Kansas looked around. Well, the first thing I need to do is get a place to live. She walked down the street and saw a sign for an apartment for rent. She walked in and soon was in possession of a small loft apartment.
Within a couple of days, she had a job as a receptionist with a law firm. She walked into work the first day, eager to learn and to make a difference. One of the women that she worked with invited her out at the end of her first week and she eagerly accepted.
At the end of the day, Kansas stood up behind her desk. "Maggie? Are we still going out tonight?"
The feisty redhead smiled. "Sure are! Are you ready?"
"I am. Do I look okay? This is my first time in a big city and I'm a little nervous."
Maggie looked Kansas. "Hon. Don't worry. You are gorgeous. Just stick with me and you'll be fine."
Nodding, Kansas followed Maggie to the nearest bar. She knew what alcohol was from parties that her sisters had thrown and limited herself to drinking as little as possible, but Maggie made sure that she had fun.
Halfway through the night, Maggie sent her to the bar to get another round of drinks. She was standing there, waiting for the drinks, when a handsome, dark-haired man walked up. "Hi. My name is Mark. You must be new around here because I would definitely remember you."
Kansas looked at him carefully. "I'm Kansas. I'm not from the city, I just moved here. Nice to meet you."
Mark looked at her. "Can I buy you a drink?"
Kansas smiled. "Sorry, I don't accept drinks from men that I've just met." The bartender walked up at that time with all of the drinks that she ordered. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my friends." She picked up the drinks and walked away.
When she got back to the table, Maggie exclaimed, "Who was the hottie that you were talking to at the bar?"
"Um. His name is Mark and he offered to buy me a drink. I declined."
Maggie raised her eyebrows. "You declined? Oh, girl. I've got to teach you how to pick guys up!"
Kansas rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'll do just fine. I'm just playing hard to get." She smiled as she saw Mark walking towards her. "See?"
"Hello, ladies. I was wondering if Kansas would do me the honor of dancing with me."
Kansas smiled, "Sure."
The two got out on the dance floor and proceeded to dance the majority of the night. Finally, Maggie and Kansas decided to leave about one. Kansas had given Mark her phone number.
The next day, Kansas woke up and decided to call Kesia. "Hey, sis."
"Hey, Kansas! How are you doing?"
"I'm good. How are you doing as a cop?"
"Good. It's nice to help someone. On the downside, I've been fighting demons recently. It's unusual. Do you remember how we used to watch the battles of witches and demons?"
"Yeah."
"It's nothing like what we imagined. It's hard, but I feel this need to help. Does that make sense?"
"Not really. I haven't encountered any demons yet."
"I didn't encounter one until I had been down here six months. Maybe they will give you a break. So what have you decided to do?"
"Well, I took a job at a law firm and I'm thinking about going to law school. For some reason, fighting for good seems like the best idea. What do you think?"
"I understand what you're saying. That's why I became a cop. Is this something innate in us? I know that the Earth-Mother is supposed to be neutral. If so, why do I feel compelled to fight for the light?"
"I don't know. But we are down here to learn and grow. Maybe that is part of the process. Well, sis. I need to go. I'm going to go explore the city."
"Okay. Kansas? Stay safe and keep your eyes open. I love you."
"I will. I love you, too." Kansas hung up the phone and got ready to go out.
(Six Months Later)
Kansas got ready to go out in celebration of end of her first semester in law school. She had plans with Maggie and her boyfriend, John. Mark was also going to be joining her. She had been dating him for about four months and admitted her herself that she was quickly falling in love.
She had just gotten finished with her last exam and was walking towards the bar when she heard the commotion. Trusting her instincts, she followed the sounds to a dark street. Almost in shock, she realized that she was seeing a black and green demon. He was trying to capture a young witch, who was fighting back fairly well, until the second demon showed up.
Two against one. That's just not fair. I'm going to even the odds, she thought as she walked towards the battle. She walked silently, wanting to give the demons no indication that she was coming to the rescue.
Quickly, when she was in range, she created a wind storm around the two demons. This gave the young witch a chance to back away from the demons, while Kansas left them in place. "Thank you so much for helping me. I was doing just fine with one, but the second one was too much. I'm Tiffany."
"Hi, Tiffany. I'm Kansas. What do you say to finishing these guys off?"
Tiffany nodded and quickly shot lightning at the two demons. The demons caught fire and soon were dead. Both girls looked at each other. "That was interesting," Tiffany said.
"Yes, it was. Those are the first demons that I've fought here. Listen, I'm going to celebrate the end of my first semester in college. Do you want to join me?"
Tiffany shook her head, no. "I'd like to, but I have plans. Maybe we will meet each other again." Tiffany waived good-bye to her and left.
Kansas smiled and turned to leave. I think I'll fit in here. I'm definitely going to have fun!
(Water)
Kai looked into the bowl that showed the earth. With a thought, she shifted the scene from Kesia to Kansas. They look like they are having fun. I hope I get to go down soon. I miss them.
Gaia walked in and saw the expression on Kai's face. "Darling, what's wrong?"
Kai looked up, her mahogany hair glimmering in the light. "I just miss Kesia and Kansas. When do I get to go into the mortal realm?"
Gaia looked at her daughter. "That's what I was coming to tell you. Kansas has been down there for a year, so it's your time."
Kai looked up in amazement. "Really? It's time for me to go?" Her hazel eyes gleamed in anticipation. "Thank you, Mother."
Gaia smiled. "Not a problem. Why don't you go get packed? I'll contact Kronos and see when he has time to take you down."
Kai quickly ran to her room. She had taken her cue from Kesia and Kansas and had conjured some mortal clothes. She had a more dramatic flare than the other two girls. She smiled as she worked. She couldn't wait to get down. After she was done packing, she walked back into Gaia's workroom. "Mother? What did Kronos say?"
Gaia smiled. "He said he could come by tomorrow. Where do you plan on going?"
Kai smiled brightly. "Since I control water, I was thinking Miami. I've looked down there a little while in here and it just looks like so much fun."
"Good choice. I think that you will like it there."
The next day, Kai waited patiently for Kronos to arrive. When he got there, she smiled at him. "Hi, Kronos. I'm ready to go whenever you are."
Kronos looked at her in surprise. Of the five sisters, she was usually the most reserved. "Okay. Where are we going?"
"Miami."
Gaia walked into the room. "Hi, Kronos. Are you ready to take Kai down?"
Kronos nodded. "I am. You are taking this rather well, Gaia."
Gaia shrugged. "Well, this is the third time I've sent a daughter down, so I'm getting used to it." She turned to Kai. "Kai. Be careful and stay safe. If you have any problems, feel free to contact your sisters."
"Yes, Mother." Kai turned to Kronos and held out her hand. Kronos took her hand and they were soon in Miami.
The first thing she noticed was the heat. "Wow. This is different."
Kronos smiled down at her. "That it is. Well, water sprite, I must go. Good luck and stay safe." He waved good-bye to her as he disappeared.
Kai walked down the road and decided to look for a place to live. Within a couple of hours, she had a small apartment and a job as a waitress at a restaurant on the beach. She was lucky that her first day was a weekday and the business was slow.
It took her a couple of days to pick up the routine, but she found herself coming out of her shell. She noticed that she was more open that she had been before. She was speaking to the customers on a regular basis.
A few weeks into her job, she decided to try surfing. One of her regular customers had offered to teach her. When she got to the beach, she looked around for Holly and found the cute blonde standing by a man who had the body of Adonis. She was easy to spot in a bright pink bikini.
She walked up to her. "Hi, Holly. So am I dressed appropriately for surfing?"
Holly looked her up in down. She had her long brown hair pulled into a high pony-tail and was wearing a simple blue bikini. "Yes. Are you ready to learn the basics?"
Kai nodded in eagerness.
Holly showed her to a surfboard and quickly instructed her how to paddle out into the water. Soon, she was teaching her how to mount the board on a wave.
Kai was ecstatic when she caught her first wave. She loved feeling the power of the ocean underneath her. With her first successful ride, she was hooked. When she got back to the beach, she quickly hugged Holly. "Wow. That was stellar. I am so going to go back out there!"
Holly laughed. "I'm glad you had fun. I must say, you are a natural. Soon, you will be able to surf the big waves of Hawaii. They have the best waves there. Listen, I want you to meet someone. Follow me."
Kai followed Holly down the beach. When Holly stopped, she looked around. "Okay. What are we doing here?"
Holly smiled with a twinkle in her eye. "I want you to meet one of my surfer friends. His name is Ben. He's another person like you. Naturally talented and crap with surfing. I think you guys might hit if off. He's out in the surf right now." She pointed to a sandy haired guy wearing blue board shorts. "That's him."
Kai followed her gaze and looked at Ben. "Wow. He is good."
Holly agreed and called him over when he walked onto the beach. "Ben, I'd like you to meet Kai. She just moved here and is a natural at surfing."
Ben shook the water out of his hair. "Hey. How are you doing?"
Kai smiled at him. "I'm good. You look good out there. Mind if you give a rookie an attempt at those waves?"
Ben smiled. "Not a problem. I'll go out there with you to see if you need any help."
With that the couple jumped in the ocean and began to paddle out. Once out on the water, Ben looked at her. "So where are you from?"
Kai thought quickly. She knew that the other girls were telling everyone that they were from a small town in Ohio. " A small town in Ohio. There were less than a hundred people there, so my mother home schooled us. I was just tired of the small town life."
Ben picked up on the 'us' comment. "Us? Do you have brothers and sisters?"
Kai smiled. "Four sisters. I'm the middle one. Kesia and Kansas are older while Kim and Keahi are younger than me."
"Wow. It must have been difficult getting the bathroom in your house."
"Not really. We had plenty of space. So what about you?"
"I'm from a small town around here. I just needed to get out of town when I graduated. Seemed like a good thing to come around here. I got a good job working on a tour boat and life gives me time to get a lot of surfing when I'm in port."
"Any brothers or sisters?"
"Nope. I'm an only child. I always wished I had a brother growing up. Oh! Look at this wave coming in. Let's take a shot at it." With that, they both turned their boards around and began to paddle hard.
A few minutes later, they were back on the beach. Kai laughed. "Wow. That was so cool!"
Ben smiled. "Would you like to go to dinner with me?"
Kai nodded shyly. "I'd love to."
(Six Months Later)
Kai laughed as she caught another wave. She and Ben were having a contest to see who could catch the most waves. So far, she was ahead by two waves.
"I swear you're cheating somehow!" Ben called in from shore. His board had broken on the last wave.
She let the comment go while she concentrated on not breaking her own board. When she got back to shore, she poked him. "I do not cheat! It's not my fault you broke your board." She tried to continue on in that line, but she was having problems keeping a straight face. She broke out in the giggles. "Sorry, I can't help it. Usually it's me that breaks a board, not you!"
Ben nodded his head. "I had that coming, especially since I always make fun of you and how you break your board. Let's go grab something to eat."
Kai nodded and they left the beach to go to a little crab shack that they knew. They met up with some of their surfing friends and spent half the night dancing. It was a little after two, when they decided to go home. Kai kissed Ben goodnight and left to walk to her apartment. As she was walking along the beach, she heard a woman scream.
Not thinking about her own safety, she followed the sound until she came upon the sight of a black haired woman being attacked by a massive orange demon. The woman kept screaming no at the top of her lungs.
Kai didn't even think about not acting, she quickly used her power to surround the demon in a whirlwind of water. The woman didn't even notice that she was not being attacked any longer until Kai yelled, "Run!"
The woman scooted back from the demon and then got to her feet. She ran towards the street in a panic just as the demon broke through the water. Crap, Kai thought. She quickly called for more water power and surrounded the demon again. She used the power of the water to push the demon out to sea and far from the beach. When she turned to check on the woman, she was gone.
Shaking, she almost ran home. This was the first time that she had used her powers that much. Her fingers were shaking so hard that she almost couldn't dial the phone.
"H'Lo?"
"Kesia, it's Kai. I just got attacked by a demon or rather a demon was attacking this mortal woman and I stopped it. I'm so scared now."
"Calm down, little sis. It's okay. It happens to all of us. I take it you've been down here from about six months?"
"How'd you know?"
"That's how it happened to me and to Kansas. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. We fight demons all the time now. It gets a little easier with practice. It also helps if you find another witch to help you out."
By this time, Kai's heart had stopped racing. "Really? I hadn't thought about it. I've just been busy living my life. It's fun down here. You know what? I just realized that in about a year and a half, all of us will be down here. That will be nice to all be together again."
"That it will. Listen. I've got to go, I have to be at work in about twenty minutes, so I need to get ready. You take care of yourself. Stay safe. Feel free to call me anytime."
"I will. Thanks for helping me out."
Kesia laughed. "That's what older sisters are for. G'night."
"Night."
(Metal)
Kim was sitting in her room, feeling a little bit lonely. She never realized how much she would miss her sisters. It had been three years since Kesia had left and each year another sister left. She knew that she would be going down soon and that's the only thing that kept the majority of the loneliness at bay. She sighed as she reread another book on magic.
Gaia knocked on Kim's door. She knew that she missed her sisters and was happy to be able to tell her that it was her turn to go to the mortal realm. She went into her room after Kim had given permission. "Kim?"
Kim barely looked up from her book. "Yes, Mother?"
"Tomorrow it's your turn to go down. Are you ready?"
Kim's bright blue eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing her sisters again. "Really? I am so ready to go."
Gaia smiled. "I knew that you would say that. Have you decided where you want to go?"
Kim nodded. "Yes. I want to go to Dallas. It just seems like that is the best place for me."
Gaia nodded. "I understand. Trust your instincts. Go ahead and pack all of your belongings. Kronos will be here tomorrow to see you off."
Kim jumped up off her bed and quickly began to pack everything up. She made a decision at that time. I think it's time for me to cut my hair. This feels like a new start to my life and I need a change. Quickly, she grabbed a pair of scissors and soon her waist length black hair was cut into a short almost boyish style.
The next day, she met Gaia in her workroom. Gaia looked shocked at the lack of hair on her head. "Kim? You cut your hair? You never wanted a haircut before."
Kim looked at her. "I know. It just seemed right and you did tell me to trust my instincts. It's so much lighter, now."
Gaia looked at her daughter. "It suits you. I like it. Are you all packed?"
"Yes, ma'am. I've already said good-bye to Keahi. I feel a little bad for her, though. She'll be the only one up here until next year."
Gaia looked at her daughter. "I know. I know that you've been lonely up here. I think that she'll be okay. It will help that we can just look down and see any of you whenever we want." She paused. "Kronos is here. Are you ready?"
Kim just nodded as Kronos walked in. She saw him do a double take as he looked at her hair. "Hi, Kronos."
"Kim? You cut your hair."
"I needed a change. Do you like it?"
"It suits you. Have you said you're good-byes?"
"Yes. I'm ready." She took his extended hand and waived to Gaia as she disappeared.
Gaia sighed. Only one daughter left to go. I worry about them so much. But I have to trust them. I've raised them as best I can.
When Kim opened her eyes, she was standing in street. She noticed the press of people around her. "Wow. Thanks, Kronos."
"You're most welcome. Stay safe and take care of yourself."
"I will." Kim turned into the crowd and tried to decide what she wanted to do. I need to get a place to live and find job.
A couple of hours later, she was the proud renter of a small apartment and had a lead on a job for an up and coming band. They needed someone to help them answer all their fan mail. She took the job and was happy do be doing something.
The band was really nice. The lead singer, Darren was around her age and seemed to be really cool. He said that one of the reasons that they had chosen her was her look. They said that she looked edgy.
A few weeks later, she was still happy with her job. She had gotten to the point where she and the band hung out constantly. They cried on her shoulder about their rotten girlfriends and she made the appropriate responses by saying that the girls were idiots.
She had decided that she needed a night away from the guys and invited the bass player and the drummer's girlfriends for a girl's night out. Max was the bass player and Ed was the drummer. Ashley and Amanda were their girlfriends. Both of them were blue-eyed blonds.
Ashley looked at her first when they got to the restaurant. "So, what do you think of Darren?"
Kim looked at her. "Huh?"
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that! He's always, Kim this and Kim that. He's seriously into you!"
"Really?"
Ashley looked at her. "Oh yeah."
"I hadn't really thought about it. He's really been nice to me since I moved here. He is really cute."
Amanda looked at her. "You should go for it. Seriously, y'all make a great couple."
"You think?" At both of the girl's nods, she blushed a little bit. "Wow. I never realized."
The women talked for a little more, with both women giving Kim some advice on Darren. It mostly consisted of be herself.
Amanda put it best. She said, "He likes you for who you are now. Don't change that. Keep being yourself and it'll work out if it's meant to be."
She left the women after a couple of hours and decided to call Kai. She knew that Kai was the best at emotional things. Smiling, she dialed the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kai. It's Kim."
"Hey. What's going on?"
"I have a question for you."
"Okay. Shoot."
"I'm working for this band here in Dallas and two of the guy's girlfriends told me that the lead singer likes me. How do I play this?"
"Well, the question is, do you like him?"
Kim thought about that. "Yeah. I think I do. He's been really great since I got to Dallas. He's cute and when I'm talking to him, it's like I've known him all my life."
"Then that answer's your question. You like him, they think he likes you. If he makes a move, then go for it! Just make sure that you don't unintentionally give him the wrong idea that you don't like him. Just be yourself."
Kim sighed. "That's what everyone keeps saying. Just be myself. The problem is, do I tell him who I really am?"
"Kim." Kim could almost feel Kai rolling her eyes. "You know what could happen to him if you tell him. If you do tell him, then you need to make sure that he is in for the long haul."
Kim nodded to herself. "You're right. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. Thanks. I needed a swift kick in the head."
Kai laughed. "That's what sisters are for! I'll talk to you soon. Bye!"
"Bye." Kim sighed as she hung up the phone. She was prepared to wait for Darren to make his move.
(Three Months Later)
Kim was answering some fan mail when Darren walked in. She looked up and smiled at him. "Hey, you. What's going on?" She was slightly frustrated with him, he had yet to ask her out.
Darren shuffled his feet and looked anywhere but straight at her. "Not much. Um. I have a question for you."
Kim looked at him. "Okay. Shoot."
Darren looked at her. "Um…Would you like to go out with me? I mean if it's not too weird. You don't have to. I still want you to work for us, even if you say no, but if it'll be too weird, then you can forget that this conversation ever happened."
Kim sat there, in stunned silence. Not only was he asking her out, but he was babbling about it. Darren took her silence as a sign that she wasn't interested and turned to leave. She quickly stood up. "Wait! Don't go."
Darren turned, with a faint hope shining in his eyes.
Kim looked him square in the eyes. "I would love to. You just took me by surprise."
Darren smiled. "Cool. How about tonight?"
"Sounds good."
"Okay. I'll pick you up at your apartment at about eight. Is that okay?"
"Perfect. Let me get done with this last letter and I'll go and get ready." Darren nodded his agreement at that. Quickly, with wings on her heart, she finished typing the response to the fan mail and then left the office.
While she was walking home, she saw a fireball come flying out of the alley. Quickly, she moved towards it, her heart in her throat. Wow. It's only been three months and I'm seeing demons already. This can't be a good sign. She peered around a corner and found three black and purple demons surrounding a young boy, who looked to be about eight or nine. The boy looked terrified as the demons showed him a wicked looking knife.
Quickly, she invoked a power that made her attract anything made of a metal and the knife flew towards her. "What do you think you are doing to this boy?"
The demons just sneered at her as they turned towards her. She quickly called on the minerals of the earth. She shaped several of the metal trashcans into balls and hurled them towards the demons. The demons tried to dodge the projectiles however they were not able to dodge them all. Quickly, she decided another tactic and shaped the trashcan lids into flying discs with razor sharp edges. She sent them flying at the demons. Two of the demons saw the discs flying towards them and decided to shimmer out of the way to safety. One was not so luck. As soon as he realized the weapon was coming towards him, it was too late. The disc quickly beheaded him.
Seeing that the danger had passed, Kim walked towards the boy. "Are you okay?"
The boy gulped and looked like he was about to throw up. "Ha...Ha…how did you do that?"
She smiled at the boy, she could see that he had the potential to be a very powerful warlock. "Magic. It's also magic that drew those demons to you. You will be very powerful when you are trained."
The boy shook his head. "I'm going to be a magician?"
Kim smiled. "Yes. You will be a very powerful warlock in time." She heard running footsteps coming towards her and turned to find a very powerful and angry warlock looking at her.
"You will not hurt my student."
She looked at him. "Please, sensei, I mean no harm. I chased away the demons that were attacking him. He had no idea what was going on. Here is one of the demons that are responsible." She moved out of the way and saw the man's face blanch at the sight of the headless demon.
He bowed to her. "I am sorry that I made an unfair assumption. Thank you for saving his life."
"No problem. It was my pleasure. Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment." She quickly turned to leave, but stopped when she heard the man ask what her name was. "I'm Kim."
"Thank you, Kim. I'm Alec and this young man is Timothy. If you ever need anything, here is my card."
Kim accepted the card and bowed to the man before she left. That wasn't so bad. Now the fun begins!
(Fire)
Keahi ran a brush through her bright red hair. Gaia had told her last night that she was getting to go down to Earth the next day and she was nervous. As the youngest of Gaia's daughters, she was the most serious. She had watched her sister's on Earth and was nervous about what she was going down to.
Sighing, she decided to make sure that everything was packed. She went through her wardrobe and then her bookcases, deciding what it was that she wanted to take. She decided to take some of her books on demons, knowing that she would need them for when she faced her first demon.
As she packed, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to grow until she was faintly nauseous. Miffed at why she was not excited, she decided to go talk to Gaia.
She walked slowly into Gaia's workroom. "Mother?"
Gaia turned around. "Yes, dear. Are you excited about finally getting to leave?"
Keahi sighed. "I'm not sure. I've got a bad feeling about this. The butterflies in my stomach are the size of bunnies!"
Gaia smiled. "It's natural to be nervous, darling. This is just part of life."
Keahi shook her head. "It's more than that, Mother. I have a really bad feeling. I've never felt this way before."
Gaia furrowed her brow. "I'll look into it for you, but it's time for you to leave. I can delay going for a couple of hours, but if you don't go down within a year of the date that your last sister did, it's possible for all of you to lose your powers. That's why I waited until Kesia was twenty-four before I sent her."
Keahi smiled. "I understand. I'm not saying that I won't go, but just having you check into makes me feel better."
Gaia started to reply but Kronos walked in. "Hi, Kronos. Can you stay here for a couple of hours? There's something I need to take care of before Keahi leaves."
"Sure." Kronos looked puzzled. :Gaia? Is everything alright?:
:No. Keahi is having a troubling feeling about her going down. I think it might be the beginnings of a premonition, but with her up here, it's not having its full affect due to my shields. I need to check with the Elders.:
:Okay. I'll stay here until you get back, then the firecracker and I will go down.:
:Thanks.:
This conversation had taken place in the few seconds that it had taken Gaia to walk out of the workroom. She walked out of sight of Keahi then she disappeared.
Keahi looked at Kronos when he walked in. After her mother had left, she turned to him. "Hi, Kronos. I'm sorry I'm such a bother. I just have this feeling that I can not shake that something is going to go very wrong."
Kronos smiled. "Don't worry about it firecracker. I have all the time in the world." He smirked as he said that.
Keahi just rolled her eyes and began to laugh uncontrollably. "You did not just say that! What an awful pun."
"Hey! I am Father Time. If I don't have time, who does?"
Keahi just giggled.
"So have you decided where you want to go?"
She thought for a moment. "I think I want to go to San Francisco. It seems like a nice city."
Kronos thought for a moment. "It is a nice city. I think that you will like it there."
They talked for a few more minutes before Gaia got back. Keahi looked at her in hope. "So, what did you find out?"
"Nothing. There's nothing that is coming up on my radar. I looked. We'll just pass this off as nerves for now, but trust your instincts when you get down to Earth, okay?"
Keahi nodded. "Of course. Kronos, I'm ready to go now."
"Okay, firecracker. Go get your bags." :Gaia?:
:There is more. The Elders would not tell me anything, though. It's frustrating.:
:Yes, it is. Don't worry about her. She's going to San Francisco. The Charmed Ones can look out for her.:
:The Charmed Ones? I thought that one of them had been killed.:
:Yes. The eldest, Prue. However, there was a fourth sister, Paige. She got her powers right after Prue passed away. They will look after her.:
:That does make me feel better, thank you.:
Keahi came back into the room. "I'm ready. I love you, Mother."
Gaia looked at her youngest. "I love you, too, sweetheart. Be safe and trust your instincts."
Keahi nodded as she took Kronos' hand. A few moments later, they were standing in San Francisco. "Thanks, Kronos. I'd better go find a place to live and a job."
An hour later, she was frustrated. She had not found a place to live, so she decided to try looking for a job. She was walking down the street when she spotted a club called P3. There was a help wanted sign out front. Deciding that it was worth a shot, she walked in. "Hello?"
"In the back!"
Puzzled, she walked towards the voice. "I saw the sign for the job outside. I'm here to apply."
"I'll be right out."
Keahi waited by the bar for a few minutes then a woman with long brown hair walked out of the back.
"Sorry, it's been a really crazy week. I'm Piper. I own the club."
Keahi smiled. "Hi, I'm Keahi. I'm new to town and need a place to work."
Piper looked at her. "Do you have any experience."
Keahi raised her eyebrows. "Experience with what? I don't know what the job is for."
Piper laughed. "Sorry. My mind has just shut off. I have a bartender position available."
Keahi nodded her head. "I have a little experience, nothing major though."
Piper looked at her. She got a good vibe from her. "Some is better than none. You'll work with Michael. He's the main bartender. He can get you up to speed in a couple of weeks. Just fill out this application."
Keahi looked at the form that Piper handed her. "Um. I don't know what to put for address. I just got to town today and I don't have a place to live, yet."
Piper thought for a moment. "There's a hostel, not to far from here. They will put you up for a couple of weeks while you find a place to live." She leaned over to the cash register. "Here you go. Here's some money to pay for it until you get paid."
Keahi smiled. "Thanks, but I have my own money. I'll go there right now."
Piper smiled. "Good. Be back here at seven and I'll have Michael start to teach you the ropes. Luckily, this is a Thursday, so it won't be too busy tonight."
Keahi smiled as waved to Piper as she left.
A couple of hours later, she was settled into her hostel room. She left early to make sure she was at the club on time.
She walked in and saw a few people around the bar. She walked up to the bar and rested by it. A man with dark hair walked up to her from behind the bar. "What can I get for you?"
Keahi smiled. "Nothing. I'm Keahi. I'm supposed to start tonight."
The man smiled. "Hi, Keahi. I'm Michael. Piper mentioned that she had hired you. Come on around the bar and I'll show you the ropes. What kind of drinks do you know how to make."
Keahi thought for a moment to the parties that her and her sisters had thrown for themselves. "Just the basics like a margarita."
Michael looked at her. "Okay. I can work for that." He reached under the counter and pulled out a book. "Here is a book of drink recipes. You might want to study that. It will be a big help."
Michael continued along that line until Keahi thought her head was going to explode with all the knowledge that he was giving her. She smiled to herself. He was very nice and kept introducing her to the regular people that always came in.
Piper came in about one am and told both her and Michael that they could leave once the club closed. Keahi declined, she told Piper that she would like to learn how to close. Piper smiled and agreed to let her stay.
"So," Piper started once the club had closed. "Where are you from?"
"A small town in Ohio. My mother told my sisters and me that we should leave home and see the world. She wanted us to be well rounded."
Piper smiled. "I have two sisters, too. How many sisters do you have?"
Keahi drew in a breath. "Four."
"Older or younger?"
"I'm the youngest. I'm twenty, Kim is twenty-two, Kai is twenty-four, Kansas is twenty-six and Kesia is twenty-eight."
"Wow. I'm the oldest. I used to be the middle child, but then Prue was killed."
Keahi frowned at that. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what I would do if one of my sisters was killed. It would be horrible."
Piper smiled. "It was. But I'm getting stronger every day."
Just as those words were out of her mouth six demons appeared. They were extremely tall, almost seven feet tall in height and built like linebackers. Their faces and hands were the deepest black with thin yellow stripes making different patterns on their faces. The lead demon growled as he saw the two witches staring at them.
Piper quickly snapped out of her amazement and extended out her arms to try to freeze them, but they were unaffected. She reacted quickly by blowing a one of them up. She turned to Keahi. "Run!"
Keahi just shook her head and extended her arms out. Fire appeared out of nowhere and enveloped another demon. She set to work with a blank expression on her face. She began to control the fire she was creating, trying to enclose the demons in it. The demons realized what she was doing and began to hurl energy balls at her, causing her to lose her concentration. Finally, she stopped trying to entrap them and began to extinguish the energy balls that were flying fast and furious at her.
Piper kept trying to blow some more of them up, but they were dodging her. "Paige!! Leo!!"
Keahi had been trying to keep track of the demons and realized that she was missing one. She turned around her and saw the missing demon preparing to attack Piper. "Piper! Look out!" she yelled just at the demon released the ball. She knew that Piper would not have time to react and threw herself at her to knock her down.
When Piper hit the floor, she uttered a small 'oof'. "What…" She stopped talking as the energy ball crashed into the bar. A piece of wood flew from the bar and hit Keahi on the head. She lost consciousness.
"That's it. I'm done playing," Piper muttered under her breath and she flung herself back up. Just as she stood up, she saw Leo orb in with Paige and Phoebe. "It's about time you got here!"
Both girls ignored her and began to fight the demons.
Phoebe levitated and managed to do a roundhouse kick at the demon on the far left. He flew into a wall and slumped to the ground. Behind her, she heard Paige call for an energy ball and turned just in time to see a demon explode that was just about to attack her. She turned and swept the ground with her leg, causing last demon to fall.
Piper saw her opportunity and quickly blew it up.
Once the dust settled, Leo walked over to Piper. "Honey, are you okay?"
Piper nodded. "Yeah. Crap. Check on Keahi. She's behind the bar. She got hit by some flying debris while saving my life."
Leo looked at her. "Who's Keahi?"
"New bartender who turned out to be a witch. She got one of the demons before she saved me."
Leo nodded. "Okay. Let's get her back to the manor."
With that, Paige grabbed Phoebe and they orbed out. Leo put a hand on Piper and on Keahi and orbed them to the manor.
AN: Okay, y'all. I'm evil leaving it here. But truly, unless you really wanted this chapter to be over 10,000 words, this was the best place to stop! I promise that the next chapter will be up sometime next next week!
A Forgotten Fairy- Thank's so much for your review! I hope this meets with your expectations!!
AN: Okay, guys. See that little button below that says "Submit Review"? I would love it if you do! I do take requests and if you have a good idea, I'd love to incorporate it into the story!!! Update on 5/25/07 for grammatical errors and clarification on the battle scenes...Thanks's so much to Aphina for betaing this for me!!