--------------------
(Morning at the Manor)
Phoebe dragged her tired body towards the kitchen. Run-down and ragged she wrapped her arms around herself, painted a smile on her face and prepared herself. Piper's white dazzling smile glinted in Phoebe's direction. "Morning Phoebes" She sang. "What time did you get in last night?"
Casually trying to deflect the attention she was receiving she answered. "Oh you know. I didn't want to wake anyone when I got in so I just went straight up to bed."
Paige leaned over and stole a bagel from the plate in the middle of the table and shoved it into her mouth as she asked "Hmm hot date last night…? Since when did you start hanging late night again?"
"No. I did not have a hot date last night and I am not hanging out late night!" She sniveled. Realizing it might seem as if she were over reacting she tried to segue into a calmer response "I'm just feeling a little icky and wanted to go straight to bed. It's no big deal just a little more tired than usual." Phoebe chuckled under her breath hopeful no one would notice her change in demeanor.
"So, you did go out last night?" Piper turned around to face Phoebe with a sly smile on her face. "Cause when I got in from the club I did not hear you. Leo said he hadn't seen you all night and he came in late. She stopped turned and faced her sister C'mon Phoebe whatcha hiding?"
Pressured and nervous Phoebe tried to remind herself that her powers were simply expanding and her sisters where just being sisters. The dark circles under her eyes and pale skin where not helping her cause at all.
"Honey, are you sure you're ok?" Paige chimed in "You don't look so good."
"Nothing that a good cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast won't fix… Right? Piper isn't that what you've always said?"
"What? When did I say that?" She laughed at how she mothered everyone around her even before she had Wyatt.
Paige sat in the chair across from Phoebe "Do you think this is magical or are you just coming down with something?"
"No, no I just need a cup of coffee and a few minutes with a shower." Inside she felt jumpy and unable to control her emotions. Phoebe wanted so much to tell her sisters what she was going through was magical but she wasn't even sure herself. Could her dream have been a premonition or just some strange nightmare? She tried to rationalize with herself. My powers are expanding and that always makes things a little crazy. Another night of waking up in a cold sweat was more than she could handle. She made up her mind she would call Elise and take a couple of days off then pay another visit to the Sage.
--------------------
(Sage Advice)
The room was cloaked with heavy fabric and it seemed smaller, darker than she remembered. The smell of herbs and potions was overwhelming. Black candles replaced the white candles that melted on the wall sconces from her last visit. With every breath she took she could sense a presence around her. She felt heavy and tired almost as if she had been drugged. Frightened Phoebe wanted to run but she stood there feeling paralyzed. As she turned to leave she heard a voice.
"Why are you running child? There's no need to be afraid."
She turned around to find a small frail woman dressed in a blue regalia; grinding herbs with a martyr and pestle. "What are you working on there, a potion?" Phoebe realized she had just bared her soul the day before to this woman. She was so out of it she could have just given away her and her sisters biggest secrets to a demon. Feeling skeptical she asked "Are you really a Sage?"
"Why do you question now? You seemed eager to share your pain. You were very interested in learning how to control your ever changing gift." She sounded as if she were hissing underneath each word she spoke.
Phoebe shivered inside. Slowly she took a step towards the woman. Her hands were wrinkled, taught and dressed with spots just like the woman in her dream; just like Phoebe's hands last night. Trying to get a closer look Phoebe carefully stepped towards the Sage.
"What is it you are looking for dear?" In a sing-songy tone she waddled towards her and said "You still have questions and I can help you find the answers you seek."
"My only question is what do you want? You obviously know who I am and you haven't tried anything yet… but why? What's holding you back?"
"Child, you still do not trust me. I assure you, I mean you no harm. Remember you came to me; and for that you must follow your journey." The Sage turned and walked away from Phoebe.
"So I should trust you, is that it? Why the black candles and the ominous cloud that hangs over this place?"
"Yes, well it should seem different to you. I am working with a different type of magic today." The Sage smiled and Phoebe could see spaces where teeth should be.
"What kind of different magic?"
"Nothing that should frighten you dear; I am only mastering in the art of defensive magic. Cloaking, a little binding and a few protection spells." She turned to face Phoebe took a deep breath and raised her arms as if she were about to spread something about the room but only spoke "There are dark forces that follow you. A fore-warned witch is a wise one. Don't think that all magic is good or bad; some magic can be neutral. What magic seems to renaissance from a menacing place… just might emanate light."
Phoebe scoffed. "Ok, I'll bite. Let's say there is neutral magic. What is the source of this magic and exactly what is the intended goal?" Folding her arms she was prepared for a good old fashioned interrogation. "You can not expect me to believe that you are not practicing some dark ritual. What is your plan? Who are you protecting and from what?"
The Sage paused "So many questions and I thought you were here to complete your journey. These potions and herbs are all typical when cloaking ones-self from evil."
"Strange, why would a Sage need protecting from evil? Especially if the magic you practice really is neutral." Phoebe was disgusted. She was so desperate to find answers that she walked right into an old fashioned fortune teller. "Shouldn't you be like Switzerland? You know... neutral and all…?"
The Sage continued as she paced the room "There is Five Finger Grass and Marjoram wrapped in Mandrake Root" She waived her arms around pointing to all the different cauldrons in the room. "The black candles protect the user and the space from negative energy, which keeps the place sacred. Anyone, magical or mortal can fall victim to the repercussions of evil practice. It's tempting no matter what side you are on. Come, let us sit and let me show something."
Phoebe sat at the table where the woman was mixing herbs. She looked around the room again. The darkness that had swallowed the light earlier seemed to have lifted. She could clearly see the woman was a Practitioner. There were hundreds of little jars filled with herbs and endless shelves of books with names like Magic Spells and Practices and Scrying for Dummies. Phoebe laughed at the thought of what this woman would do with all the books in Magic School at her disposal.
"So what are we dealing with here, Voodoo, Divination, Cleromancy, Santaria, what exactly?"
The Sage looked at Phoebe with a surprised look on her face. "What a power you have and you are smart too. You assume that I am just a Practitioner but I have a power too. However, for now we will turn to water to read your phenomena."
Phoebe exhaled the breath she forgot to take a second earlier. Her heart began pounding in her chest and her hands were shaking. She watched as the Sage seemed to go into a trance. Her ears starting ringing and she felt dizzy. Sitting completely still and holding her head up she listened as the old woman began to speak.
"You are deeply troubled my child and you should fear what is to come." The Sage looked up with her slate gray eyes and stared at Phoebe. The water in the bowl turned black. Without looking back at the bowl she pursed her lips together and slowly as if she were underwater she spoke. "Bile, black bile..."
Phoebe stood up her head filled with voices. She lost focus on the Sage and could not understand what she was saying. The noises in her head were too loud and her ears were ringing. Her eyes stinging she could feel fluid rolling down her cheek. Her hands were shaking so frantic-like she could not grasp onto anything and fell over. When she opened her eyes the Sage was standing over her. She appeared to be floating. Phoebe could see her disfigured face, gray eyes with dilated pupils and her spotted, wrinkled hands reaching for her.
"Child, child…! Wake up, wake up and tell me what you saw. Tell me… what was it?" Kneeling next to her the Sage reached for Phoebe's hand. "Phoebe, come child tell me of your vision."
A bit dazed Phoebe sat up on her elbows and gazed at the old woman. "I don't remember. I don't think I had a vision as much as a feeling." She sat up and took a breath before attempting to stand. "Did you go into a trance?"
The Sage could see she was full of questions. "Well, I'm sure I did something. I have to leave myself when seeking the truth. Why do you ask my child?" Perceptive as she was, the woman did not want to lead Phoebe with her thoughts. "Your phenomena, tell me what was it like?" So eager she was to hear what Phoebe would say almost eating the words right out of her mouth.
"Well. It was as if… I was feeling what you were feeling. I mean physically feeling your trance." Phoebe began to stammer "As if I were leaving myself at the same time." Phoebe was stunned as she listened to the words come out of her mouth.
"You are a powerful sister-witch. One of the Charmed three and that alone will command all the energy that surrounds you to work in unison with you."
Phoebe listened and observed the old woman. As an Empath she could feel what others were feeling but to actually channel someone's physical response. It was as if she had become the Sage. How was this even possible?
"Yes, my child." Smiling, the old woman folded her long fingers into each other and waited for the response that was to come.
"This is huge. This is very, very huge. I do not know how this is going to work. So are you telling me that when there is active magic involved this can or will happen?" Phoebe's head was whirling with so many questions. "What happens if there is evil around?"
Pacing back and forth she thought how am I going to tell Piper and Paige what has happened. This is not good, not good. Turning to the Sage she spoke even toned and low "Thank you, I have to go now."
"Phoebe, we did not explore your questions and reveal the underlying truth that you seek."
"No. See, that's ok… because I will keep in touch. Thanks again." Stumbling out the door she bumped into an older man who resembled a character more than a human. "Oh, excuse me." The door slammed close startling her as she searched for her keys. Noticing the dark spots on her hand had returned she kept walking. The longer she stared at them the older her hands appeared.