Unfortunate Souls

Ch 3: Parties and Books of Fate

Chris was bored out of his mind. His mom had spent the whole day cooking in preparation for their relatives. Chris had received a smack to the back of his head when he had said that if they didn't like the food that Piper bothered to feed them they could starve for all he cared. He was told to remember his manners and that they were family and should always be treated that way.

Chris thought that was a lot of bullshit. Why did he have to behave when none of his family ever treated him like family? Everyone treated him like a very poisonous snake that had somehow made its way into their safe little nest.

Phoebe kept a fake smile on her face when she was around him but tried to avoid him like he was a plague. Her husband wasn't that much better he treated him like any other of the Halliwell' but still tried to keep the time he spent with him to a minimum. Uncle Henry never spent any time with him and would constantly tell his parents about things they could do for their 'troubled son'. Paige on the other hand tried to look around his powers to see the person underneath. She had even tried to give a few lessons on how to use them; still every once in a while Chris would see a little fear shining through her eyes.

His cousins tried to stay away from him not from any personal fear but from their parents telling them to stay away from him scared that Chris would somehow corrupt their precious children. Henry Jr., David, Nathan, and Mark all occasionally tried to treat him like a friend but where quickly called away by their parents. Chris still found it hilarious that the Charmed Ones the epitome of women power had only male children. There wasn't a single female among their children. Chris thought maybe after a hundred or so years of good magic being dominated by women it was finally time for men to have a chance.

So after a day of endlessly preparing for a whole punch of ingrates Chris watched with some disgust as the rest of his family ate and entertained each other with school work and a parolee that his uncle was currently having trouble with. If the party got any more exciting Chris would be in a coma.

"If you don't stop scowling your face will get stuck that way." A cheerful voice said from behind him. Chris turned to find his brother standing their looking as perfect as he always did. He was wearing a blue button up shirt and a pair of jeans that fit him like a second skin. A smile grew on Wyatt's face as he watched Chris's eyes travel up and down his body.

"I don't see a reason to smile, do you?" Chris said trying to keep a scowl on his face. Chris always found it hard to not smile when Wyatt was around.

"Well, we are at a party you know those are usually good reasons to smile and have fun." Wyatt said smiling at Chris's typical dark attitude.

"Most parties don't include our annoying family."

"Come on Chris our family isn't that bad." Wyatt said with a slight scowl marring his perfect face.

"You only say that because they don't fear you. If they knew about your true power they would be scared of you too."

"Chris you promised you wouldn't tell them." Chris's stony façade quickly cracked as he saw the expression of fear overcome his brother's face. Chris felt a brief surge of hatred towards the rest of the family before suppressing it. If there was one thing he hated more than anything was seeing Wyatt in any kind of distress.

"Don't worry I will not tell them. I just hate being around these hypocrites." Chris said.

"They're not hypocrites." Wyatt said.

"They were the most powerful source of good magic the world had ever seen and yet they still judge and condemn me just because they think I'm too powerful. They tried to bind my powers three times because of their fear. They even helped the elders once in trying to imprison me, the only reason I'm not stuck in some stone is because you stopped them and yet you still defend them." Chris said getting angrier with every bad memory he mentioned.

"I'm not defending them." Wyatt said in a sad voice. An awkward silence fell over them. They fidgeted as Chris tried to overcome his anger and Wyatt dug himself out of his depression.

"Well at least I'm here." Wyatt said trying to improve Chris's mood. Chris smiled at Wyatt loving the fact that Wyatt thought he was important enough to try cheering him up.

"I'd rather be in you." Chris whispered smirking as a blush overtook Wyatt's face. Wyatt was about to respond when a scream came from the other room. Wyatt ran over to see what's wrong. A sigh escaped him as he slowly walked over to join Wyatt. A demon with two black stars on his forehead was attacking the family. Piper powers had no effect on him and no one else's was doing any better. The man saw Wyatt and Chris enter the room and raised his left hand four very large viper snakes flew out and landed on the floor. He then raised his right hand and four giant lions appeared out of nowhere.

Three lions approached his aunts and cousins, while three of the snakes approached Wyatt, Piper and Leo. The remaining lion and snake made its way over to Chris. Chris threw a disbelieving look towards the demon and said "Lions and snakes and I thought you would be entertaining."

Chris sat down in one of the chairs and watched as his family dealt with the nuisance. Wyatt quickly dealt with the snakes that had come towards him. It was pathetic he had only needed to blink to kill them. On the other hand the rest of his family was having problems with their little kitty cats. Chris looked down when he heard a hiss. Chris scowled at the snake and said "Don't even think about biting me." Chris's eyes started to glow as the snake turned into stone. Chris then turned his gaze towards the lion approaching him and it turned into a little kitty.

Using his telekinesis he picked up the kitten and put it on his lap. Chris pets the little thing and said "I'll call you Mittens cause of your cute little white feet." The kitten meowed and Chris decided to take that as the cat agreeing with him. He looked up to see that the family had finally finished with the rest of the cats.

The demon smiled and shimmered out. The family started to argue with each other. Chris decided to ignore them and continue playing with his new pet. Chris picked up the stone snake and said "Now you promise to behave and I'll turn you back." Chris waited for while as if waiting for an answer before turning it back into a living snake. He let the snake climb up his arm and wrap around his neck.

"Chris are you listening?" Piper asked in a loud frustrated voice. Chris looked up from his two pets and said "No."

"Well, pay attention." Piper said as she turned towards Paige and asked "Is he in the book of shadows?"

Paige looked up and said "Yes his name in Aym or Haborym. It says here that he's is high level demon immune to almost every witch power and was supposedly one of the generals that fought on the side of the damned at the beginning of time."

"That's great is there any way to kill it?" Phoebe asked.

"No it doesn't say anything about that in the book." Paige said as she slammed the book shut in frustration.

"Well, how the hell are we supposed to vanquish it? If it's really that old I don't think any ordinary spell or potion will kill it." Piper asked. The room remained silent except for Chris making kissing noises to his snake. Piper turned to her son in frustration and said "Will you stop playing with that thing and help us?"

Chris looked up from his snake and asked "Why should I?"

"What do you mean why should you help us? We're your family." Piper shouted. Chris stared at them with an icy glare and said "A family that tried to trap me in a stone so excuse me for not caring if a demon kills the lot of you."

As everyone was trying to get over their shock at the hatred in Chris's voice. Wyatt walked over him and said "Please Chris help them." Seeing that Chris wasn't giving into him and said "Please do it for me." Chris stared at him. Their staring contest continued on for what seemed forever until Chris sighed in disgust and said "Fine but if one of them dies while trying to vanquish Aym don't come to me for help.

Chris put Mittens on the floor and looked up to see everyone staring at him expectantly. Chris rolled his eyes as they started to glow. The rest of the family jumped as a thick book appeared in his hands. It was a leather bound book that was as black as night. Chris opened the book and started flipping through the pages.

"What is that?" Leo asked. Chris ignored him and continued flipping through the pages. Leo looked at Wyatt in frustration silently asking for his help. Wyatt decided he would help his family this once since he was also curios about the book.

"Chris what is it?" Chris looked up before looking back at the book and continued flipping through the pages.

"It's a Fate Book." Chris said

"What's a Fate Book?" Wyatt asked what everybody was wondering.

"It's a book that contains everything about the person it's made for. It contains every little detail from their ancestry to everything that could happen to them. Most importantly it tells you their powers. It also tells you the person's strengths and weaknesses."Chris stopped flipping the pages and said "To be exact this is Aym's book of fate. Ok it shouldn't be that hard to vanquish him. You just need to make this potion."

Chris handed the book over to Piper and went back to playing with his pets. As Piper and the rest of them were reading the book Wyatt walked over to him and said "Thanks Chris, I know you don't like them but it means a lot to me that you would help them for me."

Chris gave him a small smile and whispered in a voice that Wyatt could barely hear "I would do anything for you Wyatt." Wyatt felt warmth fill his stomach and smiled.

They turned as Piper said in a loud voice "The potions pretty easy we just need some rare ingredients from magic school. Leo orb me over there."

Leo walked over and grabbed his wife's hand and said "We'll be right back." With that said they disappeared in white orbs.

Piper and Leo looked around in shock at the destruction around them. The once immaculate school was now in ruins. It reminded them of the time that the demons had taken it over. They looked around but they found nothing but a few skeletons that were wearing tattered robes showing that the skeletons were once teachers here.

"Something's wrong we were here just yesterday there is no way that magic school could have been taken over and there is no way that skeletons could already be here." Leo said as he looked around."

Piper grabbed her husband and said "Take us back home Leo we have to figure out what's going on here." Once again they disappeared in white orbs.

When they appeared back at the manor they were shocked to find it empty. They had looked everywhere but couldn't find anyone. What disturbed them the most was the fact that the house looked 

almost like a museum. It looked the same as it did before except it was so clean that it was obvious no one had lived in here for a very long time. When they had gotten to the attic they were once again shocked.

"Leo where's the Book of Shadows?" Piper asked as she was officially starting to panic. Leo looked around and saw a glass case were the book should have been. Leo walked up and studied it for a while before saying "I don't know but you should take a look at this. Piper walked up to find that the case held a stone that was fractured into three pieces the stone when whole had the image of a triquetra on top of it. The three pieces were also glowing with an eerie yellow light. "What are they?"

"Piper read the plaque." Leo said pointing to a little plaque at the bottom corner of the container. Piper let out a gasp as she read the plaque.

'Here are the three prisons of the once legendary Charmed Ones

let this be a warning for anyone who dares to defy

the great Lord Christopher.'