A/Note: Hey, Readers, sorry this chapter took a while as it was under editing. My editor has a life and I thank her for making time to do this. I hope you all consider it worth it as it was a really fun chapter to write. (Here's a little teaser: Next Gen.) Enjoy and please Read and Review with your comments.
(Updated 10/29/07-- The update is noted at the end of the chapter.)
Chapter 6- Paiges to be Written
Present Day, August 28th, 2006
A hard rain pummeled San Francisco as Paige Matthews busied herself with setting up the altar room in her new white two-story home. The house consisted of four bedrooms, about fourteen feet long and nine feet wide, and a bathroom on the second floor. On the first floor were the dining, kitchen, conservatory, living room, and a simple bathroom. There was also a basement, but Henry and Paige had no plans for it at present. At the moment it sufficed as a storeroom for their unpacked boxes.
Paige's altar room was nearly set up. There was a four-foot oak table on which sat a black iron cauldron, crystal bowls containing herbs and other magical ingredients, a candle flicker, a spoon, a measuring cup, and a small brown leather potions book containing notes Paige had copied from her sister Phoebe and the Halliwell family's Book of Shadows. Across the room was a bureau containing empty potion vials as well as those holding the standards: potions to create explosions, transportation, smoke-bombs, and electric shocks. There was more magical equipment to add, but Paige saw the arrangement would work for the time being.
She went over to another box, opened it, and removed five white-tipped blue candles. As she placed them in the bottom corner of the room, a rain-dampened Billie Jenkins entered, carrying under her arm a brown wooden box with a gold-inlayed design on the top of its lid.
"I got the crystals," she announced. She looked out the window and sighed, brushing a strand of wet blonde hair out of her face. "Who knew liquid sunshine could be such a pain in the butt?"
"Yeah, sorry about that," the Witchlighter said with a sheepish chuckle. "I didn't know it was going to rain. It's what I get for ignoring the weatherman. Did you get the amethyst?"
"Sure did, everything on the list," Billie said as she handed Paige the box holding the pyrite crystals. "Your demon snare is in the box, your boosted scrying crystal, and the herbs you wanted."
"You're a doll, Billie, thank you," Paige said. She scanned the items in the box and arched an eyebrow. "Where're the amethyst and the herbs?"
Billie slapped her forehead. "Oops, my turn to apologize." She dug into her pocket and pulled out a violet amethyst, and three plastic packages containing bonsai tree leaves, burdock root, and eel skin. She handed Paige the items and gazed about the room. "Everything looks great."
"Thanks," said Paige with a smile. "And how's your room doing?" She and Henry had allowed Billie to stay at their house for a while because they had the extra room and the girl wasn't ready to head back to school yet. Paige also knew she could use her charge's help while adjusting to her new magical destiny.
"It's coming along fine. I have everything practically set up: bed, TV, and magical notes. I got a couple candles in there as well. Not much, but it'll do for starters." She smiled. "Thanks again for letting me stay."
"No problem," said Paige, placing the box containing the pyrite-crystal cage next to one of three windows in the room.
"Well, I'm outta here," Billie said. "My cell phone is on. Call if you need anything."
Paige eyed her curiously. "Where are you going?"
"I'm following a lead," answered Billie. "It's no biggie, just a Scavenger demon. I'm going to strap on several daggers in case I have to cut his power-draining green whip. I'll call you when he's vanquished." She turned on her heel and walked away.
Paige shook her head as her charge's retreating back disappeared through the door. That girl's going to get herself killed one day, she thought with a rueful sigh. After making her final touches, she left the altar room and walked down the hallway. On its walls hung pictures of her family, and Paige stopped in front of her favorite one, a triumphant group shot of her sisters and herself taken several weeks after the Ultimate Battle. She gazed at it. That had been a great day…
Her thoughts were cut off by a beeping sound from the bedroom. Her husband came charging out, dialing a number on his cell phone. "I have to go, Paige," Henry said as he ran past her. "A parolee of mine was spotted." He sighed as he hurried on. "Why do I always get the troublemakers?"
Paige didn't have the chance to say good-bye, as Henry had stampeded down the steps like a kid on Christmas morning. "You have a nice day too," she said wryly. She turned to the window behind her and grimaced at the rain streaming down the panes in heavy rivulets. I'm definitely not going out in that, she thought firmly.
As she made her way down the staircase, the phone in the living room began to ring. Paige hurried over to it, picked up the receiver before the voicemail cut in, and pressed the "talk" button. "Hello?"
"Hi, Paige," Phoebe's voice said on the other end of the line. "How are you?"
"Doing fine," answered Paige. "I'm fixing up the place."
"That's why I'm calling," Phoebe said, "I was wondering how the house turnout was going. Isn't this rain horrible?"
"Tell me about it. It's keeping me from going out to get extra stuff we need for around the house," Paige said. "What are you up to today?"
"Nothing much really, I'm at work right now. Coop and I are going out for dinner this evening and I thought you and Henry might like to join us in a double-date. Interested?"
"What about our other sister and her husband?"
"Leo's playing with the kids and Piper's updating the Book of Shadows." Phoebe chuckled. "She's lucky she gets to keep that thing."
Paige's face brightened. "You just gave me an idea that could spice up this rainy day."
"I hope you're not thinking of stealing a certain book," Phoebe said jokingly.
"No, I'm thinking about starting my own certain book," said Paige, smiling into the receiver. "Piper should keep the one in the Manor, as it's been there the longest."
"You know, that doesn't sound half-bad," Phoebe agreed. "Piper threw together some notes for me when I moved out, but you should definitely prepare your own Book of Shadows. After all, your line will be special; they might become Witchlighters themselves."
Paige's dark eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Me, with children? Phoebe, I know I'm a great aunt, but I'm not sure about having kids myself."
But the question had goaded Paige's curiosity, and her train of thought moved on. Would I really be a good mother? she wondered.
Fall 2028 – Mitchell-Matthews home
Three pillars of blue-white orbs materialized into an attic altar room that had seen many changes over the past 25 years: things moved around, new magical equipment added to the arsenal left by the Witchlighter who had lived in the house. But the three people in their twenties who solidified into the room took it all in stride, as they had been the ones who had made the changes. The eldest, a clean-shaven young man sporting a black leather jacket, a white shirt, and blue jeans, made his way to the Book of Shadows as it sat open on its altar as if in anticipation of the trio's arrival. As he stopped in front of it and began flipping through its pages, he was joined by two young women, identical twins with pale skin, shoulder-length light-brown hair, and hazel eyes.
"Is there anything in there, Peter?" one twin asked after a few minutes.
Peter shook his dark head. "Nothing so far." His pale eyes went from one girl to the other. "So, what we should do about them?"
"They're just another clan of demons," the oldest twin Sarah answered. "I say we find their weakness as a group and attack it."
"But the problem is we don't know their weakness," Peter replied. "They must be new. Otherwise, Mom would have written something about them."
"Then we go to Aunt Piper's and check her Book of Shadows," Sarah said. "It might have the information we need." She heaved a sigh. "Having our own Book is kick-ass, but it sucks when they don't always have the same info." She turned to her twin. "Take Peter with you."
"Why?" the younger girl asked in surprise.
"I have to make the potion." Sarah eyed her sister levelly. "And as much as I hate being the bitch who brings up past magical mistakes, our garden is dead and Serena now has pink fur."
Peter hid an amused smile as Samantha's cheeks went their own shade of pink at the reminder. Their mother Paige Matthews had like her sister, broken up the Halliwell family tradition by giving her twin daughters names starting with "S", but at first she had been stumped as to what to name them. The girls were named after the adoptive mothers of both Paige and Henry. "Sarah" was the name of Paige's adoptive mother as "Samantha" was the name of Henry's. As another tradition, both Paige and Henry decided that all the girls would take on Paige's last name as the boys would take on his. But it was there the girls' twinness came to a sudden stop.
The eldest daughter by five minutes, Sarah Pandora Matthews was the strongest and most experienced of the trio, the best at potions and past magical knowledge. By contrast, Samantha Panthea Matthews was still learning the Craft and often felt intimidated by her sister. Samantha's self-esteem suffered each time a potion or spell failed; not long ago she had made a potion in an attempt to help the garden become healthier, but both potion and ritual had backfired, leaving Serena, the family white Persian cat, minus large patches of fur. Samantha had used another spell to get the indignant cat's fur to grow back, but she had meant for it to grow back white, not pink. On top of that, the sisters' magical relationship took a strange turn: Samantha was an accomplished Whitelighter but hardly the fighter her sister was, while Sarah wasn't exactly the best Whitelighter around.
Peter Keith Mitchell was the 180-degree opposite of his sisters. He was mortal, adopted by Paige and Henry before the twins had been born. Peter had been the biological son of one of Paige's charges, Keith, a future Whitelighter who had died suddenly, leaving the infant boy all alone. As they both knew what it felt like to be adopted, Paige and Henry had discussed the situation and had decided to take the child in. The fact that his name began with a "P" was only but a mere coincidence.
Peter now walked over to Samantha and rested his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sam. Off to the Manor we go."
She nodded resignedly. "We'll be back soon, Sarah," she said and vanished with her older brother in a blue-white orb cloud.
Sarah made her way over to a table and began to gather together ingredients with which to make her vanquishing potion.
(X)
Mitchell-Matthews home -- Altar room -- Present Day
"I'm seriously thinking about it, Piper," Paige said into the phone as she busied herself with a conjuring potion. "Do you think it's wrong for me to create my own Book of Shadows?"
"Why should I?" replied the eldest Halliwell sister from her end of the line. "I luck out staying here in the Manor with the family Book, so having your own is a great idea. If you need any help, call me and we can plan it together. You'll definitely need it with your new destiny." Piper chuckled. "As much as I love you, I can't have you worrying me by orbing here every day. I might end up joining you in whatever demonic battle you're fighting."
Paige wiped the carrot seeds off her hands, smiling into the receiver. "Thanks, Piper, I'm glad I have your support. I have Phoebe's too, but she said I might need my own Book for my future children. Pretty ridiculous, huh?"
"It's not ridiculous at all, Paige, I think you'd make a great mother. I know you don't want that now, but you should prepare for it nonetheless. Imagine how far your Book can go; one day it might contain a prophecy about the coming of the Charmed Witchlighters."
Paige gave a snort of amusement. "I doubt there will ever be Charmed Witchlighters, but maybe a future Matthews line isn't so bad after all."
"It isn't, but I should warn you. You're now going through a lot of changes in your life. Just be careful that you don't lose yourself in the process."
"I won't. I've been searching for who I am and I guess being a Witchlighter is what I've been seeking. Knowing this instead of feeling split has definitely put me at ease. I suppose it's just the idea of being a mother that's making me nervous. I can't take on anymore responsibility than I already have: a new home, a husband, my Innocents, and my charges. Can I really handle being somebody's mom on top of all that?"
"Well, being a mother is different from being a witch; children require more care and attention than Innocents," quipped Piper. "But when you feel ready, talk it over with that mortal husband of yours."
"Oh, Henry's definitely okay with being mortal," Paige joked. "After his little Harry Potter experience, he prefers calling for a taxi instead of being a cosmic one." She and Piper laughed at the comment.
Paige broke off as her potion suddenly exploded. "Can I call you back? My potion's done and I have to conjure my Book cover."
"Any ideas on what materials you're going to use?"
"I am a fan of green leather, but I want to be original. I don't know what I'll use as my symbol; I'll flip through my old Wiccan books and see what inspires me. I do have an idea in mind, but I have to see if I can find something that fits. I'll get back to you if I finish the cover by tonight."
"It's conjuring, so it shouldn't take long," said Piper, "but I understand. Good luck, Paige. Bye." She hung up.
Paige put the cordless down into its cradle on the table, beside the cauldron. On the other side of the cauldron sat three lit candles behind a piece of paper on which she had written a spell. "Okay," she said, eyeing the set-up, "let's see if this works."
She threw some fairy dust into the potion for an added power boost, lifted one of the candles, and poured its wax into the cauldron, watching as it bubbled in perfect unison with the potion. Picking up her spell, she sighed, brushed a strand of brown hair back behind an ear, and chanted:
Bubbling potion in my presence,
Conjure what I wish with your essence,
I need a Book to call my own,
And a blue cover for this, my tome.
The potion bubbled more intensely and glowed. Paige extended her hands as swirling lights leaped gracefully out of the liquid. They descended onto her upturned palms in a shining mass, coalescing into a midnight blue leather-bound book containing no pages.
She examined the tome and rubbed its spine, smiling. "Well, not quite the blue I wanted, but it's beautiful just the same. Looks like I'm off to a nice start."
(X)
Mitchell-Matthews home -- Altar room -- Fall 2028
"It's a start, isn't it?" Sarah said after Peter had questioned the amount of potions she had made. "You didn't give me more than ten minutes, so I think my two will work just fine. We have more in stock if we need them."
"In that case, I'll bring my ax," Peter said. He placed his hands on his hips. "Or should I use my sword?" Realizing he didn't have any powers, he had trained himself to be a modern demon hunter who could withstand any demonic blows.
"Why don't you show off like you normally do and use them both?" Samantha quipped.
"What? Carry double weaponry for demons that spawn like so many photocopiers running amok?"
"Knock it off, will you?" said Sarah in annoyance. "The Halliwell Book said nothing other than they multiply. But we know they aren't Swarm demons because Mom's drawing showed that those guys had masks."
"Maybe there's a spell for taking out multiplying demons," Samantha said. "There might be something in our Book on that. Should I check under 'Spells' or 'Demons'?"
Peter and Sarah knew Samantha's question was valid. In contrast to the Charmed Ones' Book, the Matthews Book of Shadows was color-coded: red tags for demons, blue tags for Beings of Light, gray tags for neutral entities, sage tags for the Magical Community, and violet tags for random spells and potions.
"I suggest both," answered Sarah. "Our Book has a ton of information and we don't want to accidentally skip over something. Besides, you might even find the demon. That book isn't exactly twenty pages. It's possible we missed it."
"I have a date tonight," Peter reminded his sisters. "I want these demons dead early so I have time afterward to shower and change."
The twins smirked at each other. "Heaven forbid Peter has to tell his date where the demon goo came from," whispered Sarah out of the side of her mouth.
Samantha tittered while she flipped through the pages of the Matthews Book. Suddenly, she stopped at one and slapped her hand down on it. "Found 'em!" she crowed. "Clone demons, spell, and potion!" The girl beamed, wondering if she had finally tapped into her witch side. Granted, it wasn't much to go on -- all she had done was flip through the Book -- but she had found what they had been looking for.
(X)
Mitchell-Matthews home – Present Day
Paige sat on her white living room couch with her new Book in her lap. A few minutes earlier she had enchanted the book, giving it seventy pages to begin with; whenever ten were used, more blank ones would appear magically. The pages weren't exactly pristine white as Paige had been tempted to enchant them so they would look old, only because it was a look she was familiar with. Her enchantment was a success as she had fairly aged pages.
The front door opened. The rain was heard outside, followed by the sound of the door closing and of shoes being kicked off against the wall. Billie Jenkins turned the corner and entered the living room, her clothes wet, her damp blonde hair plastered against her head. "Scavenger demon dead," she announced proudly.
"Good," said Paige, nodding with approval. She looked at her digital wristwatch. "You've been gone for several hours. Was it a hard vanquish?"
Billie grinned. "Nope, I sent his demon ass into oblivion. I telekinetically wrapped his own whip around his throat and choked him as I used my spell to finish him off." She sighed ruefully. "I had to walk back since I didn't have a teleportation potion. And of course I ran off without an umbrella, so I'll get out of these wet clothes."
As Billie turned to leave for her bedroom, she spotted the Book on Paige's lap and stopped. "What's that?" she asked, looking at it quizzically.
Paige smiled, holding up the Book with its midnight blue colored leather. "I was chatting with my sisters and we got to talking about me starting my own Book of Shadows." She put it back down onto her lap and ran her palms along its bare cover. "I still need a symbol and some page holders."
Billie approached Paige. "May I?" she asked, holding out her hands.
"Sure," answered Paige with a smile as she handed her the Book.
Billie looked the tome over admiringly. "Wow, this is awesome, Paige! I love the color of the leather binding; it's kick-ass!" She looked at the Witchlighter. "Will you let me use this sometime? That way, I won't have to keep bothering Piper."
"Of course; I won't deny you." Paige gestured at the girl with her head. "Meanwhile, you can help me after you get into something a little drier."
Billie looked down at her dripping outfit and the puddle she was making on the floor. "Oh, totally!" she laughed, giving Paige back the Book, and ran off to change.
On the coffee table in front of her, Paige had an ink bottle. She took a black-feathered quill and dipped it into the bottle, soaking its tip in black ink. She gently tapped the quill against the bottle to remove the excess. Then, slowly, carefully, she wrote across the first page her chosen title: The Book of Shadows.
By the time Paige had finished, Billie returned, wearing a pink sleeveless top, matching silk pajamas, and slippers, a flower-patterned green towel wrapped around her head. She sat down next to Paige on the couch, folding her legs Amerindian style. "How's it coming?"
"I finished the title and now I'm decorating it," Paige slowly said, careful not to break her concentration as she drew curved lines under the title. She smiled. "I'm glad I now have something to do while it's raining. And I'm even happier that all my charges decided to stay indoors because of the weather."
Billie looked at the first page of the tome. "I'm surprised you've gotten this far," she commented. "It was pretty spontaneous."
Paige chuckled. "What can I say? Magic is grand." She took a deep breath, gently blew on the wet ink to make it dry faster, and placed the Book down on the coffee table. "Well, I suppose I can let it sit here," she commented.
"How will you protect it?" asked Billie.
"Good question. I haven't really thought about it," Paige replied. "I guess when I show the Book to my sisters, we can place a Power of Three spell on it. Maybe we can even use your projection power as an added boost."
"Good. I really want to use my powers now for good instead of evil."
"Billie, we don't blame you for what happened at the Ultimate Battle. That was months ago and we already forgave you. Now, let's get some hot chocolate."
"Shouldn't I make dinner?" Billie asked in surprise. "It's the least I can do to repay you for letting me stay here."
"I think calling on you to help me with supernatural forces is enough," Paige said. She smiled. "And besides, I'm going to have Henry buy some Chinese take-out. I'm in a mood for fried dumplings with a side order of sesame chicken."
"Great! Then I'll take you up on that hot chocolate," Billie said as she hopped off the couch. She extended her hands, took hold of Paige's, and pulled her up from the couch as the Book rested on the coffee table. They entered the kitchen to be greeted by its cream-colored walls and contrasting brown cabinets. Paige put a kettle of water on the stove to heat it, then made her way over to a cabinet, opened it, and pulled out a can of powdered hot chocolate. After closing the cabinet, she placed the can on top of the kitchen island and opened another cabinet, from which she removed two white mugs decorated with a red-yellow plaid design.
Billie pulled up a stool by the island. "So, Paige," she said as she sat down, "when was the last time you were called to Whitelighter duty?"
"I helped a grand total of two charges since my birthday," Paige answered as she took a carton of fresh milk from the refrigerator. She placed it on the island, alongside the mugs and the can of hot chocolate powder, and opened it. As she spooned the powder into the mugs, she continued her conversation. "One was a young witch named Lena, one of my favorite charges."
Billie's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Oh?" she said suspiciously. "One of your favorite charges?"
Paige stopped her spooning to give the girl a reassuring smile. "Next to you, of course."
"That's better," Billie said with a grin. She rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them.
"I hope Henry gets home soon," Paige said as she returned to spooning the hot chocolate powder into the mugs. When the kettle whistled, she removed it from the stove and mixed hot water and milk with the powder. "But I know he has parolees to look after, so who am I to complain when he dashes off to see to them? I do the same thing with my charges and Innocents."
"Well, you're more likely to survive an athame or fireball than he is to survive a bullet," Billie said. She quickly regretted it when she saw the comment made Paige uneasy, and changed the subject. "How's your new power coming along?"
"I wouldn't say it's a new power; I see it as more of an advancement," Paige answered, grateful for the topic switch. "Orbing things without first commanding them is definitely going to help. But when I do that, my aim isn't as great as it is when I call for whatever I need at that moment." She stirred the contents of the mugs.
"Allow me," Billie suddenly offered. She focused on the mugs and took the Witchlighter by surprise when she telekinetically began stirring one spoon and then another.
Paige turned toward the girl. "Hey, young lady, personal gain," she said warningly.
Billie sighed, fighting the urge to roll her green eyes and disrupt her stirring. "I know, I know, I'm working on it. But I think I've earned a telekinetic spoon twirl today after my Scavenger demon vanquish. Don't you ever find this anti-personal gain rule a bitch when you want to use it for minor personal pleasures?"
"If that was the case -- and I've been a witch for the past five years -- I would have earned a free month-long membership at a health spa." Paige grabbed the spoons, stopping them in mid-swirl. "But the anti-personal gain clause is there for a reason. We have to do the ordinary everyday things manually, not magically. It's not just for our protection; it's to keep us on the straight and narrow."
"You definitely know how to set an example," Billie quipped. "You're like the big sister I always wanted and never had to kill."
Paige couldn't resist smiling at the comment. "Well, then, you should call me 'the big sister you always wanted and failed to kill', because you did fail. At least you're referring to me as a sister rather than a mother, like my real sisters have."
"Being a mother makes you nervous, Paige?" asked Billie in amusement. "Why? I'd think you'd want that eventually."
"I don't have time for it right now, and I know I'm not pregnant." Paige sat down next to Billie and sighed. "I guess what I'm really concerned about is whether I'll be able to raise any children right. Piper and Phoebe pointed out that any kids Henry and I have are bound to be magical, and when I thought about it, I realized it was true. So I also wonder if any future children I have will be able to harness the Witchlighter talents as I've done. And if they do, will they be able to keep it from interfering with their lives like it sometimes does with mine?"
(X)
The Underworld -- Fall 2028
"So, tell me again," Sarah said. "Why are we rushing this vanquish?"
"Maybe because I want to go out on my date tonight," Peter answered as the trio made their way through the Underworld, their eyes peeled for the demons they were hunting. Samantha had the spell in a pocket of her jeans, Sarah had secured inside a jacket pocket two vials of potion she had made, and Peter kept a tight grip on his sharpened ax. Cautiously, they walked through a dark, stony labyrinth, weaving around boulders, stalagmites, stalactites, and outcroppings. They knew that the demons had recently begun laying traps throughout their playground to catch enemies and intruders.
Suddenly, the three stopped in their tracks as clouds rose from the ground before them, solidifying into eight identical Clone demons. They looked exactly like the drawing in the Matthews Book of Shadows: Muscular beings in black trench coats, with tangled dishwater-blond hair and filth-smeared faces. Evil smiles revealing rotted brown teeth, they raised their hands to form lethal, neon-blue energy balls in their open palms.
"Careful, guys," warned Peter as he and his sisters braced themselves for battle.
"You're the mortal, you be careful," Sarah shot back.
Uttering violent growls, the demons released their energy balls and attacked. As they closed in on the three Mitchells, Sarah extended her hands, creating a gale-force wind that blew the energy balls back at their creators. Four demons were vanquished, but four more suddenly appeared to take their place. All eight demons tried to rush the Mitchells, but staggered against the powerful gust.
"Sammy, get the spell!" shouted Sarah, holding the Clone demons back with her wind blast. "We're ending this now!"
Samantha pulled out the spell, but the wind snatched the paper out of her grasp. It soared over the demons to flutter to the ground behind them. "No!" she cried. "The spell!"
Brandishing his ax, Peter charged at the Clones like a madman and leaped in the air, spinning around in a 360-degree turn as he slashed with his weapon. The blade decapitated one of the Clones. The head and body exploded before they hit the ground, leaving only a curling wisp of smoke in their wake.
Samantha changed into an orb cloud and vanished past the demons, materializing behind them to search frantically for the spell. As she scanned the ground while fighting to stay upright in the wind, she screamed in pain as a Clone grabbed her hair and lifted her off the ground. She orbed herself out of his grip and rematerialized panting beside Sarah, safe but without the spell.
Relieved that her sister was safe, but seeing Peter was busy hacking away at the four other Clones, Sarah focused on the one that had attacked Samantha. As he came at them, joined by three others, she raised her hands once again, this time shooting lightning bolts that bore into the chests of two Clones, exploding them on impact.
Who said it doesn't pay to have an enchantress as a forebear? Sarah thought with satisfaction. Especially one who could command the elements, even though she was evil?
Samantha's assailant and his colleague continued to close in on the two girls. "Okay", Sarah said grimly, "You two didn't get it the first time, so let's ramp it up a bit!" She flashed out both hands; streams of fire roared from her palms and incinerated the two demons.
Still more demons appeared, however, each an exact copy of the other.
"There's no way we can figure out which is the real one!" Samantha cried. "We should say the spell!"
"What about the potion? We need it to get the real one," said Sarah.
Suddenly, a sharp blow hit her in the head. She fell unconscious to the ground and landed sprawling on her back
"Sarah!" cried Samantha. She quickly knelt beside her sister to heal her injury and saw what had felled her, a jagged rock. As she steadied her palms over the bleeding gash in Sarah's head, she heard the sound of footsteps. She looked up to see several Clones turning toward her, including the one who had thrown the rock.
"Peter!" Samantha shouted as one Clone rushed at her. "I need your help over here!"
"Can't!" he yelled back as he battled two Clone demons. "I'm kind of busy!"
Samantha knew she was the weakest fighter out of the trio and a lesser witch compared with her sister, but she couldn't worry about it now. Both she and Sarah needed protecting, and Samantha was determined to prove herself.
As the Clone charged at her, Samantha leaped to her feet, hitting him with an uppercut on his chin that snapped his head back. She kicked him in the stomach, rammed her shoulder into him, and knocked him to the ground. But she had no time to revel in her triumph, as she saw more Clone demons materializing.
I have to identify the Head Clone, she thought desperately.She racked her brains furiously. "Spell...spell...I need a spell!"
As Samantha ducked, weaved around, and then kicked and punched more attacking Clones, Peter was preoccupied with the two he was fighting. After kneeing a Clone in the abdomen, he grabbed the demon's shoulders, and flipped him over. Peter picked his ax up from the ground and sliced the Clone's legs off, causing the body to explode. As he turned around to take on another attacking Clone, he saw Sarah lying motionless on the ground.
"Samantha!" he cried as he punched his adversary. "What's wrong with Sarah?"
"A Clone hit her with a rock!" shouted back Samantha, dodging an oncoming demon. She had to do something. Her sister needed healing and these Xeroxing entities had to be vanquished. She went through her options: Heal Sarah so she could create the spell that would take out the demons, not heal her unconscious sister and continue helping Peter, or heal Sarah and risk Peter being overrun and killed by the Clones.
As she finished her thoughts, she saw Peter now caught between two demons, dodging the punches they hurled at him. She gasped in horror as the Clones grabbed her brother's arms, slammed him viciously into the cavern wall, and struck him with two energy balls. He hit the ground, coughing up blood.
Samantha set her jaw. If ever there was a time to prove herself, it was now. Swiftly, she composed a spell, closed her eyes, and focused. She chanted:
It's these demons that you own,
Spawned from your body, Master Clone.
I ask this spell to please help me,
And give me a sign of your identity.
To her surprise, one demon gave off a radiant violet glow. She grinned with pride; she had unmasked the Head Clone. As his minions turned to look at him, Samantha took advantage of the opening and orbed to her sister's side. She immediately dropped to her knees, held her palms over Sarah's gash, and exuded the golden glow that closed the ugly wound, leaving no scar.
Sarah's eyes flew open and she sat straight up with a gasp. She stared at her sister. "What the hell happened?"
"One of those bastards nailed you with a rock," Samantha said, gesturing at the Clones with her head. "Talk about a punk move." She pointed at the glowing demon. "He's the Head Clone. I unmasked him with a spell."
Before Sarah could praise her sister, she saw a fireball whizzing at them. "Look out!" she yelled, grabbing Samantha's arm. They dissolved into an orb cloud and vanished, the fireball passing through the empty spot. The twins then rematerialized. "Great move, Sarah," said Samantha, grinning. "You'll be a kick-ass orbber yet."
She saw a groaning Peter on the ground. "I have a brother to heal. Get the potion. I'll find the spell." As she raced to him, she saw the piece of paper lying between two small boulders. "Found it!" she called and instantly orbed it into her sister's outstretched hand.
Now that she had the spell, Sarah reached into the inner pocket of her jacket and removed a potion vial. She then saw the glow surrounding the Head Clone beginning to fade. You don't get away that easily, she said to herself. She thrust an arm forward, releasing a jet of water that drenched the demon to his skin, allowing her to identify him if the glow completely died.
The Head Clone's minions whirled and charged at her. Coolly, Sarah shot out of the same hand a wind blast that sent them flying off their feet and back toward their leader. They rolled past him as he trembled violently in the wind, chilled by his dampened state.
It was the distraction she needed. She hurled the potion at the Head Clone's chest with all her strength. The vial broke on impact, splashing the demon with a fluid that changed into a powerful cloud of smoke that trapped him like a cage. As the Head Clone struggled to free himself, Sarah held up the spell before her as she removed another vial from her jacket pocket with her other hand. She chanted:
Multiplier of form and shape,
Head demon and clones I do erase,
Demonic mirror, be no more,
In the fires of Hell, burn for sure!
The Head Clone was immediately engulfed in green-colored flame. He screamed in agony as his skin boiled, and he exploded in a fiery blast that took his clones with him.
Sarah ran over to Samantha, who was kneeling beside a motionless Peter, her glowing hands held over him. She saw tears running down her sister's face. "What is it, Sam?" she asked worriedly.
"He's dying," whispered a frightened Samantha as the glowed faded from her palms. "His wounds aren't healing."
Icy fear coursed through Sarah's body. "No, he's not going to die," she said determinedly as she knelt down beside her twin. "Let me help. Maybe we can save him if we work together. Give me your hand."
Sniffing back her tears, Samantha extended a hand to her sister, who gently took it in hers. The two young women held their free hands over Peter, Sarah moving her hand up and down her brother's inert body, trying to force healing light out of her palm. But no glow emanated from either her hand or her sister's.
"Nothing's happening!" she said, fighting the panic rising within her. "Why isn't anything happening?"
"Probably because you're trying too hard," said Samantha. "You can't force a healing. It has to come naturally from the heart."
"Then what do I do?" Sarah demanded, feeling her eyes brim.
"Think of how much you care for him," Samantha suggested. "How much we love him."
Squeezing her eyes shut, Sarah held onto her sister's hand and concentrated as they continued holding their palms over the dying Peter. We love you, she thought, fighting back her own tears, and we know how fiercely you love us. We never cared that you were adopted; we love you as though you were our natural brother. Yes, we get on each other's nerves, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter because the issues always get resolved. You never hold grudges and that's one of the traits I love about you…
She stopped when she heard her twin softly gasp, "Sarah, look! "
Sarah opened her eyes and gaped at the sight of her and Samantha's free hand glowing. "It's working!" exulted Sarah. "Come on, let's heal Peter!"
The twins moved their hands over their brother's body, bathing his wounds in radiant golden light. To their joy, they saw the injuries heal almost instantly and Peter's eyes flutter open. He at looked up at his sisters, who hugged him with all their strength.
"Don't squeeze me to death now," he joked. He sighed and relaxed. "Wow, that felt so serene. What was it?"
"Your two sisters healing you," Samantha said. She gazed proudly at her older sibling. "Sarah couldn't have come into her Whitelighter power at a better time."
"And you couldn't have tapped into your witch side at a better time, Samantha," replied Sarah.
Peter sat up and looked around to see an empty cavern. "So it's all over?" he asked. "I guess I missed the battle, then."
"Hey, you did as much as can be expected," said Samantha. She grinned and patted Peter on the shoulder. "And besides, how many mortals can survive two energy balls? You're one tough dude."
"I know, but my date can be tough as well, so I'd like to see her." He grinned at his sisters. "Mind orbing a mere mortal?"
Samantha smiled at her twin. "Care to try?"
"We'll do it together," answered Sarah, returning the smile.
The girls each placed a hand on their brother's shoulder. The trio dematerialized in a dazzling cloud of spiraling blue-white orbs.
(X)
The altar room of the Mitchell-Matthews house became awash in light as the three young people rematerialized. They walked over to the open Book of Shadows and saw the tome still open on the Clone demon entry. Sarah, standing between her brother and sister, closed the Book. With a smile, she placed her hand on its midnight blue cover, as did Samantha and Peter.
"We may not be the Power of Three, but we're one hell of a unit," commented Sarah.
"It doesn't matter that we're not blood relatives," Peter mentioned. "Our bond is strong."
"And always will be," added Samantha. "I just hope we make Dad proud with how we're doing."
"I'm sure he's watching over us…each and ever day," Sarah said.
(X)
Matthews-Mitchell home – Altar Room -- Present Day
Paige saw it was several hours before midnight while she put her final touches on her Book of Shadows. She had already added a black, gold and white ribbon as a place holder as well as more color to the front page with her art supplies. She was now preparing to add her chosen symbol while waiting for her sisters to arrive to help her cast a protection spell on the tome.
Henry had returned home an hour earlier with the Chinese take-out, but had gone straight to bed after a tough day working on his parolee's case. Billie, more tired than she had thought after her Scavenger demon vanquish, had also gone to bed. This left Paige alone to concentrate on her work and her dinner of fried dumplings and sesame chicken.
Suddenly, a swirl of lights appeared above her and spiraled down to the floor. Paige smiled as she watched the swirl materialize into her older sisters. Piper released Phoebe's hand as Phoebe set her laptop bag down and straightened up to grin at her sister.
"See?" she boasted. "I told you my spell would work." She extended her hand. "Now, pay up."
"Pay up?" asked Paige in amusement, eyeing them both.
"I made a bet with Phoebe that her sister-to-sister spell wouldn't work," Piper admitted sheepishly. "Now I'm out five bucks." She looked at Phoebe with a firm gaze. "Put the hand down. I'll pay when I get home. Hope you don't mind getting it via spell-mail."
Phoebe grinned and lowered her hand. "I don't. Can't wait."
"And how are my older sibs doing?" Paige chuckled, cutting off the sisterly chit-chat.
"Great," Phoebe said. She spotted Paige holding her tome, and walked over to it. "Is this your book?"
Paige showed them the midnight blue-colored leather binding. "Yes it is," she said proudly.
Piper also came up for a look. "Wow, that's eye-catching. Have you picked a symbol for it?"
"I sure did." Paige presented what looked like a gold Roman numeral two, painted against a midnight-blue background. "I took it from my astrology book."
"I know this," Phoebe said as she and Piper looked at the symbol. "It's the glyph for Gemini."
"The sign of the Twins," commented Piper. She looked at Paige. "Nice choice."
Her sister nodded. "It represents duality, but it also symbolizes two united as one. And since I'm half witch and half Whitelighter, it makes a lot of sense to me. And, like you guys said, if I do have kids, it will represent who we are. So, what do you think?"
"It's a good choice," Piper said approvingly.
"It is," concurred Phoebe with a smile. "I have to admit, if it were me I would have considered the yin-yang symbol. That also represents two halves forming a whole."
"I did think about it," Paige admitted, "but the Gemini glyph seemed a little more original." She closed the book and placed it on the table. "It's time to add the glyph."
"What do you have planned?"
"By sealing the deal; we cast a spell to protect it." The youngest Charmed One answered.
"Speaking of which," Piper interrupted, reaching into her pocket to produce a piece of paper, "Phoebe and I were talking and we realized your new Book would need some form of protection, so she created her own spell."
Paige's face lit up. These women truly were her sisters. "Let's have it!" the youngest Charmed One said excitedly.
"Will the glyph appear after we say the spell?" asked Phoebe.
"It should. I already enchanted the book, so once it's protected, the glyph will stamp itself on," Paige answered. She grinned. "So, let's have the Power of Three spell."
"The spell won't need the Power of Three," Piper said. "You just hold on to your book and we'll hold on to ours."
"Yours?" said Paige in amazement. "You mean you brought the Halliwell Book here?"
Phoebe snapped her fingers. "Oh, right," she said in mock absent-mindedness, "thanks for reminding me." She went to her laptop bag, opened it, and pulled out the Halliwell Book of Shadows, covered in its familiar green leather, the triquetra sitting goldenly in the center of the front cover.
"Why do we need it?" Paige asked. "Aren't we just blessing mine?"
"We are," answered Piper, "but we're also transferring some information from it into yours." She grinned at Paige. "This is turning into one hell of a day of personal gain for you, missy, but let's hope we can get away with it. After all, we are doing this for the greater good."
Paige shook her head with a chuckle. "I did tell Billie that the rule was there for a reason, but no way am I denying myself this."
Phoebe placed the Halliwell Book on the table, next to Paige's, moved into position with Piper, and took her hand. Together they chanted:
We use our powers to give to thee,
The youngest sister in the Power of Three,
We use our Book to weave this spell,
Giving to thee, pages by Halliwell,
We pass to you within this hour,
The written works of Warren power
The triquetra became blindingly bright. A glorious jet of gold light flew out of the symbol and into Paige's book, engulfing it in brilliance. The tome grew in size, magically adding more and more pages. The glow died away, revealing a gold-colored Gemini glyph on the midnight blue cover of the Matthews Book of Shadows that was now as large and as thick as the Halliwell Book.
Paige gave a smile that seemed brighter than the magic she had just seen. "Being a Witchlighter definitely has its perks," she said as she took in her new tome.
--End of Chapter –
Readers (including CNetters) Please Review and tell me what you liked, disliked, favorite moments, whatever to your hearts content. Thanks for reading.
Important Note: The color of the Book of Shadows was changed from cobalt to midnight blue because I just needed something darker and wanted to put my original idea that I had changed for other reasons. The glyph was also changed from gray to gold to give it that shining star in the night feeling.
Thanks again to my editor, Patricia and thank you, Melissa (From CNet) for help with the Head Clone Vanquish Spell.