Chapter Two: "The Hybrid"
Paige ran a hand through her thick auburn locks of hair and heaved a long sigh, before looking up to the blonde Elder. She shook her head, waiting for Sandra to explain that there'd been some kind of mix-up. That either Piper or Phoebe were receiving a new destiny. But, instead, Sandra just smiled, confirming that this destiny was meant for Paige. There was no mix-up.
"What? No. There's been some kind of mix-up, there has to have been. I can't do this. I'm not ready. This should be Piper or Phoebe's destiny, not mine. They've been at tis a lot longer than I have.
"Your sisters will each receive a second destiny, when the time is right. For you, this is the time." Sandra said.
"But what I'm not strong enough to fight this great evil? What if I fail? What if good magic is wiped out?"
"That won't happen," Sandra responded. "You're a strong person, Paige, and more importantly: a strong witch. You only have to find yourself."
"Found myself. Right here. Still not convinced."
Sandra couldn't help but smirk. Paige could be amusing at even the most serious of times. "Now, you must go. A whitelighter shall be sent to guide you through your destiny. Goodbye, Paige." Sandra waved her hand and Paige was showered in orbs.
-
Piper strolled around the attic, whilst Jessie was sat on the couch. "Sit down," Jessie said. "You're making me dizzy."
Piper smiled and sat down next to Jessie. As she took a seat, Paige orbed in and she jumped back up again. "Hey. What do they know? Anything about the demon?"
Paige shook her head. "Nope, but they had some news. Some pretty big news."
"New news? What is it?" Piper approached her younger sister, as Jessie stood up from her seat.
"They said a great evil is coming. One that could destroy all good magic. They've given me a second destiny."
"What do you mean? We have to start fighting again?"
"Not we," Paige replied. "Just lovely me, myself, and I. All alone. Apparently, I'm 'The Hybrid' now."
"The Hybrid?" Piper placed her hands on her hips. "Let's see if there's anything about it in the book." The two sisters headed over the book, as Piper lifted it from the floor and placed it back onto the podium. She opened it up and began to flick through. She reached a blank page, but before Piper could turn the page, golden flashing lights danced along the golden parchment paper. As they faded, a painted picture of Paige appeared, with the title: 'The Hybrid', but no description.
"Maybe this is the Elders' proof," Paige said, raising an eyebrow. "They know how much we rely and believe in the book."
Piper sighed. "Not much to rely on this time. No description. Looks like we're gonna have to wait to find out. Didn't the Elders explain it to you?"
"No. They said a whitelighter would be sent to guide me through."
"What whitelighter?"
"I guess that would be me," came an anonymous voice from behind. The sisters both spun their heads around to see Kyle Brody stood at the door to the attic.
"Kyle?" Paige gasped.
Kyle grinned. "Yeah, it's me."
"You're the whitelighter that's supposed to guide me through this?" Paige raised an eyebrow.
"Yep. I've become a lackey for the Elders quite recently. Some would consider it a good thing. I don't."
Paige chuckled and approached her ex-boyfriend. "I can't believe it's actually you," she said. "So, how are you supposed to guide me through all of this destiny-stuff?"
"I don't know, they didn't quite fill me in as much as they could have," he said, scratching the side of his head.
"Yeah, that makes two of us."
As the two talked, Piper slipped out of the room with the Book of Shadows, without either of them paying attention. Jessie followed her, also unnoticed.
"I suppose I just explain the destiny, right? Would that be satisfactory, Miss Matthews?" Kyle teased.
"Actually, it's Mrs. Matthews now," Paige said with a smile, holding out her hand to show the ring on her finger.
"Wait, you're married now?"
"Yeah, I thought you people knew all his stuff. Don't you, like, sit on your stool and watch from up above?"
"No, that's Elders. I'm a Whitelighter. We're not quite as invading," Kyle replied with a grin.
"Of course," Paige said with a smirk. "Anyway, if your job is to explain what the hell is going on right now, I'm not stopping you."
"Yeah, well I would," Kyle started. "But I'm about as lost as you right now."
"I see," Paige responded, sighing and rolling her eyes
Kyle grinned. "Right, well-" He was cut off as a fireball slammed into his back. He exploded into a flurry of orbs and materialised again just as he smacked, full-force, into the wall.
"Kyle!" Paige called. She gasped and turned to his attacker – the Hooded Demon that had attacked Piper and Jessie before. The demon conjured a second fireball and tossed it towards Paige, who instantly threw out her hand. "Fireball!" She spun her wrist and the fireball reversed, slamming into the demon's chest and causing him to tumble to the floor. The hood, despite almost doing so, refrained from moving and revealing the demon's face.
Paige hurried to Kyle and helped him up. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Kyle replied, with a groan. "Whitelighters can't die, remember?" He groaned again as he placed a hand on his head, which he had banged when he had hit the wall.
The demon suddenly threw his hand forward and Paige was thrown into the wall. He conjured a fireball and teasingly bounced it in his hands. He lifted his arm, but just before he could throw it at Paige, a blast caught him in the back. He exploded to reveal Piper stood behind him, wrists extended.
However, not long after, he quickly reformed and spun to face Piper. "Uh-oh," she muttered, before the demon lifted his arm and slammed it into her face, forcing her her through the doorway, and then shimmered out. Piper groaned and quickly got up again. She hurried to Paige's side and shook her gently. "Paige? Paige, honey wake up."
-
Paige groaned, her eyelids fluttered open. She bolted upright as she took in her surroundings. "What the...? Where am I?" Her head flicked from left to right as she desperately searched for answers to the question she had asked herself.
Blue orbs suddenly descended from above and Kyle materialised before her. He looked around, his eyebrows raised. "Paige? Where am I? What just happened?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"I was just sat in the manor two seconds ago. Then I felt something calling and before I knew it, I was here. Speaking of, what is here?"
Paige took another glance at her surroundings. Before she could answer with most likely another: "I don't know," a female emerged from the shadows. She was clad in a skimpy outfit that resembled that of the Seer's Paige had come across three years ago. "Who are you?" Paige called, getting to her feet.
"My identity is not of any importance," the woman said. Paige narrowed her eyes and looked around the area for something to orb at the supposed demon. But there was nothing. Just emptiness. "I am just here to guide you." With that, the woman waved her hand. As she did, Paige and Kyle disappeared.
The two materialised in a darkened cemetery. "Where are we?" Paige said, alert. Her eyes were wide, and she was ready for any kind of attack.
"Paige," Kyle said. He tapped her gently on the shoulder and pointed ahead. She narrowed her eyes and followed his finger to two gravestones. Her eyes shot even wider as she read the inscriptions: Phoebe Halliwell and Piper Halliwell.
"What the hell is going on?" Paige said, a tone of panic in her voice.
The outline of the woman from moments ago appeared before her, glowing in hues of purple and blue. She materialised not long after. "These are the graves of your sisters, Paige," she informed.
"Really? I hadn't noticed. What's going on?" By now, Paige's voice was raising by the second. "Answer me," she exclaimed.
"This is what will inevitably happen if you do not accept your destiny as the Hybrid," the woman responded.
"But why? What happened?"
"All will be clear in time." The woman waved her hand once again and all three of them disappeared from the scene.
The three of them re-materialised in the Underworld. A young, raven-haired girl and a demon were fighting. The girl performed an expert back-flip, to avoid a fireball. She jumped up and slammed her foot into the demon's chin. He stumbled back and conjured another fireball, instantly throwing it in her direction. She threw up her hands and the fireball stopped in its path, frozen. He hurried towards her and she waved her hand. He was suddenly flung backwards and he slammed into the cave wall.
She flicked her arm again and the fireball exploded against the wall. She reached the demon as he got to his feet. Before he could attack, she flicked her wrists and he was frozen. With a second flick, his head was free again.
"What the....!? Let me go, witch!"
The girl took a step forward and in a matter of seconds, an athamae was in her hands, having been drawn from her belt. She pressed it against his throat and began to speak. "Where is she?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"One more chance. Where is she?"
"I'll never-"
Before the demon could finish, the witch plunged the athamae into his chest. He screamed in agony and imploded, knocking the girl onto her back. She sighed and brushed herself off. She heard footsteps in the distance and a second later, she transformed into a column of orbs that rose up and faded away.
Paige turned to the woman. "Who was she?"
"Your daughter," the woman responded, with a blank expression.
"What? My daughter? I have a daughter? But why was she so angry?" Paige's eyes were wide and her mouth was hung open.
"I presume you have been informed about the Great Evil that is coming."
"Yeah, what about it?"
"If you do not take on this second destiny, you will not be strong enough to fight this evil. Without your sisters to help you, you will die, after giving birth to your child. Because of this, your daughter will live a life of pain and fighting and will continue to search for your killer until she is eventually killed herself."
Paige felt tears in her eyes and she remembered the girl: her daughter. Nobody would want that for their child. As she continued to think on, she disappeared again.
The three of them materialised once again. However, this time, they were back in the empty area where this had all started. Paige wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Do you see now? How much your life will be affected, in most cases for the worst, if you do not accept this destiny."
Paige nodded, as Kyle placed an arm over her shoulder. The two were consumed by orbs and as the orbs dissipated, they were gone.
Back at the Manor, Paige slowly came to as Kyle orbed in. She looked around to see Piper and Henry leaning over her. She smiled and sat up.
"Hey," Henry said. "You're finally awake."
"Hey," Paige responded. She kissed him softly on the lips. She had wanted to tell him about their daughter, but she figured it'd be better off if she didn't. The whole changing the future thing and all. "Where's Jessie?" she asked, turning to Piper.
"In Billie's room, I think. She wanted to get some sleep."
"I see. So where's Billie?"
"I don't know," Piper said, sighing. "Late night demon-hunting or something like that. That girl just doesn't stop fighting."
Paige smirked as Henry helped her onto her feet. She turned to Kyle. "So, I guess your job here is done, huh?"
Kyle nodded. "I guess so."
"Well don't forget to drop by every now and again. Not just every four years," Paige said, with a smile. "It was nice catching up."
"Consider it done." Kyle smiled and orbed out, as Paige turned back to Henry.
"Alright, well I'm gonna take off again. You still staying here?"
Paige turned to Piper and back to Henry. "No. I think I'm gonna come home. You don't mind watching Jessie for tonight, do you?"
Piper shook her head. "Of course not. Now go home and get some rest, for crying out loud, you haven't been off your feet all day."
Paige smiled and took Henry's hand. "Thanks." The two were consumed by orbs and carried off to their apartment.
Piper stayed in her spot for a moment, surveying the ancestral attic once more before turning and heading out of the doorway.
-
The woman that had showed Paige the outcome of if she refused her destiny was stood in the same darkened room as before. "Come out, demon," she called. The hooded demon that had attacked Paige, Kyle and Piper emerged from the shadows. "I know what is coming. Hurry and be done with it," she continued. The hooded demon conjured a fireball and bounced it upon his palm teasingly, before hurling it at the female, causing her to set aflame and eventually explode. With that, the demon shimmered out, content with his kill.
End of Chapter