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Wizards of Waverly Place: The End is the Beginning
Chapter 1
-Barriers-
by The Master Commander
The Stone of Dreams was an incredibly powerful magical artifact, capable of rewriting the very fabric of reality at the whim of the holder. The Stone could also be termed a semi-sentient being, as even the vaguest of wishes could be granted with reasonable accuracy toward the holder's desire. Sometimes it could even go beyond the intentions of the holder and grant their most insubstantial desires while fulfilling their wish.
Alex Russo knew none of this, all she knew was that it was the last chance at fixing her mistake.
Justin Russo might have known, but he no longer existed.
Jerry Russo did know, though he did not know how he knew, and that was why he explained to the young girl that should have been his daughter to make a careful wish. That she could retain her magic and have her family back, with the right words. But even as he told her, tried to make her focus on the task at hand, there was a half-forgotten part of him screaming that this would not end well.
"I wish for everything to be exactly the way it was!" Alex shouted, and it should have been impossible in that never-was-instant after her wish but Jerry knew that she had utterly doomed them all. Still it was such an infinitesimal moment of time that he failed to truly register such a thought before the nigh-infinite and limitless magic of the Stone of Dreams rippled out.
The Stone tore the very fabric of reality apart, before restitching it as while erasing an entire timeline. The effect was instantaneous, nobody even batted an eye as their entire existence ceased to be only to be recreated in the same moment. All that anyone would experience would be cases of Déjà vu and the faintest echo in their dreams of a lost lifetime.
Yet, there was a consequence to this wish that could not be foreseen: The Stone had heard the secret wish that Alex Russeo held in her heart and attempted to grant it, only to encounter something unprecedented. The Stone of Dreams found itself unable to grant a wish, albeit a secret one, because it encountered its own past magic acting as a counter and so, the unknown and silent wish went unfilled...for the moment.
In the wake of the unfathomable clash of power, certain barriers which only existed due a wish of anguished words from a truly desperate wizard and father began to crumble and weaken.
A few months after Alex's wish, certain echoes would reach a crescendo and the already weakened barriers would be torn asunder.
The dreams had been relentless, waking him every night in a cold sweat and filled with a terror that usually only children experienced toward the dark. Every moment of waking silence was filled with a high, cold voice whispering to him, urging him to do something that was just beyond his understanding. Sometimes it seemed to drive him to insanity, other times it brought him clarity, but most of the time he forcible ignored it.
Only it was impossible to ignore now, the whispers were stronger and more urgent, becoming a burning need. An all consuming drive that had forced him to travel around the world until he at last found the place he was searching for. A place of power, a place where magic ran strong, a place that until this moment had been nothing more than an idle location for tourists to visit.
It was called the Georgia Guidestones and they had been built in Nuberg at the request of a mysterious man. Dedicated to a coming 'Age of Reason', the guidestones were made up of four granite monoliths, each nineteen feet tall and topped with a single flat stone, and erected on a windswept hilltop. On the upright slabs of stone, carved in eight different languages were pieces of advice, but Ronald Longcape Sr. didn't care.
All that mattered was that for the first time since the whispering began, there was silence, even as he was compelled to work a magic that he could never remember hearing of before. Ronald had never heard of magic requiring an exact time (in this case June 24th, 'Mid-summer', also known as the Summer Solstice). Nor had he heard of magic requiring a sacrifice of blood; he pointedly ignored the blood on his hands and clothes, as well as the sprawled body of an innocent woman barely into adulthood.
If he allowed his attention to waver from the task at hand the whispers would come back and he would be driven utterly mad.
Reaching out he finished scribing the last a bloody rune that ran along the edge of the four monoliths, and then stepped back. Nothing broke the immense silence settling over the world, no air stirred and neither did an insect sing, as if the whole of everything was holding its breath. Holding his arms wide over head, Ronald began gathering his magic, building its strength and then began reciting a spell of unknown origin "Open a portal and awaken he who slumbers, unbind the chains that hold him imprisoned, and free him to return."
His fingers flexed and from the invisible blast of magic that filled the air, steam exploded into being, swirling outward from the Guidestones. The air cracked reminiscent of a clap of thunder, followed by a blade of multi-colored light forming in the empty space at the center of the guidestones. The blood runes exploded into black flames, and the blade of light expanded, its colors pulsating like a heartbeat.
Slowly, clothes fluttering in an unseen breeze, Ronald began to float off the ground, his magic becoming visible as it arced from him to the ever widening portal and back again. His mouth fell open in a silent scream as the vveins swelled in his neck; his very soul seemed to be burning. Every second that passed was an eternity of pain and his mind began to retreat from the overwhelming pain.
Then as suddenly as the pain began it suddenly stopped, and Ronald fell from the air and landed in a heap on the ground.
Shakily and not entirely certain he was alive; Ronald struggled onto his hands and knees, turning his gaze to the portal. But it was gone, the bloody runes were gone, burned up from the flames they had become, and the fog was already disappearing. The only signs that he had indeed performed any kind of magic were the barren earth where the portal had been and the discarded body of the young woman he had sacrificed.
"It...it didn't work." Ronald hiccuped, starting to laugh and cry at the same time "It didn't work. Of course it didn't work...what did I-"
"Oh, but it did." a new, strong voice said from the shadows of the large stone pillars. A tall man emerged from the shadows like some wraith, his face drawn and filled with exhaustion. "Ronald, my ever faithful friend, it did indeed work. As you knew it would, as I told you it would."
"Y-you..." Ronald stammered, long forgotten memories flooding his mind.
"Do you remember me?" The man asked, his smile dark and voice low.
"Master." Ronald said, his breathing harsh and ragged, staring in disbelief at the man his face shining with tears. "You're back..."
"Yes," the man said, smiling "I am."
"Get up!"
Normally Alex could ignore her dad when he ordered her awake, she had finely honed selective hearing, but there was something in his order this time that she couldn't block out. A raw urgency that plunged deep into her heart, forcing her awake despite her preferences. Focusing half-bleary eyes on her father who was flipping on her rooms overhead lights, she took a sharp breath.
The urgency that haunted his tone was nothing compared to his white-faced look of fear and the way his eyes bulged like an wild animal on the verge of pure panic. Her heart clenched as a deadly intuition filled her. The good-natured, goofy dad she had known for so long was gone and in his place was the man that she only vaguely remembered.
"Daddy?" Alex asked, unconsciously falling into an old habit. Some part of her was sensing this wasn't the first time she'd been woken up this way, but she had been much younger when it happened. "Daddy, What's wrong?"
He didn't answer for a moment, as if struck dumb by her question but then he answered her. "Alex, we have to get out of here."
"What? Why?" Alex asked stupidly "Is there a fire?"
"You got to get dressed honey. We have to get get out of here." He said, the urgency in his tone taking on a slightly hysterical note.
"Why?" She asked, getting out of bed, she had never seen her dad look like this and she was on the verge of calling out for Justin.
"Alex, don't ask questions." He suddenly snapped, grabbing her arms in a painful grip. "We have to get away, far away. Get dressed-"
"Is there time to pack?" Alex asked, struggling to control the terror coiling inside her, because he was truly scaring her now.
Her question seemed to jar him from his thoughts and for a moment he simply stared at her, he released one of her arms running the hand though his hair. "I don't know, just a few things...but hurry!"
"O-ok..." Alex breathed, struggling to keep from trembling. He released her completely, moving back to the doorway of her bedroom.
"Just hurry, and met us down in the living room." He added before he moved into the hallway. His footsteps were carrying him toward Max's room -
Alex blindly grabbed a bag, and had shoved as much of her clothes and art into it before she remembered she was a wizard. Hand trembling she spun her wand, casting the spell to shrink all of her possessions down to a portable size and packed them away into the bag. Zipping it shut she ran out of her room, heading not for the living room as told, but toward Justin's room.
She was just about to come bursting in when the door swung open and a sleep-tousled Justin emerged holding his wand. He took one look at her, frowned then reached up rubbing at his eyes managing a croaky "What's going on out here?"
"Dad came to my room freaking out big time. He insisted I had to get dressed and we had to leave right this minute." Alex said in a rush.
"Wait, what?" Justin managed, suddenly looking more alert. He frowned, stepping out into the hallway with her. "Alex, why would dad freak out?"
"I don't know. But he was, I say freaking out, but he was scared bad...and when he left my room he was going to get Max. He told me to met them in the living room."
"That's..." Justin said, trailing off with a scowl on his face, as if losing himself in thought.
"Justin?" Alex asked, grabbing his forearm. "What's going on?"
"I don't know." Justin said, looking at her, his scowl deepening.
Alex had thought she couldn't be more afraid, but she was wrong, because Justin not knowing what was going on? That scared her way worse than her dad, because Justin always had the answer for this sort of stuff. If he didn't know...
"But we're going to find out." Justin finished firmly jerking his head toward the spiral staircase "Come on."
They both hurried down the stairs, to find their mom pacing and ringing her hands anxiously. Spotting them at almost the same instant they noticed her she breathed out and rushed forward sweeping Alex into a breath-stealing hug "Cariño, me daba miedo! Pero ahora estás aquí, listo para empacar-"
"Ugh, mom, Spanish...not my language." Alex managed, utterly bewildered, and wondering when the last time she had heard her mom speak so much Spanish. Oh, yeah, the time she and Mason stayed out past her curfew.
"Oh, sorry," Theresa said, releasing her grip to step back and stare at Alex with eyes full of worry. "I'm just, I wasn't sure if you'd be ready to go or not-"
"Uh, right. So, what's going on?" Alex managed, shooting Justin a bewildered look and getting one in return. "I asked Justin but he-"
"Justin?" Thresea interrupted, then eyes widening looked at Justin and suddenly pulled him into a hug "Soy el hijo lo siento, no puedo creer ... es que ... ¡oh! Tienes que-no, no tendrá tiempo vamos."
Alex managed to pull a confused and bewildered Justin free from their mom. Normally she might leave him to find his own escape, but right now he was the only one not in weirdo-land and Alex really needed him to stay that way. Stumbling slightly, staring at a mother dressed in a night gown and pacing anxiously again, Justin leaned over and in a low voice whispered his thanks.
"No problem," Alex responded, watching her mom with a sort of detached fear. Yeah, so, she wasn't going to be getting too far from Justin anytime soon that was for sure, because how the hell was she supposed to deal wtih two clearly frightened and deranged parents. "So, uh, what was she saying?"
"She was talking pretty fast," Justin admitted, watching their mom carefully "but I got the gist that she had forgotten I was here and we didn't have any time."
"Yeah, see, dad said something about that to." Alex offered with a puzzled frown "Not the forgetting I was here but that we had no time."
"Maybe, maybe another mortal found out about magic." Justin said, and she didn't need to look to know his eyes were widening comically "I mean, oh my gosh, what if someone else found out-"
"Are you saying Harper-"
"What, no!" Justin said, giving her a frightened look "No, I trust her. But if someone overheard the two of you-"
"Well maybe they saw you use a spell?" Alex countered with a snort of disbelief. Then sensing his incredulous look sighed, lowering her head "right, sorry. Forgot you're such a huge dork that you'd never use magic all cool like."
"Well, I did give Gigi those boils." Justin murmured, sounding slightly thoughtful. "But I'm pretty sure nobody noticed-"
"Wait, you did what?" Alex asked, turning to look at him, wondering what the sudden swelling in her chest was. Oh, yeah, that was pride..."When did you do that?"
"Uhh, pft, I never, that is-" Justin said, arms crossing defensively over his chest and pointedly looking away from her, making it clear he was lying. After a moment he broke and glancing at her muttered "After she tried to start that rumor about you."
"Justin!" Alex said, amazed and forgetting for an instant the frightening situation she was currently trapped in. Because, really, Justin using magic without permission for anything, let alone revenge was mind-blowing enough. But the fact that he used it to get revenge on her behalf was...wow...then she realized something even more impossible, he'd done it and never once had anyone suspected him.
"Look, I uh," Justin started, stopped, then shook his head waving a hand absently at their pacing mom "there's more important things going on."
"Oh yeah," Alex said, remembering, but she was so going to bring this up later. Because seriously, she wanted to hear the details and she most definitely wanted to know how he got away with it.
A moment later Max came down the stairs, taking them two at a time and carrying a stained backpack over his shoulder. Thundering behind him was Dad, who stopped suddenly seeing Justin and his mouth gaped before "Justin!" Then smacked hand to forehead "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry I-"
"It's ok," Justin said, approaching cautiously "Alex got me. So uh, what's going on?"
"We're leaving." Dad said, descending the rest of the way down the stairs. "Ok, everyone get together. Justin, Alex do the Teleport Spell-"
"Wait, what about Harper?" Alex asked, suddenly remembering her best-friend who was sleeping in the basement.
"Don't worry, we'll come back for her later." Dad said, impatient "We need to get out of here now! So do the Teleport Spell to your Aunt Megan's apartment."
Alex shot Justin a look, silently asking him what he thought about this. It was just one of those things that was unique to them, non-verbal communication, the only other person she could come close to doing something similar with was Harper. Justin give a faint nod, one that looked more like a thoughtful motion, telling her that it would be best to just go ahead and do as their dad wanted.
Lifting her wand, mirrored by Justin, they began their respective versions of the teleport spell. She could feel the magic beginning to tingle as it flowed over her body like a second skin, preparing to take her away to safety, when her mom screamed. Eyes widening Alex looked around in confusion before seeing someone appear out of thin air near the front door.
Others were appearing now as well, and her dad was shouting something at Max, but she didn't really hear the words. All she could do was pray that her spell would finish before the clearly startled intruders could react. But the first intruder recovered from his surprise fast and was lifting his wand, aiming at her, and she was shouting at her magic that they needed to go now - suddenly the magic surrounding her became heavier.
Only her attacker had already unleashed a purple-colored spell and there was no way it was going to miss her...and then her vision was obscured by Justin. There was a flare of purple light as it struck him, and Justin crumpled to the ground and her instinctive cry of "Justin" was cut in half as her teleport spell finally finished and she was sent hurtling safely down her proverbial hallway.
When she reached her destination she had a moment to register that they were safe, but then she hit the floor hard and her world went dark.
Trevor Harris only caught a glimpse of the departing family, arriving in time only to hear the shout of "Jus-" from the girl before they were gone. The silence that followed seemed almost deafening; his followers were standing around the room shifting awkwardly in place. He remained stationary for another moment and then started toward the first one to arrive, the young son of his longtime friend Ronald Longcape.
The young man looked a little nervous, but he didn't seem afraid.
"Ronald," Trevor said slowly, his tone formal "May I inquire as to what spell you used?"
"The Knockout Spell."
"I see." He said, and then pausing registered the elder Ronald approaching. Turning he glanced at the man curiously "Is there something you wish to add Ron?"
"Not so much," the man said, not glancing at his son "but-"
"Oh, I'm not going to punish your son." Trevor said with a chuckle "I'm well aware that Justin has something of a hero-complex when it comes to Alex Russo." Shifting his attention to them he added "Now then, I think we should have a look around don't you?"
There was a scattering of positive agreements and then they were all spreading out, some going up stairs and others down.
"Master, do you really think they left anything behind?" Ronald Senior asked, looking doubtful.
"Not intentionally." He answered, glancing at the man "However, I have no idea how much of a warning they had. If it was short enough then they could have left something behind by accident."
"True."
"Uhm, Not to interrupt..." Ronald Junior said uneasily from behind them. Seeing their attention he continued "But how do you know Justin and Alex?"
"I'm their godfather," Trevor answered blandly "Also it's only natural that the son should take after the father."
"Oh yes," Ronald Senior added with a nod "Jerry had a seriously overdeveloped hero complex."
"He was also steady as the sun," Trevor said before glancing at the prone form "Ron, do you think you and your son can take him back? I need to stay here on the off chance that Jerry did slip up."
"Of course." Ronald senior said, motioning for his son to follow him.
As the two moved toward the unconscious Justin, he watched for a moment before turning his attention to other matters. Trevor was still trying to work out the exact details of how Jerry managed that feat, a simple Forget Spell didn't have enough power to make his most loyal of followers (never mind the whole world) forget his existence. The only possibility Trevor could think of was that Jerry had found and used the Stone of Dreams shortly after imprisoning him.
If that was the case, he couldn't leave something like that out there.
AN:
To be honest, I've been playing with this idea for a while, but couldn't get very far. I blame the majority of this on Season 4, but that's just my opinion, others no doubt love it. Anyway, for the time-frame of this story idea, it's picking up mid-way through Season 3, so everything up to Wizards vs Werewolves has happened. I will warn that this story will also be a little more mature than the show, I normally don't like to veer away from the series tone but I want to try writing this kind of story.
I'm still playing with characterization, so please don't hold it against me if I mess up in relation to how characters talk or interact.
As for 'He's Evil', I'm stuck on the next chapter. I seriously need series scripts (for reference) so I can tie in to some episodes, so if you know of any place I get my hands on them let me know.