Legacy 112: Noah's Arc
Part 2
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Many years ago,
In the Heavens, Noah was impatiently pacing around. He had been an Elder for years now, though he barely felt like he had made a difference. The battle between good and evil raged on while the Elders were caught in endless debates and bureaucracy.
Now the council had decided that his mentor needed to face judgement for his actions. Some believed he had betrayed them by joining the Avatars. Noah didn't see it that way. All Leo wanted was to build a better world for his children, something they all should be fighting for. Instead, he had been sent to earth without his memories, a twisted test of character.
"Noah." A familiar voice said.
Noah looked up and saw Kevin heading his direction. The two had become friends during their time together. "Any news?" He asked.
"Not yet." Kevin replied.
"If only we could do something." Noah said.
"Odin has forbidden anyone from interfering." Kevin replied.
"And what is Odin doing?" Noah asked skeptically. "His presence has been cloaked. What if he is trying to keep Leo from making the right choice?"
"What is the right choice?" Kevin wondered. "I know Leo has a family, but we need him up here too. The council needs someone with his kindness and understanding."
"I know Leo." Noah replied. "His heart belongs with his family."
"I just wish he could stay." Kevin admitted. "The council won't be the same."
"Odin has too much influence over the others." Noah said. "He is too old and conservative, unable to accept change for the better."
"We still have Sandra." Kevin replied.
"Sandra cannot stand against Odin on her own." Noah said. "We have to do something if we want things to change."
At that moment, a cloaked Elder came walking up to them. Noah wondered how long the Elder had been there and how much had been overheard. When the Elders removed her cloak, Noah was relieved to see it was Sandra.
"Conversations like this should not be held in public." Sandra said. "The council needs to be united as one."
"But we're not." Noah said.
"I know you're impatient, Noah." Sandra said. "But our place is still to guide, not to lead. We need to let destiny run its course."
"Is that what Odin is doing?" Noah asked suspiciously.
"Leo will make his own choice." Sandra replied.
Noah wanted to argue, though he realized it was pointless. Even if Sandra agreed, she was too noble to admit the council was flawed. At that moment, a column of orbs rose from the clouds and Odin appeared. It was obvious he was in a foul mood.
"Odin, what happened?" Sandra asked.
"He has fallen from Grace." Odin replied. "He was ready to rejoin us until the witch called out to him."
"That witch is his wife." Noah corrected him.
"I don't care." Odin replied. "His first responsibility was to the council."
"That was his choice to make." Sandra said. "We knew this was a possibility from the moment we decided to send him on this path."
"I'll inform the council." Odin said bitterly.
The others remained silent as Odin walked away. Noah was happy that his friend had become mortal to reunite with his family, but it also meant the council had lost another voice of reason.
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Present,
In a column of orbs, Prue and Noah appeared on the floor of her parents' apartment. Prue felt a sharp pain in her shoulder where the energy blade had struck, though that was nothing compared to the guilt she felt about leaving an innocent behind. The demon she faced was immune to her power, she even absorbed it. She had never seen anything like it.
"Let me heal that." Noah said.
Noah held his hand over the wound and a warm glow healed it. When it was healed, he helped her off the floor and onto the couch. At the same moment, Penny and Payton came running in from their bedrooms.
"Oh my God, what happened?" Payton asked.
"Demon attack." Noah replied.
"Did you vanquish it?" Penny asked.
"No." Prue admitted. "We had to run, we left an innocent behind to die."
"What?" Penny asked shocked. "Prue, what happened?"
"We didn't have a choice." Noah said defensively. "I know the type of demon we're dealing with. She is powerful, and completely immune to Prue's powers."
"What kind of demon was she?" Payton asked.
"An Empusa, sort-of like an emotional vampire." Noah explained. "I faced one before. They feed on the emotions of their victims, leaving them as hollow shells."
"Wait, I thought demons couldn't handle human emotions." Payton said.
"Normal demons can't, but these demons are different." Noah replied. "They feed on emotions. And that's exactly why Prue was powerless against her. Her powers revolve around emotion. The Empusa could absorb her psionic blasts, as they are raw emotion turned into energy."
"So when she attacked the demon, she basically handed her a snack?" Penny asked.
"I failed him." Prue said distantly.
"You mean the innocent?" Payton asked. "Prue, it wasn't your fault."
"Wasn't it?" Prue replied tearfully. "My powers weren't working, so I got scared and ran. I left an innocent man there to die."
"Prue, I know losing an innocent is hard, but we weren't prepared to deal with an Empusa." Noah said. "There was no way we could have beaten her. The smart thing to do was to retreat, so we can come up with a plan."
"Noah is right, don't blame yourself." Penny added.
Prue became silent. Her mind knew the others were right. Logically speaking, there was nothing she could do, the demon outmatched her. However, her heart was telling her that she abandoned an innocent. Because of her, a man was now dead. A man with family and friends who would never see him again. As much as the others tried to justify running away, she could not shake that feeling.
"You should get some sleep." Noah said as he took her hand. "I'll go see the Elders right away and we'll come up with a plan."
"Alright." Prue replied, though she doubted she could sleep.
"We'll take care of things here, Noah." Penny said. "Just get us a way to vanquish that bitch."
"Got it." Noah replied as he disappeared in a column of orbs.
"Do you need some help?" Payton asked concerned.
"No, I'll be alright." Prue lied. "I'm just going to take a shower and try to get some sleep. We'll figure this out in the morning."
Prue said goodnight to her sisters and left the room. After a long and steaming shower, she crawled into bed. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the Empusa and the innocent, so she stayed awake staring at the ceiling. Hours passed until she finally fell into a troubled sleep.
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Present,
After leaving the apartment, Noah materialized in the Heavens in a column of orbs. After everything that happened, he always felt uncomfortable coming back here. As he headed to the council, several Whitelighters stared and whispered behind his back. They all knew what he did, and they all avoided him. The Heavens no longer felt like his home.
"Noah." A friendly voice sounded from the distance.
Noah turned around and saw Sandra and Kevin heading his way. It had been years since he saw his old friend. They had not talked since the incident.
"It is good to see you." Noah said.
"It's been a long time." Kevin replied casually. "What brings you up here?"
"Prue encountered a demon attacking an innocent. An Empusa." Noah explained. "Her powers were no match for her, so we were forced to flee."
"An Empusa." Sandra replied. "That must bring back bad memories for you."
"It does, but my focus has to be on Prue." Noah said. "She is taking it pretty bad."
"Is it the first time she lost an innocent?" Kevin asked.
"Yes." Noah replied.
"Losing an innocent is never easy, as we all know." Sandra said. "But it is an inevitable part of who we are. The battle against evil will never be without cost. It is a lesson we must all learn."
"I know." Noah said. "But now I need a way to vanquish the demon. Perhaps if all the cousins work together, they can…"
"No." Sandra interrupted him. "This is something Prue and her sisters must do on their own. This experience will make them stronger."
"But the Empusa is immune to Prue's powers." Noah argued.
"A witch is more than just her powers, Noah." Sandra said. "You know this. This is as much a learning experience for you. You must guide them in this battle."
"Wait, is this some kind of test?" Noah asked. "To earn back your trust?"
"This isn't about my trust, Noah." Sandra replied. "This is about trusting in yourself and your charges. I have faith that you will find the answer."
Sandra turned around and walked away. He had not expected this. Despite everything that had happened, he hoped that he could at least count on her help. Noah turned to Kevin, who had remained silent for the most part. He wondered if his old friend had something to say, if they even were still friends.
"How have you been?" Noah asked to break the silence.
"Good." Kevin replied. "Things have been quiet up here. Peaceful."
"Peaceful without me?" Noah asked.
"That's not what I meant." Kevin quickly said. "Don't twist my words around."
"Then tell me, Kevin, are we still friends?" Noah asked. "Because you have not spoken to me in years. I expected it from the others, but not for you."
"Things were delicate, Noah." Kevin replied. "A lot happened. Everyone needed time."
"People still look at me like a pariah around here." Noah said.
"Can you really blame them?" Kevin asked with a frown. "You nearly tore the Heavens apart."
"I made a lot of mistakes." Noah admitted. "But I'm trying to start over."
"I know." Kevin replied. "And you are doing good work with the Halliwells. But I think you should be careful."
"What do you mean?" Noah asked.
"I can see you're falling for Prue." Kevin said. "Don't go down the same path again, Noah. You know what happened last time."
"Don't bring her into this." Noah said angrily. "That was a long time ago. I moved on."
"I'm not trying to argue with you, Noah." Kevin replied. "I know I haven't been a good friend the last few years, but I do mean well."
"I know." Noah said. "I'm sorry."
"I have to get going." Kevin said. "And you need to support your charges. Listen to what Sandra said. The sisters have the power to stop this evil. Good luck, old friend."
Kevin placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded before leaving. Noah smiled at the gesture, knowing that their friendship was still there. It would take time to restore it, but at least there was hope. Now he needed to focus on the Empusa. He had to believe that Sandra was right. The sisters had the potential to stop this demon, but it was up to him to help them figure out how.
xxx
Many years ago,
"You cannot be serious!" Noah called out angrily as he approached the rest of the council, gathered around a large marble table.
"Calm yourself, Noah." A female Elder said.
"We took it to a vote." Another Elder added. "The majority decided."
"Then the majority of you are fools." Noah snapped at them. "The Charmed Ones are down there right now fighting the Ultimate Battle and we're abandoning them."
Noah looked around the table. The council that had sworn to guide and protect was now hiding while others fought their battles. He turned to Sandra to plead for her help.
"I voted to support the sisters." Sandra admitted. "As did Kevin. Sadly, only a few supported us."
"Why didn't you wait for me?" Noah asked.
"I called the vote." Odin said calmly. "You could not have made a difference anyway."
"I still have the right to voice my opinion." Noah said.
"We all know your opinion, Noah." The other female Elder said impatiently.
"And we know about your resentment toward Odin." The male Elder said. "You should learn to respect those who outrank you."
"I thought we were all supposed to be equal in this council." Noah commented. "And respect is something that should be earned, not enforced."
"Enough." Another male Elder said. "Odin has been a wise and patient man. He understands the role we play in the Grand Design."
"You mean the role where you sit on your asses all day?" Noah remarked.
Several insulted Elders mumbled under their breath while Sandra silently shook her head, pleading Noah to stop. He had no intention of stopping. He was tired of a council that claimed to serve the greater good while doing nothing to help. Odin stood up and walked across the table.
"Ever since Leo picked you to join the council, you have been trying to undermine our traditions and rules." Odin said.
"Things could be different." Noah replied.
"There is no need for change." Odin said. "The council only works as a collective. We were chosen to govern magic peacefully, not to be impulsive and reckless."
"But…" Noah started.
"No, there is no more room for debate." Odin interrupted him. "You need to decide whether or not you want to be a part of this council."
Odin waved his hand and Noah disappeared in a swirl of orbs. When he rematerialized, he felt a rush of cold as he landed in water. When he came to the surface, he saw he had landed in a small pond in the Golden Gate Park. A blue light appeared and someone held out a hand. Noah looked up and saw a beautiful young woman with red hair. He had seen her before in the Heavens.
"Calliope." Noah said surprised.
"You remember my name." the woman replied with a smile.
"Of course." Noah said as she helped him out of the water. "I was there the moment you were reborn as a Whitelighter."
"I know." Calliope said. "I remember your face being the first I saw. I was scared and confused, but when I saw you, I knew I was safe."
"Really?" Noah asked.
"I overheard what the Elders said." Calliope said. "You were right. We should be helping more."
"That's an unpopular opinion." Noah replied.
"Among Elders maybe." Calliope said. "But not among Whitelighters. Many share your ideas, especially the younger ones. They want change."
"How do you know?" Noah asked.
"We've been meeting in secret." Calliope explained. "You could come with me. Having an Elder on our side would inspire a lot of people."
"I don't know." Noah replied.
"Please, just come and listen." Calliope pleaded. "It would mean a lot to me."
The Whitelighter held out her hand. Noah hesitated. He was glad he wasn't alone and he wanted change, but it felt wrong to go behind the council's back and attend secret meetings. On the other hand, the council had made it clear that they weren't going to listen. He needed another approach, so he accepted her hand.
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