All rights to the Halliwells and Charmed go to The Wb and Aaron Spelling. This is a spin-off of his creation, of which we're all thankful for.
Chapter 7: Price of Success
Prom night...the night when you find out the most about yourself and others. All the promises you make about prom night are a lie...when you get there, things change.
" So, what do you think about this one?" I asked Marti, my father's assistant. Demonic assistant. Every source needs someone to look after them. Yep, that's right, Dad is going to be the source and mother is going to be the Queen. I'll be the Prince. the prince to a crown I would never claim. It was like a war against the Halliwells...I just didn't feel I should go against my family. Since I was the one who bound Cole's powers, I restored them for my parents. I had moral objection to most things they did, but they didn't do much demonic work, which confused me. They weren't evil just to be evil, there was a reason, but they wouldn't tell me.
" I like it." Marti said quickly, " So, what are you going to do if you see..." but he stopped as if he was about to say an unspeakable name.
" I'll say hi and...what do you think will happen?" I asked, reading his face, " You think there'll be a showdown, don't you?" I smirked.
" Anything is possible." Marti smirked back.
I looked in the mirror and noticed someone staring back at me, " Kyle, what are you doing here?" I asked in shock...a good shock.
He walked up to us and stopped at the sight of Marti, who was ready to take him out, " Who's this?" Kyle asked.
" Don't worry about it, what are you doing here?" I asked.
Kyle scoffed, " I am your whitelighter." he said.
" Given." I smiled.
Kyle smiled back, " Well, we haven't heard from you in a few months. I was...are you evil now? Are you going to be the source?" he asked.
I shook my head, " I could never..." I trailed off, noticing Marti, " ...besides, I'm more of a prince." I smirked.
" Do you know what that means? It means they've been trying to kill the Halliwells and they've been hurting you since the beginning. They lied to you about so many things." Kyle said breathlessly.
" That's enough!" Marti said quickly.
" This is between us." Kyle said heatedly.
I frowned, " You guys, we're in a store and people are staring." I said sadly, looking at the people who were staring at me. I felt total unease.
" Your father is summoning us, do you have your tux?" Marti asked.
I nodded, " tell them I miss them." I said hugging Kyle. When I hugged him, I instantly got a vision.
-------Vision------
" Piper! All of you Get out of here!" Caly screamed, " You ruined the coronation!" and suddenly mom and dad held out their hands and demons materialized and fireballs flew, killing the Halliwells while Kyle laid, bleeding on the floor.
-------Vision-----
I snatched backwards and nearly fell! Kyle asked me what happened, but I said nothing.
" We need to go." Marti said carefully.
" You had a preminition, didn't you! You saw the evil, didn't you!" Kyle gasped.
I panted harder and Marti grabbed my hand, disappearing in a swirl of dark orbs.
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Piper stood in front of the counter, ignoring the purple elephant. Phoebe sat at the table, flipping through the Book of Shadows and Paige stared out the window at the Summers' house. They all felt helpless against this threat.
" We could have done something." Piper said out of nowhere, adding ingredients to the pot.
Phoebe and Paige stopped and looked at her, " Piper, there's nothing we could have done! They are his parents and if I would have had the choice of my family over being a good witch...I'm not sure what I'd pick either." Paige said, trying to comfort her.
" I'm not sure that's a comforting thing." Piper frowned, " Caly and Peter have been our friends for the last sixteen years, why didn't we see the signs?" she asked furiously.
" Because there were none. They were never home enough for us to see the signs." Phoebe said, walking to the counter.
" Wyatt, Melinda, and Chris are...very confused." Piper said angrily.
" So are Prue, Penny, and Alexis." Phoebe added.
" And Henry Jr., Patricia, and Sierra." Paige added sourly.
" They say that he doesn't go to class that often anymore." Piper said, throwing the spoon in her hand at the stove. Phoebe and Paige jumped, not sure of exactly what to say. Paige was about to speak, but they heard an explosion upstairs and raced to it! When they got there, they found Wyatt on the floor. Leo and Chris appeared after them and Kyle materialized too.
Piper rushed to Wyatt, " What in the hell is going on?!" she shouted.
" Nothing." Wyatt said, rising to his feet, " I tried to summon Drake, but I guess that doesn't work anymore. I cannot believe that he took the side of evil over us!" Wyatt said angrily, causing a nearby lamp to explode.
Everyone jumped, including Wyatt, " Calm down, Wyatt." Leo said carefully.
" Why can't we just go and get him?" Wyatt asked.
Kyle sighed loudly, making everyone stare, " I just saw him." he confessed.
" What? Where?" Phoebe asked.
" He was buying a tux for your prom, which would be in a few days, right?" Kyle asked.
" Yeah, what'd he say?" Chris asked suspiciously.
" Nothing, really, his bodyguard...demonic bodyguard said more than he did. Although it looked like he had a preminition. One that scared the hell out of him." Kyle finished.
" Bodyguard?" Paige asked.
" Yeah, some Marti. Looked a bit like a dark lighter, but I'm not exactly sure what he was." Kyle explained.
" Wait, that's good." Leo said, " Then id didn't seem like he had been seduced by the dark side?" he asked.
Kyle shook his head, " No. As a matter of fact, he seemed almost normal." he said hopefully.
" Then maybe we can talk to him." Piper said.
" How? He really never leaves his house, doe he? I mean, I'd be shocked to see him in school." Chris said, noticeably happier.
Wyatt started to the door and Piper turned to him, " Where are you going?" she asked.
" To his house. I need to see him." he said, turning to go.
Phoebe ran to him, " No, Wyatt, it's too soon. You could..." she reasoned, but he shook her off.
" Sorry Aunt Phoebe, but I have to." he said, continuing out.
Phoebe turned back to Piper, " Piper!" she said.
Piper shrugged and looked at the mess, " Any takers?" she said and the rest of the family scrambled out of the room, leaving Leo and Piper.
" I guess I volunteer." he sighed.
Piper kissed him, " Be nice and maybe I'll help." she smiled, continuing to make out with her husband.
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The mirror...it had to be lying, right? Who was he? Standing in the middle of my room...or what used to be my room. It was now black and red, I felt like I was a whore in Moulin Rouge. I was at the mirror, looking at myself. I wore leather pants...who wears leather pants?! Oh, right, evil. Leather pants and a tight shirt. My hair was slicked forward to cause a very gelled look and I was pale. As pale as an African American teenager can be. The area around my eyes was black from the make-up...make-up. This was not me at all and Marti had made this! This abomination wasn't me and I was staring at it. Why did my parents have to be the wicked witches and why did my life have to change? And did my future just change, or was this part of the program? I was going to prom in two days and I felt like the world moving when I seemed to be standing still.
" Well, do you like it?" Mari said from the bed, " It is so hot on you. Not something I'd wear, but since you are going to be the prince of freakin darkness..." he said seductively. He got up and moved towards me.
I looked from the mirror to him, " Do you know where my mother and father are?" I asked.
" They are getting everything ready for the Coronation. It's on the night after Prom." he said cooly.
" How old are yoU?" I asked, " You look about twenty, but you're not, are you?" I asked suspiciously. He was around 6'0, 140 lbs. strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. He was cute, but there was something unsettling about him. He was definitely a preppy boy and it was cute on him.
" I'm nearly two hundred." he answered, " You're scared to like me, aren't you." he said carefully.
I smirked, " I don't like you...nothing personal, but I..." I trailed off.
He moved really close and whispered, " When your father becomes the source, you'll be prince. If we get together, we could be unstoppable." he whispered.
My heart stopped at this. Why would he say that? Is that why dad picked him, to make sure that I would stay with them? It's not right to have to choose, but I felt it coming. Do I change the future and become the source, or do I follow my heart? Suddenly the doorbell rang and I was knocked out of my reverie, " Get that, would ya." I said, relieved.
He smiled and nodded, then went downstairs. I walked over and smiled down at the tuxedo. Hopefully I wouldn't have to take Marti. I wanted to have a real conversation with my friends. After a while, I got weary and walked downstairs to see what was taking so long, but I stopped at the sound of arguing.
" So, basically, you're using him for his powers?" a voice came from the front door.
Marti chuckled, " Smart and cute. I can see why Drake likes you. Soon, he's going to be like us." Marti said.
Wyatt's face came into my sight and I smiled. He quickly saw me and I scrambled to not be seen by Marti.
" What are you looking at?" Marti asked, looking back.
" Nothing. Can you at least tell Drake I was here?" Wyatt asked as nice as he could, which was very angrily.
" Nah, he doesn't need to know." Marti said, slamming the door.
I ran back to my room and fumed. I wished Wyatt had vanquished Marti's ass and came to save me, but he wouldn't do it. He was too nice to do it. I wondered why I didn't freeze the scene and it hit me that I'd see him later. No matter what, I'd see him later. When Marti walked back in, I fake a smile.
" Who was that?" I asked, wondering would he really tell me.
He smirked, " Girl scout. Told her we didn't want any of what she was sellin." he said, walking past me, to the closet.
" Oh." I said, stunned by his lack of honesty. Almost forgot he was a demon.
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Wyatt and Bianca showed up at the dance, Wyatt in a tux and Bianca in her platinum gown. She smiled as she entered the amazingly decorated gymnasium. Chris, behind them, also smiled at the decorations. They entered slowly, trying not to call too much attention to themselves, but failed miserably. They immediately went to the dance floor and saw Tristan, who chuckled.
" Dude!" Tristan said where his date couldn't hear, " Bianca's on fire!" he chuckled.
" Yeah." Wyatt said, preoccupied.
Tristan frowned, " What? Wyatt, you're here with the most beautiful girl here! Get with the program and be happy!" Tristan said jealously.
Wyatt nodded, " Whatever, Tris." he said, checking the room.
" She's fuckin hot!" Tristan said loudly.
Tristan's date stopped, " I hope your talking about me." she said intensely.
Tristan smiled, " Baby, you know I was." he said, trying not to glance at Bianca, but he did.
His date looked from Tristan to Bianca, " Well, you can dance with her!" she said, stomping away, Tristan at her heel.
Chris laughed, " Idiot." he said cooly.
" Wyatt. I'm tired of dancing, can we sit down?" Bianca asked.
" Sure." he said, still looking around, then his gaze stopped at the sight of a familiar sophomore, " I'll be right back. Chris, keep them entertained." he said to Chris, who nodded. He walked over to the girl, whom he was now certain was Melinda with a junior, " I thought you were going to Courtney's." he asked, making her jump.
" Wyatt." Melinda said with fear.
" Where's Courtney?" Wyatt asked.
She frowned and pointed across the room to Courtney, who was now making out with Tristan, " Wyatt, please don't tell! I really needed to get out of the house." she pleaded.
" I should, because you squealed on me..." he said.
" I didn't mean to!" she squealed.
"...But, as long as you don't do anything...strange or...you know, sexual, I'll let it slide." Wyatt said, huggin his little sister.
Melinda had stopped hugging him and looked over Wyatt's shoulder, " I think the person you've been looking for is finally here...with a total hottie!" she said, oogling Drake and Marti.
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I stood beside Marti, who looked hot despite himself. I was definitely feeling some eyes on us and it took me a minute to adjust to it. I looked around and saw Chris sitting with Bianca and her best friend, dumbass Tristan fighting with his date in the corner with Courtney watching, shamed, and Phoebe and Paige's kids with their dates sitting at tables next to Chris and Wyatt's. Wyatt and Melinda were hugging and Melinda and I met gazes at the same time. She smiled and waved and I did the same, but Marti grabbed my hand and pushed it back to my side.
" No fraternizing." Marti urged.
" It's a dance!" I said, feeling a bit harassed.
Marti smiled, " I'm not sure why you want to be here, such loathsom...disgusting..." he trailed off.
" People. Friends. I'm getting pretty tired of this whole 'isolation' thing! Not everyone is a demon. People have feelings! I have emotions." I said before I caught myself.
Marti stared down at me, " And demons don't? I like you, that's why I've been putting up with you, but I've had about enough of your selfish, undeserving whining!" he said loudly.
" Well, maybe you should leave." Wyatt said angrily, " I cannot believe you're letting him talk to you like that!" Wyatt said in disbelief.
I looked at him, " I'm starting to wonder myself." I said irritably.
" They are his parents. What? Would you have him kill hem?" Marti said, smiling as if he had one.
Wyatt sneered, " Well, I guess you've made your choice." he said, turning to walk away.
" No. Wyatt, you don't get to do that to me! I refuse to choose between my families." I said selfishly.
" They are going to kill us." Chris said from nowhere, " Then you really won't have to choose." he said, anger radiating from his voice.
" I told you they would gang up on you." Marti stammered.
" So, we're back to square one." I said quietly.
" I guess we are." Wyatt said as Melinda and the rest of the Halliwell group found their way into the conversation.
" Yeah, I guess you can go back to Bianca, she's waiting." I said angrily.
Wyatt's face went stone, " Don't. I told you that I'd drop everything to be with you and you made it clear." he said louder.
Now my face went stone, " I needed you to prove it!" I said, trying to come to some agreement.
Wyatt scoffed, " I don't have time to play these insane games!" he frowned.
I reached out for his hand and caught another vision.
-----------Vision--------------
We were standing as we were now, but something burst through the ceiling and landed on the floor next to me! Something else oozed from the sprinkler, another materialized from the ground, and the last materialized out of candles on the tables! The four things all raised their hands and blasted us with their powers!
-----------Vision--------------
When I came back, my hand was in Wyatt's.
" Are you okay?" Wyatt asked, moving closer.
I gasped, " You guys have to get these people out of here while Chris, Wyatt, and I...Something's coming!" I said, seeing things materialized like in my vision, " EVERBODY OUT!" I screamed, causing everyon to stare. I turned to Wyatt, " Shield me." I said running to the middle of the room and raising my hands to the sky. I created a miniature explosion near the sprinklers and they went off, causing the mass of students to run out of the gym! By that time, the things were already there.
Marti tried to pull me out of the gym, " Come on! They'll kill us all!" he said fearfully, " We just needed them to find the Charmed Ones." he said, causing me to realize what was really happening.
" That's the only reason I was allowed to come, huh? That's the reason I couldn't go to school...They needed us out of the their hair, right?" I asked furiously.
Marti nodded," It was a success, now, come on!" he said, pulling my arm. I looked back and saw Wyatt, Melinda, and Chris running from the creatures and stopped.
When Marti turned to see why I'd stop running, I punched him in the face and he fell to the ground, " Sorry, that's the price of success!" I said, running back to the Halliwells. He lunged at me, but missed and hit the floor! I raced to them with all my speed and stopped at the sight of the three witches backed into a corner.
" Why are you still here?" Wyatt shouted.
I stared at him for a second, " Did you honestly think I'd leave you?" I asked painfully.
Wyatt looked shaken, " I don't know anymore." he said.
" Can we kill them already?" The demon with the fire emblem said. He was a tall, muscular black man-like demon wearing a leather vest with a red flame on it and leather pants.
" I knew it! Leather pants equals demon." I joked.
" I suppose so." A blonde woman said, wearing a silver corset with an emblem of wind on it. She chuckled slightly at our unease.
Another man wearing the same as the fire demon, except that he was white and his vest was blue with a water emblem, broke into an unbearable laughter, " Of course." he smirked.
" I think it's cute." a younger woman said. She was wearing a brown corset and looked to be the youngest. Also, she was a bit dirty.
" We have to hurry, they are the least of our worries." I said, thinking back to Marti and what he said about needing us out of the way.
" Very well then." the earth demon said, causing the ground beneath me to throw me backwards! I slid across the floor and stopped against the wall!
Wyatt sent an energy blast at them, that sent them flying in the opposite direction, " Come on! We have to get to the Manor." he said urgently, running over to me, but as he got to me he was hit with a wall of water!
" Play time." the fire demon said quickly, walking to us.
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Phoebe had just gone to see Piper and Paige and the kids had gone out to the dance and Coop found himself alone. Alone with a cold beer. Alone with a cold beer and a basketball game on the t.v.! He was in heaven and he wasn't being summoned by the Elders to do anything.
" Aw shoot! You should have faked to the left..." he said, pissed at how the game was playing out.
" I don't watch basketball anymore." Coop looked over to the chair next to him, " You always see the rags-to-riches team win...what about the underdog?" Cole said, looking at the t.v.
Coop jumped out of his seat, " Cole, I think. Aren't you Cole?" he said breathlessly.
" In the flesh." he smiled toothily.
Coop inched farther and farther away, " You're dead." he said in disbelief.
" Yeah, ain't that a kicker? So you're Phoebe husband? She could do better." Cole said with mild amusement.
Coop smiled weakly, " Why not, she's done worse." he snapped.
Cole chuckled, " I'm gonna enjoy this." he said casually.
" What?" Coop asked
Cole shimmered out of the chair and Coop heard, " This!" before he felt the fireball hit him in the back!
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Henry sat at his desk, rummaging through the lost files, looking for a particular charge. He stopped when he heard the floorboard creek and went to investigate. He crept through the halls, trying not to alert whoever it was. He turned the corner and entered the kitchen, where he saw that the light was on.
" Nothing in your fridge." a voice chirped, " Come on in."
Henry grabbed a nearby candle stick and reluctantly headed to the kitchen. When he entered, he saw a boy no older than Wyatt. He knew this boy, but from where?
" Who are you?" Henry asked.
The boy took a bite out of a leftover taco and gulped some tea, " Not sure it matters, but I'm Talik. You must be Henry." Talik smirked.
" Talik? Dead Talik?" Henry said, waving the candle stick around.
Talik stopped chomping long enough to look at him, " well, what can I say? Death was never appealing to me." he said, rising from the stool he sat on.
" Any reason you're in my kitchen?" Henry asked.
" Yeah. Not sure you want to know." Talik said, moving forward.
Henry stepped back, " I don't know. Might be fun to be in the know." he said carefully.
Talik smiled and disappeared, then shimmered in behind Henry, " We've got somewhere to be." he said, punching him in the back of the head and shimmering away.
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Leo, Kyle, and the sister sat in the attic, trying to come up with a plan.
" I wish Billie was here." Paige said, tediously searching a book.
Phoebe smiled at her, " Why?" she asked.
" So we cold make her read the books and we could just kick the ass." Piper said from the Book of Shadows.
" Yeah." Paige said reminescently, " The good ole' days."
" Well, ladies, that is for the new generation to deal with." Leo said wearily.
They all scoffed.
" We can still kick ass!" Paige protested.
" yeah, we just don't." Phoebe said quickly, " Normal life is fun. Besides...I'm not sure I want my kids to do what we did." She said.
" It saved our family." Piper said, " Besides, at least they'll be more prepared than we were."
" Yeah, I think Wyatt, Chris and Drake make an excellent 'Power of Three'." Kyle said quickly.
" Wonder how the dance is going." Leo said.
Piper scoffed, " A dance? It's Wyatt's senior prom...and Chris and Drake's junior prom! This is the one night when..." Piper said, being interrupted by Phoebe.
" I never did go to my prom. I hated things like that. Instead, we...well, it's not important." Phoebe smiled.
Paige smiled, " I remember mine. It was after my mom and dad died, obviously and I saved for a dress and...it was such a great night." she said with whimsy.
Phoebe lookeda mused, " You're date must have been hot." she smiled.
" Actually, yeah." Paige chuckled.
" back to the spells and potions part." Piper snorted.
" Anybody got any plans?" Kyle asked.
" I think I might have one." Leo said quickly.
" I'd like to hear it." a voice said, making them spin around to see Peter Summers and a teenager. The teenager was older than Wyatt, but only a little. Maybe a sophomore in college and his face was red on one side.
" Peter and..." Leo said cautiously.
" Marti, not that it'll matter." Marti said.
Marti raised his hand and spawned a crossbow, " Can I do it?" he asked.
" No, not yet." Peter said walking closer.
Piper shook her head and chuckled, " I cannot believe this...what are you doing here?!" she asked.
" Caly sends her regards." Peter said, waving his hands and sending the sisters flying across the room! Kyle got ready to move, but stopped as he was hit with a darklighter arrow and fell to the floor. Leo ran to check on the sisters, but Peter materialized in front of him and grabbed him, then shimmered away.
"Leo!" Piper shouted, watching her husband disappear.
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Chris slammed into the wall with a thud and Wyatt tried his best to avoid the flames being jetted at him. Melinda, however, had ran and hid. Watching this, I felt myself slip and fall to the floor.
" Okay, I'm done with playing." the fire demon said, " Let's end this!"
They all nodded and I saw that they were serious about killing us, so I rolled over to Chris, who was still out. I noticed Melinda and Wyatt across the room and I looked down at Chris.
" Hey, cutie." he said. He seemed groggy and it scared me. I needed him to orb me home.
" Hi sexy, erm...can you orb me home?" I asked urgently. I looked over and fount that Wyatt was orbing Melinda out of the gym, so I looked down at Chris, " Now, please!" I said.
He shook his head, then touched the back of his head, " I'm bleeding." he said, " We've gotta..."
"...Get out of here! That's what I've been saying!" I squeaked. I dodged an oncoming fireball and shook him, " GET ME OUT OF HERE!" I shouted. He grabbed me and we orbed out of the broken gym.