Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2007 17:27:03 -0800 From: Amethyst Rose Subject: Charmed Reborn Episode 6 Disclaimer: All rights for Charmed and the Halliwells go to the WB, as well as Aaron Spelling and Brad Kern. This story is a spin-off of the original Charmed series, categorized under fan fiction, and is not intended to imply any personal knowledge, or the actual sexuality of any of its celebrities. This story is obviously fiction. This story will also involve sexual and intimate relationships between two (or more) males, and if this offends you or it is illegal for you to be reading, then please leave. If you are under the age of consent for your community, please leave. And if it does offend you, I honestly don't know why you're even here in the first place. Dream a Little Dragon "I have an idea." In the depths of the Twilight Citadel, the rest of the Seven turned their heads to Kane. His black coat and uniform hung on him like the curtains of a shadow. "Oh, would you just shut up?" Amy said, frustrated. Her head was propped up by her hand, tired and listless. She motioned to Shade, who hung his head in grief next to her. "Guess what: the vampire plan didn't work. One of the old Charmed Ones was there, and the vampire that bit their whitelighter was vanquished." she sighed. "Now I gotta answer to their goddamn queen. So much for fun... You can go." Shade looked at her spitefully, as if she had no idea the proportion of what he and the Ruby Guild lost. He quickly phased into a bat, and fluttered out of the Citadel. Kane continued, ignoring Amy. "About two decades ago, the Infernal Council attempted an assassination of the frist Charmed Ones using the wiles of a genie and a Dragon Warlock." "Preposterous." Barbatos sprang from his seat. His trembling hands were raised in front of him, ascending with his speech. "The attempt failed miserably. And besides, the chances of finding another genie are miniscule at best." "The genie was a sanctimonious idiot, and the Dragon Warlock was... amateurish." Kane snapped back. "But Ipos, tell me. What do your eyes say of the Charmed Ones now?" Kane turned to the diminuitive, pale figure in white flowing robes, accompanied by his consorts. Ipos raised his eyebrows. "...Disunion. In several ways. It seems that recently, a rift has formed between one of the Charmed Ones and their whitelighter. But the time will soon come when they will all be physically seperated as well." Ipos said. Amy snorted. "So what? A couple'll just be out of town. Their whitelighter can orb them, what good does that do us?" Kane smiled. "We haven't had the chance to launch a full scale attack because of the fucking protection spells they cast. But if they're not all in the house, then we can deploy as many forces as we want to the ones outside the manor. If Ipos' prediction is right, then either in the manor or outside, one of the Charmed Ones will be alone." "Ha! The Power of One! My sisters could take `em easy." Amy gave a wicked grin. "...And my darklighters woule be more than enough to distract their whitelighter. However... I doubt we could actually kill them. They are, whether we want to admit it or not, pretty good at crowd control." He turned to a shadowy figure to his left. "What would the chances of survival be if we sent five of Zira's best demonatrixes against one of the Charmed Ones?" he cleared his throat. "Erhm, estimated to two decimal places." A pause. A pristine, crystal clear female voice rang out in response. "Lyla Russel: approximately 23.64 percent. Lex Russel: approximately 17.82 percent. Lucille Russel: approximately 22.3 percent. The chances are significantly lower if we factor in the probability of potions." "Mm... Those chances aren't high enough, if you ask me." Kane said. Amy began to become impatient. "Then what's the point?" "To *distract* them. If two of the Charmed Ones and their whitelighter are out of the manor, the third one will be easy picking." Barbatos laughed. "You are far too arrogant. One Charmed One has stood up to countless demons in the past. And we have only enough power to allow... five demons, at the most to enter the manor." Kane's eyes lit up. "That's where my idea plays in. We hire an elite assassin. A killer with an unrivaled record, and have him infiltrate the manor. He is only one demon, after all, and he shouldn't be any problem to shimmer in." "Who's strong enough to face a Charmed One alone?" Amy asked, on cue. Kane snapped his fingers. In the middle of the Seven, a ripple appeared. It vibrated outward, and with a sound like an underwater sigh, it materialized into a solid figure. He was tall and strong, dressed in the garb of most normal warlocks: black pants and a black tank-top that stuck to the contours of his muscles. His hair was a strange shade of extremely dark blue, almost black but with an extra shine. It was cropped at a reasonable length and spiked up. His eyes were intense, a piercing dark green, unusual in comparison with his darker skin tone. His face was serious and quite handsome- clean shaven but for a small patch of hair on his chin. Everything about him seemed it indicate strength, whether it were his arms, legs, face, or frame. But not the awkward strength of a goliath; rather, the fiery yet controlled strength of an ocean. He surveyed the Seven one by one, his eyes probing each of theirs. Compared to previous experience, none of them flinched. One of the Seven spoke, her deep voice intimidating and resonating throughout the Citadel. "I recognize him! The child of one of my daughters." "Yes." said Kane with a smile and nod he addressed mostly to her now. "He is a dragon warlock. Naturally, you may call him Dragon." Dragon yelled out at him, a bit befuddled. "Why have I been summoned?" It was now the deep-voiced woman who smiled. "Esteemed Dragon. We require your services." she turned to Kane. "Correct?" "Absolutely." Kane responded. He turned to Dragon, but addressed the Seven. "Dragon is currently the Underworld's most professional killer-" "-Assassin." There was an awkward silence at Dragon's correction. Kane paused before continuing. "...Assassin. Would you mind telling us your abilities?" Dragon simply stared at Kane for a little, before clearing his throat. "First of all, no innocents." Amy raised an eyebrow, a simple motion that somehow managed to capture a great anger. "What?" she asked, acute enough to cut through diamonds. "...Please." Dragon turned to her, and she reluctantly silenced. He cracked his knuckles. "Nothing is as dishonorable and boring as killing a powerless victim. Give me a witch with powers, or a demon maybe, and-" "Traitor!" Amy flung calumny again. "I know this warlock now! He's killed more demons than witches!" Kane threw his hands up. "Shut up, Amy!" Amy closed her mouth with an angry glare. Kane rolled his eyes. "Seriously... Continue, Dragon." Dragon did so. "...I'll gladly face any worthy opponent, for the right pay. But it just happens that there are more demons that are worthy than witches. That's all." "Tell me- what powers do you have?" It was Barbatos who spoke, and Dragon turned to him. He smiled. "You'll have to trust me. So-" he slapped his hands together. "Who do you want elminated?" "Very good." Kane said. "As you probably heard, the Charmed Ones have been recently reconstituted." Dragon raised his eyebrows in anticipation, but Kane shook his head. "Okay, we're not asking you to kill all three of them. But, when the time comes, at least one of them will be alone in the manor, or otherwise. That's where you come in." "Alright." Dragon slowly nodded. He cracked his neck. "However, I'll have to infiltrate the manor as soon as possible." The deep-voiced woman spoke again. "You may be powerful, Dragon, but no one is strong enough to stand alone against all three of them." "Oh, no, I don't intend to." Dragon retorted. "I won't be killing anyone. Like I said- I just have to test the waters." Kane nodded. "Very well. We can open a hole now. Are you ready?" Dragon nodded, and rippled out. Barbatos gave a "harumph" noise. "Kane, you idiot! What good will killing one Charmed One do? The other two will just become more enraged." Kane gave another knowing smile. "Okay... I may have mislead you. You see, this is the *backup* plan." Kane clarified. Amy grunted in frustration. "You have got to be kidding me..." "Sorry!" Kane said, laughing. "See, here's the thing." he turned to Ipos, then an ominous hooded figure two seats to his right. "If the *big* plan works, then we won't need Dragon. And if the plan doesn't work, then we have Dragon. Look, if I've learned one thing from the millions of evil bad guys I've seen screw up, it's that you should always have a plan A, B, C, D, E, F-" "Well, what if Dragon doesn't work?" Amy asked. "...you'll hate me for saying this, but I got a back-up plan for that too." Amy squinted her eyes. "Yes, Kane. I do hate you." - - - - Opening song: "Opium" By: Emilie Simon Mon opium pas de serum, mon opium (opium) Je laisse aller, me laisse inhaler... Les vapeurs dans les petales Toute embuee, je pars en fumee comme un bon petit cobaye... Je laisse aller, me laisse inhaler... mon opium, opium, opium Je laisse aller, me laisse inhaler... les vapeurs en profondeur Ensommeillee je me laisse guider... j'avance en apesanteur - - - - It was a cold, foggy Saturday morning, not at all unusual for San Francisco. Lyla was staring out the window, clad in pajama pants and a tank-top. Lucy came up from behind her. "Good morning, Ly." Lyla smiled and spun around. "Lucy! Should I start breakfast now?' Lucy gave a look easily summed up as "WTF?" "Lyla. It's five in the morning on a weekend. Why are you up?' "Uh." Lyla thought, then shrugged. "Dunno. I just had to wake up for some reason." "Hm." Lucy puzzled a little. Lyla just smiled again, and huddled her arms closer against the December cold. Lucy raised an eyebrow. "You're in a good mood." "Am I?" "Yes." Lyla smiled. "Yeah, well. I guess so. But you don't wanna hear about it." "No, Lyla, I'm curious. I wanna know." "It's Aaron." Lucy's smile slowly but surely faded away. Brief memories of Lex and Aaron flashed through her head, and she had to struggle to keep from saying anything. Lyla continued. "I think that we have something!" "Oh, oh... that's great!" Lucy said through grit teeth. She cleared her throat. "But... isn't there some rule against whitelighter-charge relationships?' "Yeah, well." Lyla giggled. "Aaron said he doesn't care. He wants to be with me." Lucy was silent. Lyla continued on her own instead. "You know, Luce, I feel so great when I'm with him. Like, I can do anything. All my confidence is back." Lucy nodded. Is this what Aaron meant by "greater good?" "Wow, Lyla. Good for you." "Hey Lucy. I was meaning to talk to you about something, actually." Lucy perked her ears up in paranoia. She raised her eyebrows. "What?" Lyla huddled further in her sweatshirt. She breathed into the sleeves to make her concealed hands warmer. "It was ever since that time with the vampires. You remember that, right?" "How could I forget." "Yeah. Well anyway, Lex has just been really quiet lately. More than usual. So I'm a little worried about him." she bit her lip. "Maybe... maybe one of the vampires cursed him. Or he was bit, but didn't transform. In fact, he could've-" "It's nothing magical." Lyla raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?" Lucy held a breath into herself. "If... if it was magical, wouldn't Aaron have picked up on it?" It was a stretch, and Lucy knew it. "That's another thing." Lyla said, befuddled. "I haven't seen him and Aaron talk since then. Hell, they hardly even look at each other." she looked up at Lucy. "Do you think Lex is scared of Aaron? You know, since he tried to suck his blood?" "...Maybe." "Well. Whatever it is... I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make Lex feel better." Lucy cringed inside. Lyla walked away to the kitchen. "How `bout pancakes? It's been forever since I've cooked." Lucy shook it off, and laughed. "Alright, Ly. I'll help." She followed her. Suddenly, a ripple appeared behind Lyla, but in front of Lucy. Lucy jumped back as a tall figure materialized in front of her. "Lyla!!" Lyla spun around, and as she caught sight of the figure she kicked him down with a spin kick. Before he hit the ground, the warlock raised his arms and (to their amazement) flew into the air. Lucy flung her hands out at the warlock. With the sound of a slowing clock, green light enveloped him. His movement briefly slowed, but sped back up in no time; the lime light dimmed away. Lucy sighed. "They never freeze!" The warlock laughed. He raised his hand, and blue streaks of lightning flew out at them both. Lyla's intuition allowed her to dodge. Lucy, in desperation, wrapped herself in green light; the lightning, as soon as it crossed Lucy's stasis field, froze in place. The warlock looked surprised, as Lyla somersaulted to Lucy and pulled her down. Her green light vanished, and the bolts of lightning destroyed the living room couch. Finally, Lex ran down the stairs. "Ly? Luce? What's going on?" He stopped midway, and stared at the floating warlock. Dragon turned around. He met eyes with the last Charmed One, and for a while they just stares. Their mouths were a little agape, and Dragon felt his guard beign to fall a little. Lyla pushed her hair out of her eyes, and yelled out. "Lex!" Just like that, the two of them snapped into reality. The warlock shot a strip of lightning of Lex. Lex, as soon as the warlock raised his hand, yelled "Rebound!" The lightning ended an inch away from Lex's face, and shot back at the warlock, hitting him in the chest. Its reduced strength only singed his shirt, but succeeded in knocking him to the ground. He raised his head from the floor, and took a last look at Lex before rippling out. Lex ran down the stairs, meeting Lucy and Lyla on the floor. "Oh no... are you okay?" Lucy quickly nodded. She looked behind at the couch as she stood up. "...I wish the warlocks could pay for this. For once, I'd like to get money from vanquishes, not demon blood, broken couches, and `good karma.' Do you know how many sofas and tables we've lost so far? Way too many." "Alright then... same drill. Lucy, could you bring the Book down, please? I'll, um... start making breakfast." Lyla sighed, and turned to Lex, who was standing with his hands in his pockets. "Lex, sweetie, why are you dressed?" Lex was indeed dressed, in jeans and a baggy hooded sweatshirt. His eyes were red with big bags under them. "I couldn't sleep." "Again?" Lex followed Lyla into the kitchen. She got the pancake batter out, and he procured a pan. "It's been a week and half now. I hate it." "Aww... poor guy." Lyla took a pan and turned on a stove. Lex, in the meanttime, filled the bowl with water and batter. "Tell you what. Luce and I will check the book for a sleeping spell, or potion, or... anything." Lex gave a weak smile. "Thanks." He poured the batter into the pan, and handed a spatula to Lyla. Lex didn't have the heart to tell her that part of the rationale for his lack of sleep was because of her happiness. Lex knew that was unfair: to blame his depression on someone else's gain. Lyla began to whistle a tune as she flipped the pancakes. Lex thought of Aaron. He had purposely been avoiding Aaron for the past few days, ever since the night he was bitten by the vampire. Lex had blotted him out of his mind completely. He had to, or else he wouldn't be able to complete a day. He sighed, vaguely remembering something that they once had. Lex had really fallen for him. But in blotting Aaron out, Lex lost something deep. He had a wound that cut to the heart, no scar, no scab, just blood. He turned around. "I'll go get the sausages." - - - - It was around 6:30 AM when they finished cooking breakfast, and Lex and Lyla brought the remaining plates of food to the dining room. Lucy was already there, browsing the Book of Shadows. "Just in time." Lucy said. Lex set out empty plates and toast, as Lucy turned the book in his and Lyla's direction. There was no picture on this page, so Lex and Lyla realized why it took Lucy so long to find. Large ornate letters in the title spelled out "Dragon Warlocks." Lyla read out loud, as Lex took some pancakes and Lucy took a bite of toast. "Most feared witch killer there is. He can fly, breathe fire, and bears supernatural strength. Said to be the descendants of dragons and warlocks..." Lucy spoke with a mouth full of bread. " `Ry. `Rook here." She pointed to a part in the second half of the page. Lyla read again. "Their powers vary depending on the abilities of their descendant dragons and sorcerers; salmanders, leviathans, and even ryus have been known to- what's a ryu?" "I looked them up too." Lucy had finally swallowed, reaching over and turning the Book to another page. Lyla and Lex beheld a beautiful blue dragon, rising from a reflective pond. Strangely enough, it had features both reptilian and amphibian. Its dignified face was noble, but it had a certain air that almost made Lex feel sad just looking at it. It slithered out of the pond like a humongous oak tree in river form, and it had rather small legs that ended in talons. Lyla read. "Ryus. Water dragons, usually benevolent, with the power to control storms. When angered they attack with bolts of lightning. One of the most mysterious of dragons, said to live as much in this world as the dream world." Lyla closed the book. "...Huh. I wonder what that's supposed to mean." "Well anyway, as you saw-" Lucy waved her fork, atop which was a sausage. "-it looks like the Dragon Warlock can be vanquished with the Power of Three spell." "Great. Thanks, Luce." Lyla started gathering food. "Then let's eat." Lyla and Lucy piled food into their mouths. But Lex chewed slowly. He was getting so tired; so much tired than before, swimming around his head like a haze. All he could think of was the gaze of the dragon warlock. What color were his eyes? Before he realized it, Lex was daydreaming. Then he was dreaming. And then, he was asleep. He didn't hear the screams. He didn't hear Lyla and Lucy shaking him, calling his name. He was simply, and utterly asleep. He fell into the darkness, and let it take him softly. - - - - Dragon rippled back into the Twilight Citadel, mostly unharmed. Kane stood up, with a malicious grin. "How was it?" he asked. "I didn't know one of the Charmed Ones was male." Dragon said rather casually. Kane shook his head in confusion. "Well, yes. But that shouldn't matter. Can you do it?" Dragon contemplated. Finally, he nodded. "...If it's just one. Then it's no problem." There was a joyous rabble among the Seven as Dragon rippled away. Still, all he could think of was that last Charmed One. There was something overwhelming about him: something so sad, the delicacy of something broken. Such... fragility. - - - - Aaron laid his hands over Lex's pristine face. There was no golden light. He shook his head, whispering under his breath. "Dammit..." Lucy stomped her foot. "What's going on? What happened to him?!" "He's asleep." Aaron said. He kneeled next to Lex, carefully touching his shoulder and rubbing it. Lex was laid out on the couch, arms by his side and head turned a little: his hair slightly askew. He was smiling. Aaron smiled a little too, and gently brushed Lex's bangs out of his eyes. "... I'm glad. He hasn't slept in so long." "Aaron." Lucy asserted. "He hasn't woken up, no matter how hard we try. There is something wrong." Lyla sighed, rolling her face in her hands. "If the dragon warlock attacks, we'll be completely helpless." "Ly, we have bigger things to worry about." Lucy spat. "You think I don't care?" Lyla said furiously, standing up in her seat. Aaron walked between them. "Girls, please. Not now." There was silence, and Lucy and Lyla sat back down. Aaron continued. "There might be something that would work. But we'll need to call for some help." Lyla turned her head in Lex's direction. "Will he be okay?" Aaron went to Lex's side again. He took a moment to watch him breathe, and slowly reached out again to grab his arm, stroking it with the soft touch of concern. "Don't worry. All he can do is dream." - - - - Lex couldn't stop falling. Some bright darkness rushed up past his ears, tossing his hair and swirling around his face. It smelled foul. He heard whispers, frightening sounds. Where was he? He was fearful, and panicked in his fall. Suddenly he felt himself lurch to the left. Then, everywhere around him, stars bloomed. Diamonds studded the ebony black, silver light pouring downward with Lex. His hands were illuminated, and soon everything around him was bright white, like a heavenly sky. He craned his head back, bathing in the starlight like a shower. He opened his eyes. A halo of silver in the sky stared back at him, and Lex finally stopped falling. It was as if he had descended into a resevoir. He felt weightless, and he seemed to have landed on a puffy cloud of mist. Sensing a presence, Lex slowly and reluctantly sat up. He gave a silent gasp; the sound only reverberated in his head, and he nearly startled himself with it. A noble blue serpent, as large as a house and coiled in the clouds, was looking straight at him. Its sapphire scales shone with the light of rainbows, but with the cold of steel. Lex looked closer; it had four legs, near the front and end of its trunk of a body, and each clutched a luminous orb in its clawed talon. The serpent's head was sad and noble, and it stared at Lex with gentle green eyes. Lex finally figured it out; it was a ryu. Lex slowly drew back, fear gripping him again. But he stopped, realizing that the ryu was making no attack. Their eyes met; the ryu was so regal, and looked quite gentle. The ryu seemed a little apprehensive. It drew back at first, then continued to probe Lex with its soft emerald eyes. He was surprised to hear the serpent speak. *Why are you here?* The serpent's voice was male, a voice ancient and unknown. It was deep, intimidating, yet calming at the same time. His mouth opened only vaguely, and Lex received the distinct impression that the serpent spoke telepathically. Lex mustered the strength to speak back. "I don't know. I just fell asleep, and... now I'm here." No longer sensing danger, Lex stood up on the cloud; it felt wonderful beneath his feet. "Please. Tell me, who are you?" As if weighing the possible consequences of what what would happen if he answered, the serpent was silent for a bit. He finally "spoke," rather curtly. *I am Dragon.* "Dragon?" the serpent seemed puzzled by Lex's incredulity. Lex smiled. "No one's named Dragon's. A dragon is what you are, not your name. You must be called something else, right?" The serpent was now taken aback. *All dragons go by the name Dragon. Who are you, to ask such questions?* Lex was again intimidated by the ryu's tone, and bowed his head. "I'm sorry." A tingling sensation lingered in the air but Lex wasn't sure what it was. Seeing no reaction from the ryu, he continued. "Umm, Dragon? Where are we?" The ryu gave a look similar to the expression a parent gives when dealing with a cild who asked where babies come from. He chuckled, which Lex thought was quite unusual. *Strange my dream should ask me that.* Lex's eyes bugged out. "Dream? I'm not- I'm not a dream! I'm just asleep." he ground his foot into the cloudy ground. "Besides... how do I know you're not my dream?" *Hm. You're obviously new to this.* "New to what?" Lex asked quizzically. The ryu examined Lex a little closer, not bothering to budge from his position, but his eyes focusing on him. *To dreaming.* Lex fumbled a little. "Well... I guess so. I haven't dreamed in a long time." He gave a small smile to himself. "But I think that's only because I'm usually awake." The ryu slithered upwards, to better gaze at Lex. *Very well then. What is your name?* "Lex. Lex Russel." He quickly interjected his last name, seeing if it elicited any knowing response. It didn't. *Lex. I do not know why you are here, but it seems you have infiltrated my sleep.* Lex tried to grasp the idea that he had entered a dragon's dream. "Whoa... really...? I-I mean, I'm sorry, Dragon. I honestly didn't mean to." Dragon coiled up again. He closed his eyes. *I suppose it's alright. I just... am used to being alone.* *Besides-* the serpent continued telepathically. *You'll most likely be gone after you wake up.* Lex stammered. "Uh, well... I, uh... I'm not sure if I' m going to wake up." Dragon opened his eyes. "Or at least, I don't think I'll be waking up anytime soon. I don't know what'll happen to me if you wake up first. This is your dream, not mine." The serpent seemed struck by this. He uncoiled again, and Lex watched the entirety of his scales and body flex and flow like a river. *Alright then. How about this: I will stay asleep for as long as it takes for you to wake up.* "Are... are you sure you'd be willing to do that? I mean, I don't know how long I'll be asleep." The serpent shook his massive head. *As long as I am awake in this dream world, then I am asleep in the waking world.* Dragon gave a sound not dissimilar to a purr. *...and I can stay awake here for a very long time.* Lex felt himself blushing, and he smiled with some amazement. "Thank you." The serpent slithered back and forth. *I just hope you'll be good company.* - - - - Lyla lay down a white candle on the floor. "I don't really understand why Lex was insomniac for so long." "How long has it been, anyway?" Lucy asked, setting another candle on the other side. "You know... Actually, I don't know." Lyla contemplated further back. "It had to be after you guys got your powers. I remember putting him to bed that night. Oh, now wait." Lyla paused. "Yeah... I think it started when we first met Kane and Aaron." Lucy gave a small gasp to herself. "Maybe Kane did something." "Huh. I don't know." Lucy took the Book of Shadows off its podium, bringing it over to Lyla. They spoke in unison. "Hear these words/Hear my cry/Spirit from the other side/Come to me/I summon thee/Cross now the great divide." The familiar white lights shimmered in the candle circle, and the spectre of Phoebe Halliwell appeared with a smile. "Heya, guys. What's up?" She asked rather casually, twiddling her thumbs in her jeans and stepping out of the circle to solidify. Lyla cleared her throat, urged on by Lucy. "Hey, Phoebe. Uhh, would you happen to know who the `Nightshade Guardians' are?" They were rather relieved to see that Phoebe's smile didn't falter. "Oh, sure. Why?" "The thing is..." Lucy took over. "...Lex is in some trouble, and Aaron said the Guardians could help. So we were hoping you could tell us about them." "Lex is in trouble?" "We got it handled." Phoebe sighed. "To answer your question, the Guardians are a new magical order that's fighting against the Seven. I think it's mostly Gypsy clans and witch doctors, and they specialize in spirit magic... In fact, we're old friends with the founder: Ava Nicoli. She's really grown." "Aaron should be back any minute now. He's bringing someone here." Lyla jumped and waved her hands. "Oh! Oh! They're here." A spray of white light orbs poured into the attic. First Aaron's built silhouette materialized, with him a young man- no older than 20- with deep olive skin and a handsome face appeared. He was a bit skinny. but an air of complete competency was evident about him. He had a gold bone earring in his left ear, but besides that was dressed rather inconspicuously in a snappy black suit. But what he did next was a bit bizarre. He looked straight past Lucy and Lyla at Phoebe. "...Mrs. Halliwell?" Lucy and Lyla, befuddled, turned their heads from the witch doctor to Phoebe. Her smile was off her face, and her hands on her hips. "Mikey! Oh my God- Where have you been?! We've been worried sick!" "Mrs. Halliwell. No offense, but you don't look so great yourself." "Okay, you know what? This is not about me! Have you even told your father where you are?" Mikey awkwardly ground his foot into the floor, averting his eyes and contemplating if he should answer. "No." Phoebe threw her hands up in frustration. Lyla finally mustered the courage to ask how they knew each other. "This is Michael Morris. He's the son of a very old friend of ours." Mikey gave a slight bow to Lyla and Lucy. "Pleasure." "He also ran away three years ago, leaving us all worried sick." Phoebe said, glaring. "Mrs. Halliwell." He raised his hands to try and calm the volcanic Phoebe. "I left to become a witch doctor, and fight evil. Just like you used to do, when... um, you were alive." Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. I heard the news." Phoebe sighed. "Wait a second. Paige didn't have anything to do with this did she?" "Well... she might've given me the idea." "Oh, that girl-" "Okay, this is all very... romantic." Lucy said for lack of a better sarcasm, yielding skeptical glances from everybody else in the room. "But we need help. Downstairs, anybody?" Phoebe gave an unwarrented glare to a helpless-looking Mikey before trailing Lucy and Lyla out the door. Aaron ushered him along, descending the stairs to the foyer. And there was Lex, asleep and still gently smiling. The five of them gathered around the couch, and Lyla explained everything that had happened. Phoebe shook her head. "The only thing I can think of is a... sandman? Maybe? But I'm pretty sure they're all on our side." she turned to Aaron. "Have you asked the Elders?" "Hoodwinked." Phoebe gave a scathingly sarcastic laugh. "I guess that hasn't changed." Lucy looked at Mikey as he pulled out a beautifully adorned totem wand. Mikey turned back and smiled. Lucy smiled back. "I'll search him for negative energies, or an obsidian aura." Mikey said. He slowly scanned the wand over Lex's body, a healthy yellow light emnating from the topmost skull. He had obviously done this before. "After that, I'll set up a soul containment field. That'll keep his soul from moving on, in case the infliction is worse than we think." Lucy cocked her head. "You can prevent death? Not bad." "Well..." Mikey clenched his teeth. "...that's not exactly right. We just keep him from dying, not necessarily stop death, if that makes sense. If his body is destroyed, or his actual soul hurt, then, well-" he motioned with his wand to emphasize his point. "-it would be pointless." Aaron gave a grim nod. "Do you know... do you know if he's in danger?" "Can't tell." Mikey said rather offhand, continuing to scan Lex. "But if his spirit's hurt, I'll be able to sense something." Lyla sighed. "Let's just hope it won't get that far." - - - - "Dragon." *Yes?* Lex was sitting down with his head on his knees. He looked up at the ryu, whose presence he now found to be very comforting. "Thank you for helping me." The ryu did not move. He only opened his eye a little wider. *I don't know why I should be thanked.* Lex gave a contented laugh, pulling his knees closer. "Hey, Dragon. Am I keeping you from anyone?" *I don't know what you are saying, small one.* Lex shrugged, now sprawling himself out on the cloud beneath him. He let a long breath out. "Sorry. I guess I meant if you have anyone that's missing you. You know, like family, or loved ones, or friends..." There was the large sound of Dragon changing his positioning. *I do. But they do not miss me.* "...Huh. I don't get that." As though curious, Dragon made a noise like a questioning whistle. Lex frowned. "I mean, I don't know how they couldn't miss you. You're so nice." Atla's big eyes half-closed in what seemed like amusement. *And you? Are you missed?* Again, Lex shrugged. "I dunno anymore. Umm... I have two sisters, and-" he paused, thinking about Aaron. Bits and pieces of him flashed into his head in a jigsaw puzzle: their smiles. Their laughter. Happiness that wasn't meant to last. The tears Lex dried on his chest. Aaron saying, "I don't." His contentment was rather suddenly shattered, and he pouted. Dragon sensed the mood switch. *They sadden you.* Lex forced a smile. "No, no, not at all. They're my family." *Then why are you sad?* Lex gave up. He sat up again, and now stared at the fluffy white mist he was sitting on. Dragon continued in his mind. *I can read your emotions like the currents on a storm. They ripple through me and I know exactly what you are feeling, little one. The people you love sadden you?* "Well, I-I, no, I wouldn't put it that way." Lex started to say, awkwardly. "It's just that, you know, I didn't... I wasn't strong enough. And I didn't know what to really expect, and so I guess it's all my fault. Not them." Dragon made the curious noise again. Lex softly giggled. "Well, I'm not sure what I'm saying either." *You are broken, Lex Russel.* Lex looked up at Dragon, a little wet-eyed from the previous reminiscing. "Wha?" *You tried to follow your heart, but you fell. And now you are broken.* Dragon stated matter-of-factly. *I can tell very easily; the feelings of humans are simple to read.* Lex wasn't sure whether to interpret the statement as offensive or not. "Dragon, it was really complicated. I liked him, and... wait, a-are you sure you want to hear my story?" Lex asked nervously. Dragon did not respond, which Lex took as a go-ahead. "I liked him, and I didn't know if he liked me back. And he was so nice, and kind, and then I really *really* liked him, and... and I started hoping he would like me back. But he didn't. Of course... of course he didn't. He likes my sister, and she likes him." Lex sniffed. "So yeah. I've gotten over it. You know. I guess I just don't deserve to have someone." Dragon was surprisngly quiet throughout the whole story. At the end, he finally spoke again. *Little one. I do not know much about you. But I do know that you are good.* Lex opened his mouth to speak, but Dragon continued before he could. He spoke thoughtfully and precisely. *I can tell from your ripples. The feelings you have and the thoughts you put out. You are good. You are a... gentle person. Certainly, someone like you deserves to be missed.* Dragon coiled tighter, seeming smug. *I'm positive that you are missed. That is, you would be by any good dragon.* Lex laughed, a little bit cheered up by Dragon's last comment. Lex grabbed his knees again, rocking back and forth gently. He took a rather strange turn in the conversation. "...You're very beautiful." The ryu started, his eyes wide open. He flailed a little, and Lex lifted his head up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." *No. It's just... no one has ever made such a comment like that to me before.* The ryu, for once, seemed at a loss for words. *...You really are strange, little one.* "But I was serious!" Lex stood up, smiling. "I've never seen anyone like you, Dragon." Dragon seemed very amused. Lex jumped, as Dragon swung his tail around and gently nudged him. Lex consented, timidly stepping closer towards Dragon until the ryu twisted his head down to meet Lex. They were face to face now, and Lex felt the Ryu's breath and saw his enormous eyes in full glory. Lex saw Dragon's mouth open an inch, signalling the ryu's prompt for speaking. *My true name is Atla.* he saw Lex's eyes slightly widen in confusion. *You were right when you said that no one's name is Dragon. That is only our addressment. We keep our true names secret.* "Atla..." Lex looked up at his beautiful serpentine eyes. "That's... that's such a pretty name." Lex was inexplicably hit by an urge to open his arms and hug Atla's head right then and there. He resisted. "Thank you for telling me." Atla drew his head back, and coiled up again. Lex, still closed to him, turned around and sat down. He leaned back against Atla. He felt the muscles behind him briefly contract upon contact with himself, then relax again. The scales were cold yet strangely comforting. No sound was made between them besides their breathing, and Atla made no objection to Lex's friendly intimacy. "Atla?" *Yes?* Lex settled in further. "I'm gonna miss you when I wake up." - - - - It was noon now. Phoebe paced back and forth behind the couch. Mikey continued a variety of scans on Lex, the only thing keeping the concerned Aaron at bay, who was sitting on the adjacent seat, staring at Lex's pristine face. Lyla rubbed her hands in her face, sitting next to Aaron. Aaron was unresponsive to her. Lucy continued flipping through the book, attempting to find a semblance of information. They heard the door slam. Lucy turned her head to see Kincaid walk through the door, backpack draped over his shoulder. He looked in the dining room, not sure where everyone was. "Hello?" Lucy sighed. "Mr. Rowe. In here." Kincaid turned around, and walked into the foyer. With another rather bizarre turn around, Phoebe walked up right next to him. Kincaid awkwardly met eyes with her, and Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "...Do I know you?" Kincaid asked. "Doubt it. I'm dead." "Oh." Kincaid said. He looked around at the foyer, and saw Mikey scanning Lex. "Hey... Hey, what happened?!" Kincaid asked urgently, rushing over to get a better look at Lex. Lyla spoke up from next to Aaron. "Lex fell asleep this morning, with no rhyme or reason. He hasn't woken up since." she motioned to Mikey, then Phoebe. "That's Michael, the witch doctor who's helping us." Mikey waved before returning to work. "And that's Phoebe. Paige's half-sister, also a ghost." "Hey." Phoebe pointed to Kincaid, as though trying to recall something. "Rowe... Rowe, Rowe, Rowe... Wait... what's your dad's name?" Kincaid looked up from Lex's side. Aaron glared at him from behind. Lyla wondered why Aaron was so mad at him. "Brendan." Kincaid said. "Brendan Rowe." Phoebe smiled. "Would he happen to be a priest?" "Well, he was. But only for a couple of months. My mom was a nun. They left the church together to get married." Phoebe clapped her hands. "I knew it! I knew you looked familiar! Oh, wait `till I tell Piper and Prue..." she looked to Lucy, with an expression that would seem like Lucy knew what she was talking about, even though she obviously didn't. "Can you believe it? I meet two sons of two old friends in one day." Lucy nodded. "So... you know Kincaid's father." "Yeah! He was the half-brother of two warlock brothers. They were about to form the evil Charmed Ones, but Brendan helped us stop them. Good guy, he was. And pretty hot too. Prue fell for him." Phoebe pointed at Kincaid again. "But you're 22. Wow... so Brendan must've had kids like, the same year we met him." Kincaid, who seemed excluded from the whole affair, cleared his throat. "Well, I guess he was always really into witchcraft, even though he was a priest. But I thought warlocks were evil." "They are." Lyla said. Phoebe gave a slight scoff, not meaning to offend Lyla. "Well, Brendan's not. Just `cos your blood is evil doesn't make you evil. Good and evil are nurture, not nature." "Well maybe, but some things you can't change. It's not like you can turn a warlock good just like that." Lyla said in her defense. Phoebe briefly rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm willing to say that some things people are born with. You know, like race, sexual orientation-" "Both of which are social constructs." Lucy chimed in. Phoebe and Lyla glared at her. Lucy sunk into her seat. Phoebe continued. "But something like good and evil? No, that's created." Lyla bit her lip. "Oh, well then maybe I should just negotiate with the demons then. Talk to them instead of athameing them." "Most demons are evil, but not all-" "You're just saying that `cos you used to date one!" "Okay, can we please stop talking about my father?" Kincaid interjected, a touch angrier now. "I'm pretty sure I'm not evil. I think that's all that matters." "Sh!" They all turned their heads. Aaron had shushed them, and had now turned his attention to Mikey. Mikey was standing politely by Lex, hands folded and waiting for everyone to simmer down. They finally did. "Thank you." he said. He looked at Lucy and then Lyla. "Tell me. The day he stopped sleeping, did he eat anything unusual? Anything tainted?" Lucy and Lyla exchanged glances. "We don't remember." they said in unison. Lucy thought for a little. "I'm pretty sure he was in the kitchen, though." "You must find out." Mikey said rather authoritatively. "I think I can diagnose the problem." "Lyla, can you look back that far?" Lucy asked, more theoretically than anything else. Lyla shook her head. "The farthest I've gone in the past is a day, maybe." she turned to Phoebe. "But... maybe if Phoebe and I pool our powers, we can go back to the day Kane was here." "Then do it." Mikey said. "Your brother's life may depend on it." Phoebe and Lyla started toward the kitchen first. Mikey followed them, then Aaron. Kincaid went last, ushered on by Lucy. It was unspoken, but somehow both Lyla and Phoebe knew what to do. She rather reluctantly grabbed her hand, a tepid sort of hold that's only strong enough to stimulate the smallest of senses. Mikey remained deftly vigilant, as did Aaron. Lucy and Kincaid were more confused than anything else. Lyla raised her free left hand to her heart. Phoebe did nothing but close her eyes. The familiar ruby star appeared on Lyla's forehead. In the immediate chronology that Lucy and Aaron had gotten used to, the corona of red light encircled both Lyla and Phoebe. It was stronger than usual; deeper, more intense and bright like a supernova, the pooled brainchild of Lyla and Phoebe's psychic prowess. Lucy and Kincaid averted their eyes. Mikey and Aaron continued their stare. The kitchen was now engulfed in red, but it seemed that was all that Phoebe and Lyla could manage. Then came the silhouettes, normal but tinted crimson. They walked backwards, came and went backwards, wearing the clothes of past days and past nights. Lyla and Lex at breakfast. Lucy eating lunch. It started slowly but went faster and faster, `till they were indistinguishable from colorful flashes that vaguely picked at the memory. Phoebe spoke now, breathlessly. "Someone's gonna hafta tell us when to stop." Aaron turned backwards to Lucy. She peered through her fingertips, recognizing the image of herself filling up a bowl full of candy. "Halloween. One more day, guys." Lyla nodded. The day came faster than they thought it would. It froze at Lyla and Phoebe's silent will. It was really right on time, too. There was Kane, shirtless, and Lex, his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Kane was handing Lex a grilled cheese sandwich. A look of curiosity mixed with flattery was wielded by Lex, and Kane had a slight twinge of malevolence in his smile. Mikey wasted no time. He stepped over the scattered pots and pans to the cabinet where Lex and Kane were gathered, deftly scanning the grilled cheese sandwich extended in the air. It took little time. He turned around to Aaron, and gave a confirming nod. "Girls. You can let go now." Aaron said gently. As soon as they breathed again, the ruby world receding into their hearts, Aaron was the first to go back to Lex's side. The rest of the group followed, this time the fatigued Lyla and Phoebe trailing. Lucy's curiosity piqued up first. "So what's wrong?" Mikey turned towards her. "Do you know what an autoimmune disorder is?" "...Of course." Lucy's face hardened in worry and perhaps even horror. So did Kincaid's, and Aaron's, and Phoebe's and Lyla's too when they mustered the strength to synch the curious disembodied voices to their proper bodies. Mikey quickly corrected himself. "Oh, well it's not *that* serious... I hope." He muttered the last part under his breath. "What I mean to say is that the way that your brother has been subdued is rather similar manner of an autoimmune disease." Kincaid raised an eyebrow. "What, except it's psychological or something?" "You're actually not far off." Mikey said. "What that...uh... what, grilled cheese sandwich?" Lucy nodded. Mikey briefly grimaced. "Well, that grilled cheese sandwich was a magical virus of sorts. It encrypted itself into your brother when he ate it. And it's been working at him ever since, making his own psychological defenses destroy themselves." "Well what good does making him insomniac do?" Phoebe asked the question they were all wanting to say. Mikey sighed. "I've seen these things work in a lot of different ways. Let me give you my best educated guess. Realize that in the human mind, we have certain boundaries that prevent areas from overlapping with each other. Superego, ego, id, logos, pneuma, cognitive, extrasensory, whatever you want to call them. Our dream and sleeping states actually fall more on the metaphysical side of this continuum. What that enchanted food did was slowly lower the borders of Lex's sleeping world. It's almost like an out-of-body experience, but it's... well, it's different. But there are creatures that have mastered the art already." Lucy started. "So if other creatures know how to do this, then Lex could be-" "-yes. In terrible danger of being attacked." Phoebe, Lyla, and Kincaid barely kept up with their repartee, turning their heads between the two in confused silence. Aaron knew every thing they were saying, but was too crippled by his worry. He stroked Lex's hair again, as if it would be the last time he could touch him. He looked behind him; they were too caught up in their conversation to notice. Aaron leaned down and whispered into Lex's ear. "Please be safe." - - - - Lex had realized that he wasn't so sad anymore. The bright white fluffiness sparkled around him like a soft cotton ocean. After all, how could he be sad in a place like this? Aaron had broken his heart. He lured it out and ripped it to pieces. Yet all the depression Lex harbored from the trauma not so long ago was gone, and Lex did not know the reason why. Or did he? Lex felt the mass of muscle behind him. He had never felt so comfortable in a long time. He found himself yawning. "...I sure wish this was real." Lex said. Atla chuckled. *It is real. Dreams are just as real as the waking world. In fact, dreams are MORE real.* Lex cocked his head. "Like Freudian dream interpretation?" *Sure. That's a... simple way of looking at it, yes.* Atla mused. *Those of us who walk among dreams see reality as two-fold. One of the parts is dreams. Dreams are made of anything you think of, desire, the things you're afraid to say. They are the deep hidden night of the soul.* Lex nodded at his eloquence. "So what about when we're awake?" As though anticipating the question, Atla responded. *Well. The waking world is that of light. So glaring, and deceiving. But instead, it has magic to make up for it.* "Light & Magic?" *Hm. I like that.* Lex came to a realization. He focused on a piece of shining light, floating on a stardust wind. He pointed at it. "...Here." Nothing happened. "Push." Nothing. He craned his neck back, doing his best to look Atla in the eye upside-down. "So magic doesn't work here?" *It is different from the way you know it, little one.* Lex pouted. "So can you use magic?" *It's not magic here. It is will.* There was a somber silence for a little bit, as Lex tried to contemplate what he meant. He instead changed the conversation, another curiosity striking Lex. He looked up to Atla. "Where do you live in the awake world, Atla?" A tense quiet before Atla responded. *In a cave.* Lex suppressed a giggle. Atla tried to defend himself, with a hasty frustration half mocking and half serious. *It's a very big cave. Overlooking an underwater lake.* Now Lex was a little bit impressed. "Underwater lake... that sounds really pretty. Where is the cave?" Another intense silence. Lex raised an eyebrow to himself, turning around to see why Atla was not responding. Suddenly, something seemed amiss. A tingling that was familiar from somewhere tugged at Lex, and he lifted his head from his knees. Far off on the horizon, there was a patch of darkness. It approached with growing foreboding, and exponential storm. Lex stood up. "Atla, what's that?" Atla seemed surprised at first, but quickly regained composure. *Another visitor.* He was now curious. *Something... is wrong.* Then, a nauseating feeling in his stomach. Lex clutched his heart, a terrible emotion flowing into his chest and head. Everything was wrong. He looked up at Atla, now afraid for his life. "Atla! I can't use my powers! What do I do?" Atla uncoiled a large amount, and with the end of his tail, pushed Lex back. *Stay close.* The darkness now made itself known. The shadows withered the cotton light around it, corrupting it in a dark gloom. As though the darkness was its herlad, a hooded figure floated towards them. Its black shroud was fluttering in the horrible darkness, propelling its wake. Lex didn't anticipate it, and neither did Atla. At amazing speeds, obsidian tendrils shot out at Lex. They wrapped around his ankles and Lex yelped as he was flung to the ground. "Ah!" the white fluffy ground didn't hurt him when he hit it, but the tendrils that constricted him stung through his pants, searing an awful feeling into his legs. He screamed as he felt himself being dragged towards the figure, the tentacles retracting with swift haste, and the image of Atla rushing away. Lex felt darkness all around him- the same foul oppression he felt when he first fell asleep. Suddenly, Lex had stopped. There was a sharp screeching noise, and Lex looked down at his legs. The black tendrils had snapped, writing in the silver clouds until they faded away. Lex was inches away from the darkness, and he shuffled away from it. He looked in the sky, and involuntarily gasped. Atla was swimming through the air. Bits of the tendrils he just snapped briefly squirmed in his mouth before vanishing. He was stretched to full glory, slithering in front of Lex and confronting the oncoming darkness. He only briefly looked behind him. Lex gained all too much prompt from Atla's furious emerald eyes, backing away from the battle. The hooded figure made a squelching noise. It stuck its arms forward, and dark lances flung from mthe folds of its robe, homing in on Atla in a myriad of directions. Atla flew up then around, a twirling river of rainbow-blue scales. He dodged them all in the air, breaking them to pieces with the strong thrash of his tail. The pieces vanished in the air. The hooded figure sent lance after lance at Atla. Atla's manuevers were graceful yet terribly strong, a dance of death and beauty in a garden of light. He broke a lance in his teeth, flinging the remains at the hooded man to no effect. There was a brief cease fire. Then a scream even more horrible than all the others. It erupted in a macabre trumpet, the primal bloom of anger bursting from the hooded figure's vocal chords. Its hood was thrown back. Lex could see it from far away: a pitch-black elephant head, its trunk disgustingly blown out of porportion. Its flappy ears waved in the wind. Its beady deep-set eyes gleamed menacingly red from the darkness. The elephant man conjured the shadows around him. The darkness flew towards Atla and Lex in a billowing curtain, threatening to engulf the horizon. But Atla would not let it. With a rage like none other, Atla stretched to full length in the air. Matching the elephant man's volume, Atla let loose a beastly roar at the cloud. The orb in Atla's upper-right claw, a shade of sweet-crystal green, shone with defiant luminescence as he roared. A wall of wind conjured behind Lex, as grand as the opposing shadows. Lex flet it whipped past him as it flew forward, pushing the dark clouds back with a great swiftness. As though anger reprioritized the elephant man, it returned its piercing stare to Lex, whom was crouching behind Atla. Lex furrowed his eyebrows, trying to see what it was doing. The elephant man plunged its trunk into the ground. It undulated while it was stuck, as though it were siphoning something into the ground. Suddenly, Lex was falling. He looked around himself in panic, and realized a hole of abysmal darkness had opened below him, sucking him into the deep. Atla reacted with lightning reflexes, nimbly dipping into the vortex and out again, catching Lex on his back. He flew back into the light, only seconds from the pit closing tightly shut behind him. Lex spoke to Atla, audibly frightened. "It wants me, Atla. I don't know why, but it wants me." Atla growled in response. *Well we won't let him get you.* Atla's green orb had begun to gently glow again. A warm, clean breeze drifted around Lex, embracing him. He felt strangely comforted, fear taking its leave. The tranquility didn't last long. Lex looked behind his shoulder, glimpsing the elephant man flying after them: trunk askew, eyes aflame. Atla sensed him at the same time Lex did. *Hold on.* he commanded. Lex leaned in closer, tightly grabbing Atla's neck. Atla swooped to a screeching halt, turning in the elephant man's path. Dark tendrils lashed out at Atla; they were too fast for him, and they quickly bound his body, tightly constricting and carving grooves into Atla's scales. "No!" Lex, still clasping Atla's neck, attempted to pull off a nearby tendril. He quickly retracted his hand, the shadowy tentacle scalding his skin. Lex grimaced. It was burning into Atla as well. Atla's face was scowling in pain; his great big eyes were cemented shut. But he was enduring. Lex felt his body trembling, and couldn't help but hold him tighter. Lex heard Atla speak faintly, between breaths. *Get. Ready.* Lex wasn't sure what he meant. Suddenly, there was a bright blue glow; Lex looked down. The source was a neon blue orb in Atla's upper left claw, radiating with such intense light that it cut through the encroaching darkness. Lex made no sound. As the light reached its climax, something crackled and burst. Blue streams of lightning poured from the orb like a flash flood, traveling along the tentacles and straight into the elephant man. Ribbons of jagged light swirled in a voracious cyclone, and Lex was surrounded in flashes and a horrible cry of pain. Before he knew it, it was all over. The darkness of the elephant man vanished entirely, as did the lightning. All was calm on the dreamscape again, as Atla gently floated back to the ground. Lex immediately jumped off, feeling the clouds under his feet again. He quickly turned to examine Atla's wounds. Atla's scales were blackened and disfigured in the places where the darkness took hold. Curses and jinxes fluttered around him, and his eyes were closed in trance. He was breathing, but slowly and labored. Lex stroked Atla's nose, leaning his head against his. Atla was beginning to feel cold. "No... no, no, Atla... Oh God, oh, I'm so sorry... Please don't die... Please, please, Atla, don't die..." Atla said nothing, too caught in the curse to notice. Lex shook his head, aghast. How could this be happening? This was a nightmare. Lex paused. This was a nightmare. This was a dream. What had Atla said about dreams? It's not magic here. It's will. He came to a realization. Lex looked at Atla from up and down, his serpentine body vandalized by the shadows. Lex couldn't see his eyes: his big pretty eyes that had helped to calm him in his panic. A sudden resoluteness overcame Lex as he lay his hands on Atla's head, and closed his eyes. It was cold at first. But Lex thought harder. He believed harder. He thought about life; he thought about the light all around him, and he thought about green things. Lex thought about every living thing he knew, from Lucy to Lyla to bunnies to sharks to eagles to roses to his first grade teacher until every single thought of life became melded into his mind. And then Lex breathed it all out. He willed it out. And he willed the life to heal. A cloud of bright blue light escaped from Lex's mouth. It billowed out like air in photon form, flowing over Atla like a satin blanket. It moved slowly yet quickly, meticulously yet with the haste of wind. There were no more curses. There were no more wounds. As the mist trickled onto Atla, it erased the grave injuries like blotches on a canvas. Lex smiled, opening his eyes. His will faded back into the dream, and there lay Atla, his slithering rainbow-sapphire body sprawled on the ground. Lex nearly jumped as Atla slowly opened his eyes. He removed his hand gradually, only reluctantly leaving Atla's newfound warmth. Atla awoke from the daze, blinking slowly and then rapidly as his pupils contracted to consciousness. He only barely lifted his head off the ground, carefully probing the teeming Lex. *Little one. What happend?* "I healed you!" Lex said, excitedly. His jubilation was reminiscent of a toddler who had gone to the potty all by himself for the first time, and Atla couldn't help but give another of his mental chuckles. Lex continued. "I used dream magic, Atla. I did just like you said, and I healed your wounds." *Hm. Then it seems... I owe you my life.* Lex's mouth fell open. "No! No, no, no. You- I mean, first you stayed awake this whole time, and then you saved my life from the elephant man. So..." Lex bit his lip. "...so I still owe you one." Atla gave a wide grin, which seemed appropriate for his serpentine face. *You don't give yourself enough credit. I simply did what anybody would have done. You went beyond that.* "But Atla, I-" Lex stopped mid-speech. He felt strange. Lex looked down at himself. He raised his hands to his face; they were beginning to turn transparent. Lex realized that he was getting sleepy. "Atla. I'm... waking up." Atla was silent. Lex saw the corners of his eyes turning black, and he yelled louder. "Atla! Did you hear me? I'm waking up!" Now, Atla's voice seemed quiet and uneven as it rang through Lex's head. *I head you, Lex.* `That's it?' Lex secretly thought to himself. He shook his head, trying to stay in the dream world. "Wait, wait a little bit. Just tell me where I can find you! Please, I want to meet you!" *...Lex. Promise me. Promise me that you won't die.* Lex shook his head in confusion. "Wha? Atla, please-" *Promise.* "Okay. Okay, I promise." Lex caught one more glimpse of Atla before he succumbed to the sleep of the waking world. The light of the dream world grew dark. All he could see was the piercing green emeralds of Atla's eyes as he heard his voice fade away softly. *I'm sorry, Lex. But don't look for me.* - - - - Pure white light poured from Mikey's totem, shooting with a glaring potency over Lex's prone body. Mikey took the opportunity to slip shades over his eyes. Phoebe covered her mouth in anticipation. Kincaid bit his nails, and briefly looked over when Aaron put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Aaron himself didn't seem completely confident, his face weathered with worry. Mikey gave a visual cue to Lucy and Lyla, not removing his shining totem. Lyla flung a folded piece of paper at Lex. It hit the white light, and the glyphs drawn on it shone with even brighter light. The shine Mikey was dishing out suddenly increased two fold, and he had to avert his eyes to keep the totem in place. Lyla now looked to Lucy. Lucy reached into the pestle she was holding. Without a pause, she moved forward and pulled a pair of sunglasses on. She knelt down next to Lex. Gently, she pried open his mouth; Lyla gasped behind her, as a dark smoke slithered out of his lips. Lucy pulled out a pellet from the pestle, and dropped it in Lex's mouth, closing it again as he swallowed. There was an expectant quiet. Mikey finally put down the totem, as the white light faded away. No one even breathed. Suddenly, relief; Lex twitched his nose and squinted. He opened his eyes. The foyer seemed dark compared to the dream world he was just in, and Lex had to blink a number of times to adjust to the new lighting. Mikey gave a proud grin, stepping back. Lucy, who was the closest, was the first to catch Lex in a hug. Lyla came from behind her, taking Lex's hands and putting her head on his chest. Lex gave a small laugh, smothered from beneath them. "Hi... I'm back." Lex's voice was rough and a little bit out of practice. He could feel his throat, sore and scraggly. Phoebe sighed with amazing deflation. "Oh, thank goodness..." Kincaid smiled from afar, at Lex's comment. Lucy helped Lex to his feet as Lyla backed away, beaming. Lex wobbled a little being on his feet again, but eventually was steadied. Kincaid came up to Lex, patting him on the shoulder. "Glad you're okay." Lex gave a small grin to him, a little bit surprised he was there. "Oh, thanks. I guess I'm glad to be awake." He looked from him to his sisters, then behind the couch. There was Aaron, his mouth agape and a desperate look in his eye. Lex could tell that he wanted to say something, but just couldn't get the right words out. Instead, he gently shoved his way to Lex and gave him a hug. And Lex hugged him back. He wrapped his arms around Aaron's back, not sure whether to reject or savor the warmth. Why was he doing this? Did Aaron know that it hurt more to be touched than to be ignored? Lex bit his lip, just letting Aaron hug him tighter. The emotions raging inside of Lex surged like a great storm. The touch of Aaron was so real, but he knew it would never last. This dream that embraced him would never be his. Lex felt his heart ripped apart all over again. Aaron didn't know what he stole. He didn't know what destruction he was reaping. How could he? There was no way he could blame Aaron for this. Or even Lyla. This was always his own fault. And that single thought- that fault that he knew he could never make up for, hurt. Somewhere, a pair of green eyes awoke in cave overlooking an underground lake. Lex suddenly began to cry, and Aaron patted his back. It was never meant to be. - - - - The night outside was cold and dark, but Lucy was outside anyway. She leaned on the balcony overlooking the backyard, giving a sigh that flipped her bangs. Cars whizzed by in the night, and distant lights glittered the bay city. She looked for a moon; but it was shadowy and hidden behind clouds. "Cold night." Lucy turned around. Mikey stood, smiling. His suit was undone, and he looked a lot more relaxed than he did before. Lucy nodded, offering the space next to her. He took it. "Thanks for dinner, by the way." he said. "You should thank Lex." Lucy responded. "He's always been the cook." Mikey made an affirmative noise. "You have a really nice brother. I'm glad I could help." "Thank you, by the way. I don't know how to repay you." "Hey, it's my job." Mikey said, proudly. "That's actually part of the reason I'm here. We, the Nightshade Guardians, would like to offer ourselves as permanent allies of the Charmed Ones." "Really?" "Madame Ava was insistent on it. So if you ever need help. Please, just ask." Lucy smiled. "Will it always be you who'll come?" And Mikey smiled back. "I'll do my best." At a turn of the conversation, Mikey looked behind him at the empty attic. "By the way. Where is everyone else?" "Aaron went to orb Mikey back home. I think Lyla went with him. Phoebe went back. And Lex is asleep, for once." The expression on Mikey's face suddenly became serious. He looked at Lucy with determination. "Lucy. Keep watch on your brother." "Why do you say that?" Mikey pulled out his totem wand, twirling it in between his fingers. "It was when I was scanning him. When you get to the level of Spirit Magic as me, you can sense a lot of things. Your brother may seem pristine... but there's a lot raging beneath his exterior." Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Well. I know he's been very sad lately." "That's... an understatement." Mikey said, nodding. "You see, in order to be susceptible to ingestion spells such as these, emotional vulnerability plays a large part. He's been wounded, and it's not the type of cut your whitelighter can heal." Lucy coughed at the irony Mikey had unwittingly posed. "Have you talked to him about it?" Lucy puckered her lips. "I really didn't want to bring it up. He seems to hurt the more he thinks about it." "Well something needs to be done. If things keep going in this direction, your brother will be in trouble." Lucy didn't say anything, just staring out over the balcony. Mikey walked away into the attic. "I think I should get going. Keep my words in mind." "...Bye." Lucy said, not turning around. She heard a flashing noise behind him, and knew that Mikey had gone out. She gave a long breath, letting the vapor escape into the night sky. Lex was smiling in his dream. Maybe he wanted to stay asleep. In a sudden panic, Lucy let go of the railing, running into the attic, the hallway, then Lex's room. She opened the door. A beam of light settled on Lex's face, yet there was no moon outside. Lucy was breathless, but Lex was sleeping peacefully in his bed. His face was quiet and gently innocent, and Lucy couldn't help but smile. She crept to his side, making sure to not make a noise. There was a small trail of silver that trickled out of Lex's left eye. He huddled in his sleep, rolling into a ball. Lucy bit her lip. She stroked her brother's hair, and looked out the dark window. She saw a spray of white orbs in the distance, and she knew Aaron and Lyla would be back soon. Lucy wiped the mysterious tear from Lex's face. Somewhere, a pair of green eyes awoke in cave overlooking an underground lake. Somewhere, sometime, Lex had not been alone. - - - - Hm. Are things looking up or down for Lex Russel? I'm not gonna say much this time, but poor Lex is at least going to get some relief sometime. After the bang of last episode, this one is a little bit slower, but hey... we need that sometimes, haha. Which, speaking of... leads me to the next few episodes. Yeesh, now I know I said I would be releasing the family tree after next episode, but considering the approaching holidays... there's gonna be one episode, then a X-Mas episode, and *THEN* the tree! Sorry, people. It'll also include several Book of Shadows entries, and some other information that will probably be important. Expect next episode to be a little bit like a continuation of this episode. Hm... what's this, intrigue? Haha, there are obviously still many unanswered questions, more of those than actually answered questions. Sorry if this seems like a slow plot, but I promise it'll speed up in time. Thank you for your patience, people :D as per usual: thank you for reading! Questions? Comments? Reccomendations? Fan Mail? Hate Mail, maybe? Wanna just talk about Charmed? email me at ThePleiadesCall@gmail.com . Love to hear from you!