A Charmed Future

Scared of You

Anakin woke up, thankfully, not screaming this time, but he was covered in tiny droplets of sweat and shaking with unused adrenaline. He had gotten used to this chain of events: he would dream about some horrible act done by Jonathan or one of his converts, and then he would awaken soaked in sweat, his heart racing as if he had sprinted a mile. This time, though, the act was not just the slaughter of a witch coven or a congregation of rebellious warlocks. This time – this time, magic was forever altered. This time, it was not just a tiny portion of the universe that would feel the effects of Jonathan's actions. This time, the consequences would be felt worldwide. Life, as magical beings knew it, was officially over.

Wyatt orbed into the room, clothed only in his boxers and his hair dripping wet. "What's wrong?"

Anakin gave Wyatt a quizzical look. "Glad you at least put boxers on, Wy," he wryly greeted, trying to divert the question he knew his brother had come to ask.

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Come on, Anakin; I know you had one of your dreams." The nightmares had also become a nightly occurrence. Wyatt always knew when he had one of his visions, and he would not tell Anakin how he knew.

"And how do you know that?" Anakin inquired, feeling strangely self-conscious. He suspected Wyatt had found a way to enter his mind, leaving him feeling helpless and grateful but primarily fearful. If Wyatt could get in, who else could?

Wyatt shook his head. "I don't read your dreams, Annie: just your emotions."

"Oh," Anakin sighed in relief but still outwardly kept the defensive posture, "that makes it so much better." The sarcasm slipped through in torrents.

"Get over it," Wyatt stated impatiently. "I'm your older brother, and I'm allowed to worry, okay? Now, what did you see?"

"The heavens being vanquished," Anakin said, not quite believing himself. The shock was slowly setting in. The reality that "Up There" no longer existed and that most of its inhabitants were dead, never to be recycled back into the cosmos. Their knowledge and magic were lost forever in the timeless void created by Brendan's destruction. That had been the fallen Power That Be's name; Anakin would remember it for all eternity.

"What?" Wyatt choked in shock. "Are – are you serious!"

"Yes," Anakin nodded. Even in his own head, his voice sounded hollow, lacking emotion. "There were bodies everywhere, and then Gabriel vanquished one hell of a darklighter, Brendan, and then everything went white. The noise was," he struggled for the right word, "horrific. Squelching, explosions, rushing..." he trailed off, shaking his head. His ears rang with the remembrance of the torture they had been put through.

"But..." Wyatt stammered, "That's impossible. They can't all be...."

As much as the Halliwells despised the Elders and what they had done to the family, they certainly understood on some level the critical part the "guardian angels" played. "What are we going to do?" Wyatt asked softly. "I mean, they're gone – all those witches out there without a whitelighter – oh my God, Anakin, can you imagine?"

"Wyatt," Anakin said softly, "we need to tell Dad."

"That is a brilliant plan," said Benjamin orbing in, clutching a bleeding and shredded arm. "But first, I need a little help."

Wyatt moved quickly and started to heal Benjamin's arm. "How'd you escape?"

"I was lucky," Benjamin stated. "Gabriel was able to orb me to one of our bunkers before the main wave reached the heavens."

"Are there any more?" Anakin inquired, climbing out of bed.

Benjamin nodded. "A few escaped, and most of the whitelighter population remains unharmed, but I've grounded all of them until this crisis is over."