The nature of magic
A blinding golden light erupted from his body, heading for each of the demons in the house, neatly avoiding Phoebe and her sisters, Leo, their boys and Tony's teammates. But each arrow of light hit home…and the demons, who had been frozen by Tony's sudden actions, were vanquished one by one.
Some of them erupted in flames, others were frozen in ice and then shattered into millions of tiny little pieces. Two demons were entwined by suddenly appearing thick leaf tendrils, disappearing into what resembled a cocoon to be devoured; whereas another part of the group of attackers exploded into light when the golden arrows hit.
Heavy silence descended after the last demon had vanished, Tony's friends looking at him in shock and obvious amazement. The Charmed Ones were also surprised but recovered faster. They knew after all, what their cousin was able to do with the powers he inherited from his grandfather Lucas. But even so they wondered a bit that Tony had been able to activate his magic without them unsealing his powers before.
How was that even possible? And what would be the consequences?
As if reacting to their troubled thoughts, Tony suddenly swayed heavily and a low moan escaped him while he instinctively reached for something to steady himself. The young Italian clutched his hand around the back of the couch next to him, knuckles turning white when he tried to prevent himself from crying out at the pain invading his head. Fireworks erupted behind his eyes and travelled along his nerves, leaving a disturbing mix of nausea, dizzyness and blinding pain in their wake.
Tony didn't even feel himself dropping down to his knees, he was too busy trying to stay conscious through the angry spikes of pain the usage of his magic had caused. His vision wavered dangerously and grayed on the edges, therefore he closed his eyes tightly and fought for control of the pain not only his mind encountered. His whole body seemed to erupt in agony, causing Tony's breathing to quicken.
He visibly flinched, when a hand settled on his shoulder. Even this gentle contact with his skin, meant to deliver silent concern and the wish to help, felt to the young man like a heavy blow. The hand disappeared immediately and Tony would have sighed thankfully for the slight diminishing of the pain he experienced, if he would have had the chance. But the waves of agony continuing to travel through his body in seemingly endless waves prevented him from this little deed.
For Tony eternity passed until suddenly he felt gentle warmth easing the pain slowly, but steadily from the agonizing heights to a more and more bearable level. But even then he hesitated to open his eyes and instead concentrated solely on slowing his breathing to a normal rhythm. The warmth remained near, now battling his last uneasiness away and Tony felt his strength coming back to him.
Slowly cracking his eyes open a litte, he found himself face to face with Leo, whose hazel eyes held a deeply concerned look. And now Tony realized what the other man was doing - Leo was healing him. Lips moving upwards a little in a feeble attempt at his usual smile, the young Italian relayed his thankfulness in a silent way; for more he didn't have the strength yet.
But Leo understood and while the concern in his eyes eased a bit, he smiled back at Tony. Another couple of minutes later the glow of Leo's hands ceased and then stopped completely. The whitelighter dropped his hands from Tony's temples and regarded the younger man with a worried frown: "How do you feel?"
Leo had toned his voice down to an almost whisper, afraid of causing Tony eventually new pain when speaking too loud after this heavy attack on the other man's senses. His compassion gained him another, brighter smile from Tony, who opened his eyes again, which he had closed to calm himself down parallel to Leo's healing. His green eyes sparkled with warmth and thankfulness, but still held a touch of remembered pain.
Tony very carefully turned his head and sighed in bliss, when his vision stayed safe. Looking at Leo again, he then answered: "In one word? OUCH."
Leo grimaced slightly in sympathy, then stood up. Holding his hand out towards the younger man, he saw Tony blinking when his friend realized that he was sitting on the floor. But then the young agent shrugged and accepted the offered help to regain his feet as well.
For a moment Tony swayed again, but Leo's hand steadied him until he regained the last bit of his bearings with several deep breaths.
"Note to self - never do that again", Tony muttered. "That was so not a smart thing. Ow."
"You okay, DiNozzo?" Gibbs' voice suddenly sounded right next to him and Tony winced. Glaring slightly at his superior, he growled: "Would you please stop that, boss? I just had to deal with the consequences of my own stupidity - no need to give me a heart attack on top of that!"
Gibbs gulped inwardly at the golden flash of power he could see lurking in the deep green eyes when Tony snapped at him, but he managed to hide any outward reaction. Quirking one silver eyebrow he waited patiently for Tony to calm down. Which happened almost immediately, when the young man sighed audibly and closed his eyes for a second.
When Tony opened his eyes again, they held their usual expression of warmth and kindness. The power he had demonstrated minutes before seemed safely tucked away behind that again. But Gibbs wondered what else Tony hid behind his façade - besides his astonishing abilties in magical power.
Tony's embarrassed apology for his snapping caused a faint, forgiving smile to appear on Gibbs' features and the silver-haired man nodded slightly in acceptance. When Tony began to assess him thoroughly with a concerned frown on his face then, Gibbs once more quirked an eyebrow in silent questioning. "You okay, boss? You didn't get hurt, did you?", Tony wanted to know.
When Gibbs shook his head, Tony scanned the rest of his family and friends. But everyone seemed to be unhurt, luckily. Sighing in deep relief at that Tony moved towards Wyatt, trying to ignore the partly openly curious, partly clearly shocked looks centered on him from his teammates.
Surrendering without any resistance to the boy's wishes who held out his little arms towards him, Tony lifted Wyatt up into his arms and hugged him gently. ‘Thank you for protecting Gibbs, little one. You did very good. I love you so much, Wyatt.', the Italian transmitted through his emotions to the child, pressing a kiss to Wyatt's forehead.
Tony didn't know how tender and loving his look turned, when Piper's eldest son snuggled deeper into his arms, pleased to have gotten this silent, but heartfelt thanks and full of trust to be safe in the presence of his beloved uncle.
Wyatt may just be three years old, but the young boy knew whom to trust - and Tony was one of his favorite people. Strong, but always kind and fun. And the magic Wyatt sensed - and now had seen - in Tony made the young man all the more interesting.
Placing another kiss into the soft hair, Tony exhaled slowly and then turned serious eyes towards Wyatt's parents and the rest of his family. "I think it will be best if you break the seal on my magic and unlock it fully real soon, because now it won't take a long time for Him to realize that a guardian still lives. I'll have to be ready."
"You are right, Tony", Piper sighed with a certain amount of sadness at the thought what awaited her cousin. Paige, Phoebe and herself had lived the dangerous life of the three most powerful white witches for some years now and they knew what it entailed to be influential on the 'good side'. It caused interferences with their lives, the need to lie to their friends to protect them and some other things she had never wished to experience. Piper had come to terms with all the good and the bad being a witch threw at her - but nonetheless she had secretly hoped that Tony wouldn't have to go through the same. Due to his work as a former cop and now Special Agent he had to deal with horrible things…he didn't need another burden to add to the weight on his shoulders.
"Piper, it's ok", Tony's voice suddenly sounded next to her and the young woman looked up. Her cousin smiled faintly, but with a determined set to his shoulders. It was as if he had accepted the heavy burden about to be unloaded on them. "It was inevitable", Tony added quietly.
"You are aware, that if we break the seal on your magic, that we won't be able to relock them again?", Piper questioned the young agent. "Even our magic won't be strong enough for that - if we break Gran's seal, then there's no way back besides giving up your powers. And you know what the consequences for that would be, Tony."
Green eyes speckled with gold, gazed seriously into her own brown ones. Tony nodded once. "Yeah, I know. But it's not as if me getting my magic back is a bad thing, Piper…these powers are a gift, which I intend to use to full extent. I have long ago accepted what my destiny would be, cousin - just like you and the others accepted what the fates laid out for you."
Piper cocked her head at the young man, secretly amazed at his calmness and adaptability. His life would be turned upside down during the next hours and days, but Tony seemed to be prepared. Well, as prepared one could be for something like facing one of the greatest powers of the dark.
Neither of the two cousins had seen Abby moving closer to them. The young goth was both deeply curious about the powers Tony had demonstrated and worried about the pain it had brought him. Abby loved Tony like an older brother and didn't want him hurt. But the usage of magic seemed to bring him agony, while his cousins could do magic without any repercussions. That troubled the young woman and she wanted to know exactly why their magic reacted so differently.
Wrapping her arms around Tony and hugging him, relieved that for now her friend seemed painfree, Abby started her barrage of questions into this matter. "Tony, what happened to you? Why did your magic hurt you? And not your cousins? Are you ok now? Will it bring you so much pain everytime you use magic? Why…"
Tony had been a bit startled, when Abby suddenly embraced him from behind and then started to question him rapid fire. Handing Wyatt over to his mother, Tony turned in Abby's embrace and stopped her concerned ramblings by enfolding her into an answering hug. He could see the goth's worry echoed in the eyes of the rest of his teammates. It warmed Tony very much that even if they were clearly shocked by what they had seen him do minutes before, their concern for him outweight every other reaction to the previous happenings.
Phoebe had been right…they cared for him.
Whispering soothingly to Abby to calm her down, Tony exchanged a look with Phoebe, who smiled at him. She was clearly pleased with the reaction of his friends, who seemed to take Tony's magic more or less in stride and only concentrated on the fact, that the young man wasn't hurt by it.
When Abby had calmed a bit, Tony sat her down next to McGee and Kate on the couch. Gibbs had silently moved closer to them, ice-blue eyes intent on his second-in-command. Gibbs didn't voice his deep concerns, but they were prominent in his unusually worried gaze.
The emotions in those blue eyes struck Tony deeper that Abby's anxious rambling and he knew he had to explain the painful reaction he had experienced due to the usage of his magic. He didn't want them to worry unnecessarily.
When he sighed quietly and tried to find the right words to explain, Phoebe said: "Don't worry. Tony won't be in pain because of his magic…"
Abby exclaimed: "But he already was!"
"Because my magic is sealed, Abs. I wasn't supposed to be able to use it yet", Tony countered.
When confused gazes settled on him, the young man sighed again, another type of pain darkening his eyes. The pain of rememberance.
"When I was a young boy", the Italian started his telling, "my grandfather Lucas taught me many things a ‘normal' child wouldn't learn. Things ‘normal' children thought of as fantasy. Fairytales. Superstition. He taught me about magic." Tony's eyes unfocused and a small, reminiscent smile played around his lips when he remembered the time his beloved grandfather had spent with him…telling him many stories about their ancestry and their destiny. Showing him the magic every male member of his bloodline inherited. Enthralling him with funny games to practise his own magic, but always making sure that Tony knew that his powers were to be taken very seriously. That they could do a lot of damage if used without proper thought and care. In essence, those teachings from Lucas had shown Tony how to live his life with respect for others while at the same time using his exceptional gifts to make the world a bit better. If only in silence and without anybody else knowing.
"Tony?" Phoebe's voice brought the young man back from his musings.
He sighed a bit sadly, but then squared his shoulders and continued. "Like I said, my grandfather showed me how to handle my magic. He trained me, so I wouldn't harm anybody with it…and so I would be prepared for the task our family had been fated to fullfill - guarding Dendeyra, the Spirit-world. It's a honor to watch over the spirits, and Grandpapà always lived up to the task. As a kid he was my hero, fighting against demons to protect our friends. Nobody dared to mess with Lucas Anthony DiNozzo, the Spirit Guardian."
Quiet pride had entered Tony's voice and showed in his eyes, his love for his grandfather apparent. Then the light in the green depths dimmed, replaced by soul-deep anguish. "He always told me, that I would be an even better Guardian than he was, that I would make our ancestors proud when it would be my time to be the Guardian. I… I only ever wanted him to be proud of me", Tony sadly confessed. "Live up to the example he set."
"You will." Phoebe's voice held absolute faith and managed to lure a faint smile on Tony's face.
"We will see, Phee", he replied.
The young brown-haired witch smiled encouragingly at her cousin, full of love and respect for him. "Tony, you have already shown your abilities as the future Guardian. Even without your magic you protected those who aren't able to do so on their own. Don't you think that what you have achieved being a cop and a Special Agent…the good you have done – that those things are making Grandpa Lucas burst with pride, wherever he might be? I can remember how much he loved you and I am sure nothing could change that, Tony…don't worry to disappoint him. You won't."
"Phoebe is correct", another female voice suddenly remarked.
Tony's five teammates had listened to their friend's memories of his grandfather with bated breath and a lot of compassion due to the deep emotions Tony wasn't able to hide during his telling of that story. They wanted to help him, but didn't know how to reassure the young man. Neither of them had known much about Tony's family, but it seemed that his connections to certain members of his family had been very deep and emotional.
But now they looked up at the owner of the new voice…and blinked in shock at the translucent woman suddenly standing in one corner of the room. Even if they had already seen a lot of magic today, it still held a trace of shock for each of them to encounter what appeared to be a ghost.
"Gran!", Piper exclaimed, equally surprised by the appearance of her grandmother.
"What are you doing here?", Paige added, jumping up to embrace the older woman.
With an impatient wave of her hand, Penelope ‘Penny' Halliwell took corporal shape and graciously accepted the hugs of her three granddaughters. She nodded at Leo and smiled at Chris and Wyatt, who beamed back at her. Then Penny turned towards Tony, who had stood up as well.
"Anthony Matthew DiNozzo. Come here", the elderly woman commanded in her clear voice. Tony didn't hesitate to follow her words and joined her. Penny watched him for a minute, her sharp intelligent eyes seeming to bore into his very soul. Then she nodded to herself and smiled at the young Italian. The smile transformed her previously stern features into a warm expression - the face of a grandmother. Even her voice was kinder, when she said: "You resemble Lucas a lot, Anthony. Not only in appearance, but also in personality. I second Phoebe's words…you'll be a worthy successor of your grandfather."
When Tony's face showed startled gratitude after such praise, Penny opened her arms in invitation. "And now give me a proper greeting, young man, or I will tell Lucas that you have forgotten your manners. Then he won't be pleased." A small chuckle escaped Tony at the threat, but he moved to embrace her in a strong, warm hug. "You'll never change, Grandma Penny", he murmered to her. "Thank the spirits for that."
"Change? Why would I change?", Penny answered in mock-consternation.
Looking into Tony's amused green-gold eyes, she added more seriously: "I am what and who I am. I have never been ashamed of that. And neither should you be, Anthony. Never loose respect for life in his many shapes and forms, cherish the differences as well as the similarities of those beings Creation brought forth – and you will be an enrichment to the honorable line of Dendeyra's Guardians."
Unshed tears sparkled in Tony's eyes. "Grandpapà always said something like that to me", he whispered.
"He was a very wise man in his own right", Penny acknowledged. "Lucas knew many things about life, Anthony…and I know you listened when he shared his knowledge with you. That knowledge will help you master what will come."
"Is that why you are here?", Tony repeated the question Paige had asked before.
Penny raised an eyebrow at him, saying a bit sternly: "Do you really think I wouldn't feel your foolish attempt at breaking my seal, young man? That wasn't one of your smarter moves – the backlash had to bring you much pain."
Tony's very obvious flinch at the mentioning of the agony he had had to endure after his outburst was mirrored in variations by his friends and family. Their only chance of measuring the amount of pain Tony had felt had been by the expression on his face, but they could emphazise with the young man and therefore knew it had to have been very painful.
Penny sighed and her voice had softened again, when she confessed: "I have to say that I was surprised at how close you came to accomplish it, Anthony. The seal I put on your magic years ago is a mix of my most powerful spells."
Tony shrugged a bit uncomfortably. "Those demons tried to hurt Gibbs and Wyatt. That made me fairly angry."
"I would think so", the woman murmered to herself, before adding louder: "I understand, that you probably had a good reason to attempt something like you did. Nonetheless I advise you to never try to do something like that again."
Tony shook his head emphatically. "I don't plan on it…I have no masochistic tendencies. Besides since Piper, Phoebe and Paige agreed to unseal my powers, the danger of a backlash won't be a problem anymore. Or don't you agree?"
"No, you are correct. After my seal is removed, you won't encounter any more backlashs when you use your magic", Penny confirmed. "But be careful, Anthony, because after all this years with your magic sealed, you'll need to learn to use it again. Almost twenty years is a long time. And over this time your magic matured with you, got stronger and also more difficult to handle. You will have to train again."
"I understand", Tony nodded.
"Alright", Penny stated, nodding resolutely in return. "Then let's don't waste anymore time. I will show my granddaughters the right spell in the book and watch over the ritual."
"You want to do it now?", Phoebe exclaimed in surprise. She had been standing near Tony and her grandmother, trying to be supportive. But Penny's sudden decision threw her for a second, just like her sisters and Tony.
Penny turned towards Phoebe. "Why wait, dear?"
Why indeed. Phoebe sighed to herself, then looked at Tony. The young man returned her gaze with a bit of worry, cocking his head almost unnoticably towards his teammates. Gibbs and the rest of Tony's friends had remained silent since Penny had shown up, only watching and listening intently. Like true investigators, Phoebe thought.
Using her empathy, the young witch tried to assess their reactions to the happenings. Ducky's aura was calm and patient, but curious. Friendly, with a grandfatherly worry for Tony.
Abby's emotions were very intense. Blazing curiousity, instant acceptance of Tony's magical talents and everything else the younger man had to hide until now from her, concern because of the pain he had endured due to the magical backlash…in essence Abby emitted the unconditional love of a close friend. Phoebe felt compelled to hug the young goth for her unshakable loyality.
Kate and McGee held similar emotions…curiousity and interest like the others, but still struggling a bit with the concept of magic being real. Now that they had seen proof, they couldn't deny the reality of what most people thought as fairytales anymore. It had to be boggling their mind.
McGee was a science geek, very logical. For a person so much into technics it had to be strange to encounter the absolute opposite. Kate on the other hand had the more religious upbringing. From her cousin Phoebe knew that his partner's parents were strictly Catholic.
But even while still shocked and trying to come to terms with the events they had witnessed, Phoebe could feel no ill thoughts against Tony from either of them. They still considered Tony a friend, someone they liked and cared for. Phoebe gave a silent sigh of relief, that even if they couldn't accept magic as instantly as Abby, they didn't look at Tony any differently than before.
Switching her gaze to Gibbs at last, Phoebe wondered how Tony's boss handled the truth about his second-in-command. He had seemed accepting, startling Tony with his easy reaction. But that had been before witnessing proof of the Italian's powers…before, when everything had still been theory.
Slowly heightening her empathic focus on Gibbs, Phoebe stifled a gasp at the myraid of emotions raging inside the outwardly collected man. Deep worry, even a bit of anxiety for the wellbeing of the younger man because of the magical backlash, unshakable support and friendship, the soul-deep wish to protect Tony, to hold him close…love as unconditional as Abby's. But not as a friend…as a soulmate.
Gibbs seemed to instinctively understand, that his magic was an integral part of Tony. He might not be entirely comfortable with the fact that magic existed, because it shook his view of the world. But if the younger man had those abilities he would not hold it against him. Gibbs loved Tony and Phoebe felt that the older man accepted magic as another facet of the complex personality of the younger agent. He would be able to handle it.
Her ‘investigation' into the emotions of Tony's friends had taken only seconds, but Phoebe felt like she had known this people for a long time because of what she had come to know. She realized how truthful her statement the other day had been – Tony's teammates were real friends.
They needed time to overcome the shock, but in the end they would still be there. Still by Tony's side as friends, his colleagues – and in the case of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs perhaps even more than that. Phoebe decided she liked the idea of the handsome silver-haired man as a part of her family – as Tony's lifemate he would be another cousin.
But for that to come true, they needed to handle the crisis lurking on the horizon – the embarking of another great fight between light and dark. And that's why the Charmed Ones would now unseal Tony's magic as a first step for the next Guardian of Dendeyra to fullfill his destiny.