Prologue
In ancient times the goddess Selene drove the moon across the sky. Every night she followed her brother Helios (the sun) to catch the rays of light and reflect them back to earth. One night she looked down upon the hills and saw a shepard sleeping. His name was Endymion and she fell in love with him and loved him more as each day passed until finally she left the sky to join him in the hills. She stayed for three days while the moon remained dark, and this terrified the people. They said that while the moon was dark, evil spirits roamed the land and demons walked among them. Zeus (King of the Gods) was angered by this and punished Selene by giving Endymion eternal sleep. Selene returned to the sky, but her love was too strong and she hid him in a cave. Every month for three days she leaves to join her sleeping lover, and they have many daughters. All are powerful like their mother, but mortal like their father. Selene gave each of her daughters a moon amulet, to protect them and remind them of what they are. Five daughters now protect Tellus (Earth) from the Atrox, which is the source of all evil, and its followers.
When Pandora opened the box that released all the evil into the world. Selene was the only one who saw hope at the bottom of the box and the evil creature the Atrox sent to destroy it. Selene gave her daughters to the protection of Tellus, so that they could protect hope, the one thing the Atrox feeds off of. When you become a Follower, the Atrox steals your hope and you, seeing no other choice, join the Atrox. Followers are excellent at blending in, but in the moonlight their eyes glow brightly, giving them away for the evil things they really are. The Atrox has followers everywhere and the Daughters must protect the balance of power and hold back the Atrox.
Serena, Vanessa, Catty, Jimena, and the newest Daughter Tianna all have one special 'talent' to aid in the fight against the Atrox. Serena can read and control minds, Vanessa can turn invisible, Catty can travel through time, Jimena receives premonitions, and Tianna has telekinesis. Serena and Vanessa are slightly special though. Serena is also a daughter of the dark moon goddess Hecate, and her lover is none other than the Atrox's Prince of the Night, its right-hand man, Stanton. Vanessa is a daughter of Pandora and both she and Vanessa have the power to tip the scale permanently either way.
Serena and Vanessa walk into Planet Bang, attracting the stares of most of the male population, much to the dismay of their respective dates. Vaness looks stunning and cool in a glistening blue shirt with a skirt in the same style while Serena goes with the fiery and passionate look in a bright red sirt and skirt adorned with red and black beads, Mediterranean style. They pay and enter to loud music pounding in their ears. They move to the center of the floor and begin to dance with their arms above their heads. Serena can read minds, so she whispers to Vanessa what all the guys are thinking about them, and how hot they are. Vanessa laughs and they tease the guys. Vanessa and Serena dance together until their luvas, Michael and Stanton come and try to make the other guys go away because they are jealous. I mean, who wouldn't be? Serena laughs and dances all slutty with Stanton. Vanessa leans on Michael and they dance together.
After a while, some jerk comes and grabs Vanessa from Michael, trying to get her to move her body against his like she was with Michael. Michael punches the guy and he flies against a wall. Michael and Vanessa kiss and go to get something to drink. Serena's having the same trouble with a guy named Toby. He puts his hands on Serena's hips and drags her away from Stanton, who blasts him with his mind powers. After they all dance for a while, they decide to "blow this scene" and they go off in Stanton's sports car to a rave. (Where they don't try any drugs, cuz they are just too cool for that!)
Serena is now all decked out in glow in the dark pink duct tape over a pair of black slacks and a shirt, making her seem otherworldly while Vanessa does the same with some navy blue tape with sparklies! They have fun and dance. The couples go off for a little cough cough time by themselves. When they go back they dance and Michael kisses Vanessa. Stanton had to leave for a little while to clear up some drunk Follower trouble. You know how it goes. Dating someone that important can sometimes be such a drag. But he makes up for it.
Serena goes to hang out with this girl who saw the Daughters fighting Lambert, and began stalking them right after Catty returned from that other dimension thing. The girl knows what the Daughters are now because of what she saw, and the Daughters can't help this, though it is definitely not to their advantage. The girl was sworn to secrecy, but she doesn't seem to understand that you are born a Daughter of the Moon (except for Tianna). She wants to become one, and tries to copy Jimena, Vanessa, Catty, Tianna, and Serena's style, hanging out habits, and even tries to do spells and things to get a special power. Jimena, Catty, Vanessa and Tianna usually blow her off in annoyance, but don't show it, they just find somewhere to be. Serena seems to find it interesting, and helps the girl find information, and helps her to learn Latin, which the girl just switched to out of Spanish.
Now, at the rave, Serena is complementing the girl on her outfit, an incredibly slutty, so much so that's it's kind of gross and not right for her at all, skirt and tube top, if you can call it that. Vanessa leans against Michael's shoulder, laughing at the girl's stupidity. Michael grimaces, seeing the girl Serena is talking to. He kisses Vanessa. Suddenly, it begins to pour, the sky crackling with lightning. People scream, and run for their cars, but Vanessa stands there, frozen, face turned towards the sky. Michael tries to get her to come with him, but she stays where she is, letting the rain fall over her, soaking her hair, face, and clothes. Two drops fall into her eyes simultaneously, and an electric blue light surrounds Vanessa. Michael falls backward, looking at Vanessa, her eyes dilating, as the blue light seems to draw something from within Vanessa. Her face contorts in pain, her body rigid.
Michael yells "Vanessa!" he tries to grab her from inside the circle of light. The light was giving off an evil essence, Michael tries to fight it, but it sends him flying backwards, and it keeps him there as he is forced to watch his love being drained of something. Then the light spirals around Vanessa and goes shooting up with another bolt of lightning. Vanessa crumples to the ground, her face pale, her eyes wide and blank, with none of her usual goddess shine. She lays on the dirt, body limp. Michael rushes to her, followed by Serena, and kneels down beside her, cradling her as Christian does when Satine has just died. He speaks to her, trying to bring her back, and her eyes slowly open. She murmurs something, her hand at her throat. Her amulet is gone, they see it lying a few feet away, broken into 2 pieces. Michael picks her up as Serena starts to say something starting with "Maggie-" but Vanessa's broken amulet suddenly turns black and shoots a jet of black light at Serena. It shoots inside her and then withdraws, turning a fiery red and shooting with the light blue of Vanessa's aura towards the daughter-wannabe. It surrounds her, spiraling around her, blowing her stringy brown hair around and changing it to the shining color of Vanessa's hair, with the same light that had left Vanessa's hair and lighting up her muddy brown eyes with the light that so recently lit up Vanessa's blue eyes. The electric blue light sent Vanessa's aura into the girl and Serena's red lights rushes inside her, both auras disappearing. Vanessa's head lolls against Michael's shoulder as the black light suddenly reappears, spreading over the night sky, fading after a few minutes. Michael lifts Vanessa in his arms, kissing her forehead.
Stanton comes sprinting over from the parking lot yelling "What the- SERENA!" (one thing to be said for follower boyfriends: at least they show up when you need them, if not a little late.) He throws himself down on the ground next to Serena, lifting her into his arms, checking her mind and frowning. He kisses her lifeless lips, but Serena just lies against his shoulder, as though dead. Stanton picks up Serena's broken amulet and directs Michael to pick Vanessa up too. They take the Daughters to Maggie, who Vanessa and Serena had acquainted them with a few weeks earlier. They bring them up to her apartment. Maggie takes the amulets Michael and Stanton had picked up looks at its black shine.
Then she sits on a chair and looks at the Daughters, who Michael and Stanton laid on Maggie's couch. Michael tells her all of what had happened. Maggie listens, and says "Vanessa's identity has been stolen. That girl you spoke of must have cast a spell that caused everyone to believe she was Vanessa and somehow took Vanessa's power and put it inside herself. Serena's aura must also have been taken when she touched Vanessa." Michael exclaims "NO! That girl from school has no power, none of any kind! How can...why?" Maggie sighs and pats Michael's arm. "I'm not sure. Unless she has some other force helping her, I'm not sure how she could have stolen your power from them. This girl, she is no daughter. Everyone now thinks this girl is Vanessa. Someone must have wanted the Daughters to break….and you both still recognize them…you must be a part of her plan." "Her?" Michael asks, puzzled. "Yes…" Maggie falls back, in one of her trances. Michael and Stanton sit down next to their lovers. Michael strokes Vanessa's hair. Stanton pulls Serena's head onto his lap and kisses her forehead. All they can do is wait.
Suddenly Serena and Vanessa find themselves on a foggy landscape, with one leafless tree a little ways off. It looks blackened by fire or something. The silence is eerie. So silent, it sounds as if no one has been in the place since the beginning of time. The earth is flat, from the steps of feet of centuries, but there had never been anyone there to walk, so it must have been time that shaped the land, but time had stopped in this land, so it must have been the way things were (a re wording of a scene from the Amber Spyglass. All hail The Dark Materials Trilogy). Serena and Vanessa hear a voice calling them, and they look around. Vanessa points, because this place is too silent for anything above a breath of wind, to a figure moving towards them. She is clad in a silver gown, a cape of fog trailing behind her. Her hair shines as if made of millions of stars, and she appears to be bathed in moonlight, but there is no moon to be seen in this land. She beckons to the goddesses and without awaiting their reply she begins to move along the featureless landscape. With a helpless look to each other Serena and Vanessa follow.
Soon they arrive at a small cave. 'That doesn't look inviting' Serena whispers in Vanessa's mind. 'No….' Vanessa answers. The glowing lady that they had been following turns her head slightly to look at them and then cocks it gently to the side, like she is listening to something that they can not hear. Slowly she turns toward the cave and walks into the consuming blackness. 'Well, do we follow?' asks Vanessa. 'I think she wants us to' 'Then let's go, we don't want to lose her!' With this they ran into the cave, not exactly using their better judgment.
As they stumble into the cave a glowing light appears ahead of them, appearing to show them the way. Vanessa and Serena follow and soon they reach a door that seems to be made of some sort of glowing metal. Hesitantly, Serena turns the handle. At first glance, the floor seems to be made of some sort of strange black glass, but they soon realized that it is a huge lake. They stare at each other in confusion when a voice brakes through their thoughts. It says, "Lecta, Id quod factum est, infectum esse potest." Vanessa looks at Serena, confused. "Did you hear the voice that said 'Chosen One, What has been done can be undone'?" said Serena. "Yes, I heard that." says Vanessa. "Maybe...I can't remember. There's someone...someone ...me, standing just out of reach..." Vanessa stretched out her hand, as if there was something there she was trying to grasp. "Vanessa! Watch out!" Serena screams, but just a second too late. Vanessa plunges headfirst into the water as if some invisible force had decided to throw her in.
Without a second thought, Serena plunges right in afterward. As she does so, she realized that plunging headfirst after Vanessa was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place. The water is so cold it robs Serena of her breath and takes away all memories of ever being warm and all hope of ever being warm again. The water is like glass, and it feels strangely sharp against her skin, as if it was consciously trying to hurt her. Serena reaches out and grasps Vanessa's hand tightly in her own, and together the kick hard for the surface. But the surface comes no nearer, in fact, it seems to only get further away the harder they struggle. Then a thought strikes Serena with the force of a small Buick (just love that expression, don't you?), what if they aren't supposed to swim up? What if that is not where they are supposed to be headed at all? With that, Serena begins to drag herself, along with Vanessa, who in case you were wondering got the hint and followed, towards the bottom of the pool. Then, with thud, they are suddenly sitting in a large stone chamber, that seemed to be some sort of temple.
In the middle of the room is a shallow pool of moonlit water, with lilies floating along the surface. The whole place seems serene and sacred. Serena and Vanessa instantly feel safe, though they have no reason to. Suddenly, (I love that word) there is a rustle of movement, and a figure emerges from the shadows. It is the one who had guided them before. "I'm glad you found me, my children." Her voice is soft and sounds like moonlight falling across a calm lake, yet is extremely regal, like they are speaking to a queen. "I have waited forever to meet ones that could pass my barriers to seek my guidance. You are the first to have come this far. You are my lectas and I will show you what you seek." Vanessa, clutching to Serena looks ready to jump for joy. Serena eyes the woman warily and asked, "Who are you?" "Ah, so you are my bold one. I am Selene. I have called you here, because you are in great peril in your world. At this moment, you are lying in your mentor's dwelling, as though dead. This is not a normal demon as you have fought in the past. She is a goddess of darkness, a law unto herself. She has a castle in this land, where her sons keep slaves. But anyway, back on your planet, everyone believes the girl to be Vanessa, and you, my Daughter, to be someone unknown to them. You see, this Goddess of Darkness worked through your unfortunate schoolmate on Tellus. Serena tried to help you, Vanessa, as your powers and soul were being ripped from your body, and in the process lost your being as well. To the world, you have lost your identity and cannot be awakened. If the goddess part of you had not made it to this land, you both would be lost forever, and the other goddesses would die. Thankfully, Maggie, seeing your peril, sent the part of you drifting away with your soul to this place. Unfortunately, this was not the best choice of landing. She sent you right to the land of the Dark Goddess, Jessica, who was the one who took your aura from your bodies. She has felt your presence. If I am not mistaken, her sons have grown tired with my Daughters who were captured, and are looking for new (Selene grimaces) slaves. It would not be good if you fell into her hands."
Selene stops, and seems to be listening. This whole time, Vanessa and Serena had stood listening. "Come with me. We will go somewhere better for talking." Vanessa looks at Serena, Serena shrugs, and the two followed Selene down a tunnel lined with roses of the deepest red color, almost black. They arrive in a walled garden (like Jaguar's). There is a fountain in the middle, and the Daughters and Selene sit on its rim. "Now- oh no. NO! Quick, my daughters, they're coming!" Selene jumps up, looking at the top of the high stone walls. A look of fear is on her face. A high wind begins to blow, and Selene's silver robes dance around her. As her dress whips against her skin, it begins to rain. The drops throw themselves to the ground with as much force as a shot from a BB gun at short range. They sting and Serena and Vanessa clasp their hands and grit their teeth as a light rises up from Selene and covers them all. The drops hiss as they strike the barrier and lock like tiny balls of lightning on the shield. The barrier starts to fizzle (love that word) and a specter takes form in the shadows and steps forward.
It is a black clad lady with flowing black hair down her back. Her eyes burn like ebony stone, captivating the daughters. Her skin is like ivory, and she radiates evil. Two more shadows condense at her side. (One looks like Aubrey, the other like Zaine, except more inclined to be EVIL.) The Daughters link arms, and take a step back. They look around for Selene, but she's disappeared.
Vanessa looks frightened, and Serena grips her am, sending a bit of happy power into her (lol, to lighten the mood a little). The men and woman suddenly grow huge black wings, the lady's like a fallen angel's, the mens' like a black hawk. They swoop across the courtyard, straight at Vanessa and Serena who send a jet of power at them, taking them by surprise and making them halt. Then the lady smiles, and lifts her hands to reveal a bracelet with two orbs on it. Though they are fairly unremarkable (for shimmering white shiny balls of white fire), the daughters realize them to be their souls. Then she hurls black flames at Vanessa and Serena, who dodge them. The lady laughs, rising into the air, beating her wings hard as lightning strikes the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. The men remain, smiling. "Hmmmmm, you two will make magnificent pets. And of course you will comply. After all, My Lady holds your souls, you would not want to anger me, for fear of her bracelet breaking, and your bodies on Tellus ceasing to breathe." says Aubrey. "Now" says Aubrey to Zaine. "I think we should take them back to the castle. They are probably cold, and the touch of cold skin never has appealed to me."
The men walk towards Serena and Vanessa and as the daughters begin to build their power Aubrey sends a vision to Vanessa and Zaine sends one to Serena. Serena's shows Stanton being stripped of his powers, as the daughters did to him once (not meaning to hurt him obviously) and falling to the ground, broken. Vanessa sees Michael being confronted by a shadow that consumes him as his eyes shine florescent and he bursts into a million pieces of light. Vanessa sinks to the ground in ball, as Serena gasps, holding onto a bush trying to steady herself. She kneels by Vanessa, giving her a hug. "Come on, you've got to get up and fight. What you've seen will come to pass if you do not fight." Vanessa nods, suddenly finding strength and the two jump up, as Vanessa turns them invisible and Serena sends an unexpected jet of power at the men's minds. They float up over the stone wall, and the men shriek on a high cold note and rise into the air after them.
Vanessa flies as fast as she can go, but the men catch up and send a black shadow towards them. The shadow surrounds them and painfully slams their molecules back together and they land with a painful thud on the ground. Aubrey and Zaine land in front of them, and Serena tries valiantly not to stare. But, it is SO a losing battle.
There stands a guy who is extremely nicely built, with raven hair and piercing black eyes. (Ah! His eyes! They pierce! They pierce!-sorry) He smirks at Serena lying in a undignified heap on the ground. Vanessa tries to get up but Aubrey kicks her back. "I think I like the fair one." The dark lady materializes next to them. "Ah, I think I know who wants the dark one. Am I right my pet?" says the dark lady with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Of course. It will be my pleasure to- educate her." replies Zaine. "I think she will prove to be most interesting" he continues with yet another smirk. "Careful Zaine, you don't want to become attached", says the one that claimed Vanessa with a sneer. "Not attached, more like intrigued." The dark Lady watches for a second before laying a hand on each of their chests. "No need for bickering darlings. You wouldn't want to give our new guests the impression that we are not a happy family." They immediately cease and Vanessa's trained boys bow. "Forgive me Lady Jessica. I did not mean to be rude", says Aubrey. Jessica clicks her tongue. "Now that is the way to behave, Aubrey. False servitude and bickering only make me upset. And you don't want me upset now do you?" "Of course not", Zaine counters swiftly, "We live only to serve you. Your wish is our command." "Fine. Take your new presents and play nice with each other while I attend some business." And with that she turns to shadow and floats away.
"Now. What do we do from here?" drawls Aubrey. "I believe I have one method of fast transportation." replies Zaine. Serena frantically reaches for Vanessa's hand, but their fingers don't meet and the world disappears into darkness as Aubrey and Zaine make them go to sleep. Aubrey walks over to Vanessa and picks her up, Zaine does the same with Serena. They turn into shadows again and shoot across the landscape, arriving at a palace of black marble where it is always night. They skim over the gigantic battlements, going through a wall into the sitting room of Aubrey's wing of the palace. They set each goddess down on a blood red chaise lounge.
Aubrey goes to sit down next to an unlit fireplace, which instead has a basket of black roses in it. Aubrey traces Vanessa's eyes, nose and lips with the back of his hand. Zaine snickers as Aubrey smiles. "Pretty things aren't they?" says Zaine. "That they are." smirks Aubrey. They laugh for a moment, and then Zaine suddenly becomes serious. "I don't see much hope for them willingly coming to worship us. There's something in each of their minds, something unbreakable... the dark one has a shadow, something of the night which she is loyal to and will never betray. The light one has the same feeling of steadfast, untouchable, strength for someone... No matter. We'll just have to use mind tricks on them, or Jessica can break their bonds to…whatever it is. They'll become obedient in time", Zaine says. (They can't understand love for someone, just love for beauty.) Aubrey replies "Anyways, I went in the light one's mind, and I saw the bond, and sent a spark of power at it, but it only acted like a drop of water in a pond, it sent ripples of power out to the edges of her mind, not harming her." Aubrey shrugs. "Well, they won't be much good to us in this state. I suppose we should let them wake up of their own accord." "Yes I suppose." sighs Zaine.
The two carry Vanessa and Serena to a room with two four poster beds with dark purple covers and lay them down, then leave. A while later, Jessica enters. She smiles, after placing a hand on each girl's feverish brow. "These should prove most rewarding to break...And in doing so it will destroy my sister, that dratted moon worshiper, and her other goddesses on Tellus. Most interesting." Jessica laughs and walks out of the room.
She turns down a lantern lit hallway outside and with a wave of her hand opens a door into a stone chamber, lit only by the glow of the two orbs she had previously worn on her wrist. Inside was the Tellus soul of Vanessa and Serena. Next to them were four red orbs, each seeming to contain a red cloud of shifting light and shadow. Jessica picks the stones up, contemplating their insides. They contain Michael's love for Vanessa, Serena's love for Stanton, and vice versa. She smiles, as if hearing the crying of a person in pain. She has broken love before, this should not be difficult. "These love orbs will be some of my most amusing yet to break. It will be quite entertaining as their lovers see them in the arms of my children, and then I can give the girl's their love and destroy their lover's love! Oh yes, I can't WAIT!"
Serena stirs and sits up with a groan. She stares around her, bewildered, before everything of last night comes crashing back to her. She gasps and stares frantically around for Vanessa. She goes over and shakes her really really hard, but she won't wake up. Serena taps her mind and sees a really deep sleep, like a huge source of energy just zapped right through her. She knows that she needs to rebuild her strength, so she leaves Vanessa. Serena stands up and is suddenly very cold. She looks down and gives a shriek of surprise. 'I'm barely wearing anything! I must look like a slut!' Serena glances again at the black bikinish outfit (okay, you know in Star Wars when Leya is a slave and has that gold bikini out fit? Yeah, well Serena has a black one and Vanessa has a blue one) and looks over at Vanessa once again. Vanessa is wearing a matching one, only hers is blue. Serena looks around the room, which is all chic and everything is red, and then glances at the door. Running over to it, she tries it and it's open. She slips outside and suddenly feels the cold brush of someone entering her mind. Serena slams up her barriers, but they're already in. They feel her walls and say, in a sexy and amused voice, "Going down this corridor is NOT a good idea. You never know what waits at the end of it." Just then she feel a hand on her back and she turns around to see Zaine, looking at her in a very interesting way. She bolts into the room and heaves the door shut behind her. On the other side of the door, Zaine stares at the spot where she just stood, leans against the door, and smiles, well more like a smirk. The kind where you know you have gotton under someone's skin.
Serena presses herself against the door, breathing heavily. She slowly stands up, brushing her hand up her back, still feeling Zaine's cold hand there. She shakes her head, trying to clear her mind of his gorgeous features, the feel of his hand... She smacks her hand against her head, "For goddesses sake, he's my enemy, something dark and evil, NO Serena, NO even feeling remotely sociable towards him," only succeeding in making it hurt worse because Serena and Vanessa have these matching coiling bracelet things made of silver for Vanessa, gold for Serena running up their arms. They're strangely flexible, though a little restricting. Serena realizes it would be difficult to run with those and her prostitute outfit.
Feeling scared all of a sudden, Serena rushes over to Vanessa and shakes her. Vanessa slowly opens her eyes. Vanessa sits shakily up, drawing her knees up the way she usually does when she's dazed, then looks down and shrieks. "Holy CRAP what am I wearing? It's nice to be sexy, but I'm not a courtesan!" Vanessa leaps up and runs to a closet , that Serena had just noticed. Serena jumps up and grabs her. Serena gives the hysterical Vanessa a hug. Vanessa quiets down after a few minutes and steps back. She runs her fingers through her hair, then grins slowly. Serena touches her own hair and looks startled. There's a mirror in the room and they both run to it. "Woah..." says Vanessa. Vanessa's blonde locks (which of course were beautiful to begin with) now seem to be made of the finest gold, flowing over her shoulders like a waterfall. Serena's hair is a like black silk, cascading down her back. Vanessa steps back, her hand on her hip. "I could learn to live like this." she says. "Hmm, the hair kind of complements our courtesan outfits, huh?" says Serena. They both start giggling and sit down on a purple chaise lounge.
Vanessa twists some of her long hair around a finger. Serena tells her what happened with Zaine, neither of them know how they know the guys names, they just do. They haven't seen Aubrey yet though. Serena finishes, looking dazed. Vanessa frowns. "Well, in that case, let's go explore!" Serena looks at her like, what the hell are you on about? "We don't need to listen to them, let's go." Vanessa grabs Serena's arm and leads her to the door. Serena jerks away. "Vanessa! What's wrong with you?" Vanessa gives her the puppy eyes and for some reason, lets Vanessa tug her out the door.
Once they're outside, Vanessa lets go of Serena's hand, and as she lets go, Aubrey steps out of the shadows and grabs Vanessa's shoulders, spinning her around. He shoots silver ropes out of the air at Vanessa, which wrap themselves around her, then twisting around a stake on the floor. Vanessa tries to move, but can't. Aubrey steps back and folds his arms, slowly looking her up and down, eyes lingering on what seems like every part of her bare skin. Vanessa shudders. "Nice. Very nice. I shall have to thank Jessica for this one. Oh, Zaine, splendid choice of apparel for our new pets." smirks Aubrey. Vanessa grimaces. Serena tries to move to Vanessa's aid, but as she does so Zaine steps out of the shadows and wraps an arm around Serena's waist, pulling her against him. Serena shivers as his silver bracelet in the shape of a snake touches her bare skin, then tries to pull away as Aubrey moves towards Vanessa. Zaine laughs, then pulls her towards him, whispering in her ear, "If you move, Aubrey will not play nicely with your friend." He looks up at Aubrey. "Yes, the choice of apparel was genius was it not?" Serena tries to pull away, disgusted, but there's something intoxicating about Zaine.
Suddenly, an image pops into her mind of...who is it? The picture slowly becomes visible as Zaine caresses Serena's hair-STANTON! Serena pushes Zaine away and looks to Vanessa-who is in Aubrey's arms, kissing passionately. Serena is horrified and runs to Vanessa, throwing all the power she has at Aubrey, making him stumble backwards. Serena catches Vanessa and drags her aside. Vanessa collapses against a wall, steadying herself on a white vase full of black roses. Serena stands in front of her, daring Aubrey and Zaine to come any closer. Zaine mutters something to Aubrey. Aubrey grins, sexily I might add. Then he catches Vanessa's gaze and Vanessa straightens up. Her eyes are somehow blank.
She takes Serena's hand and leads her back into their room. Serena takes Vanessa's hands and hugs her. "Vanessa, what's wrong? Why were you kissing him? Don't your remember?" Vanessa shakes her head slowly. "Who are you?" she asks. Serena stumbles backwards. "Who-who-who am I? Vanessa! Don't you remember? You're a Goddess! A Daughter of Selene!" Vanessa looks at her strangely. "I'm your best friend! No, forget me, can you remember anything? ANYTHING? Vanessa, speak to me!" Vanessa smiles slowly, then pats Serena on the shoulder. "Serena...oh yes, now I remember. I know you. But there's not time for guessing games. We have the celebration to attend! Come, let us get dressed. I don't' think these outfits are ahem nice enough. Remember? We just got back from a very long trip. My Aubrey has been waiting for me, and I know Zaine has been distraught without you." Serena stares. "VANESSA! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? Can't you…no. Vanessa, who is Michael?" Vanessa says "Michael? Hmmm...Oh yes, Jessica was telling me about someone with that name...hmmm... oh yes, something about crushing one of her love orbs. Yes, someone on Tellus was going to be captured...love lost...oh and there was someone with a dark aura whose love was also going to be crushed...oh, I don't remember. This is making my head hurt. Come, time to get dressed for our loves!"
Serena jumps backward. "Zaine is NOT my love! My heart belongs to Stanton, and to him I-" Serena suddenly becomes rigid, a purple light surrounding her, and in a split second it is gone again. "My my, that hurt. What just happened?" says Serena. "Hmm, no matter. OH! The celebration! Zaine's waiting for me as we speak! Come Vanessa, let's get dressed!" says Serena. Meanwhile, Jessica stands in that chamber where she kept the love orbs. The fragments of the two love orbs lay crushed near her black booted foot. She laughs, then picks them up, setting them in a jar for later use.
Back in Serena and Vanessa's room... Vanessa smiles. "Yes, let's." They go to the armoire and begin to rummage for something suitable for the party. "Let's see", says Serena. "Sexy princesses?" Vanessa shakes her head "No, not right for a private night together." Serena rummages through all the gorgeous slut outfits. "How about... these?" Serena picks a red corset like gown and a blue outfit like it for Vanessa. Vanessa grins. "Lovely." Serena pulls out some matching red gloves for her outfit, and hands Vanessa some blue ones. Vanessa shakes her head. "I want my hands free." Serena shakes her head and winks at Vanessa. They get dressed in their slut outfits.
"Hmmm don't we look nice?" says Vanessa. They smile and walk out of the room, down the hall to the sitting room they'd been brought to when they were first brought to the castle, though they were unconscious. Aubrey and Zaine are sitting in armchairs in front of the unlit fire with no shirts, just black pants. ( like jaguar. hot abs! anywho,) They're talking quietly, but stop when they come in and jump up like true gentleman, the slimy cur! sorry, continuing.
Vanessa enters first, followed by Serena. You know, cat walk, hips swinging. Vanessa stops in front of Aubrey and raises her hands above her head, giving him a twirl. She stops and brings her hands down her body, Aubrey's eyes following them. Serena strikes a sexy pose in front of Zaine, arms behind her head. Aubrey takes Vanessa's arms and pulls her towards him in a passionate kiss. Zaine slides his hands down Serena's sides and kisses her, the two falling back on a chair. They hear a throat clear and Aubrey looks towards the doorway, still kissing, and sees Jessica standing there, smirking. "Boys, boys boys. Didn't I tell you I was coming? I can see you're enjoying your pets." She saunters around the room. She walks up to Zaine, (the guys have stood up in respect for their Lady) and walks a circle around him, inspecting.
"My dear Serena, how are you liking my fledgling Zaine? Good looking, isn't he?" she smirks, trailing a finger around his face. She turns away and walks to Aubrey. "And you? How is the light one doing? I must say, we haven't done the fair kind very often. They generally aren't...suitable. But how is she?" says Jessica toying with Vanessa's hair. "Nice outfits they've chosen." she adds. Aubrey goes behind Vanessa, and holds her in his arms. "She'll do." Zaine smiles and nods, going back to Serena and pulling her to her feet. "Well, in that case, see you don't become attached. Remember Aubrey what happened with my sister, the little wench. Not the best outcome for The Dark. Oh, would you mind if I let their friends on Tellus see right now? While that happens, give the pets a little action." Jessica's boys grin. "Splendid."
Jessica casts white light from her hand and it surrounds the room. There's now a portal in the middle, right in Vanessa and Serena's view. Stanton and Michael can be seen in it, disheveled and worried looking. Zaine and Aubrey grab their pets (not being nice and romantic, more commanding and like Vanessa and Serena are objects that belong to them) and begin to kiss them. Of course, having had their love for Michael and Stanton crushed under Jessica's fashionable yet affordable (sorry, gotta love Buffy) boot, Vanessa and Serena kiss back. Stanton and Michael suddenly jerk up, staring open mouthed at the couples. Their faces contort in pain. Vanessa and Serena's eyes open at the same time, looking at the portal. Aubrey and Zaine's hands travel across their backs and arms. Vanessa turns the kiss into an embrace, smirking at Michael. through the portal. Michael jumps up, crashing against the screen, but it doesn't make a difference. Vanessa and Aubrey start to make out again. Vanessa and Serena smile as they kiss their new luvas. Stanton looks crushed, as if all life is gone. Then his face steels, his eyes holding all the despair. "Heart, we will forget her, you and I tonight. I will forget the warmth she gave, I will forget the light", he murmurs to himself, slumping back onto his chair. Stanton can see that banging on a portal will not help, his Serena is in the hands of Zaine. Michael doesn't know this, and presses a hand against the portal.
Jessica smiles and casts a hand over each bottle containing the shards of the love orbs. They fly back together. Vanessa suddenly jerks her head back, recognizing Michael. Vanessa lands a smack on Aubrey's cheek and Serena jumps back from Zaine's arms. Vanessa runs to the portal, trying to get to Michael. They both lean against the portal, hands pressed against the outline of the others hands, trying to touch. Behind Vanessa, Serena is fighting Zaine. Zaine grabs her, throwing her on the floor next to Vanessa, in front of the portal, as Aubrey tears Vanessa away, Michael yelling her name, but they can't hear him. Stanton has jumped up next to Michael, losing control and beating against the portal too, trying to get to Serena as Zaine grabs her and makes her stand up. (The guys are horrified and boiling with rage over seeing their darlings abused).
Aubrey grabs Vanessa by the wrists. Michael is yelling, Stanton too, when Jessica crushes two more red orbs. Michael and Stanton stop. They seem confused for a moment, then carefree. They see Vanessa and Serena, shrug and walk away from the portal. Vanessa screams. "NO! Michael! Michael NO!" She throws herself at the portal but Michael just smiles and walks out of view. Aubrey grabs her again and Vanessa tries to fight him off, but all he does is laugh and rub his nose on hers, the way affectionate lovers do, but Vanessa is revolted and tries to push him away, but can't. Stanton stares at Serena, waves and walks away. Serena gasps, tears filling her eyes. Jessica laughs. Then she snaps and the portal closes. Zaine walks over to Serena and grabs her, slamming her into a chair. Serena puts her head in her hands, sobbing. Aubrey finally lets Vanessa go and she sinks to the floor. Jessica smiles and walks over to the Daughters, boots clicking on the marble floor. "Well, well, well. It seems your lovers back on Tellus don't love you! Since it appears they never really cared, and you have two lovely boys here most anxious to spend time with you, do you really have a decision?" Jessica lifts Vanessa's chin, as tears stream down her face. "Oh, pet, is it really all that bad?" Vanessa cringes at her touch and stands up falling back against Aubrey who holds her close to him. Zaine is standing behind Serena toying with her hair, running his hands along her back. Jessica sighs. "Enough fun for today boys. Time to send the pets away." She calls something in another language and two things like the insane things from Hush come in, pushing Vanessa and Serena out the door. They don't take them back to their room, but to a dungeon below the castle. They push them in and push some buttons, then leave.
A scratchy, bone cold voice comes through the door. "There are robes on the bench. The masters request you wear them, unless you care for pain." Vanessa and Serena go to the bench and put on the robes, because it didn't seem like it was a good plan to defy an order like this that wouldn't cause them harm. Even the dungeon robes turn out to be provocative. They leave the girls shoulder bare. Vanessa walks to a barred window and looks out. They begin to discuss what happened; they both know that somehow Michael and Stanton stopped loving them, but they don't know why. Suddenly, Jessica walks in. "Well, my dears, enjoying your new home? I doubt it. You can have your old room back, as long as you do something for me. Wait, I'm going too fast. You of course realize that your gentlemen on Tellus don't love you, but OF COURSE that was my doing. You see (she holds up some red fragments and two red balls) these are the balls that held your love for them. As you can see, I repaired them in order to make you feel the pain of a broken heart. I had broken them, so you complied with the lovely outfits, but that is no longer necessary. So, after you loved them again, and they saw you kissing my boys, breaking their hearts, then I let them break YOUR hearts! Oh, sometimes I just can't believe myself. So, now they care nothing for you. In fact, Vanessa, no one on Tellus believes you exist! A girl who conveniently wanted to be a Daughter of the Moon Jessica cringes was the perfect person for me to allow to take your identity. So, I had meant to just bring you Vanessa, but your friend here tried to stop me, so you, Vanessa, got her into this." Vanessa gasps and her eyes fill with tears. Serena gives her a hug and lets her know she knows it wasn't her fault.
Jessica smiles. "But in fact it was perfect. Now I have broken both the Prince of the Night and the Daughter of Pandora's lover's love. Perfect for my insult to that dratted Selene and my sister Penelope, and the Atrox , which I plan to conquer. In the meantime, Aubrey and Zaine, the little dears, delight in pretty things. I generally feed this with pretty girls. Aubrey and Zaine do love the touch of a lady. So, now I will leave you Vanessa, and Serena, Zaine wants you." Jessica claps, the insane jail keepers come back in and drag Serena away. Vanessa slowly moves against a wall. Aubrey walks in. "Ah. My fair one. You know I'm not used to the fair ladies, I generally prefer those such as your friend, but I believe you will be most satisfying." He reaches out to Vanessa, who draws backwards. He laughs. "Oh, still worried about your lover? He doesn't love you. His heart is cold to you, but he loves the Vanessa impersonator." Vanessa gasps as tears fill her eyes. Aubrey walks to her and runs his hands over her hair, and down her sides. He draws back, admiring his view. Aubrey laughs and harshly kisses her, then leaves. A minute later, Serena is thrown into the cell. She lays there, sobbing. Vanessa runs to her and pulls her up. They hug for a few minutes, both crying. Then Serena straightens up, her tear stained face fierce. "No more. No more shall I listen to those two-those two vipers. We're going to fight Vanessa. We have our power. I don't know why we're acting like this. We are no one's property. We are daughters of the moon. We have to repair Michael and Stanton's love orbs, and get out of here. I know we can." A light starts to shine around Vanessa and Serena. They are no longer in robes, but in shining goddess robes. They join hands and walk straight through the door, teleporting (yes they can do it) to their old room. They choose their battle outfits.