Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form, own the Daughters of the Moon or the Sons of the Dark. I do, however, own the characters Jessimar, Maris, Marquette, Kearney, and the other characters that will be involved.

AN: This fan fic is an AU fic. It takes places after the 11th book and before the 1st SotD book and the 12th DotM. Also, this story is mainly about Marq and Kearney, but I do have other POV's.

This is it. The beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning?

She would have smiled to herself if she really remembered how to. Marquette glanced up at the school before her. La Brea High School. She had never been to a real school before. She had always been home-schooled because of the nomadic life she had once lived, and the fact that her mom didn't want to have her around other kids only to be ripped away again. Her parents had been archaeologists and led strange lives.

Around her, kids laughed and screamed and ran around. They were supposed to be in high school? Very mature, she thought to herself as she frowned. She knew she couldn't stand in this spot forever. Reluctantly, she shouldered her new book bag, cursed her Aunt Celeste, and made her way into the building. The day before, when she had registered, she had received a tour, her new schedule, and a locker, so she generally knew where she was going. She had a good sense of direction.

However, when she finally found her locker, she stood before it, frozen. She couldn't do it. This wasn't Marquette. Marquette didn't go to high schools in Los Angeles. she didn't go to high schools, point blank. Marquette lived in Egypt, with her tombs and pyramids and endless hours of exploration. With her... With nobody now...

She lifted her head, finally feeling the stare of watchful eyes. Her stone gray eyes met the green ones of a girl her age. The girl walked over to her, her walk giving off the impression of distrust.

"Are you new here?" The girl asked.

"Yes…I'm Marquette Leslos." She introduced herself, her Arabic accent making her voice louder than this girl's voice.

"I'm Serena Killingsworth. What brings you to La Brea?" Serena asked.

Marquette studied Serena. Long black hair, warm green eyes, smooth skin, a nose stud, a tongue ring. She was about two inches shorter than Marquette was and had a slightly smaller build. She wore a blue tank top and low-cut black pants, with different pockets and chains hanging off.

Marq became aware of her own appearance compared to Serena's. Her skin was dark from the hours and years spent in the desert sun. Her hair was normally honey blonde and waist length, but there were also sparkling strips of natural gray laced through it as well as on long white strip. She wore a pair of loose jeans, hanging dangerously on her hips, a white beater, and a simple pair of sneakers. Around her neck was an onyx ankh, centuries old, and an amulet.

Drifting back to Serena, she noticed the same amulet hanging around her neck. What a cheap ass piece of shit, she thought bitterly.

"I just moved here, and my aunt sent me to this school," Marq said quickly.

Serena smiled at her. "I take it that you don't want to be around here?"

"Is it that obvious?" She asked amusingly.

"Yes." Not to mention that I read your mind, Serena thought.

And for the first time in weeks, Marquette actually smiled, her lips pulled up softly in the corners, lighting up her face. Serena gasped softly, gazing at the beauty the new girl had suddenly become.

"So," Serena began," what class do you got first?"

"Um, history. With Dennis?"

"Great! You're with me." Serena reached out, taking Marquette's hand in hers to lead her to the classroom.

The bell rang, and Marquette winced. The sound was too loud for her hypersensitive ears.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Serena sat with her friends--Catty, Vanessa, Jimena, and Tianna. They were the last of the Daughters, goddesses of the moon. All except for Jimena, who was now more like her mentor as she began remembering her past life as the goddess Pandia. She saw the worry on their faces and knew she shouldn't have caused it by sending them an urgent telepathic message that they needed to talk.

Since becoming Daughters, their lives had been filled with dangers from the Atrox and the Followers. Their personal lives were constantly at risk because of hwo they were born as. Serena supposed scaring them had made them a little battle ready. At least Tianna's dark eyes and Catty's brown ones were crystal hard. Vanessa's blue eyes just seemed to reflect her constant worry. Jimena was just...being herself.

"What's this about, Serena?" Tianna immediately asked. She pushed a strand of curling black hair away from her. Of all the Daughters, Tianna was the only one not born a goddess, and it was agreed upon that she had to be the most beautiful one of their group. She gave Serena a strange look.

I wondered where those jeans went, Tianna thought at her.

Vanessa nodded, her perfect beach blonde hair staying in place. "Serena, please tell us what's wrong."

"I met a new girl today. She was wearing the moon amulet. Our moon amulet."

The moon amulet served as a symbol to tell who was a Daughter. It was given to them by their mother, Selene, to warn them of the danger of the Atrox.

"Do you think she's a Daughter?" Catty asked what the others were thinking. After all, it couldn't have really meant much else. But their previous mentor, Maggie, never said anything of other Daughters anywhere else.

"I'm not sure. I didn't get a bad vibe off of her. I think we should trust her."

"I think we should ta—"Tianna stopped what she was saying. Maggie was gone. Chris was gone. They really had no one to guide them now.

"What about Jimena?" Vanessa suggested, looking at the older girl who was no longer like them. "She helped us out a lot when Catty went to Nefandus."

Serena smiled at her friend, a small and apologetic one as Jimena smiled back. She wasn't a Daughter anymore, but she still had some of her old moves.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Marquette glanced around her, making sure there was no one on this side of the building. Satisfied that there was no one, she closed her eyes, pulling her energy away from her physical form. She pictured a raven, large with gleaming black feathers, black eyes, a sharp beak, clawed feet. She felt the wind under the raven's wings as it flew.

A raven flapped its newly formed wings a few times before taking off.