Author's Note (IMPORTANT):
I AM SO SORRY! Oh my God. I am so sorry! I know this took… longer than expected. Okay, 4 months. But you wouldn't believe my writers block. In fact, I still have it. This is the hardest chapter that I've ever had to write period. I rewrote it at least 10 times. And it is still not half decent. Therefore, I would like you to tell me what is wrong with it or if I should just give up in a whole. After all, I'm sure I can find someone else to write this. Thank you.
Credit goes to:
Phobe (Yes I know I spelled your name wrong X . X)- Thanks for revising and being painfully honest!
Liz- Thanks for revising also and being honest!
Cori- Thanks even tho you will never read this story because you are a STANTON HATER!
Taco Bell- Mmmmm. Taco.
A Goddess? Serena repeated the words slowly in her head, letting them sink in. She held Adonis's limp form closer to her chest and glanced around to question the other daughters. Their expressions mirrored her own. Maggie crossed her arms, apparently deep in thought.
"No", Catty's voice finally broke the silence. "Don't believe her, Serena. That's not possible".
"Not probable". A faint whisper arose from the darkness, and she didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
Stanton?
She watched as Catty and a terrified Vanessa darted to either side as he stumbled between them, his wrists bleeding. Eventually, the chains pulled and hissing in pain, he fell against Vanessa for support. Serena smirked. The girl looked as if she would have a heart attack.
"Er…" Vanessa squeaked. "Catty?"
The brunette shrugged.
"Relax", Stanton assured her, his teeth clenched. "No need to call fire. I'm just trying to help you". He glared at Maggie, who tensed, but did nothing to further alarm him.
Serena lifted Adonis into her arms and walked towards their circle. After brushing his golden bangs back, she gave him to the older Vanessa. Then, ignoring the suspicious glances from Maggie, she placed her fingers on Stanton's upper arms and massaged gently at the bruises that now darkened his shoulders. "What is it?"
Catty rushed to her side, despite the past Vanessa's fervent warnings. She crossed her arms and stared up at him, accusation in her dark eyes. "Are you saying that she's telling the truth?"
"Silly girl". The other Stanton suddenly appeared beside her. She flinched a bit, before recovering her usual bold manner and scowling bravely at him.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
He shook his head. "It means that you've forgotten where you are. This is the future and your time is up. How do you figure that another set of daughters hasn't taken your place?"
"But if she's a Goddess", Vanessa interrupted, her voice wavering. "Then why is she staring at us like that?"
Serena looked up to see the same eerie smirk curving over the girl's lips. She could have sworn that her eyes flashed an iridescent yellow as she leered over them. The older Stanton held her gaze.
"Erica, I presume?"
A spark of astonishment flickered through her expression before vanishing without a trace. The mischievous grin reappeared and she nodded. "I'm impressed. How'd you know?"
"I'd heard rumors from former followers about a set of rogue daughters. I was just so eager for happiness, with the Atrox defeated, that I never suspected them to be true", he explained, warily. "Correct me if I'm wrong but there should be three more of you"
"Two", a low breathy voice called from behind Erica. A girl of about the same age stepped out from the shadows, her dark hair weaved into micro- braids. Low- riding, black jeans hung tightly at her waist and a hot pink tube top accented her sparkling caramel skin. Not far behind, followed another girl with short, spiky red hair, dark streaks running through it. She brushed a few grains of sand from her scarlet halter dress, and looked up to sneer at them, her hands resting seductively upon her hips.
Serena's eyebrows furrowed. She turned to Stanton, expecting an explanation of some sort, but his attentions laid elsewhere. They were focused on the small child in Vanessa's arms. The blonde looked up, her gaze sympathetic, as he ran a finger across his son's cheek. The chill alarmed him and fear clouded his features, an emotion that Serena never thought she would see there. The expression lingered for a few seconds before making an abrupt shove into immense anger. Maggie took Catty by the shoulder and pulled her back while the past Vanessa looked as if she would faint on the spot. The other shuffled her feet uneasily and even the younger Stanton, who was accustomed to his own actions and emotions, seemed taken back. Serena lifted a shaky hand to his shoulder in attempt to clam him. "Stanton-"
He finally spoke, his tone seething with repressed fury. "What did you do to him?"
The trio didn't seem the least bit fazed. Erica laughed, her arms crossed. "I don't think that you're in any position to ask questions". She lifted a pale, slender finger to point to the chains circling his wrists. Then, to insinuate her advantage, she sent a blow of dark energy flying at him. He hissed in pain as it pierced through his chest and fell to his knees. Serena's eyes widened, and pushing pass Maggie, she kneeled at his side.
"Stanton?" she cried, running her fingers over his chest in search for any immediate damage.
He didn't answer, his eyes glued to the sandy foundation.
"Are you alright?"
Silence.
Why won't you answer me? She let the words burn across his mind, anxious to wake him from whatever mental slumber he was in.
More silence.
"Snap out of it!" Taking him by the shoulders, she shook him roughly before instantly ceasing when he looked up to give her that agitated stare.
"Er…"
Go, he told her, his eyes once again, traveling over the ground. I'll be fine.
He obviously wouldn't be fine.
She bit her bottom lip. "Stanton-"
"Go!"
A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she rose to her feet, emerald flames blazing in her eyes. She took long, steady strides over the sand to confront the new daughters, her energy building every second.
"Um… Serena-" Catty started.
"What is it?" she asked, not really paying attention. Her concentration was focused on the three girls before her. If what they'd done to Adonis wasn't bad enough… She was the only one who was allowed to attack her husband and get away with it.
"Serena…"
She grimaced at the cruel, unforgiving sneers she received as she neared them. The red head was doubling over with laughter which only further pissed her off. What the hell was so funny?
"Serena!"
"Huh?" She looked down to see that the Earth beneath the trio had begun to split. The crack eventually started to travel, gaining more and more speed. So much speed, that it had reached her before she had time to notice. She collapsed to her knees from the tremors, the imminent fracture only a foot away. Maggie, Catty, and Vanessa's screams drowned together and, having no other option, she shielded her face with her arms and waited for the impact.
"Serena!"
She shrieked as a sudden force came barreling into her, knocking her clear across the sands. Trembling, she clenched her eye lids shut and waited to feel the excruciating pain that the collision had caused. When she felt nothing but throbbing from a few scratches and bruised knees, her eyes shot open.
"Stanton?"
The younger man hovered over her, his arms pinning her down at both sides.
"What happened?" she asked, pulling out from under him to brush the sand off of her clothes. She scowled at a tear in the skirt Catty had given her before dismissing the problem. There were more important things to worry about…
"I saved your ass is what happened", Stanton's voice brought her back to reality, apparently annoyed.
She couldn't help but grin at his irritation. The concern in his eyes was obvious.
"That". He took her chin and directed her attention to a palm tree standing a few yards away. Well… it wasn't exactly a palm tree anymore. Nor was it standing for that matter. She gulped at the mass of frayed wood, leaves, and other rubble. "That could have been you".
A high pitched chorus of giggles reverberated across the beach. Serena turned to see the girls laughing at her and anger boiled at her insides. The red head eventually eased to a stop. "Sorry about that. You see, Ebony controls the elements". She motioned to the darker girl with micro braids. "Earth. Fire. Water. Wind."
At the mention of each element, Ebony allowed a circle of each to swirl about her fingers like rings.
Both Vanessas seemed intimidated, but Catty's expression revealed the exact opposite.
"Oh, we are not amused".
"Catty! Are you trying to get us killed?" The younger Vanessa seized her by the shoulder and hissed in her ear. She turned to their enemies. "What do you want?"
Ebony rolled her eyes. "Your lives or your surrender. It's your choice".
Serena cocked an eyebrow, letting Stanton pull her to her feet. "And what exactly would we be surrendering to?"
"Our master, of course", Erica explained. "The Atrox".
Serena cocked an eyebrow. Since when did the Daughters of the Moon do the Atrox's dirty work?
Maggie stepped forward, her angelic features more pale than usual. "But you said that you were Goddesses".
"We did", Ebony nodded. "But we never specified what side we were on".
"But…" Vanessa spoke, her eyes compassionate as usual. "Why?"
"I wouldn't be worried about that if I were you". Ebony sent an array of flames raging at them and Serena hissed as the heat stung her bare toes. "We've been sent here to defeat you. That's all you need to know".
Catty dodged the flames and scoffed, her aura radiating with fierce lunar energy. "Yeah? You and what army?"
No sooner than the words escaped her lips, an unnatural gust of wind stormed over the beach. Serena winced as sharp, scathing sand particles tore at her bare legs. The sands moved tremulously beneath her feet and Stanton took her firmly by the waist before the tornado could envelop her. Even the ocean gave a massive roar, the pressure of the waves succumbing to the sudden change of weather.
"What's happening?" she managed to choke through the vast amount of sand that had forced its way down her throat. The skies had began to grow murky, a thick sheet of darkness looming over the moon. Serena struggled to see past the fog.
"Stanton?"
No answer.
"Not you too!" She spun around to confront him until she caught his eyes, wide and fearful.
"Wh- what is it?" She stumbled over her words. Anything that could frighten the Prince of Night to this extent couldn't be good. When he didn't respond, she followed his gaze to the mass of darkness that hovered over the beach.
"But what-" She stopped in mid- sentence. At first glance, the gathering simply resembled a storm cloud. But with a closer look, she could hear it breathing and pulsating, a few faint whispers streaming from invisible lips. She'd never seen a storm cloud do that before. Was this the same thing that had attacked her only moments ago? Two empty, yellow eyes flashed wickedly at her from within the chaos followed by a string of emotionless cackles. She gasped and almost tumbled to the ground when Maggie took her arm.
"It's too dangerous", the woman breathed, her cheeks flushing a rosy red from the sand storm. Catty and the younger Vanessa stood at her side. The older girl sat with Adonis and his father, her entire body visibly shaken.
"I'm not leaving him", Serena spoke unwaveringly, though her eyes betrayed the exact opposite.
Maggie stared at her with sad, tired eyes. She finally sighed. "You're not going to give up are you?"
Serena clenched her fists to suppress the intense fury raging through her veins. She had just now figured it out?
Took you long enough.
"I figured you wouldn't". The woman smiled, admiring her resolve. "But you're in grave danger. The concentration of dark energy is almost impossible. We have to escape".
Serena started to reply that there was nothing Maggie could do or say to convince her, when Erica intervened.
"How rude". She pouted mockingly. "You're not leaving so soon are you?"
The swirl of darkness suddenly dispersed throughout the heavens and each shadow shot to the ground, enclosing around them. Serena gasped and took a step back as they all materialized back into their true forms. She grimaced at the crowd. They sunk closer, like vultures, tattoos and piercings twisting their features to give them an edgy appearance.
"Serena!" Catty cried. She pointed towards the center of the mob. "Look!"
Her eyes scanned the area rapidly, bracing herself for the worst. When she didn't find it, she turned back to Catty. "I don't see anything".
"Oh, Goddess".
A chill crept down Serena's spine. She could recognize that sing- song voice anywhere. "Cassandra?" She swallowed hard at the troubled feeling that she wasn't there to help them. Or Stanton for that matter. She looked up at the direction Catty had been pointing in to see Tymmie and Karyl at her side, their expressions dark with malice.
"You" Serena scowled. She had detested the three before but now her loathing had reached a level far more extreme than anger. "You planned this all along, didn't you?"
They just continued to grin eerily at her, their eyes glinting an occasional cat- like yellow. She took a few steps back into the center of the follower's ring and felt herself falling against Stanton. He held her waist tightly from behind and stared out at his former allies.
"Cassandra", he called gravely. Serena gave a sigh of relief and let her arms rest over his. She had seen Stanton's effect on the girl. Perhaps he could chastise her into a defeat. She waited for sarcasm or a cutting remark, but nothing came. He continued to stare at Cassandra until suddenly his lips curved into a peculiar smile.
"I thought you'd never come"
Serena abruptly jerked away, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Wh- what did you say?"
He took her roughly by the arm and pulled her towards him. "Don't sound so surprised".
"B-" she stumbled for words, fighting the angry tears that were begging for release. "But why?"
He laughed cruelly, the sound alone sending tremors through out her entire person. "Goddess". He reached out to clasp her chin and turned it up to face him.
That should be the least of your worries.
Please tell me what I can do to revise this chapter. There is a possibility that I will continue writing like this, so would you rather I give it up? Be honest.
Sorry it wasn't as long as usual. Im still struggling with the block here.
REVIEW CORNER:
MiniSparky- SORRY I TOOK SO LONG! Thanks for being a reviewer from the beginning: - )
Angel Geman- Why thank you!
Toorikuso- Sorry! But you obviously didn't miss much O.o
Cynthia- I will keep writing! I hope. Thank you!
Blondie91- Updating now!
Moonlightchild4- I am SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry I took so long! FORGIVE ME!
LunaeCelestia- Thank you! And I love your name!
Angelgoddess6- Thanx!
Elephantsrocmysox- I couldn't update ASAP! BUT I updated! Heheheh…
Jupiter Lightening- WOOT! SAILOR MOON!
Lainee- There will be at least 5 more chapters and a prologue.
Angelgoddess505- Ya know, I thought I would write more over the summer too, but ironically, I didn't. I'm glad that you admire my work and I am sorry if I disappointed you this time. Please continue your story.
BlueStarmoonr- Its not Tianna or Catty. Lol
LaLa Girl- Obviously not in the last four months. SORRY AND THANK YOU!
Krystall Trensk- Thank you. Hey I tried to keep up with the good work, but obviously that didn't last long.
Rissy651- Thanks for the compliments! Lol Hopefully this chapter explained something.
LizAsh Stanton-The bad Stanton in the pool with her? That would have been awkward. Thank you for your compliments!
Mina- SORRY! And thank you SO much for the compliments!
Stephanie- Thank you for your many reviews. And please tell me how to keep my characters in check and parts where they came off as strange. Keep in mind that this is a bit of a comedy. Some things may have been inserted just for laughs. Thank you! Oh and, I LOVE YOU TOO!
SamHobbit- Thank you, SamHobbit!
Moonlightchild4- NO! DON'T DIE!
Obsidianangel6- (slaps myself)
HyperRikku59- Rikku is hyper… And yes I do have BAD writers block. Thank you for the review!
Jenn- Thanx Jenn! This is She Cuts, ya'll. Check her stuff out. Shes a good writer, a good RPer, and the biggest alcoholic I know. J/K. Maybe in the top 5…
Lizzie- LIZZIE IS KOO! Everybody jump her brother! She is in the credits! THANX LIZ!