Love Conquers All!
By: Katie-lee Brady
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NOTHING! The only thing I own is the story line, but the characters were used, which I totally don't own. I also don't own the story lines of X-Men 2, and some season of Alias… but there is a few characters made up… very original :)
Chapter 17: Powers of the Mirror Room
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Previously On: Love Conquers All! – It has begun. Everyone feels it, and they know it. Serenity is struck in the mirror room and Endymion had just entered the room… but there is no Serenity?!?!
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"Serenity?" he said softly as he took the step forwards and placed his hands to the glass door.
He immediately pulled back, watching as the glass froze up and the image of serenity went smaller and smaller. "No… no, no, no…" Endymion stressed as he watched on. He made a second attempt to the door handle and opened the door wide, revealing the room inside, but no Serenity.
"I don't get it?" Endymion said under his breath as he put a foot over the threshold.
"Sir?" the man with the tracker dogs said as he watched. His voice was quivering. Nothing in his life had he seen anything like what he was seeing these days.
Endymion stopped short, "We shall wait here until everyone else gets here," he declared. But still kept half his body in, and the other half out, just to make sure the door wouldn't shut on them.
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When Endymion was out of sight with the tracker guy, Mina turned at the door and tried to connect and contact everyone that was needed, or whatever.
'Rei, Ami, this is Mina, get your asses to the middle foyer, and head south wing way; follow the doors and you will find me. We just found Serenity's location.' Mina sounded rushed, her voice was everywhere.
'Yep, we'll be right there,' Ami replied and disconnected.
"Okay… who next?" Mina asked her self out loud. She finally figured it all out and contacted everyone that she thought should know of the news. But the main people, Rei and Trista, were certainly the first people to know.
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'Yep, we'll be right there,' Ami replied to Mina. She quickly disconnect and turned to Rei, "they found her," she smiled, "Come on."
"Right there Ami… just gotta… get up," Rei strained as she got up. "Damn these visions are sucking more and more energy out of me," Rei complained.
Ami sighed, "Fine, I'll help you." She got on the side of Rei and hosted an arm around her to steady, and support her. "We've gotta to the centre foyer and head south wing way… what ever is down there…"
"Mmm…" Rei hummed. "I thought Endymion banned us… everyone from travelling those halls… and the centre foyer area?" Rei said as they headed there. "So how come Serenity was allowed there…"
"Rei, she's his lover… I don't think he could deny her anything… plus… I guess now we are allowed there," Ami suggested as they continued to fast walk there.
"I don't know… he said they were… maze like," she said thoughtfully. "But he said one who goes there, is terribly trapped and lost unless they know where they are going…"
"How about less talk, and more help," Ami looked at her, "Which way is South Wing?"
They had just arrived at the centre Foyer area. There were 6 doors total. Though, 4 were mere arches.
"Umm… let's see," Rei turned around, "We came that way… and straight ahead is… and… I think south is that way," she pointed to the dark oak door that was slightly ajar.
"Well… only one way to check, let's go," Ami then headed her and Rei towards the door.
They followed through the door and entered the room. They spotted the door at the end and made their way over to it. They then climbed the stairs and made it to the room at the top.
"Mina," Ami and Rei gasped together.
"Hey guys," Mina quickly said as she spotted them. "Come on, there's no time… we gotta go the Endymion… my 'Mistress of Love' powers… they're going all weird… I have this really bad feeling," she said as she turned to the door way Endymion opened. "Thankfully it's still open," she said quietly to herself.
"Then hurry and take us there," Rei almost shouted as she moved towards Mina.
"Now you have strength," Ami whined, "Do you know where it leads?" she said as she looked through the doorway.
"Endymion said it is a one way hallway, and should lead to one thing… so yes… and no," Mina smiled at them, "But, he wanted us to come, so come on," she said moving through the doorway.
Ami and Rei looked at each other, "After you," Rei gestured.
Ami sighed. She saw Mina waiting and went through, "Come on Rei… don't be scared."
"Boy hoo, I'm coming gees. Don't get ya knickers in a knot." Rei then went through the door and stood with Ami and Mina. "Shall we?"
"Certainly," Mina said as she started running towards, and through the hallway.
Ami and Rei both sighed, and then followed after the blonde into the dark hallways.
After a while of endless running through the time consuming tunnels, there was a slight light that appeared at the end of their current hallway. They continued to run, and as the three got closer, they saw the outline of two males.
"Endymion? Were here," Mina yelled out as they got closer and closer.
As they got closer, they saw one of the figures slightly turn. "Yes..." the voice was quickly identified as Endymion's. But his voice held a note of sadness and misery.
"What happened?" Rei asked as they stopped at their destination. All three women stood in a line next to the tracker guy and stood staring at Endymion. "Where is Serenity?" Rei then asked confused. Mina had told her and Ami that Serenity was in this end room, and now Endymion was standing in the door with no Serenity in sight.
Endymion simply lowered his head and looked into the empty room, "She's not here... She's gone into a different dimension..." he shook his head as he spoke. Everything being unbearable. "I don't think it was her doing."
They, Ami, Mina and Rei continued to look at him, waiting for him to continue on his theory, but he didn't. He remained silent.
"Then what do we do?" Ami asked after a moment of awkward silence.
"Well, there isn't anything we can do," Mina said quietly. "I may not be a genius or relatively smart. But I do know about these time dimensions. And anything is possible... and the only way to get whoever is caught in it relies whole fully on the person stuck inside." Mina's voice went squeaky and soon she herself felt herself, and those around her go uncomfortable.
"We should head back upstairs Endymion. To a main room with everybody else," Ami started, "Because Mina is right, there is nothing we can do but wait. And besides, people are scared about the recent attacks and fights in the main city... they need their King. Endymion, you have to reassure everyone is safe here in the mansion, and we are doing all we can to win this war." Ami's eyes were hard focused on Endymion. Her voice held strong and commanding.
"Excuse me," Rei turned to the tracker guy, "Can you please leave us? I assume you know your way out?"
"Yes ma'am," he said as he took hold of his dog's chain and left the immediate area.
When he was out of sight, they all turned back to Endymion who was standing staring at them. "We should be making our way back as well," he said as he looked back into the empty room once more and removed himself over the threshold and closed the door.
"Sir," they nodded their response as they watched him close the door and walk away from them.
He stopped short when he heard no fellow footsteps with his own. He turned and saw all three faces upon his own, "Are we, or are we not leaving now? Or is what you," he looked at Ami, "said wrong? Did you not suggest we go back?" he asked her.
They quickly snapped out of their daze, "sir... sorry... yes, we should be going," Ami quickly said as she reached Endymion's position and motioned for the other two to hurry.
In no time at all they were walking back the way they all came.
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'Bang, bang,' Serenity quickly opened her eyes at the banging noise. But when she opened them, the room was perfectly still. The mirrors were light and the only figure she could make out was her self. 'Bang, bang,' she looked around the room. Where was it coming from?
As she twirled around the room looking at each individual mirror, she froze when she heard her name being called, 'Serenity!!' she immediately turned and came face to face with an Endymion image in the mirror and not her own.
'What is this?' she asked herself as she looked on. Her eyes were wide in shock and fear. Shock that Endymion might be close, and fear that it was once again a cruel trick.
'Serenity!!' she heard again. And at her name she saw the image of Endymion getting closer and bigger... yet he seemed so far away. As she continued to look on she felt herself shiver. She looked around the room and noticed everything freezing over. She looked back at the mirror that held Endymion and saw no reflection of him, nor herself.
She continued to shiver more violently with each passing minute and look sharply in each mirror. But there was nothing there. Everything was frosted with ice, and slowly she felt her subconscious slip away. The last things she remembered was 'no, no, no' echoing around the room until she saw black.
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"Serenity? Serenity darling. Are you awake?" came a feminine voice, breaking into her thought patterns and waking her from her slumber.
Serenity immediately sat up in the bed she was in and took in her surroundings. She was sitting in a large double bed that was covered in a pink bed spread with Teddy bears lined up along the end of the bed. The room's walls were painted a light pinks and all furniture was white with little bears and pink ribbons painted on them. She moved her sights down to herself and noticed her body was no longer what she recognised, but was actually a tinier version, her 5 year old self.
Knock, knock, "Serenity? Serenity?" it was her mother's voice. And this place was her bedroom... Slightly the door creaked open and her mother's face popped through.
Serenity smiled at her. It was her real, true mother, the one she missed so much, and dearly hurt when she killed herself... "Mum," she practically yelled as she tore the bedspread over her body and flew to her mother, embracing her in a tight hug.
Her mother giggled, "You are a silly one, Serenity, but get dressed and hurry down for breakfast because we're leaving for church soon," her mother kissed her on her forehead and patted her before leaving her room.
"Wow..." Serenity said as she stood staring at the door her mother just left through. Her mother was exactly like she remembered. Long blonde hair like her own, a deeper shade of blue eyes, her milky skin, and that sweet smell of cooked cookies. But the more she thought about it, the more depressed she got. When she thought back over her life, she really did take all this for granted. But as she reminisced, a thought accoutred... 'Why was she here? What was here? And by whose doing was she here by?'
Suddenly she was pushed out of her thoughts when she noticed she was already dressed in a pink floral dress and heading out of her bedroom. She turned into the kitchen and saw her mother and father talking. They were close, and her mother was laughing at whatever her father was saying, then suddenly they were kissing each other.
Just watching the happy couple together made Serenity think of herself and what her original dreams were; to be a happy loving wife and mother like her own mother. To have a family of her own. But somehow her thoughts were drawn straight to Endymion.
When she looked back up, at what was meant to be her parents, she saw two blood thirsty vampires; their eyes a piercing red and fangs gleaming in the light. Her dead team mate on the ground covered in blood. She immediately looked down at herself and saw her body was larger. But as she did she noticed her surroundings changing into an alley way. Remembering back to when this incident occurred. It was about a month after her 21st birthday, and the first time she met Endymion.
She was cloaked in her black pants, top and coat with a long blade in her hand. The two vampires were advancing on her and she quickly turned and ran, knowing there was no way of surviving since they took down her partner so easily. She ran and ran until she came to a dead end. "Arrgg," she groaned as she turned to the vampires.
"No where to run now, missy," one vampire laughed as they walked slowly towards her.
'Think, think, think,' she told herself as she walked back against the walk, 'Damn it!' she shouted in her mind.
Just as the one who spoke got closer she closed her eyes and waited for the impact of his bite, or something, but nothing happened. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw the two vampires that were going to eat her were being knocked around by another vampire. It all happened so fast, because the next thing she remembered was the vampire that beat the other two to a pulp was walking seductively towards her. His eyes were gleaming in the moon light, exposing his midnight blue eyes. His bangs were messed, hanging over his forehead.
Suddenly Serenity felt his hard body pinning her against the wall, "you know, for a hunter, you sure do suck at it," he laughed. But Serenity paid no heed at his words, all that was running through her head was, 'he has a really, really nice, sexy voice.' His voice was smooth, yet hoarse, making it incredibly sexy.
"I thought you would have put more of a fight up," he then said. Continuing to stare straight at her. One of his hands was held securable around her waist, while the other was at the back of her neck. Holding her somewhat intimately.
"Well," Serenity croaked, clearing her throat, "What ever do you mean? I'm sure I would have thought of something if you hadn't come along..." she trailed off, turning her head to the side so she could not look at him, and hopefully clear her mind so she could think properly.
"Ha. You close your eyes awaiting the pain," he turned her head back to his piercing eyes, "I'm Endymion by the way, and you're welcome. It's not every day I go out of my way to save a human life, little lone a hunters life," he said with sarcasm running smoothly over his words.
Serenity immediately froze, "Endymion, the Endymion, head of one of the Vampire clans?" she stuttered out as she stared helplessly into his gaze. I mean, who wouldn't. He was a very dangerous, yet sexy man.
Endymion laughed, "Yes... but tell me, how come you froze, and you do not seem scared of me?" His gaze was calm, and his presence was cool and collect. "How come you don't fear me?"
"Well..." Serenity started, "Why did you save me? Why are you holding me so close to you, How come you introduce yourself, ask weird questions, and not even ask for my name?" Serenity retorted back. Her gaze questioning and intrigued.
"Why the questions," he laughed, "but as the gentlemen I am, I shall answer your inquiries," he smiled.
"Uh-huh, not with that smile," Serena said trying to squirm her way out of his hold. "Just tell me what you want!"
"Well..." he paused for a moment, not letting go, or loosening his hold on Serenity. "I know everything there is to know about you Serenity Selene Taylor!" he paused as her eyes widened, but continued before she could say anything. "But, I must say, I am a huge fan. I mean, when I heard it was you, a mere 20 year old killing all these vampires, I couldn't help but laugh, but the killing keeps doubling, and I hear your not dead, I was impressed... so I got curious and sort you out... and finally tonight, the first night I get to see you in action, you close your eyes on an advancing vampire. I just couldn't watch. I had to know why. I mean, are you not one of the top three hunters?" he raised a brow. "Wait, no, don't answer that," he held up a hand to silence her, and then put it back. "You're just young... you don't know what you're doing... I mean your partners dead, I bet any amount of money, he did all the killing and you took all the credit. Yeah... that works better..." he trailed off.
"Ah-huh..." Serenity raised her brows at him, "you, Endymion, King of his clan, are one very sad vampire. Now, if you don't mind, please release me. I still have a job to do."
"Ha," he looked straight at her, "you wouldn't if I didn't save you."
"That may be true, but you did not have to save me. You did it on your own free will. It's not like I yelled out, 'hey, big bad vampire, save me'," Serena said sarcastically, "So don't you dare start with that, 'if it weren't for me' crap." She looked at him hard. Emphasising her point.
"True," he said calmly, "And to be honest, I guess I couldn't let such beauty die so young... and..." he laughed to himself, "I feel attracted to you for some reason... weird, aye," he smiled at her.
"Ah-huh... tell me, how many females does that line pick up? Seriously?" she laughed.
"You're going to be the first," he said quickly before leaning down and taking her lips in a kiss. When he pulled back Serenity was once again frozen, "We shall meet again... and you have just successfully got yourself one guardian angel slash stalker," he smirked devilishly before vanishing into thin air.
As she stared into the open space Endymion vanished off into, she continued to think ahead from this meeting, to where she continuously thought of him, and his last words. Always feeling self conscious every time she hunted; in case he was out there watching her. And even right to the time when he saved her again, and since she was knocked out, he took her to one of his safe houses, which was also the night when they connected and he learnt she was his soul mate.
But as she got further and further into thought, she didn't notice her surroundings changing again. She was currently standing at the entrance to some fancy garden place next to some guy.
"Serenity? Serenity? Are you alright?" the voice was masculine, and sounded worried.
Serenity quickly snapped out of her daze and looked at guy, "Yes, sorry, I was just day dreaming, Diamond," she gave him a small sympathetic smile.
He smiled back, "Shall we?" he asked motioning towards to gardens.
"It would be my pleasure," she tried to smile, but somewhere deep down inside her, she felt sick. Instantly she knew this was the time where she was torn between both men. She knew she should stay away from Endymion and continue with Diamond like her parents wanted her to, but that night she spent with Endymion, made her feel as though there was something more there. But her situation didn't, and would not allow her to continue in any way with Endymion. And it was also this night where her life got seriously complicated.
From that night on, Diamond came around more, until one night he got what he wanted, which also left Serenity pregnant. But the more she saw Diamond, the more she wanted to spend time with Endymion, and that was when she realised she was in love with Endymion. But that night she got pregnant with Diamond, she knew she had to do something, and that was when she studied more of her family history and used her powers.
She knew it was a hard decision, but the other alternatives would have been unbearable for her. There was no way Endymion would accept a child that was not his own, and plus, when she looked into the future, his reaction to her 'news' was not the best.
Then, when she looked on for her future with Diamond, She saw a life of unhappiness. Diamond being the faithful, wealthy man any woman would want, but she would always carry that burden of killing Endymion emotionally.
But either way, she knew she could not have that one dream she had when she was five. A dream where everything was perfect; the perfect husband, the perfect children, and the perfect home, just like her own mother and father.
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Chapter started: 23rd January 2008
Chapter finished on: 4th February 2008
Katie-Lee :)