Note: The story that takes place below comes from Chapter 30 of 'United by Fate'.
Chapter Fourteen
In the same boat?
Meanwhile, far away from Chicago, as it was getting dark, the Disciples decided to pull over into a secluded wooded area away from the roads to camp as they had been driving for hours.
They drove deep into the woods and Lilith got out to scan the area above to make sure there was no-one around, whether there be farms of people walking.
Luckily with her sharp vision she was able to see for miles and there was no-one around who would accidently discover them, but they agreed to take shifts in the night whilst the others slept to make sure, and Rex volunteered to take the first shift.
Whilst the older Disciples set up camp and built a fire, Pandora stood next to a tree not far away, looking at the changing colours of the skies through the trees lost in thought, her mind was still blurred as she tried very hard to think back on what must have happened prior to when Lamia and Chastity had brought her back.
She rubbed her head and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger as she looked up.
"Why can't I remember anything?" she thought "It's frustrating...I wish I knew..."
She sighed again and leaned against the trunk as she let her mind wonder again.
As she did, she heard a low growling in her ear.
Pandora gasped as she looked around, yet apart from the Disciples setting up their camp for the night, she didn't see anything.
She turned back to look to the sky, yet as she did, she thought she saw something move out the corner of her eye, and that growl came again.
"Huh?" she thought to herself "What...whose there?"
She looked around trying to find what it was she had seen when a face appeared before her!
"Hey, lizard girl!"
Pandora almost fell onto her backside when she saw Regan standing before her smiling in a friendly way with her teeth bared.
"Whoa!" Pandora cried "You scared me!"
"Sorry!" Regan apologised "You alright there? You were miles away!"
"It's okay." Pandora smiled softly at the white bat "And yeah, I guess I was."
Regan came to stand next to the hybrid.
"What's on your mind?" she asked.
"A lot actually." Pandora replied honestly, "mainly about the fact I still can't remember anything, not even my own name."
"That's a shame." Regan said placing a hand on Pandora's shoulder then chuckled as she realised that the last two words they said had rhymed.
Pandora laughed bitterly then looked back at the skies through the trees.
"I wish I could remember, just what or who I could have been before I lost my memories." Pandora said, "Even if it's just a little piece, then I might be able to follow it."
Regan looked at the hybrid then up at the sky.
"You know." She said, "If it makes you feel any better, I know what it's like."
"What what's like?" Pandora asked.
"To have no memories of your life prior to being found by Diablo, or in your case by Lilith."
Pandora turned to the vampire bat and blinked.
"You don't remember your life either?" she asked.
"Not my human life no." Regan confessed shaking her head "Well, actually, I only have a few sparks in my mind, a couple of pictures of what it was before I became this..." she gestured to herself.
"Like what?" Pandora asked curiously.
Regan looked dreamy as she turned her head to the sky as the pinks and oranges began to fade and dark blues and purples coloured the sky and the stars started to emerge.
"I do have images of a woman, a smiling woman with blonde hair like mine." Regan said, "I sometimes even see her in my dreams, singing a song I'm sure I heard before."
"Wow..." Pandora breathed.
"Yeah." Regan said "I'm pretty sure she was my mother..."
"Mother..." Pandora breathed as she bit her lip, she looked at the sky, then back at Regan.
"Do you know what happened to you?" Pandora asked, "Did Diablo ever tell you what happened before you became what you are?"
"He did yes." Regan said in a sad tone then sat down on a lower branch and Pandora did the same on the other tree ready to listen to Regan's story.
"It was many years ago, according to what I was told, I was four when I became a mutant." Regan explained.
"Apparently I had been the victim of a horrific car crash in Chicago, my mother had been driving us home one night, and I was in the back seat, when a van swerved and clipped the car making it flip over a few times before it crashed."
Pandora winced as she listened.
"It then caught fire." Regan continued "And it was then Rex had tried to see if he could save me, which he was successful at, yet my mother had already died in the crash, and he was forced to abandon the car before it exploded."
"Oh my gosh." Pandora said "I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay." Regan replied with a sad smile.
"Anyway, I was brought back to the hiding place of Diablo and his Disciples, and I was given the source to mutate me." Regan went on "The first thing I remember was feeling like my body was on fire as I woke up, like tiny red hot pokers were bursting out of every cell in my skin, then as soon as it came, it stopped, and I woke to see Diablo, Chastity, Rex and Samson there where they told me I was safe and they were there to look after me."
"I see." Pandora said, "When did they tell you the truth about what happened?"
Regan chewed her lip and looked at the Disciples then back at Pandora.
"Not so very long ago actually." She said, "They wanted to wait until I was old enough to understand, then they sat me down and told me what actually happened."
"How did you react?" Pandora asked.
Regan was quiet for a moment then she spoke again, and Pandora could see her blue eyes were glistening a little.
"It was... well...hard to take at first." She confessed "I was upset, and asked many questions, but I didn't get any answers on who I was before, nor who my family was, because they didn't have anything to show me, no documents or photos, no nothing, except for the clothes on my back when Rex pulled me out of the car, and the teddy bear I had been holding."
Pandora sighed sadly.
"I'm so sorry Regan." She said reaching over and squeezing the bats hand comfortingly to which Regan smiled at her in thanks.
"It's okay." She said yet she took a breath trying to hold back her tears "Despite my sadness and anger at what had happened, I soon decided that it wasn't worth getting angry over something I couldn't control or change..." she took a breath.
"Sometimes its best when you don't remember what life was like before you mutated, the others have had previous lives they lived, until it changed."
She looked over at the other Disciples a few feet away.
"Some of them lived normal lives, yet a couple of them were glad when they mutated, Ravage especially." She pointed at the mutant Locust who was unpacking some bags with his four arms.
"Really?" Pandora asked, "What happened to him?"
"It's not my story to tell." Regan answered, "It is best you ask him yourself."
"Okay." Pandora said then looked forward again.
She and Regan sat in silence for a little bit staring at the area around them, then suddenly a rustling was heard, and a family of foxes appeared from behind a bush.
Pandora gasped quietly in surprise as she saw them.
Regan too widened her eyes as she saw them, yet both her and Pandora kept very still and watched them.
Pandora smiled as she saw the two adult foxes look at their four cubs and lick them affectionately then observe her and Regan who watched them in silence.
"A beautiful sight hmm?" Pandora asked.
Regan nodded.
"A perfect family."
She looked to the sky again.
"I wish I could remember more than what I was told by Diablo, Chastity, Samson and Rex." She said, "But all I have are these little sparks."
Pandora meanwhile continued to watch the Fox's family.
"Makes me wonder if I had one too..." Pandora mused "A mother and father...siblings?"
Regan looked over at Pandora.
"If you're keen to try and remember." She suggested "We can help?"
She squeezed the hybrid's hand.
"You will?" Pandora asked.
Regan nodded.
"For sure!" she said, "But until you get your memories back, we'll take good care of you."
Pandora smiled.
"And I couldn't be more grateful!" she said.
Regan smiled and was about to speak again before they heard Chastity calling them.
"Girls! Dinner!"
"We better get back." She said leading Pandora back to the others where they were gathered around a fire and cooking some meat over it.
"Mmm smells good there!" Regan said as she sat down next to Rex.
"Just cooking some chicken and beef." Ravage said as he checked the meat over.
Diablo nodded then looked to Pandora.
"How are you feeling my dear?" he asked.
"I don't know..." Pandora confessed "I still can't remember anything..."
"it's understandable." Rex said.
"We've been talking." Regan said as she helped Chastity prepare drinks for everyone which she distributed.
She gave Diablo, Ravage, Rex, and Samson a can of beer each, a small bottle of wine each for Chastity and Lilith, Orange juice for Lamia and Seth and a bottle of soda each for herself and Pandora who accepted hers gratefully.
"Oh, yes?" Lamia asked cocking her head.
"I told her I was in the same boat," Regan explained "That I cannot remember my life before I mutated."
Diablo smiled as he sipped his beer.
"Bonding, eh?" he asked, "Well done." He looked over at Pandora whilst Regan smiled proudly.
"Nice to know that someone shares your experience hmm?"
Pandora nodded.
"You know child, since you cannot remember your name, maybe we should give you a new one?" Diablo suggested.
Pandora looked over at Diablo.
"Huh?" she asked, "A new name?"
"Only so we can address you." Diablo explained "We can't just keep calling you Lizard Girl, or kid, or anything can we?"
"We all took new names when we mutated." Lamia said.
"We did indeed." Lilith agreed.
Pandora lowered her head to think it over.
"A new name?" she pondered.
"I think I might have one." Chastity suggested as she looked at the hybrid who looked over at the dove.
"What's that?" she asked.
"You were lost when we found you, and this is a new beginning for you, and possibly there is hope we can help you find your memory."
The other Disciples looked at Chastity.
"So, what's gonna be our lost friends new name then?" Seth questioned.
"Yeah, I'm curious to know." Samson agreed.
Chastity looked at Pandora.
"If our friend likes it, then I think the name Aurora suits her." She explained.
"Aurora?" everyone said at the same time, yet Pandora looked thoughtful.
"That's the name of the Princess in Sleeping Beauty!" Lilith said.
"Indeed, it is!" Rex said, "But then I do see Chastity's point, in a way, Aurora was lost, or rather hidden away from danger before learning her true origins."
The other Disciples heard Rex's words and they murmured as they realised what Rex meant and what Chastity suggested.
"I think it's a good name!" Regan said, "I love it!"
"Me too!" Seth agreed.
"I think so as well." Diablo agreed "But I think the person who has to give the answer is our guest here." He looked over at Pandora who was still looking thoughtful.
"Well? What do you think?"
Pandora looked at Diablo then at the others who looked at her expectantly.
"I like it." She said, "I do like the name."
She then smiled.
"Then that's my name, Aurora." She stated.
The other Disciples smiled, and Ravage raised his beer can.
"Welcome Aurora!" he said, "I drink to you!"
"So do I!" Samson agreed holding up his can and soon the others joined them.
"A toast to our newest Disciple!" Diablo said as he raised his can and Pandora/Aurora blushed.
"Welcome Aurora..."
Pandora still doesn't remember anything, but Regan has consoled her saying she knows how it feels and has informed the Hybrid what she was told of her origins.
As I mentioned above if you want to read about how she came to be, read my Fanfic 'United By Fate'
And also, Pandora has been given a new name now she's with the Disciples 'Aurora' and it rhymes with her real name!