Fight For You

Prologue

It was never meant to end up like this.

And yet here she stood, teetering on the brink of chaos.

Finally ready to fall.

Everyone has a defining moment. A moment that revealed who they were, a moment that defined who they would become. Defining moments revealed someone's true nature, showing what they were capable of. It set you on a definitive path, almost impossible to stray from. You might not even be aware that it had happened until the dust had settled in the aftermath of the storm. But once the moment had passed, there was no going back.

It was different for everyone. For some people, their defining moment was the point that they made a tough decision, throwing risk and caution to the wind to follow their heart. Maybe it was the moment they fell in love. Or the moment they gave birth to new life. Maybe it was the moment they watched someone they loved give in to death, watching the life leave their loved one's eyes for the last time. Maybe it was the moment they took someone's life. Or maybe it was the moment they saved someone, reaching out to tug them from death's grip.

Ariana often wondered if she'd had her defining moment. Was it the moment she decide to join her friends, becoming an assassin? The moment she threw away her innocence and picked up a vile of poison with the intention to kill? Was it the moment she sent shockwaves throughout an entire county? Or had it been the moment she first bumped shoulders with the boy who stole her heart? Each moment had changed her in a way, shifting her world ever so slightly.

But they didn't define her. Not like this.

The young girl had gone through a lot in the last few months. She'd loved, she'd lost, she'd destroyed. She'd found herself and then lost herself just as suddenly. She'd given as much as she could, only to receive nothing but pain back.

There had been a plan once, an exit strategy, but her friends had been violently ripped from her life before they had a chance to put it into action. They were meant to escape this pain and suffering. They were meant to move on to a new life, always wide eyed and hopeful despite their blood stained hands.

There had been a time when Ariana thought she could be better, a time when she wanted to show them all how good she could be. She wanted to be trusted, to be loved. She'd tried so hard to please them. She had tried to do everything right, only to be told she was nothing but a monster. Well enough was enough. Enough trying. It was no use denying what she really was anymore.

No more.

Now she stood, teetering on the edge of something terrifying, but she did not feel scared. She felt calm. She felt ready. Everything in the last few months had been leading up to this. All of the pain. The trauma. The lies she'd told. The truth that had cut her deep over and over again. It had all led her to the edge of chaos, finally ready. This was her last chance.

She knew the risks. This was the moment she would lose it all. She would lose the one person she had left. But it was the only way. The path was set. This was her final chance at redemption, even if it cost her everything. Now she stood on the brink, eyes closed as she let out a slow exhale.

Everyone had a defining moment in their life.

This was hers.

But it was never meant to be like this.

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to the second instalment of the Daughters of the Nemeton series! I'm so excited to bring you along on Ariana's journey again with the other girls as well as some more new characters who will be popping up! If this prologue seems familiar, that's because it takes place at the same spot as the TMD prologue, five months after season 4, which means we are slowly moving closer to the big moment of truth! I hope you enjoyed this small tease and the first chapter will be coming shortly. Feel free to leave a little review and let me know your thoughts/predictions for the story ahead!

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me throughout Take Me Down and I hope you enjoy Fight For You just as much! xoxo