Disclaimer: the official Twilight Saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. The ideas and characters are works of Stephenie Meyer and me. All rights reserved.
Full Description: The DiCosta family lived in Volterra, Italy. Aria and Catherina, the daughters of Angelo and Sofia DiCosta, are left orphaned after their parents mysteriously disappear on a dark cloudy day. Since that day, Aria and Catherina have only had each other. Late one night, Aria must leave Catherina to protect her from what she has become, what she believes to be the monster within that makes her creator so cruel. After her newborn stage, Aria realises she could return to her beloved little sister. Thing have changed in Volterra after Aria's long leave, and the eleven year old girl Aria knew as Catherina has become a woman in the five years they missed together. The undying love of two sisters lives on beyond what either of them can comprehend, and the last of the DiCosta family will discover the true meaning of love.
Time: The preface is pre-Twilight to Mid-Breaking Dawn, but the rest of it is Post-Breaking Dawn. I know that is confusing, but you will see what I mean later on.
A/N: The preface is all flashbacks.Thanks to my Beta, Drama4Twilght.
Preface: Memories
(Aria's POV)
I ran down the alleyway of Volterra after a busy Saint Marcus's Day festival. I was afraid to leave my little sister alone, for she was small after all. Our parents had vanished one night when I was nine years old, and I did not want Catherina to suffer the same fate. She was only eleven after all. I was almost eighteen; I could probably make it on my own out here. After all, we had lived here all of our lives, in this protected little city. I had always wondered what the walls of the city were protecting us from though. Those creatures of our nightmares could not ever be real, could they? I heard a noise behind me, and I, in instinct, spun around.
"Whose is there?" I asked, frowning.
"Do not worry child," a velvety voice replied.
My breath increased in its pace, and I turned to face the darker doorway where the voice was coming from.
"Well, show yourself then," I said, trying to be brave.
A man stepped out from the shadows and looked at me politely. He looked like the most beautiful angel from the oil paintings at the art galleries that Papa had worked in to make a humble living. His jet-black hair was fluttering around his face, his perfect face, so pale and beautiful he could be one of the statues in the water fountains, aside from his ruby red eyes that scared me so. His skin was so perfect and pale he could be a marble statue. He wore a black robe, and his arms were casually by his side. I continued to stare at the perfect man.
"What is your name, little one?" he asked, looking at me attentively.
I swallowed slowly and took a deep breath.
"Aria Faustine DiCosta," I said quietly.
His perfect lips parted into a dazzling smile, his teeth shining a brilliant white.
"My name is Aro Volturi," he said softly, stepping closer to me.
I took a step back, frowning.
"Now, now, child, do not be afraid," he said soothingly and suddenly he was beside me.
"How did you do that?" I asked.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Move so fast," I replied, turning my face so my sapphire blue eyes looked deep into his ruby red eyes. Somewhere in his eyes, I could detect simple curiosity; this made me like him instantly. However, somewhere else, there was heartlessness, which made my heartbeat falter.
"That is one of my little tricks. May I take your hand for a moment?" he asked curiously, almost innocently.
Without answering, I slipped my hand into his, and felt an odd sensation, something I could not quite explain.
"Oh!" he sounded delighted, and I adored the simple pleasantness of his exclamation.
"What?" I asked.
"I see you have a few tricks of your own, Miss DiCosta," Aro smiled, releasing my hand and bringing his hand up to my face.
"How do you know that?" I asked, again surprised.
"Another one of my own tricks, Aria," he breathed, running his fingers around my cheek lightly. His fingers then danced around my lips.
"Would you like to learn some of my tricks, Aria? Would you like to be like me?" Aro asked lightly.
"Of course," I replied.
"I should like to see what your power develops into child," Aro smiled.
The next thing I knew, there was a searing pain in my neck and Aro's hand was clamped over my mouth.
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"Hurry, my Aria," Aro called.
I stood from my chair and walked over to him. I was always his Aria. Everyone else was addressed by their first name, but I was special. I was his Aria. It was not love, for Aro loved his wife Sulpicia, and I loved my mate Santiago, but it was a special kind of bond, like family ties.
"Yes Master?" I asked.
"I shall need your talent for a moment, my Aria," Aro said calmly.
My talent, the reason that Aro had let me live. When I was human, I had feelings of how things would turn out. They had grown so much stronger now; I could tell how anything would turn out just by thinking about it. Aro was training me, to see if I could grow any stronger.
"Of course, Master," I bowed my head.
Aro was but a child, with enormous power.
"I am going to fight against the immortal child and its protectors, the Cullen Coven. What is the outcome, my Aria?" he asked gently.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on the idea of the upcoming battle. There was domination and power, followed by uneasiness, and confusion, then Aro's curiosity, before a closure. I opened my eyes.
"Well, my Aria?" Aro asked brightly.
"There were no fatalities for the Volturi," I said softly.
He beamed at me. I always enjoyed bringing him good news. It was the bad news that I hated to deliver, the news that upset him and worried him. Poor Aro, with his simplicity and carelessness. He was so childlike; I missed my own little sister dearly.
"What are you thinking of, my Aria?" Aro asked absentmindedly.
"Catherina, Master," I said.
He looked up at me.
"My child, we cannot be one with them. They are our foods," Aro explained.
I nodded. I knew how the story went.
"Will I come with you to the battle?" I asked. Aro nodded.
"I would not let you miss out on such a spectacular event in our history, my Aria," Aro said brightly.
For this was just a game to him. I wondered idly about what was even going on when I was alone, or with my newfound friend, Heidi, another of the Volturi guard, talented vampires to take care of Aro and his 'brothers' Caius and Marcus.
"I will see you later, my Aria," Aro said, and kissed my forehead lightly before leaving.
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We had left the battle, or rather the heated discussion over the baby. I could not believe this. A child, a child with hair like Catherina and me, had almost been killed. I ran back with Heidi, a little behind the rest of the guard, not wanting to believe what I had seen. Nevertheless, questions burned inside of me, like the endless thirst for people. The other vampires had been so strange, their human-like nature, and their golden eyes. How was that possible to have gold eyes? All the vampires I had ever known had irises are ruby red as the blood we drank.
"Did you see their eyes, Heidi? I have never seen anything like it," I said, and Heidi smiled at me.
"Oh, that's because they won't drink human blood," Heidi said lightly, tossing her hair.
"Is that possible?" I asked in disbelief.
"Oh, they live off animal blood. I tried it once, it was sort of like a cheap sort of version of real blood, but apparently it works for them," Heidi shrugged.
"Why do they do that?" I asked.
"They don't think its right to eat people I guess," Heidi rolled her eyes.
She clearly disapproved of this lifestyle.
"If they don't eat humans, then why did they get the newborn?" I asked.
"They live with humans. I guess Edward must have met her at his school or something," Heidi snorted.
I did not reply, and we ran in silence. I remained cool and calm on the exterior, but inside I was shattering. He lied to me. All of the things Aro had told me of vampires not being able to live with humans had been a lie. The other vampires did it. All these long five years I could have been with Catherina, if he had of told me.
After we arrived in Volterra, I spoke to Santiago about the strange vampires, and their ability to live with the humans. He did not understand, until I explained I could see Catherina, and so could he, for we could become like those strange vampires.
"We will have to leave the Volturi to do that, love," Santiago said gently.
I nodded. I knew how much the Volturi meant to him, being one of the few talentless members of the guard let in, but we both saw the lies that we had been fed since we were first reborn. We did not want this. We wanted more. I listened patiently for the next week, to Aro's thoughts about the half-vampires, to his thirst for knowledge. As the week drew to a close, Santiago and I collected our belongings, silently left the tower, and headed to my old home through the twisting streets of Volterra.