A/N: This little story is dedicated to my friend and star reviewer, Len Stormcrow, who has read and reviewed every chapter of every story I've written so far. So this is for you Len, for all the help, advise. and praise.

Shadow Puppets!

Without shadow

(Solaces)

Without shadow she is..
Because she is the source of thislight..
She is the shine, theluster, the last star in my sky..
She is withoutshadow..

I walk these cloistered hallways unable to leave but no longer wanting to stay. I am an incredibly old and so very weary vampire, but despite that I am also secretly a Shadow! What on earth you might ask is that? Well, let me explain it to you as best as I can.

If it's out of alignment, we fix it! If it's unacceptable we fight it! We don't want to take over from whoever it is that rules, no we just want the system of the day to be fair and not too dishonest, well as honest as vampires can be in the main. So we keep watching and when things are too far out of balance we, well we rectify it!

Sometimes this is just done by a little sleight of hand, other times by the demise of a specific vampire, once we even brought down the ruling body, but of course, their successors took all the credit!

The Romanians just had to go, they were even more corrupt than the Volturi are now, they were beyond hedonistic, disregarding our need for anonymity, they became sloppy, leaving the dead piled up like ornamentation and therefore nearly had the humans knowing all about us.

So we worked behind the scenes to engineer their downfall, unfortunately as it turned out, we also had to help another coven to gain stature, so they could take over. Although Aro Volturi at his worst is nowhere near as bad as Stephan and Vladimir were.

I became a Shadow many, many years ago, my own sire inducted me, he felt I could be of great help in keeping some balance in our world. When I joined with two others to make another coven after his demise, I carried on but now relayed pertinent information to other Shadows whom my sire had held in great esteem. They were the ones who encouraged me to help the Volturi take control placing me in their minds, in an excellent position to continue to help the cause, I was happy to do this then as I was young, vibrant and in love.

So by now you will have guessed I am a member of the house of Volturi, I hold a high position, but it is really in name only, the power is wielded over all by one vampire, Aro Volturi, he makes a great show of asking opinions, but usually ignores any advice given.

He also uses a powerful female vampire to bind us all to him, not allowing us to break free or leave. I lost all real interest in life in general about one thousand years ago when I suffered a tragic loss. But I still watch and listen as much as I can.

I inducted a member of the Aro's elite guard to our cause, five hundred years into the Volturi reign, he is a quiet, young but intelligent individual and had started to make small changes to plans and on occasion controlled the most vicious tendencies of the guard in regards to their human food.

It's one thing to leave a dead body bloodless, but the ripping it asunder or crushing its bones to powder, this draws attention and they often forget that's the one rule we must maintain. So he became my eyes and ears in the outside world on occasion as I was tied here, both by grief and Chelsea.

Introduction, Of A Sort!

shadow - haiku

(Christopher Wallace)

darkness under light
defines the contours of space
shadow deepens shine

I would love to introduce myself, but that would defeat the entire purpose here. I am as l you will by now, be aware a vampire, a human drinker. I have been for many years a Shadow. When I was first turned I was a good little vampire and did as I was told, but as the years passed I became more aware that there were many wrongs in my world.

So I began to listen, watch and if I could change a few little things, I was then ignorant to the fact that there was a group of like-minded vampires out there already doing what they could to keep a balance and stop the excesses that our race is prone to. When I was two hundred years old I was approached by a well known to me, vampire and asked to join the Shadows.

There are only a few of us who know who all of the Shadows are, it's much safer this way. I myself only know of maybe twenty at most. This way we can continue our work if a few are stopped by vampires who thrive on chaos.

My inductor he struggles to help sometimes as Aro has him under Chelsea's thrall, but because he cannot physically stop Aro, doesn't mean he can't throw a spanner in the works. He was a Shadow before the Volturi came to power and his mate was still alive.

He as well as everyone else suspects Aro had her killed to keep him here in Volterra, but we have never found the prove. You might think that would have been a good enough reason to put a stop to Aro? But that's not vampire philosophy, that's human.

They had been watching me for a few years by this time. This group has been in existence for almost as long as vampires have, it started with just one, then two and so on until today where worldwide we are two hundred and fifty strong. Now this might not seem like a lot per say, but as we live if possible, forever. Well, then we don't need to be so many as to be noticeable.

Here's another small clue to my identity, I work for the Volturi, it was Aro himself that turned me after saving my human live, and I have risen swiftly in the ranks, mainly due to the fear I foster in others and hold a semi-privileged position within the castle.

So I am basically a glorified spy, reporting to the group when I feel something is not as it should be. I am really good at this due to my calm, apparently quiet nature. It's more likely because I didn't fight against being a vampire once it had occurred, I couldn't undo it so why moan and decry it, just accept and move on that's my way of thinking. Has this got you guessing?

The problem interesting us at the moment Is actually Aro, well his obsession with having the best, gifted vampires under his control. He has begun to lose the plot when trying to acquire new ones, his sights are firmly set on two at present.

Benjamin from Egypt, of whom Amun thinks we know nothing, but Benjamin it a showman and was spotted from afar by a random Volturi scout, showing off his power to influence the elements.

The other is Alice Cullen (Whitlock), the mate of 'The God of War', a very dangerous vampire from the south of America, the pair live in the north as part of Carlisle Cullen's coven. She is a Seer, seeing the future depending on the decisions we make.

When Aro started to target covens with gifted members, a red flag went up and this was what sickened many of us eventually, several covens were wiped out before we worked out what he was up to. We are more concerned about the things he does that draw attention to and affects us on mass. Bringing us back to his collecting habits, he cannot be allowed to become omnificent!

Now don't get me wrong, I am a proper vampire, I kill for food and as part of my job, I'm no tree hugger. I don't want to save the human race from us, just stop them knowing about us. I don't think of them as much more than our food source, but they are not stupid, therefore need to be monitored at all times. Occasionally a special one appears and they need careful handling.

One hundred years ago roughly, it's hard to tell when time has no real meaning to you. I began to notice one of the upper guard, at that time, occasionally lied, saying a human or vampire was of no significant use to Aro, when I knew they were.

He did this to save them and their covens from Aro's attention, even destruction if he felt so inclined. So after careful thought, he was approached on my advice and recommendation, he was I am sure never aware I was also a Shadow. As he rose in position and joined the elite guard, he became more disenchanted with Aro.

Enough Was Enough!

Shadows

(Abdulhamid AlAttar)

Behind every memory
there is a shadow
that fears the dark...

No longer am I a Volturi guard, I once saved Aro Volturi's live and in front of everyone he promised me anything my heart desired, so I asked to leave and he could not deny me, lest he lose face. I had become disenchanted with our leader and his obsession for more power than one vampire needs. So I grabbed the opportunity to go while I could with my newly acquired mate.

We live a quiet simple life now myself and my mate and became part of another's coven. I still occasionally do the same job for the Shadows that I did for Aro, but this way I know they will never fall into his hands. I often feel for my inductor as he is still there in Volterra, he thinks I never guessed who he was, but I surmised it was him after I joined.

I was aware of him watching me, at first I thought he was a little sneak and would report me and I would die the second death. He never did and then on a routine foray I was approached by another shadow and ask to join and aid the cause, more than I was at present and with better back up.

We are carefully monitoring Aro's behaviour from inside and out of Volterra and he is starting to gain attention due to his sloppy covering up of tearing covens apart just to acquire a specific power. But this time, he's after two prominent coven leaders members and that's not good, especially Amun's, who never recovered from Aro's last assault when he took Demetri.

I had been watching closely when a certain gifted vampire broke free of his shackles and became a nomad for a time. I approached him with a proposition, to protect a special female vampire, funny how things turn out she was his mate.

He is a strong tactical and strategically minded vampire but with the ability to back this up with cunning and strength, superior fighting skills, an all round very useful vampire to have in your midst.

So he became a Shadow and they travelled far from his roots to join forces with another coven. This was sixty years ago and they had stayed off the radar for as long as they could. But unforeseen circumstances have forced them into the light so to speak.

Watchin' and Waitin'

shadow lover

(Cosmic Poet)

I can feel the darkness
I can feel my blood embracing the poison
like a lover in the shadows

I have only been a watcher for a short time compared to some and have on occasion help out when they asked, but my main task was to protect my own mate. This I have done diligently, she's no easy watch, let me tell you.

But events unfolded recently that has us all on the Volturi's hit list. This is the fault of a young immature coven mate of ours, his rash behaviour could get us all killed. He fancied himself in love and then decided he wasn't and left.

All was going fine until the fool, found out his once love interest had an accident and though misinformation he thought her dead and he went to end his own life, why no one knows, but he was going to do it at the Volturi's hand, well Aro's hand and as we all know he reads your thought through taking your hand.

So now he's aware of much more than we would like, thankfully nothing to do with the Shadows. He was sent home with a flea in his ear to his sire, being told she was not his mate only his singer and he missed a good meal. So he's back and now knows she's alive and she doesn't want anything more to do with him, who could blame her, the boy's an imbecile.

Let's hope that the fool doesn't get in the way and make things even worse than he already has done. I have never in my life met anyone with as big an overblown idea of their own importance. But the coven is keeping her close, to protect her for now.

During that time I approached a female and inducted her for two reasons, one she would be very powerful one day and two her gift would be a red rag to Aro, she's a must have. But I fear the guard will arrive soon to take her, or so they think. But She and I have secretly been working on her power and although she's still young, she will not be an easy snatch. She will fight and then pretend to fail, so she can be our Trojan Horse in their midst.

I'm the Bait!

Life in the shadows...

(Ryn Worth)

Life in the shadows; Isn't life at all

I am the newest and youngest Shadow, I'm also a large piece of bait in a trap to catch Aro Volturi, who is up to no good, he's aware of me, it's only a matter of time before he comes to collect me. I have a power, one that he will want, I'm different from all the other Shadows, why? I'm not even the same species! But I will be one day, just not yet.

My inductor informed me today that three of the guard have been dispatched to retrieve me, what am I? A parcel! If we're lucky one of the three will be a Shadow! But we will just have to wait and see. I am as ready as I will ever be.

It is to be hoped that Aro doesn't overextend his reach and try to take Alice as well, he's a very greedy man. We are hoping that one of the guard will be a very important Shadow and he will be able to convince the others it would be dangerous to go after both and to just take me. But either way, I'm ready, my power is not as dormant as everyone, except my inductor thought.

I'm supposed to put up a token fight, letting them see a little of my power, then let them take me to Volterra. I will then infiltrate them by pretending to willingly join the Volturi under certain spurious conditions, which Aro will concede as he wants me and will not be able to coerce or control me.

But my main task is to isolate one vampire and end her control over many of the vampires working there, Chelsea. But I need to make contact with the Shadows working within Volterra as well, so they can take Aro out when they are free of her control. How you may ask can I recognise them, easy each shadow has a poem or quote that they can say to make themselves known to the others.

So wish me luck, I believe my escort has arrived, let the mayhem begin.

Who are we? You must have guessed!

Shadows 1 (senryu)

(The Masked Pimpernel)

Sensual shadows...
moonlight revealing
the vampire's intent

Marcus Volturi, Alec Volturi, Eleazar Denali, Jasper Whitlock, Isabella Swan.

A/N: All Shadow poem snippets are from the following source:

Hellopoetry

A/N: Having a few days break, off to The Harry Potter Experience at Leavesden Studios UK, with my sister, she's a huge fan. Will be back late on the 25th Sept, so will post 1st chapter of part 3 of the Bella/Garrett series it's called 'He Wants, She Wants, But What Do I Want?' on the 26th xx AAP