Prologue – Alternate Ending for Breaking Dawn
I knew that this was it. Decision time. Our lives are now in the hands of the Volturi, the two-faced vampires who, and I'll quote the Romanians "wear white hats and label themselves as saints". Their intentions were clear the second they came, but that didn't destroy the tiny bit of hope I had that I would walk away from this. Even though Nahuel clearly showed that my Renesmee, my Nessie, posed no threat at all for exposure, they still felt the need to meet and decide what the fate of my family was. My Edward. My Nessie. My friends.
Edward and Alice both stiffened at the same time. Their faces went bone white. Their expressions was cold as ice. Suddenly, a stream of growls erupted out of their mouths as they glared with pure hatred toward Aro and Caius. It seemed to never end.
My first thought was that they had decided against Nessie. I bared my teeth, and a snarl slid past my lips. Who were they to decide if my family was going to live? A red haze washed over my vision as I stared at the cloaked trio.
Aro began speaking, as if he hadn't heard Edward and Alice growling at him. "We have decided, my friends, on what happens with young Renesmee tonight. We have agreed that she poses no threat." I was shocked as he said this, because Edward's glower was even more hate-filled than before. "We have decided that, since Edward can clearly see our intentions, that there is no need for false pretenses. Alice, we want you to join us. Your Jasper will face death if you were to choose otherwise."
A chorus of snarls, growls and hisses echoed through the clearing, many of them originating from me. Alice's eyes were full of despairing grief as she looked at her family. Me, Edward, Renesmee, Carlise, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob….and the face that was hardest to look at, to say good bye to, Jasper. She would never risk Jasper's life. She would easily sacrifice herself for Jasper's well being. That short look was the only good bye she could give. She kissed Jasper passionately, and said "Don't fight and hurt yourself. You can't win against such a huge army. Stay here. For me, don't fight"
Alice took a step forward and "I will join you". There was another kind of sadness in her face, something different than leaving her family. She was expecting more agony and pain. I tried to think about what would make her look that way, and I came up blank.
Aro continued. "Bella, the same applies to you. Your Edward will be hurt if you don't join us" Those two phrases seemed to be like the end of the world. I was only barely aware of the snarls that were such a contrast to the soft, feathery whisper that was Aro's voice. I was in a daze. Can vampires ever be in a daze? It seemed that way. But I knew I could never let anything hurt Edward. I looked at the crowd of vampires that swore their lives to protect my Renesmee. I kissed her on her neck, her cheeks, her hair and her hands.
"Good bye, honey" I told her.
Her eyes were full of unshed tears. She then gave up on keeping them in and began sobbing. It hurt me to see her this way.
"I love you" I whispered in her ear.
"More than my own life" she whispered back, clutching at the locket I bought her for Christmas.
I turned around to face Edward, whose face looked like he was under Jane's eyes of torture. It always hurt like a stab wound to my heart when I saw him like that. He was in pain. Serious pain. And I couldn't do anything about it. There was no way that I'd allow him to take his own life, just so that I don't join the Volturi.
I kissed him with as much passion as there was in my body. I used all my strength, my love, not caring about my audience. I knew that I would be crying my eyes out, if it were possible.
"I love you" I told him
"I love you too. I'll try to visit as much as I could."
"I know. It won't be anywhere near enough though."
A spark of inspiration flashed in his eyes. "Do you want me to join with you?"
In truth, of course I did. Of course I wanted him around. Then again, I wouldn't want my family missing so many of their members. I didn't want Renesmee to have to live without both her parents. I didn't want him to join them on their constant journeys to punish other covens. I wouldn't want him at risk that way. I didn't want him to have to be part of such hypocrisy.
"No. I don't want you to have to deal with it. It will make me feel better and happier if you were to stay away from them. Please don't, for me" I said, quoting Alice.
"I will only do what makes you happier"
My lips curved up a bit around the edges. "Thanks honey." I couldn't bear to walk away from him, especially with that agonized look still in his eyes. But I had to do what I must to protect him and my daughter, my Nessie. I don't want any of my family at risk.
I looked at the Volturi guard. I noticed that Jane and Alec were not happy with what Aro offered. Chelsea was trying to break Alice's and my bond from the rest of our family's. I kept my sheild up though and I resolved that I would always have my shield around Alice while we were there. I didn't want to hate my family and I couldn't have her at risk from Alec and Jane.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I will join you" I said, sobs breaking my voice twice. Alice and I met halfway across the line our allies made, held hands, and slowly turned to face our new life.
Chapter 1 – The Volturi
Alice could see how depressed I was. She also felt sad, but I doubted it was nearly as bad as my despair. I had two people in my life that I couldn't live without, and she only had one. It was much worse for me. Dealing with the pain of not being able to see the two faces I loved the most in this whole universe was something I did not enjoy dealing with. It was like there was a hole in my chest again, yet this time it was double the size. My whole torso was empty from top to bottom.
Edward just came to visit again. He was forced to leave when I didn't have anything close to the amount of time I needed with him. I needed forever. I wasn't going to get it. Renesmee. My dear Nessie. It felt like I had just begun to speak with them when Alec came and informed us that this was enough. Edward snarled, but I didn't want him to get into any trouble. I just told him that it was okay. I tried to smile. Really, I did my best. But it got twisted and mangled into a grimace.
Alice was sulking around. Just like I was. We hated this life. We hated the Volturi. We rarely hid that fact. I felt a stab at the shield that I always kept around Alice. Jane was annoyed with her moping and took another shot at Alice. I snarled a warning at her and Alice looked up. She saw me glaring at Jane, and joined me.
Alice and I were always next to each other. I had her back, she had mine. Whenever Aro would take her aside to speak to her privately about the future, I would go into full panic mode. I would keep my shield around both her and Aro, so that he could hear her and so that she would be protected from Jane and Alec. We were always dragged out with the others to punish covens. Watching them murder again. And again. And again. It did all but drive me insane.
Mealtimes were always bad. It killed me to hear the humans screaming from inside that awful room while Alice and I shuddered convulsively in the lobby. Once they were too busy to notice, we left and ran to nearby forests and carried on Carlisle's way of hunting. Animals only. Humans survive. Families remained intact. No one worried about their husband coming home. No one waiting for their sons and daughters to come home from the grocery store…
"Bella? Bella?" Alice said in a small voice, full of concern. "Speak to me!"
I was so enveloped in my own thoughts to even notice her talking to me. "Sorry Alice. Just…thinking"
"Yeah. I know what you mean" Not even close to how much I mean, but still enough that it would cause anyone the heart breaking of a lifetime.
Alice was recovering from another good bye scene with Jasper, as was I. I missed Emmett so much. I missed my whole family. They all occasionally visit, but they can't come over as much as Edward, Nessie and Jasper, because they had to keep up pretenses. That was their reason. My reason (and Alice's included) was because it wasn't safe for them here. The one person I didn't see since that last time before the confrontation, which resulted better than I'd hoped for. But it ended up causing me more pain than I'd ever felt in my whole of my existence. I missed Charlie, who was wondering where I was and probably fuming over whatever excuse the Cullens gave them for my disappearance this time.
I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say.
She sighed and looked away. Her eyes were filled with pain, just as mine were. I knew that was the expression on my face. Did I ever have any other expressions anymore? It was either that or a cold, dead stare.
Alice then froze. Her eyes widened with surprise. Her mind was somewhere in the future. She was only here in body.
"Alice? Alice! Alice, what happened?" I screamed at her. The last time I saw that look on her face was when she foresaw the Volturi coming…
Her eyes then flashed to my face with the most horrified expression I've ever seen on anybody planted on her face.
Chapter Two – Horror
Alice's eyes were frozen on my face. I was really starting to worry now. We were part of the Volturi (the mere thought of that disgusted me) so there couldn't be anything threatening us. Was it possible that there was something worse than the Volturi?
"But…what…not…again…" Alice mumbled to herself. I was getting irritated now. Why wouldn't she just tell me? It couldn't possibly be any worse than the situation we were already in.
"Alice! Tell me!" I nearly shouted at her.
She suddenly snapped out of her reverie. "The Romanians."
The Romanians wanted revenge from the Volturi. We knew that. There wasn't any way that they could present any possible attack on us. The force was too strong. Unless…?
"They want to attack the Volturi. The army they created…so strong…" She seemed to be slipping into another one of her visions.
I felt my legs go numb. It seemed that the Romanians were taking ideas from us. Copying what we did to save Nessie. But they had a lot more time. They could properly go around and find the strongest vampires to fight for them. There were many vampires that were also looking to avenge their mates. I didn't think it was possible for my life to get any worse.
I was wrong.
I needed more information now. "Alice. Tell me more."
She slowly turned her head to face me. "There are so many… And they are coming. Soon. I couldn't determine how long…"
"Do you know where?" I asked her nervously.
"Here. I am going to get killed." She took a few steps backward. "I am going to get killed here. Exactly where I am standing."
I froze where I stood. No. Alice. Could. Not. Die. My sister couldn't die. I wondered if they would decide to keep me. Then again, if Alice ended up dead, and her power was definitely useful, why would they even bother to keep me too? I'd rather they kill me anyway. The Romanians didn't bother to deliver peace. They just liked killing. It was obvious. I would go insane if I stayed with them, since Alice wouldn't be with me.
It was impossible to hope that the other vampires wouldn't hear our conversation. Their eyes were all widened with a panicked horror. Even Aro's usually calm exterior was completely shattered. He never really thought that he ever had a chance of ever getting killed with all the protection he had here. But after what Alice said, after her utter confidence that she would die. He was…afraid. Scared. I have never seen that expression on any of the Volturi members. They obviously took what the Romanians were up to seriously.
"What else did you see, Alice?" Aro said as he lightly put his hand on Alice's shoulder. She flinched away from it and stepped back with a disgusted look on her face. How Alice of her.
She answered anyway. She had to, as she noticed everyone staring at her. They would probably attack if she didn't speak. "They put together a large army to attack you." She never included herself as part of the Volturi. It made her sick. "Since they didn't get their fight at the last confrontation, they just decided to go ahead and do it themselves. And before you ask, yes, you are outnumbered."
There were gasps sounding from all around the room. I've never seen any of them actually worried. Just lusting for the kill. Even annoying little Jane had her eyebrows pulled together, obviously concerned. I enjoyed that look. Finally getting what she deserved.
Aro's face suddenly had a sort of hope on it. Alice foresaw what he was about to say, and her face was abruptly angry. Frightening. Furious growls started to echo across the ceiling. This was one of the rare moments that she actually seemed like a vampire to me. I briefly considered what would make her look that way. There weren't many options. Of course Aro would come up with the one solution that I would hate the most. As I came to the horrifying conclusion, my face reflected hers and we both chorused the growls.
Worry – Chapter 3
The instinct to protect my family was starting to take over me. Alice foresaw that I was about to attack Aro, and she immediately snapped out of her crouch and put her arms around me. I didn't struggle, since she had a point. Getting me killed was not the best idea right now.
The Cullens. My family. Aro wanted to form an alliance with my family to protect the rest of the Volturi. He would ask them to fight, and they would accept. They would do anything to help save Alice and me. But even with an extra five (or six, including Nessie) vampires, they wouldn't be able to make much of a difference. And now I realized what he was really planning, what he really had in mind. If Renesmee was going to fight, then Jacob was going to fight. And if Jacob were to battle with The Volturi, that means all the wolves would join him. Even though they didn't appreciate becoming allies with werewolves (or shapeshifters, in this case), they seemed to value their lives too much.
Even though Alice and I jumped straight to Aro's conclusion, the others were confused. He began to speak in his whisper voice, with a tiny bit of hope starting to show in his voice "My dear ones, I decided that, though some of us will not like it" He flashed a quick look at Alice and me, then continued. "We will ask the Cullens to become our allies, therefore involving the werewolves, and the Denali coven." The Denalis? Oh yeah. Perfect. Just wonderful.
There were a few relieved murmurs coming from all around the room, though the tension was not completely gone yet. I knew what this meant. Learning how to fight. Training. It was like we were preparing for the last encounter with the Volturi all over again.
Alice's hands were starting to losen. I turned around and caught sight of the blank expression on her face. She was slipping into another vision. Her eyes turned glassy, as if she was looking right through me. She was suddenly back to the present, and she flickered a look toward Aro, and then back at me. She gazed at me with dead eyes.
"What is it Alice?" I said in a choked, concerned whisper.
"The Romanians…they're going to kill every coven that poses a threat to them…So even if Carlisle doesn't accept the alliance, even if Aro doesn't get around to threatening them with out lives…Our family is going to be attacked anyway…And they will end up dead"
My face went bone white. "What if they become our allies, Alice? What will happen then?"
"I can't see what the outcome of our battle will be. They seem to be playing with the holes in my vision, like Victoria did. I got lucky with the couple of visions I saw. Stephan and Vladimir don't really know my power as well, so it looks like some things are slipping through."
I clenched my jaw, making my teeth strong enough to easily cut through steel. They planned this well. "So they are purposely not making any official decisions."
"Yeah. I guess they got more information about us than we thought last time…"
Even though this conversation was obviously between Alice and I only, the whole group heard us. Well at least we didn't have to repeat ourselves. It was very strange to see all those scared looks on the Volturi members. They never feared for their life since they joined. And all of a sudden, their lives are on the line. Their lives were perfect until it was interfered.
It might be a bit petty, but it felt good that they knew what we went through. We were living in a perfect world, then suddenly it was broken. I will never forgive Aro for what he did to us and he knew that very well.
Although I didn't want to start thinking about what might be the outcome of this fight, I had to. Alice said she was going to die. I will do my damndest to make sure that didn't happen. Many of us were going to lose their lives. Or at the very best, some of us. Only, which one of us would that be?
Excitement - Chapter 4
"Any volunteers?" Aro asked cheerfully.
Naturally, Alice and I jumped at the oppurtunity. " We will go" Alice said in a rush. Aro was looking for someone to tell our family about the upcoming fight.
Aro was expecting this. He spoke in a dull tone. "Sure, girls. Be back in a hurry. We need to begin our training as soon as possible."
I just nodded and dashed out the exit with Alice right on my heels. This journey could be considered happy, since we got to see our family again. But it could also be considered very sad, due to the reason. We were at the airport within twenty minutes.
I was feeling hyped throughout the whole plane ride. I really couldn't wait to see Edward. My hands longed to touch his face. My lips wanted to caress his. And Renesmee. I needed to see my daughter, to hold her in my arms, to kiss her bouncy bronze curls. The exact same shade of Edward's hair. My mind was now drifting away into some of my most wonderful memories with my family. Especially with Edward. I didn't know what Alice was doing or saying right now. I'm not even sure if she was speaking, but even if she was, I really couldn't pay attention. My mind was still wandering...
Alice nudged me a few hours later. I had no idea that the plane landed. I walked out gracefully, kind of dazed, and I got the usual stares and jaw drops from the human men. We were now in Atlanta. One more flight to Washington, then we would be well on our way to Forks. I grinned hugely as I considered that.
While we were on our plane, Alice poked me on my shoulder with a sly look on her face. I raised one eyebrow questioningly.
"Bella," She began in a suggestive tone. "How about you keep your shield around me when we get close to the house? I want the family to be totally surprised at our arrival. Including Edward." My eyes filled with wonder as I thought of the looks that would be on their faces when they saw us.
"Of course" I answered in a whisper, still admiring the image in my head.
She grinned happily. Her expression then started to drift away and I could tell that she didn't speak to me on our flight before. She was also going over her happy memories. I thought of Edward and then my expression was exactly like hers. I was only there in body, my mind floating away into the most pleasurable memories any human or vampire ever had.
I was soon aware of a shift in the cabin pressure. We were going to land soon. I couldn't help the big smile that formed on my face, though it looked out of place amongst all the other tired and dull expressions that all the humans wore. A few minutes later, we were on the ground. Alice and I shared a look, both of our faces glowing with excitement.
We were scrambling through the airport, looking for the nearest exit. Alice found one and we ran out of it as quickly as humanly possible. The second we were in the safe shade of the forest trees, we were going at a full speed sprint. Even though we were still a bit far, I put my shield around her. Just in case.
It seemed like ages until we reached the big white house on the river. Time slows down when you're anticipating something wonderful. We slowed to a walk and leaped up the stairs. I knocked the door, and could hear some confusion going on inside.
"Maybe the Denalis came for a surprise visit?" Esme suggested in an upset tone. None of the Cullens ever really got over us leaving. The image stuck in my mind, waiting to be transformed into reality.
Chapter 5 – Acceptance
Suddenly, the door opened. The most beautiful man in the world was standing inches away, his eyebrows shifting from being pulled together, to rising up in surprise. Even though I had perfect recall, my memories still didn't do him any justice. He was more beautiful than what I remembered, even though it seemed impossible. I didn't waste a single second. I pulled Edward right to me and kissed him with as much force as I could. He responded with just as much ferocity. Emmett would've probably been clearing his throat by now, but I was too busy to notice.
He pulled me back to look at my face. I stared into his topaz eyes, while he stared into mine.
"Hi" I said, one corner of my mouth pulling up.
He laughed. "Hi there" I turned to see the exact image that formed in my head earlier. Except Renesmee was missing. Maybe she was out hunting or something. Esme came over to me and hugged me tightly. Then she ran over to Alice and did the same.
"Hey Bell" Emmett said sweetly. He wasn't wearing mocking grin that used to be glued to his face. Everyone must've been depressed over our departure.
"It was smart of you to keep your shield around Alice" Edward winked. I could tell he was suspicious as to why it was still around her, but I just grinned back and said nothing.
That was when Renesmee came in, walking next to Jacob. The difference between their sizes wasn't very subtle. "So it was your voice that I heard!" She squealed. She jumped into my arms and I held her and squeezed her tightly. I didn't know if this was getting uncomfortable or even painful to her, but she didn't complain at all. "I missed you" I whispered in her ear. "Me too" Her voice broke. Tears were flowing down her eyes, making my hair wet. Not that I cared.
We hugged and greeted everyone. Carlisle was obviously happy to see us, but he could tell that there was a reason we came. A while after, he was done supressing his curiosity. "Don't take this the wrong way, but, what brings you here?"
"Should I tell them or should you?" Alice sighed.
"Just tell Edward through your mind, and he can pass along the message." I tried to say this jokingly, to lighten the mood, but my voice was thick with worry and concern.
I lifted the shield around Alice and the room went silent. Edward's brows furrowed into a straight line as he read Alice's thoughts. His lips curled back, exposing his perfect teeth.
"What is it Edward?" Carlisle asked. He repeated everything he just heard in Alice's head, and everyone stiffened while they're expressions transformed into various degrees of anger.
"There is no doubt that we will fight" Emmett said determinedly. I knew this would happen, but I still couldn't help the pain that shot through me. The pain that I might lose any of my family. Jasper winced and tried to calm me. I knew that whether they accepted the alliance or not that they would die. But still.
"Of course we will" Carlise said. They all shot out the back door, on their way to the airport.
Alliance - Chapter 6
While we were on our way, Jacob sent messages to Sam and the rest of his pack. They didn't hesitate with their responses and quickly ran over to find us. I held Edward's hand tighter and ran faster. We didn't have much time to waste.
Part of my very roomy mind contemplated the bright side of this alliance. Edward. He was going to be with me the whole time until the Romanians came. He would never leave my side. I would spend more time with him in these few weeks or days then I did since I joined the Volturi. I really didn't know whether to smile or frown at that thought.
"We're almost there" Edward told me. We were on our way to the Denali coven. I didn't know how they would react, but I'm pretty much expecting them to act the way the wolves did. Tanya came out to greet us before we knocked. Our expressions weren't exactly ones of happiness and welcome and she understood right away that something was up.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her brows angling over her eyes.
Carlisle spoke on our behalf, and told the whole story again. The Romanians, the attack, the army... It almost hurt to have to hear it all again. Tanya's eyes widened and narrowed into slits as the story progressed. Just then, the rest of her family came out. By the ferocious looks in their eyes, I could tell that they heard everything that was just said.
Kate stepped forward from the straight line that was formed amongst the Denalis. "Either way we're doomed. We will have a higher chance of survival if we accept the alliance. And of course, we're always on your side. We will go with you." The others nodded their heads fiercely in agreement. I was pretty much expecting this, so I didn't waste any time on being surprised. We needed to get back. Alice thought this at the same time that I did, and we shared a look.
A nudged Edward and I sighed. "We need to get going. Aro told us to hurry back."
"Sure, of course." Edward replied unwillingly.
We were now a huge group of thirty. To remain inconspicuous, half of us went back to Washington and caught a plane there and the other half boarded a flight in Canada. I wanted to see Washington one last time before we left, so I ran back there, hand in hand with Edward.
I noticed that time tended to fly when you really weren't looking forward to something. This was going to be a very short plane ride.
Chapter 7 – Unexpected
As soon as we saw the huge entrance to the Volturi castle, we all slowed to a walk. Alice got to the door first, and opened it unwillingly. She sighed and walked in with me right on her heels.
"Hello Gianna" she greeted her with a dull voice.
"Hello Alice. Hello Bella. Here are your robes." She pulled two robes out of a drawer and paid no attention to the large group that was also in the room with us. I took mine from Gianna and wore the dark robe with resenment written all over my face. It was the exact color as Jane's and Alec's. Aro treasured us just as much as those wasn't a compliment to me. I glanced at Edward with an apology in my eyes. But he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at the robe I wore with pure hatred planted on his face. He despised the fact that I had to wear it more than anything besides the Romanians.
I sighed and took his hand. Alice and I led the way to the wide room where the rest of the Volturi were waiting. I opened the door and found Aro with the false mask of friendliness on his face again.
"Hello dear friends!" He said cheerfully. All the vampires stiffly nodded, while the wolves just stood there. Most of the Volturi members, Jane especially, were glowering at the werewolves. Some of them just wrinkled their noses and stepped back from the smell. The room was dead silent after Aro's greeting.
Emmett shocked me by breaking the silence. His voice was ice cold."Let's just cut the crap and get right to the training."
"Why, of course!" Aro carried on with just as much enthusiasm. I rolled my eyes. "Felix, Demetri, lead everyone out back."
"Sure" Felix answered with a smirk on his face.
They took us out to a room with smooth, flat tiles covering the floor. Perfect for fighting.
Demetri stood a bit awkwardly in front of us. He was a bit uncomfortable with the wolves. Then he straightened his position and spoke in a loud, clear voice. "I'm Demetri and I'll be teaching you how to fight today, Volturi style." He grinned. "Who wants to go first?"
Emmett stepped forward, naturally. "I'll go". Though Demetri was big, Emmett was a lot bigger and he loved flaunting his strength. He arrogantly walked over to where Demetri was waiting. They began the fake fight, and it was easy to tell who was winning. I chuckled as I saw how much my big brother was enjoying himself. I truly missed my family.
Everyone took turns with both Demetri and Felix. It got a bit weird when it was Jacob's turn. Demetri and Felix didn't seem to care who they were fighting with. This made it a lot easier for the rest of my furry friends. I was surprised with how much I knew. I lost against Demetri, but I beat Felix. He was very casual about his loss.
"You learned a lot from watching us fight during all those battles. You even used my own moves against me" He grinned.
"Huh. That explains it then."
He winked and walked over to fight Sam.
"You were excellent" Edward grinned, kissing the top of my head.
"Thanks" I smiled back and took his hand.
Felix stood in front of the line we made. "This is enough for today. I'm pretty sure you're all bored of this." He paused for a second. "Jasper?"
"Yes?" Jasper replied skeptically.
"Do you mind being an instructor next time? Your fighting skills are very useful."
"Uh sure" He said, astounded.
Felix smiled and left. We made our way back to where the other Volturi were waiting for us. Tanya's face was angry and she threw a murderous glare toward Caius.
"NO!" Edward shouted. But it was too late. This was what she was hiding from Edward earlier.
I felt the whoosh of wind as she charged right at the vampire she hated so much to avenge the loss of her sister.
Chapter 8 – Grief
We just lost one of our own. That's not the worst part. The worst part is that the fight was between two people on our side. It was still weird to have the Volturi on "our side". I still didn't fully accept it mentally. Anyway, back to my original point. We were already one down, and the real fight hasn't begun yet. This stirred up countless questions in my head. What does this mean? Will there be any other fights like this? How many more will we lose? The list could go on...
I thought all the pain was to be put off until the Romanians got here. I was wrong. I thought up a mental recap of what just happened...
Aro immediately got up to save his brother and with Caius and Aro against Tanya... She just didn't stand a chance. Anyone who attacks the Volturi will be killed. She was up in flames and burning to ashes in seconds. It just happened so quickly that there was no reacting time.
Carlisle and Esme were inside consoling the other Denalis. Edward was grieving for his loss, but showed no sign of it. He hid his emotions well, but I knew him. I tried to comfort him as much as I could. I very was sad for the loss of my cousin in law, but I barely knew her so it didn't affect me as much. Felix was kind enough to cancel training for the day. I noticed that he was starting to act very..nice to us. Almost like he considered us as family.
As much as I loved Tanya and wanted to mourn her, I needed to get away from here. It was just too much sadness to handle right now. My appearance in the mirror and the burn in my throat told me that I needed to go hunting. I looked around for Alice and met her searching for gaze. She must've foreseen the question I was about to ask. I took her hand and led her out in silence.
She didn't say anything for the whole run towards the forest. We found a herd a deer and we were still quiet as I satisfied my thirst. I kept my questions to myself, until I couldn't keep them in any longer.
"Alice." She looked up from her pray with blank eyes. "What do you think this would mean?"
"I have no idea." She sighed.
"Can you see any other fights like this?" I asked quietly.
"No, but you know how quickly someone can change their mind." She answered.
She didn't seem to be anymore knowledgable about the future than me at this point, even with her powers.
"Bella, can I tell you something?" Her voice and expression were thick with pain.
"Of course" I was confused. Why did she look like this?
"Bella, I have my gift for a reason. Right now, I can't use it. There's nothing to see. When I need it the most, it's gone. I feel so...helpless Bella. So useless." She was sobbing at this point. "There's nothing I can do. People rely on me for my gift. And I have nothing to tell."
My eyes widened in shock. "It-It's okay Alice. I'm so sorry. I had no idea you felt this way." I stumbled over my words..
"Well I do Bella. And it hurts. It hurts so bad..." My sister was suffering this whole time and I had no idea.
"Shh..It's alright" I whispered to her, feeling guilty that I didn't realize this earlier. "I'm sorry I didn't notice this earlier."
"It's okay." She sniffed. I held her and ran my fingers through her spiky hair. We stayed like that for a bit, unmoving.
"We have to get going" She said.
"Okay." I replied, getting up.
"And uh..thanks for letting me open up to you that way. I just couldn't supress my feelings anymore"
"That's what sisters are for" I smiled. She returned the smile and then started running back to the Volturi castle. I got in and found Edward and he was feeling a lot better. Since Felix put off training today, I guess all I could do was sit around and...wait. Wait for death. Wait for the end. Wait for us to be finished. Just wait. I was starting to empathize with Alice. Thought it was a huge mistake to hope when we were fighting the Volturi, I couldn't help but do the same here. Did we have a chance of walking away, unharmed?
Chapter 9 - The Beginning
It's been two weeks since we all grouped together here. Everyday we would train and practice for the fight. The anticipation had us all on edge. There was no way to see them coming ahead of time. Maybe by a few minutes or so, but that was all.
Felix and Edward have grown to become friends while we were here. This surprised me, but it also warmed my silent heart. Some goodness came out of this though it would all come to an end soon... I tried not to focus on that part. Even with all the extra room in my mind, that was all I could think about. It would all come to an end..It would all come to an end...That sentence repeated itself many times before I looked at Edward and distracted myself with the beauty of his face. A beauty I couldn't admire much longer...
At that moment Felix called us in for another tutorial. They were getting quite repetitive, but with the thoughts on my mind right now, I really didn't mind. I enthusiastically jumped up, dragging Edward with me. He smiled at how childish I looked and ran over to where Felix was standing.
Everyone endured yet another dull instruction course with bored eyes. It seemed to drag on for a bit longer than usual today. I guess they were lengthening it a bit since they were expecting the Romanians to come at any time now. I noticed Alice was beginning to relax. She always does when she sees that the class is about to finish. Two minutes later, Demetri anounced the end of today's training.
Edward, as always, had his hand intertwined in mine. I stood up on my toes and reached my free hand to his face. He took the hint and bent down to kiss me, not at all being careful the way he used to. Before the Volturi came to get us the first time, I used to think that I could have him this way for eternity. My life was perfect, totally flawless. But now...
It would all come to an end.
I was so glad that I couldn't cry as a vampire, or else unintentional tears would be streaming down my face right now. Even as I was kissing Edward, the thought of losing him was still there, lurking in the back of my mind, ready to come out and crush me at any random time.
I did my best to keep my focus on the present only, but it was so difficult while knowing that I'll probably be dead soon. Gone. Finished. Over with. The "forever" I got with Edward after my transformation would be gone.
Soon after, I noticed an obvious change in the atmosphere. Though Edward and Alice were the only ones who looked horrified, I could just see the tension in the air. I blinked, hoping that the scene would change when I reopened my eyes. Nothing did. I knew what this meant, even though I was prepared for it, it doesn't mean that I wanted to face the result.
Here I was, about to face the end of my life. Or existence. Or whatever it was called.
"How long?" I whispered to Edward. I didn't have to tell him what I was talking about. He already knew.
"Ten minutes." He looked into my eyes.
So I had ten minutes left until... I didn't finish that thought.
We all gathered in the large, open space that we all use as a hang out while we waited for the fight to save our lives. We waited for the Romanians to come and win back their status of royalty in our world. We waited to die.
It would all come to an end.
Chapter 10 - The End
I kissed Edward goodbye, knowing that my existence would soon be over. We stood in three long lines and I felt tension that was so strong that it was nearly tangible. Many other farewell scenes are going on, but I couldn't look. Too much to handle. I searched our crowd for Renesmee. Where was she...? I had no time to search for her since the door bursted open and hit the wall with a loug bang. My eyes widened at the amount that accompanied the two heartless vampires.
The Romanians stormed the castle mercilessly. Reams of large, experienced fighters were coming at us from every direction. I was completely disoriented for a while. The loud metallic screeches were coming from all around. Screams of agony that I refused to believe was one of our own's were echoing off the walls. I couldn't bear to look and find out who's no longer with us. I cowered out and hid in a corner as the strong scent of burning vampires flooded the air. The aroma was making me nauseous.
That's when I finally stopped acting stupid and realized what I was doing. That was my family dying out there and I'm sitting in a corner out of fear of facing the battle. I immediately ran out to save my relatives, or what's left of them anyway... What I saw was a scene that was completely frightening. I went back and remained hidden, only peeking from behind a wall to see what was happening.
Ashes, flames were surrounding the room from every direction. I couldn't tell who was dead and who was still alive. They were already ashes. I stood there, horrified at the scene. Anger coursed through my veins like an adrenaline rush. I sped back out and used that anger to attack everyone that came close to me and my loved ones, even though there weren't many left... The metallic screech of tearing up my enemies gave me a sense of satisfaction this time, rather than nausea.
I made a quick head count of how many were left on our side. 21 vampires out of the original 58. I noticed that the golden shine of Carlisle's hair was nowhere to be found. And Esme's sweet, delicate face was missing...
I looked away before the pain knocked me to the ground. I had to keep fighting. If I didn't do that, there was no purpose of my being here. I had to keep going. I needed to defend the lost souls of my parents.
I noticed an unusually large group of five vampires surrounding one. From his large body frame, I could tell it was Emmett. He was about to die. But before I could even run to try and help him, he was burning. My playful bear of a brother. Gone. I clutched at my hair from the roots and bit my hand to keep from screaming. I didn't need attention to be brought back to me.
I looked for the disarray of bronze hair that I loved so much. I look around wildly, hoping to spot it. Eventually I did, but it wasn't how I was hoping. Edward screamed in pain as he was dismantled. He then became a pile of ash on the ground. That was all that was left of my life.
It would all come to an end.
"NO!" I collapsed to my knees and dug my nails into the stone floor. The vampires that killed the core of my existence ran over to me. I didn't care. I was already dead, only my body was here. I remained unmoving, and I actually smiled a bit as I went numb and was being torn apart. Piece by piece.
Epilogue – Eternity
I stared out into the green of the Amazon...Remembering…
I ran off at full speed, going to as far as England to remain hidden and to wait out the fight. This was not my choice of course. Jacob requested this from me. He wanted me to stay safe. I felt the need to do what he said. For some reason, I just couldn't refuse.
My heart was pounding in anxiety as I went back to the castle. Silence. The war was over. I entered timidly. I stopped there, dead frozen at what I saw before me. Endless piles of ashes and dust covered the floor. No one was here. This made it obvious who won this battle. But I refused to believe it. Is it possible that my family was k...kil... I couldn't even think the word. I unwillingly counted the piles. Sixty-four. If we won, someone would've come to look for me by now… I collapsed as the crushing weight of the pure agony knocked me to the ground. My body convulsed into uncontrollable sobs and cries. It was too much pain to endure. No one was left. I was all alone in this world. I would very much rather kill myself. And Jacob asked me not to. And for some reason, I just couldn't say no to Jacob. My Jacob…
I was now seven years old, though I appeared to be eighteen. I would never change or grow again. Tears rolled down my face as I looked back at the most hurtful memory I owned. The Cullens were over. I was the last person left to bare that name. In some ways, I was happy to know that there was someone left to carry on the line. But when I think about how it's just me, loneliness begins to overwhelm me.
I roamed the lands alone for quite some time, thinking about finding a coven to join. I was only beginning to feel how Carlisle must've felt in his search for a companion. That was when I remembered one person who wouldn't mind my company. He welcomed me with open arms, even though I never went back to visit him for his efforts in trying to save me when I was a toddler. I always thanked him generously for his compassion, but he always told me that he didn't mind, not at all.
I grew to love him, even though I knew it was a weak echo of what my heart was really capable of. I was somewhat happy in this life we made here, but every time I remember how my life could've been, I burst into tears. I feel guilty over betraying Jacob's heart a lot of the times, but I knew that he meant for this to happen. He wants me to be happy.
After long hours of deliberation, I decided to marry him. I knew how happy this would make him feel, and just seeing that wide smile of pride would be worth it. I needed someone to carry on the Cullens name with, and he was such a great man. We would name our children after my mother and father. Bella and Edward. Their goodness needed to be represented somehow.
Even though my father, or any of my aunts and uncles, didn't believe in an afterlife, I knew that it's where they were. The Cullens, all but two, were wrong. And due to the shear goodness of their souls, I knew that they were enjoying the pleasures of heaven right now. My lips curved up slightly as I contemplated that.
"Nessie?" His deep, sweet angel's voice called out to me. My heart fluttered.
I ran back to find him. The one person I had left in the word was waiting for me right there. I bounced into his arms.
"Yes Nahuel?" I asked as I stared into his teak colored eyes.
He grinned devilishly as he bent down to kiss me. I didn't know how much better this would be with Jacob, but I guess that I would never find out. I loved Nahuel, and I always will. He was the one that saved me from my depression. Without him, I would still be in a complete state of denial and suffering over my lost family. I would've completely lost my mind by now.
The rest of my life, or existence, whatever you wanted to call it, waited for me, right here in his arms. In this future that I was choosing right now, there was no Jacob to be with. No Bella to hold me. No Edward to sing me to sleep. No Carlisle to heal my wounds, whether they were emotional or physical. No Esme to comfort me when I'm upset. No Rosalie to play dress up with. No Alice to take me on shopping sprees. No Emmett to make me laugh no matter how stressful times became. And no Jasper to calm me whenever I got too nervous or too tense.
My daylight died out the second my family lost that war. I lived in an eternal darkness for such a long time. Nahuel was a small glow to guide me. As imperfect as it was in comparison to the bright sunshine, I reached out and took it.