So it had begun. The forest was a wash with purple smoke, as they stood there silently in the meadow. United as one family against who knew how many others. Renesmee, Bella, Jacob and Edward at the far right of the meadow, deep in conversation and worried glances of pain, hurt and fear. Jasper, Alice Emmett, and Rose, were stood at the far left. They were backed up by several wolves who had taken a liking to the Cullens, and there was the added factor of a fight, which they had been itching for. Carlisle watched as both sides crouched low to the floor. Carlisle and Esme, stood forward and at the centre of both gatherings of family. "Only a few minutes" Alice called, as Carlisle watched the two side make their peace, through words and gestures.
He turned to Esme, was sadness in his eyes as he forced a smile to overcome all other feelings. "Dont worry, Esme everyone is coming home. Alice saw that. It will all be ok, you know that I love you. I promise that we are all comming home today" He said to her soothingly, as he brought his hands up to her face, and kissed her. His one love who was about to fight for the family, that they had become so attached to. With reluctance Esme nodded, "I know, I love you too" were the words that she found too hard to speak, almost like this would be their last words. It was hard to believe that things were going to be fine, when they were all about to face, vampires of what numbers they could not know. All that was certain was the Volturi, they were coming in a force like no other.
With in moments a troop of around thirty vampires emerged from the trees. Aro lead the group, the pompous smile that seemed fitting for him, rested upon that pale face of his. There was a distance of around three hundred feet between the two sides. Carlisle scanned the faces, the faces of those who Alice said would fall. He watched as Aro made the first move, he took a few paces forwards, and so Carlisle followed reluctantly leaving Esme to walk over to Jasper, Alice, Rose and Emmett. His voice was kind, and friendly as ever as Carlisle began to speak. "Aro" He nodded in acknowledgment that Aro was there. "Pray may I ask why you have graced us with your presence today?" Carlisle knew the exact reason, but there was still a chance to walk away.
A cackle of a laugh broke a nasty silence that had accumulated between them. "Carlisle you are not so naive as to ask that of me." He replied in more of an icy tone. "We have come to relieve you of a few members, of this family." He said, Aro's voice said more than his words, he knew that they would never give up the family. Carlisle shook his head, "You are sadly mistaken if you believe you can take anyone in this family. I regret that we are finding ourselves on opposite sides here Aro. Im afraid we have to decline." Carlisle spoke again in a friendly manor, as he turned back towards the spot he had opinionated from.
Aro signalled with one hand, and several of the guard leapt forward. Jasper, Emmett and Edward broke out in quick struggle with them, as the first wave of the guard was taken care of. Carlisle saw a look in Aro's eyes, that said it was a test, they were testing their defences. As suddenly as the last wave came, the whole guard advanced towards them. Carlisle watched as the wolves, sprang into action followed by his family. He only had a moment to see that Bella, and Renesmee were stood together, as there was no sense of any power at work, he realised she was using her shield.
Carlisle came face to face with a tall stocky looking vampire. The hair that cascaded down his back, was matted as if he had never seen water before. A quick side step, and a ripping motion tore the head from his shoulders. Both tumbled to the floor, as Carlisle discarded the remains and he aimed to crouch for the next one. With out fail, Carlisle was knocked sideways, by two others. In his brief moment of clarity, he saw both groups of family fighting together, the wolves were taking care of the open gaps, as he saw who he could only guess was Sam, bound over to him. One vampire was ripped, from Carlisle taking with him a considerable amount of shoulder with him. Again Carlisle fought off the other vampire, taking a piece of throat, as a second body fell to the floor. Carlisle and Sam fought side by side, for a while as more bodies fell at their feet.
It wasn't too long before the guard was gone, with out thinking they re grouped, into their original places, as limbs, and corpses littered the floor. The next series of events surprised even Carlisle, Aro, Marcus and Caius, all came forward. Their personal guard with them. The older vampires were not as easy to defeat. They had experience, and battle plans that could not match the Cullens. It was then that a deafening scream from Alice erupted. The little pixie like girl, was standing behind the others, who were fighting. Terror washed over all the faces, Jasper was at her side with in milliseconds. A vision he presumed, as again Carlisle become enthralled with fighting. Aro, Marcus and Caius were the next vampires who took the place of the last one. The three vampires, who had years, and experience over Carlisle. The three people he had considered friends, up until a few years ago, when the Volturi had tried to take Renesmee.
Carlisle knew at that moment what Alice had seen. "Who shall it be Carlisle, who are you going to sacrifice." Aro asked, with a sneer. Carlisle looked Aro, directly in the eyes, as he nodded. "No one but ME. You can take me." He said calmly as if they were about to go to dinner. Alice knew what he had done, as the decision was only made moments before. There was scarcely enough time, for Carlisle to react, as the three set into him. Carlisle tried to fight them, but the odds were against him. In a brief moment of peace, Carlisle felt himself flying through the air. He had almost been drop kicked, to the other side of the meadow. Branches, snapped from trees, as he smashed into them. Aro, Marcus and Caius, were again upon him, as he felt himself being forced to the floor quietly. To his amassment he was still alive, and as far as Carlisle could tell, he had all his limbs intact. He was still able to see, hear and talk. Carlisle watched as his body was stripped of his top layer of clothing, and it was placed onto another body, which in turn was being dragged by his shirt through the forest, the four emerged from the trees again with in moments.
The sight made Carlisle a little uneasy he wasnt dead, but the good thing was, there were no vampires attacking. What was left of them, were gathered in a corner of the meadow. The wolves were pacing in and around the family that Carlisle loved so much. The family that was seeing a body in his clothes. The body was missing its head, and lay on his back, waiting for their final blow. Aro turned his gaze upon the horrified faces, "I think that this" He said as he gestured towards the body of the would be Carlisle. "Should serve as a reminder. He would not give one or more of you up. To live in Italy with us, a life filled with pleasures beyond your imagination. So we have taken his life, instead as offered. We shall take our leave now." Aro said, he watched the others take off, as that final ripping sound signalled the end to Carlisle Cullen. Aro threw the body onto the fire that was already burning. Aro retreated into the forest, with a sense of satisfaction. Carlisle was dragged silently along with them, unable to speak as he saw the horror in their eyes, none of them followed Aro, and Carlisle did not want another fight, as he was forced to leave.
The shrieks, and yelling that erupted from the field would have been heard in Forks. It was Esme who, collapsed next to the fire. "Carlisle you promised, Carlisle please" She begged, as tearless sobs came her small figure. "Somebody help me.. he promised, I ... he wouldnt leave us." She called, as she tried to pull the body from the flames. It was Sam, and Jacob, who dragged Esme away from fire that was ablaze. "Mrs Cullen, Mrs Cullen we are sorry" Said Sam as tears streaked down his cheeks. Jacob nodded, "Esme, I..." He started but he couldnt find the words to even say anything that would be of comfort.
Alice and Jasper were comforting each other, as then sat on the grass, weeping over what she had seen happen, and the loss of her father figure. "I didnt see it in time, I... they stopped me from going after them. I.." She said, as she hugged Jasper closely, and the pair went over to Esme, Jacob and Sam. Together the shared the same sense of loss, as the all sat close together, for once forgetting about the smell of wolf and vampire. Rose and Emmett, could not even look as they stood and stared at Esme and the group around her. Emmett was shaking, and Rose was not much better. The wolves were already picking pieces up, and throwing them onto a fire that they had started in the corner away from the small gathering of people.
It was Renesmee, who suddenly screamed and began to move as fast as she could across the meadow. "Grandpa Carlisle, please come back. You cant do this to us. You cant, no one can beat you. Carlisle" She shrieked, as Bella ran across towards her, and dragged her from the sparking fire. Bella was in a state of shock, as Rose and Emmett, fought to keep Renesmee back. The shrieks of the girl only seemed to make the silence of sobs, and hysteria bearable. Their family was broken, the two strongest and fearless parents that they knew, were now an emotional wreak as the other lay burning in a place that hardly seemed a place that Carlisle should have spent his last minutes in.
Edward had no emotion on his face. It was almost set in stone, as he looked at the fire that was burning. The wolves backed away from patrolling the borders of the fire, as all the pieces were burning. The only one left, was the body still visible with shreds of chard clothing. Edward watched as several wolves, brought pieces from the forest. Then bowed their heads, as they trudged towards the fire, and placed the pieces on to burn. Screams came from both Esme, and Renesmee, as he turned to seem Sam, Jacob, Bella, Rose and Emmett, struggling to keep them under some control.
Edward reluctantly picked up another piece as he shook with anger, and loss. It felt like that short distance to the fire was, nearly half way around the world. He carefully placed his the left over remains on the fire. Edward turned and began to walk back towards the others. He had hardly taken five paces from the fire when he fell. The one person who understood him better than any other, he had just burned. The one everyone there was morning, Edward could hardly take any more. As eyes filled with pain looked up to see, everyone was standing around him. Renesmee and Bella, moved into him, as they tried to comfort each other. Renesmee tears stained Edwards shirt, as he walked with them away from the fire that was burning spectacularly.
The wolves apart from Jacob and Sam had disappeared to leave the Cullen family to themselves. Rose and Emmett, walked along side Edward, not wanting to stay around. "Edward" Emmett, said, as he placed a shaky hand on his shoulder. Rose looked to Renesmee, who was distraught, as she remembered this would have been her first fight. A fight that no one now would ever forget. "Renesmee, he fought for us all. You have to know that, he... he did this for us all." She said as the words ripped what ever strength she had left from her being. Renesmee, turned and hugged Rose, as Bella took care of Edward with Emmett. "Why did he not just let them take me, I could have gone. Rose he should have taken me" She said, as she wanted to change his decision. The five of them walked off, back to a house that held no appeal, and only more sorrow for them.
Esme, was stood sobbing as she watched a body disappear into the flames. Alice and Jasper stood along side her, help less as Sam tried to comfort Esme. "Go and tell the pack. The others will want to know you are safe, Billy will want to know that you are safe. Then you can go and see her." He told him, with in seconds Jacob morphed into a wolf, and took off. Sam knew that Renesmee was top of his list, but he had a feeling that they all needed their space. Esme coughed for a moment, as she smiled trying to compose herself enough to make a rational decision. "Carlisle wouldn't want to see us like this" She said, as the strain on her voice was more than clear. "We need to go, and cover... cover what has happened today." She looked at Sam, her mind starting to think again. "Sam, can you make... can you make Carlisle's Mercedes look like it was run off the road?" She asked him.
Sam nodded to her, as he took a few steps away and morphed, for only a few seconds. He then turned back to his original form, as he put a reassuring arm around Esme. "It is being done now" He said to her, communication with in the pack was a good thing to have. Alice looked at Esme, "I saw, he chose this, and I couldnt stop him. He knew all along. And he made me promise not to say anything. I ... saw a different thing to this, I, he was ok. We all were" She said, as Jasper released his grip on her slightly. It was Jasper that spoke next, his expression pained, from the emotions he was trying to calm. "Carlisle did what he thought best for us all. We shall never forget that. He knew we would not agree to this, and that is why he left it until we could do nothing to stop it." Jasper, admired Carlisle for that. How long had he known that he would lay his own life out for them. It explained a lot in the way he had acted around them all over their recent days. First of all there, was a fountain of lavish gifts, that each had a personal meaning for everyone. The words he had spoken, now made much more sense and had a lot more meaning then he had first thought. The four walked away, leaving the smoke to rise in an almost mystical fashion.