Magical Death Wish
Essentially Magical's Alternate Universe Tangent storyette #8
(Meaning: that this child storyette runs by the same universal crossover rules as Essentially Magical, though its timeline and events are entirely independent.)
This is just for fun!
* * * Order Incarcerated * * *
During the final few weeks before Bella & Edward's wedding, while she is briefly meeting with Seth away from the Cullens' immediate presence, a contingent from the Order of the Phoenix unexpectedly arrives, to call upon this newly-discovered band of shape-shifters in hopes of gaining their support against Voldemort. However, before much in the way of even friendly introductions can be said, the lot of them are abruptly ambushed by a superior party of Death Eaters… who promptly confiscate every Order-member's wand and transport the entire group to an unnamed residential destination in England.
Immediately, one of the upper rooms of the mansion is magically turned into an effective holding cell for them all, and each one of them is trapped within it while the Death Eaters determine what is to be done. (Even if they had their wands, they wouldn't be able to apparate out of here; the Death Eaters have set up an enchantment against it. So, there's no chance they could escape by accidental magic.)
The lead Death Eater, thinking to taunt the Order members by putting their fate at the mercy of the one ignorant muggle among them (Seth being automatically recognized as the shape-shifter he is, though his type and orientation remain unknown to them), decides to give Bella the choice of how she will die. Her choice will then be expanded upon to include every one of the others.
When she is asked to choose – perceptively understanding that they're planning on killing the lot of them either one way or another, and that this may be their only chance at survival – she distressingly responds with the choice that she would wish to die by vampire… specifically: by that member of the undead for whom her blood provides the single most irresistible appeal. She works to act as if she is truly distraught and choosing her death by this request… and that this choice is actually based on the desire for it to be over as quickly as possible, for her at least.
With the exception of Seth (who suspects her plan but is nonetheless rather concerned about the 'most irresistible appeal' part that he hadn't known about), her companions in captivity feel easily betrayed by this option, having no idea that there could be any hope involved in it. Their disapproval and dismay are evident. Those who are inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt suspect that she may not in fact believe vampires to be real… and might be actually trying to undermine their captors' lethal efforts by choosing something more magical than she believes they could deliver. Naturally, while the thought could be nice – this doesn't make them feel any better. They're all terrified.
Appreciating that this method would most surely result in her death, as well as potentially create a quite desirably terrifying death experience for every one of the other captives who would be subsequently attacked – all while covertly providing every present Death Eater with the academic and personal pleasure of witnessing the vampires' carnage first-hand – the Death Eater in charge approves of the idea, and expands upon it by deciding to summon the indicated vampire's entire coven (which he believes would consist of no more than three) to do the dirty work. He also commands that minor but bleeding wounds be caused upon each and every one of the prisoners, for dramatic effect. (Bella's face is abruptly full of apprehension over this development.)
Desperate to stop any hint of bleeding, each prisoner applies and rigorously maintains sufficient pressure on their wound, for dear life. A number of them manage to heal themselves through some fortuitously accidental magic, though they keep this fact hidden from their captors.
Meanwhile, the Death Eaters confidently reorganize the protective ward covering the house into an invisible donut-shape – so that it effectively encloses every area where they will be watching from, but leaves the captives' cell thoroughly and vulnerably exposed to where the vampires will be summoned. This proven magical protection will disallow any human-blood-drinking creature from crossing into their zone of safety – as well as keep the demon undead from seeing the magically hidden exit door for what it really is – yet still allow the summoning magic to call the destructive beings into the unwarded space in front of them. In the spirit of a sporting event, the wall separating the observers from the massacre-to-come… is made to magically take on the properties of one-way glass, and spelled to transmit every sound very clearly… just right for them to be able to experience everything in complete safety from their comfortable 'front row seats'.
Having set everything up to their morbid satisfaction, finally the magic required to call the vampires forth – is promptly performed.
Across the world, the Cullens have been anxiously searching for Bella… who has suddenly disappeared from her home without any trace of a scent trail left to tell them where to find her. Edward is frantic. Inexplicably, what scent remains is surrounded by a myriad of unknown other scents as well – some of which are alarmingly predatory – that have likewise disappeared alongside her and left no evidence of their origin. At the same time, Seth's apparently simultaneous disappearance explains why Alice is unable to see her. Only periodically, whenever Bella manages to walk far enough away from him for herself to be seen, can they tell she is even still alive in a crowded room somewhere – though certain aspects of the vision remain unclear. She doesn't appear to be in a friendly setting, however.
In response to Edward's urgent inquiry, Charlie has also become desperate to find his missing daughter and late best friend's son – and has just met up with Carlisle in the hope of figuring out what they can do to find them both. All of a sudden, a new vision shows the lot of them abruptly arriving at this foreign place in the very near future ("which might have flowing blood to be wary of," Alice preemptively warns her family)… and in the next moment – they each are overcome by the strange swirling sensation of being magically summoned to another location.
A/N: Thanks for reading and sharing!