Hey Styx here!
This is my first fic that hasn't been about romance. I was in a very dark place when I wrote this. First, I'd like to apologize in advance to KissKissCrush because I'm sure this will either make her cry or at least make her sad. Second, I'm not sure if this is the only chapter. I'll see what I can think up. I don't want it to be the only chapter so if you have thoughts, R&R, please. Thank you and enjoy.
One second. It only takes one second.
It takes one second to decide a lot of things, from simple things like ice cream toppings to life changing things like pulling the trigger. For a vampire, seconds tick by so fast. The time just seems to slip away like sand between their fingers. Humans don't know how precious every second is. But Aro knows. Oh, Aro knows more than anyone how important one second can be.
There he is, sitting on this throne, his mind whirling with thought as he considers, reminisces and regrets a million things at once. In front of him stands a nomad vampire, begging for his life, but Aro's mind is a million miles away. With a flick of his wrist, the vampire is taken away, kicking and screaming, and Aro is left alone again. It is never good for Aro to be alone. If he's alone, the silence creeps in. And if the silence creeps in, the screams start.
Aro could never forget the screams of his baby sister when he snapped her to pieces. He could never forget the confusion, pain and anguish on her face as she was burned, far away from the man she loved and far too close to the brother she'd trusted. Her face and her voice haunted him constantly, driving him mad. He often wondered if his brothers could tell something was wrong. If they did notice, they either didn't care or chose not to bring it up.
Aro stands, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Being king has a lot of responsibility, such as doing what's best for the kingdom. He thought he was doing what was best when he killed his sister but the second she caught flame, he knew he'd done something horribly wrong. He knows that now and as he trudges through the halls of his castle, he can still hear her sweet soft voice echoing and it kills him.
He shakes his head and growls to himself. He was such a fool then. And he's a fool now. He's man enough to admit it. He was foolish to destroy his sister, the glue that kept the kingdom together and happy. He was foolish to think he could destroy the Cullen hybrid, especially with a shape-shifter at her side. And he was foolish to think he could stand by his brother after what he'd done. He could see the sorrow in his eyes. The sadness radiating from Marcus was palpable and it seemed to grip everyone in an icy embrace. The castle used to be a place of great joy… and Marcus would smile. Perhaps the biggest smile of them all.
Now Aro can barely get him to speak.
The castle is a cold, joyless place now.
Aro walks down the hall, unbeknownst to anyone in the castle. He opens the door to a room that has been untouched for millennia and bites his knuckle. Just inside the door, on a small table made of cherry wood, lies a tiny diamond ring. His sister's wedding ring. Marcus had perfected the ring's beauty and kept it pristine for a hundred years before his proposal. The moment Marcus had slipped it on Didyme's finger, Aro had been thrilled. His baby sister and his brother in arms, getting married. But he wasn't happy for their love. He was happy that Marcus was tied to him in more than one way. He wasn't just his brother in arms but a brother-in-law.
Aro snaps his eyes shut and opens the door all the way, looking around the room for other people. As expected, the room was empty and covered in an extremely thick layer of dust. Aro closed and locked the door behind him, sighing softly as he leaned his forehead against the door. The room smelled of her. Roses in bloom. It makes him want to cry.
The room also smells of driftwood. Didyme did have a fondness of the beach. Half of the furniture in her room is made of driftwood, crafted by Marcus himself. On the nightstand by her bed sits a music box. Aro remembers that music box. He gave Didyme the music box on her and Marcus's first anniversary. It had been the smallest present of the event but it had meant the most to Didyme. Inside the music box was two figurines, a couple, dancing to the tiny tinkling music of the box and in the lid was a mirror.
Aro wills himself not to look in the box. He knows what will happen if he does. He'd looked in the box before. There was a note inside that Aro could recite to the letter. He'd spent a good chunk of his immortal life grieving over the letter. He turns away from the music box and gives one more look around the room. Such a dark dismal place.
Aro strikes a match, a grim look on his face. He knows he should not do this. He knows his sister would not want this nor would his brothers or his guard… but the pain is too great. He cannot tell his brother of the wrong he's done. He cannot beg forgiveness from his sister. He is stuck in a rut that has been dragging him down into the depths. This is his only way out.
He ignores the harsh smell as the match burns down to his fingers and his stone skin begins to char. He knows one match won't be enough and it hurts him. It burns and stings. But he deserves this. He deserves to suffer for what he's done. His very own Hell.
The flame dies and he sighs, lighting another. "I had a good run." He blinks and realizes there are venomous tears in his blood red eyes. "I only wish I had a second chance." Aro places his other hand over half of his face and sobs, all of his pain and regret hitting him at once. He drops the match and falls to his knees. All at once, he's a puddle of tears.
It had only taken a second. One second to step out of the fray as his brothers battled the Romanians. One second to find his sister's room. And a split second of hesitation as he raised his hand above his unsuspecting sister. He could have changed everything in that second. He could have stopped. He could have gone back to fight. Surely he could have found another with powers like Marcus. Or just another vampire with powers in general.
But no.
He didn't stop.
He'd brought his hand down on her neck and in a second it was done. She was gone. And Aro had sealed his fate. He'd doomed himself to an eternity of pain and misery. An eternity without someone of his own blood. An eternity to think about what he'd done and wish he had not.
Aro stumbles to his feet, dropping the small book of matches to the floor as he stumbles to the side table and picks up the music box. He heads for the door and grabs the diamond ring on the way out. He opens the music box and stifles his cries as he places the ring inside. He shuts it softly and sniffles, running a hand through his black hair, his eyes closed tight.
Once again, he enters Didyme's room and locks the door. This time, he does not use just a single match. He grabs one of the bottles off of Didyme's dresser and dumps it on himself. Oil for her skin; extremely flammable. Then he calmly sits on her bed. His hand shakes as he tries to light the match and when he does, the first match drops and goes out. He curses and lights another, staring at it as it burns closer and closer to his fingers.
Caius watches two of his guard battle with little interest. He is never interested and if it does interest him, it usually always annoys and angers him. However, something does catch his interest and does not anger him. A faint smell in the distance. This interesting smell does not annoy him or anger him. It worries him. He stands and smells the air. "Something is on fire."
Felix and Demetri, the two battling guardsmen, freeze and sniff the air as well. The hair on the back of Caius' neck stands on end as a bloodcurdling scream echoes around the castle walls. He recognizes it as Jane, the youngest and smallest of the guard. He, Felix and Demetri are immediately on the trail and they find her, desperately shoving and hitting at a locked door. Caius pales, if possible. It's Didyme's door. He orders Felix to move Jane and kicks the door open, assaulted with flames and smoke as the room empties.
The smoke clears and Caius curses. The room is destroyed. Everything is burnt to a crisp; the walls blackened and the furniture still smoldering in the ashes. Then, there in the middle of the room, near the bed, sits a heap of what seems like charred stone. Caius goes to it and his eyes go wide as he spots the gold among the gray. Aro's crest.
Jane cries behind him, burying her face in Felix's large arms. Demetri holds something intricate and oh-so precious in his hands and as Caius rises, Demetri holds it out to him. It is the music box. Caius remembers the box as well but not as clearly as Aro had. He opens the box and inside is not one note but two, and the wedding ring. Caius reads the newer note, that is in Aro's handwriting and his eyebrows rise in surprise. It is a confession. Caius folds the note and puts it in his pocket. He'll show it to Marcus later. He'll want to see it.
The other note is old. Very old. Caius unfolds it and his expression softens as he realizes it is from Didyme. She was very important to everyone, even Caius, so it was hard for Caius to read the note as well. It was like an old photograph, torn and worn from age. On it said six words.
Anything can happen in a second.