A/N: This story is a rewrite of one that I wrote 3 (?) chapters for a couple of years back. I hated the old one, but a few people wanted me to continue it so here we go, although, I'm a terrible human being who promised to continue that story months ago, so I'll be very surprised if any of them are actually around to read this. This version is going to be very different, and I fully intend on finishing it as I have plans for later chapters, unlike last time (:
Bella POV
Standing in the field again was ominously reminiscent of our fight for Renesmee, except this time we had no idea what they wanted. Alice had been able to see their arrival, allowing us enough time to reform our group of witnesses, but she couldn't see the result of the confrontation; something was heavily blocking her ability. It was terrifyingly frustrating. Amun and Kebi had agreed to stay this time, as had Alistair, although he stood to the side of everyone in an attempt to starve off unwanted contact.
Everyone was showing signs of nervousness. No one could stand still and you could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. The coven leaders were standing at the head of our gatherings, in front of their respective families, prepared to face the Volturi first. They had spread themselves across the distance, but it left them very isolated and they looked remarkably vulnerable – something that did not improve anyone's anxiety.
Closest to me, Esme was fretting about the separation between her and her mate. "Carlisle," she whispered, watching him across the fifty feet of snow that kept them apart.
He turned to glance back at her, forcing a smile. "It will be okay, love," he whispered back.
"I love you…"
His reply was silenced by the black hooded figures emerging from the trees, their footsteps all in perfect time. There was no sound other than the whispering of rustled fabric as the cloaks billowed around them. They halted roughly one hundred feet from our front line. Aro, Caius and Marcus removed their hoods.
Beside me, Edward growled lowly, narrowing his eyes and tightening his hand around mine.
Aro smiled widely, spreading his hands to us. "Relax, my friends, we come in peace. I just want to have a…friendly conversation." His eyes flicked across our family and his grin grew as he zeroed in on who he wanted. "Carlisle?"
Straightening his shoulders, Carlisle tried his best to sound sure of himself. His hands shook, and he folded them behind his back to hide it. "Yes, Aro?"
"Come here, please." He held out his hand. "I'm going to help you."
"Thank you, but I don't think I need any help, Aro," he argued lightly, a little shaky.
"Come to me, my friend." He was a little more forceful now, and Carlisle didn't dare resist him.
He slowly crossed over to Aro, now standing in the middle of the Volturi's gathering. Everyone on our side was holding their breath, praying for his safety.
Aro grabbed his arm once he was close enough, jerking him forward and keeping a tight hold on his wrist. "Now, I would like you all to meet Georgia. She has been a member of my guard for many, many years now." He waited while his guard rearranged themselves to let the woman through. "She has the power to repress the special abilities of others…for example, she can take Edward's ability to read minds and return it however she would like."
"Aro," Carlisle interjected suddenly, resulting in the other man squeezing his arm with more force.
"But that is not what we are doing here. I will not be touching your coven today, Carlisle."
A woman who I had never seen before – presumably Georgia – came to stand beside Aro, giving us a wide smile. She turned back to wink at Carlisle but he was holding his breath. "I haven't seen you in a long time." It was almost flirtatious, and Esme stiffened.
"I'm not sure I remember you," he murmured to her, his eyes wide and afraid.
"Of course not, my love. I've taken your memory."
The colour drained form Carlisle's face and his nerves were no longer hidden. He was visibly anxious and struggling to keep calm.
"Get him out of there," Alistair hissed suddenly, glaring at the scene before him. "Somebody do something." He didn't get a response from any of us, and he thankfully hadn't spoken loud enough for any member of the Volturi to hear him either.
"Your self-control has improved greatly now, Carlisle, and we believe – most of us, anyway – that you can handle the return of your abilities," Aro continued, giddy with excitement. "Now, the rest of you need to be very careful. I need my guard to move back to the treeline, and I suggest that the rest of you stand together under Isabella's shield. And Carlisle, you are not allowed to lose control."
Carlisle shook his head, glancing over at Esme and sinking his teeth into his lip. "I don't want it…"
She forced a shaky smile but her eyes were welling with tears. Unable to offer him any form of reassurance or comfort, she was lost for what to do. "Don't run, Esme, please," Edward pleaded with her. Tanya jogged the few meters between her family and ours, taking her place beside Esme and holding onto her hand. Having her there seemed to comfort Carlisle, if nothing else, and he sort of managed a smile at the other coven leader.
"You will be fine, as long as you do not panic. It will be a lot to take in, and you must not lose control, or it will become dangerous. I have faith in you." Aro smirked as though he thought otherwise, only solidifying our assumption that he wasn't stupid enough to actually do something that benefitted Carlisle. I could feel my husband physically brace himself against whatever pain Carlisle was about to endure.
"Nobody move," Edward quickly told all of us. "If any of us cross our line, Carlisle's…gone." The words hurt to get out and he quickly looked down, letting out a shaky breath. I squeezed his fingers tightly.
Doing as Aro had told me, I stretched my shield across everyone on our side, strengthening it as we all moved closer to each other. No one dared to even breathe, completely focused on Carlisle. Tanya had her arms around Esme, both in comfort and to stop her from bolting. Carlisle, on the other hand, was entirely focused on the ground, keeping his head down.
Georgia murmured something unintelligible and touched Carlisle. Her giggle echoed around the field when he flinched violently upon contact, flitting back toward the trees where the rest of the Volturi stood. Aro released him too, moving a few steps back.
At first nothing happened.
Just as my nerves started to disperse, my shield shivered and crackled, and I focused all my effort into holding it up. Sharp bursts of pressure fought against it like drills, trying to tunnel their way in; it was enough to make it bubble and warp. Suddenly, sparks burst off it's surface, blowing it to pieces. The ground violently convulsed and snow poured from the sky as tiny, frozen needles, boulders flying madly across the space in front of us. The landscape was torn up, in a flurry before our eyes.
"Benjamin! Stop this!" Amun screamed over the ruckus. He turned to grab him, but the shudders from the earth had off balanced him. "That's enough!"
"It's not me!" he cried back, terrified. "I can't do it this strongly!"
The sparks raced across the ground, igniting trees into flames until the sky glowed red. My shield reappeared, a cube popping up in front of us. It held it's shape so well it had defined sides and sharp corners, and it was a startling blue colour. It definitely was not under my control; I battled for it, but I couldn't even begin to put my own protection over us again.
Edward was shouting something to me, partially holding me behind him, but I couldn't hear him through the chaos. All around us, our surroundings abruptly flicked from one scene to another; a dense jungle with leaves I could feel the moisture on, and a desert so dry I could feel the sun burning my skin.
In amongst all of this, someone else's memories flashed before my eyes; a little kid screaming in pain after a punishment, the forest again, a room slick with blood, the same desert, mixed with the occasional glimpse of reality.
There was a collective sigh of relief as our senses were cut off – Alec; I had prayed Aro might have used him. A second later, it was all gone, and everything returned to normal.
Carlisle was sitting on the ground, out of breath and visibly shaken up. He flinched away when Aro placed his hand on his shoulder, on the point of tears and in the middle of a panic attack.
"You did better than you did last time," he told him, grinning. The praise didn't come as a compliment, rather an attack.
"…Aro, please take it back…I don't want this," he pleaded with him, glancing up at the ancient vampire.
"Carlisle, this will help you," he shook his head condescendingly. "You need to learn your limits."
"…please…it hurts…" he whispered, so quietly it was almost inaudible from our position. His words had Esme twisting against Tanya, trying to break free of her, and Tanya holding her back.
"You'll get used to it," he dismissed him, waving his hand noncommittally.
"Alice," Edward whispered, grabbing my waist and pulling me up against him. "He's seeing your visions."
She just nodded, watching Carlisle as the rest of us were.
"He will hear your thoughts too, like you do Edward, and read minds the same as I do," Aro explained. "You can't bock it, Carlisle, don't bother." He rolled his eyes as Carlisle hugged himself, resting his head on his knees, and pushed him forward roughly.
Carlisle was dizzy and couldn't quite keep up with the movement. Landing hard on his hands and knees, he threw up without warning, choking.
That was it for Esme. She shoved free of Tanya and ran before anyone could stop her. Before she could get to her husband, though, a solid pane of shield appeared in her path, moving with her when she tried to dodge it. "Carlisle," she pleaded.
"I-I don't want to hurt you," he mumbled back.
"Someone explain to me what the hell just happened," Amun growled, gripping Kebi's hand. Like everyone else, he was keeping his mate close by his side.
Aro and Georgia exchanged eye contact.
