Origins
A Twilight fanfiction
by missrebecca
A staccato beat on ice cold stone is all that is heard in the tunnels. It echoes and ebbs as its creator twists and turns in the underground. A smile on blood red lips, a brush of almost grey skin through lush brown curls, then a laugh, high and chilling in the dark; but there is no one to hear it.
She laughs to herself often, hearing the voices in her head caterwaul and scream. The voices are not real, not anymore. They are long dead victims of something they did not understand until a second too late. Always so trusting of a beautiful face, so naïve. Let them scream, she thinks, even as they threaten to drive her into madness. It does not do to dwell on the past, especially when alone.
However, soon she shall not be alone. There will be many faces about her, many distractions just begging to be fulfilled. There will be blood, too - rivers of it for her to saturate herself in, and she will bathe in the luxury of it all. She can almost hear them, in the quiet of the tunnels in which she winds; laughter and screams, singing and sobbing, victors and victims - all clambering within the dark. She can barely contain herself.
How long has it been? Almost five hundred years? She's not sure, but it certainly has been long enough. They always want a piece of her, always want her to stay. They don't realise she is wild, feral, and not to be contained. Their stone walls don't hold her; they cannot suppress her spirit.
There will be questions, of course. Wonderments of where she has been all these years, and how she has evaded their spies, and she will only smile coyly, hiding her fangs and batting her lids until they forget they ever asked her something at all. It can be tiring, and yet she never grows bored of the game; for the game is all there truly is.
Finally, she reaches an old oak door, its wood rotting in places. She is not sure where it came from, but there are nail tracks in the wood, and a faint scent of centuries old blood that tell her she is better off not knowing. She knocks hard, sending splinters to the ground, and taps her foot for good measure; they knew she was coming. Eventually, a heavy bolt slides free and the door is swung inward. She does not look to see who opened it as she steps through and into the light.
It is poorly lit past the door, though not as dank as the tunnels previous, and she walks with a single-minded determination, ignoring the girl at her side who attempts to speak to her. She catches phrases, words of flattery, as she speculates about her. The girl recognises her from the stories she hears the Brothers tell, and wonders if any of them are true. She does not reply to the girl's inane blithering.
Dim filament electric lights line the stone corridors through which they weave, and she finds herself missing the old torches that used to stand in the now forgotten sconces. Firelight had a more natural glow, something electricity has taken from the world. She'll have to speak to him about removing them, she thinks.
In the midst of her mind's own rambling they come upon another door, at which the girl pauses for but a moment before being brave and pushing her way through. They are now in the central part of the castle, still underground and without natural light. The electric lamps are brighter here, though still they cast a sickly glow upon the few inhabitants they pass. All give her curious glances, before dashing behind doors to contemplate her existence.
She wonders if the girl knows she does not need a chaperone; that she knows the floor plan of this castle better than her own mind. But she humours her, for she looks so happy to be given this apparent honour, but when they step into the receiving chamber, she does not hesitate to march away from the girl.
There are many people here, standing stone still as their blood-red eyes feast upon her form. She's glad she chose this dress. With its knee length it could be modest, were it not for the flash of cleavage and the wide expanse of skin showing on her arms and back. Displaying every inch of smooth skin, they know her age and yet she holds no scars - it makes her formidable to strangers.
"Aro," she coos, as the dark-haired man in the central chair rises to greet her, grasping her hands as he bends to kiss her cheek.
"Isabella, such a wonderful surprise," he replies.
There is acceptance from some standing around the hall, and confusion from others. They question why she is so open to his touch, why she does not seem to worry about his penetrating mind. She would laugh and work to placate them. Do not worry, she would say, my memories remain my own. However, she does not, for then there would be questions as to how, and that is a secret she shares with only those she chooses to.
"It's been so long." She smiles to him, running her gaze across his shining dark hair and his almost paper-thin skin. He does not see enough sunlight and as such he is beginning to waste away. The sight pains her. "A surprise, you say? Surely you saw me coming."
"Alas," Aro replies, "Alice is…no longer with us." A raised eyebrow in place of a question has Aro continuing. "She will return, of course."
Of course, Isabella thinks, because no one leaves for long. Even she returns eventually.
"I see new faces. Introduce me."
It is a command, and the crowd watches dumbfounded as Aro complies. They marvel at her place in this palace, that she may command he who they know to be most powerful. Aro turns, allowing Isabella a view of the men who sit on either side of his vacated chair. She receives a pleasant smile from Caius, which she returns, and barely a nod of recognition from Marcus, from who she expects no less.
She is led to a line of five standing along the east wall, only one she recognises, the others are new to her.
"You've already met Jane." Aro begins, indicating the smiling blonde who led Isabella to the chamber initially.
"Indeed, she's young." Her tone holds an accusation, a promise that they will be discussing this later. Aro only nods before moving on to the next in line.
"Her brother, Alec." Isabella nods to the young boy, dark as Jane is fair, but does not offer her hand. His eyes are cold, and she moves on before he can tempt her to speak.
"Chelsea," she purrs around a smile, wrapping her arms about her friend's strong shoulders. The women embrace for what seems like an age, before the dark-haired Chelsea removes her arms in order to join hands with an equally dark-haired man at her side.
"Isabella," she begins, "I'd like for you to meet Afton, my mate."
"Piacere." She extends her hand, smiling as the gentle man takes it. Without another word, she moves down the line.
"Jasper Whitlock, ma'am." The last vampire on this side of the room nods his head, for he can see her authority, and his actions show he respects it, but there's a glint in his eyes as they meet, and Isabella smirks; she knows rebellion when she sees it.
His voice is light, yet rough as though his throat is sore, like a human. He is unkempt, his blond hair shaggy and matte, his nose is slightly crooked, and there is a thin line of stubble along his jaw. The appearance of Jasper Whitlock is so incongruous to nearly everyone else in the hall it gives her pause, and she finds herself staring into Jasper's red eyes far longer than she intended.
"It's Isabella," she says, before allowing herself to be led from the hall on Aro's arm.
Hello! and welcome to my new multi-chap.
This was originally written as part of the Easter Bunny Fic Exchange for the wonderful Lacrimosa Moon. I'm not sure exactly how long it is yet, as though most of it is written, I'm adding things as I go xD.
Big shout out needs to go to my wonderful betas. First to Fairusa and second to all the lovelies at PTB: SecretlySeverus, 4mejasper and mcc101180.Without them I can guarantee this story would not have been half as well written :).
Anyway, I hope you like it, and please don't hesitate to let me know what you think :)
Also! Most the chapters are about this length, though some are rather a lot longer and other's much shorter.
Also must mention that there is character death (I'm not saying who) and bloody violence (this is a vampire fic)