A/N Reviews make me cheery.
"Here," Jasper said, leading Alice, Emmett, Ash and Phoenix through to dense woods, 50 miles from civilization. Rosalie had surprised them all by asking where they would meet Anastasia.
"Where are we going to do this?" Rosalie asked.
"What do you mean?" Emmett asked vaguely, messing with the laces of his shoes.
"Where are we going to 'discuss' things with Anastasia? We can't do it near the town," Rosalie said. Emmett had frowned, unsure. Jasper had said he had an idea of a place that would work.
"This place hasn't been visited by humans in years," Alice said as they pushed their way through the trees. "And I don't see anyone coming in awhile."
"This'll do then," Emmett said. "What happened here?"
The man-made clearing was long and wide, but not nice and flat like the area where they played baseball.
Jasper picked this clearing because of the visibility, it would be nearly impossible for them to be snuck up on. This used to be a forested area, but some company tried to illegally deforest it. After they were kicked out, the area was empty, just covered in stumps. Thousands of dead tree stumps littered the ground, making is hazardous to move too quickly for humans. Luckily, they weren't human.
"Far enough away? 50 miles isn't that much," Emmett said.
"They won't want to drag that much attention to themselves," Ash said. "Anastasia prefers to stay under the Volturi radar."
"Don't we all," Emmett muttered. "So we'll wait for her here?"
"Yes," Alice said.
"How will she know we're here?" Emmett asked.
"She has trackers," Ash answered. "They'll know where you are. They're like bloodhounds, they have Alice and Jasper's scent, they'll come here if you're waiting."
"She's right," Alice sighed. "10 hours left, let's tell them."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jasper led the Cullen family, sans Edward and Bella, to the former logging site. Ash and Phoenix had guessed that Anastasia and her group would all arrive together from the north side, so they were hiding back in the trees, a mile away, waiting until they were needed. They wanted to use the element of surprise to the best of their ability.
Edward still sat with Bella, desperately hoping she would finish being changed so that they could join the others. He didn't relish the thought of putting her in danger but he knew she would want to help. Plus, he did, too. This insane woman was trying to destroy his brother and sister, in the process taking out his family. He would do anything to protect them.
The Cullens stood in a tense line, waiting. Waiting to hear from Alice, waiting for the shadow of their enemies to emerge from the other side of the stump ridden clearing, waiting for anything. The overcast clouds that had been plaguing them for weeks receded until the sun brilliantly shown down on them, illuminating their skin. The sparkling family felt none of the joy normally associated with an afternoon involving sunlight. It was ironic, since they all were fairly certain that the day was going to involve bloodshed.
Alice hissed, eyes darting to a spot ahead of them. Jasper grabbed her hand with his and followed her line of sight. Within the next minute, they were able to make out figures coming out through the line of trees. The leader was unmistakable. Anastasia marched out confidently, five feet in front of her entourage. In the sun, her vivid red hair stood out in stark contrast to her pale, shining skin. Whereas the Cullens looked ethereal and beautiful, Anastasia just looked haughty and menacing.
The three behind her also walked with the same authority as she, but the glanced at her every few moments, as if afraid to anger her in some way. The other ten walked out, unsure of exactly what to do, but followed their leader blindly.
Anastasia walked to the middle of the dead clearing before stopping, smiling at the Cullens.
"Well," her sharp voice pierced the air. Alice and Jasper flinched automatically. "My dear Alice and Jasper. It certainly has been a long time since we saw each other."
"Not long enough," Jasper hissed. He moved forward, making sure Alice was behind him. "What do you want?"
"Did you really never wonder why I didn't come after you when you escaped? Please, Jasper, did you really believe I just was going to let you and your dearest Alice leave me?"
Alice and Jasper chose to say nothing. They had wondered why Anastasia never sent out her vampires in search of them. Jasper had privately thought that she was just biding her time, still messing with them.
"No, no I had guests of my own to entertain. I had things on my plate that did not include you. Unfortunately, this is the first time I was able to come for a visit. So," she purred, glancing at the rest of the Cullen clan, "you found yourself a little coven. Are they anything compared to what we had?"
Jasper and Alice didn't say anything still, not wanting their family dynamics to in any way interest the deranged woman in front of them. Anastasia eyed the six in front of her. She appraised each of them, from Carlisle's strange, peaceful exterior, and the way Esme was glancing to the 5 around her. Her eyes raked down Emmett's figure, to the blonde Rosalie next to him. Rosalie growled, a low and vicious sound that none of the Cullens knew she could even produce. Anastasia snarled in response, eliciting an even deeper sound from Emmett. One of the blonde twins behind her, Jonas, stepped forward.
"Do you know who I am, you bear?" he asked in a slithering voice.
"Peter Pan?" Emmett suggested.
"Cute," he said shortly. "The he-men are always so much fun to break." He projected the insatiable rage, same are earlier, to Emmett. Emmett shuddered, and Rosalie took his face between her hands.
"Emmett Cullen, don't you dare," she hissed. "I love you, I will not allow you to be taken by that twitchy, disgusting child and his ginger keeper." Emmett, with the help of Jasper's power, swallowed down the anger.
"I have more control now," Jasper said, glaring at Anastasia. "You can't do this to us anymore."
"Well," Anastasia said, as if the exchange hadn't occurred. "I came here planning to take two, and it looks like I'll have six to play with. It really is a pity that you had to bring them into this. They'll be fun to play with." She made a motion and the ten behind her and her main three surged forward at once.
"You really don't want to do this," Carlisle tried vainly, knowing they wouldn't listen. They were too terrified of Anastasia to listen to anyone else. They didn't even hesitate. Jasper sent a wave of passiveness over them, which Jonas immediately replaced with the will to fight.
"You are useless," Anastasia called. "Your gifts are too similar, you cancel each other out!"
The Cullens started forward, prepared to do whatever was necessary to save themselves and their family members. They were within twenty feet of the enemy vampires when a vicious, feral cry stopped everyone, even Anastasia's group, in their tracks. A dark figure launched itself out of a tree behind the Cullens and came to a skidding stop between them and Anastasia's people. The impact sent dirt, branches and a large stump flying away. Ash rose from the crater in a crouch, standing tall. In a blur of speed, Phoenix was suddenly beside her.
Ash's gold and deep red eyes flashed with her pure, animalistic rage. Jasper had thought he had seen animalistic with the newborns, but that was nothing compared to her. Ash was barely contained, pure violence, just begging for an outlet. She turned to gaze to Anastasia, head quirking slightly to the side. Anastasia looked taken aback, not expecting one of the passive people she had tortured to come flying through the forest looking like death incarnate. Phoenix stood tall beside his mate, keeping his eyes on the others as she glared at Anastasia.
"Ash…Phoenix," Anastasia said slowly. "Why I didn't know you would be joining us. I assumed my killing Royce would discourage whoever was on the other end of his little information exchange, though it seems to have had the opposite effect. I wondered who he was communicating with."
Ash didn't bother with being drawn into a verbal bitch match with Anastasia. She threw up a hand, knocking the redheaded 'child' head over heels in the dirt. Both sides sprung, starting the battle.