All recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Mrs. Stephenie Meyer. The plot and the other characters are the intellectual property of ME. No part of this fanfiction may be reproduced without my permission. No monetary gain is being made from this work.

(A/N): So here it is! An introduction to the Underworld. Tell me, did the first dose live up to your expectations? Leave me a review, and let me know!

Next chapter up: Edward's discovery, Jane's visit, and super awesome/stupendous plot twist. What do YOU think Edward will find in Marie's dusty old stuff?

Den20, as usual, is a lifesaver. Props to her for helping me edit this beast!

CPOV

Thankfully, the trip to Paris had been uneventful. Things had not changed since my last trip here, though last time, I had been accompanied by my lovely wife. Vendors still sold their wares, young lovers clung to each other on wrought iron balconies, and street musicians played songs in hope for spare change. I stood next to an accordion player, puffing out an elegant waltz.

I entered Monmartre, and then walked quickly to a small stone building that stood just blocks from the famed "Moulin Rouge". Paris' Red Light District never appealed to me, and I always found it difficult to understand Her reasoning for placing what is now the only entrance to Her Palace, in the middle of a location of ill-repute.

"Creatures of the Night should always stick together." She would ghost in my ear, which would send delicious shivers down my spine. Of course, all of the previous entrances had been closed up at the start of the sparring between immortal communities.

This entrance had been her most private location, known only by blessed few; the reason it still stands today. It was a small stone house that had been Vampire owned since the 1700's. As I walked up the dilapidated sidewalk, I noticed that she'd recently had the front stuccoed. I smiled, when I thought about her still keeping the building up with the latest trends. That house had always been her favorite; we had often stayed there when on one of our many holidays together.

Esme had brought a grand new dynamic into my life, but my original love had been Marie. She had mated to me immediately, but I never quite felt that same jolt to my senses. I loved and cared for her, certainly, but I never had that light bulb moment, one that says, 'This is the one!', until I met Esme, that is.

I decided to mill around until dusk, so that my entrance would be noticed by fewer people. When the time was finally right, I lightly jogged up the path, and entered the building through the side door. I slipped the key back into my pocket, and checked both sides of the street before entering. The sounds of the accordion player were still drifting through the panes of the older windows.

The air was stale, the apartment obviously went unused for a very long time. Pictures from bygone eras graced the walls, despite the very fashion forward décor. Many pictures were of Marie, through the ages. A sprawling painting in the parlour dated back to when I knew her, in the late 1600's. Another painting, of the both of us, commissioned in the 1700's. The very first photographs of her began in the later-mid-1800's.

I could remember every moment with perfect clarity. My immortal mind forgot nothing; she looked as beautiful then, as I was sure she did now. I allowed myself a moment to trail my finger along the wall of memories, each more precious than the last.

Before Edward's siring, Marie and I had been inseparable. Whenever she foresaw danger, she would go deep into hiding, but would always return to me. During the early 1900's, she had worked with me in Chicago. We battled the influenza together, as Doctor and Nurse. It was she who first came across Edward, and told me to change him. "He is 'The One', Carlisle.", she had exclaimed in her still heavily accented English. She clung to her French roots with a ferocity never before seen, in our kind. Accents usually dissipated fairly quickly, but she wore hers as a badge of honor.

Before I knew Esme, I loved nothing but the sound of her voice.

"I can feel it! Please take him, my love." Her icy eyes lit my body on fire as she turned, more provocatively than necessary, mind you, to face the metal doors that separated us from the O.R.

She carefully adjusted her wide, white, belt, drawing more attention to her lovely, albeit young, figure. "You could have it, if you wanted it, you know?" Instantly, she was by my side, her fingers teasing the inside of my collar.

"Oui." I said with a quiet smile, "But I choose the life of a gentleman, Great Lady." She allowed a smoldering half smile to escape her lips as she stood on her tiptoes, and with a jump, grabbed onto my shoulders. My world spun faster as she began to whisper into my ear.

"No longer a man, but gentle none-the-less. There is no time, Doctor. Please.." She begged, "Save him, to save us all."

"You will have to help me cover up his disappearance, Lady."

"Oui oui, Monsieur." She trilled brightly, as she nearly skipped out of the room to go to Edward's side.

"Marie!" I called out to her, before she could be out of earshot.

"Oui, Carlisle?"

"Your mask, Lady." I reminded her, as I tossed one in her direction. Though we had no fear of contracting the Influenza, we still had to keep up appearances. Edward, and his mother had moved to another ward, since the passing of his father. They were now in what we called the 'Waiting Ward'; where we placed those only waiting for death.

"Merci beaucoup.", she replied as she drifted daintily from the room, adjusting a pin in her hair on the way out.

I did take Edward from the hospital that night. I changed him into something that he'd never quite come to terms with. She had been there for his siring, and was present briefly when he awoke. Her final visit was during my engagement to Esme. She went into hiding shortly thereafter, and I hadn't seen her until the eighties; when I created Isabella, and placed her within Renee.

I couldn't keep the images at bay; it was as if she were there showing our memories to me. I could almost feel her soft hand as she touched my cheek, to show me what was on her mind. I returned to the large gilded painting of us, my shoes clicking on the hardwood floors, and carefully pulled the ancient frame from the wall. It swung wide, it's hinges groaning loudly. I held onto the sounds of the accordion player, still drifting through the window, as I descended down the stone stairs.

It would be the last friendly sound I would hear until I rose to the surface, once more.

Entrances such as these were often called "The Worlds Between", and they often had, as this one did, many failsafes, to ensure that humans did not make it through alive. The only humans that Vampires wanted in the Underworld were the ones that had been farmed for food, like cattle.

Humans made mistakes. Humans destroyed eco-systems. The Immortals wanted something all their own, dark, damp, and stale as the Worlds Below could be.

I ran down the stairs, at vampire speed, and then heard the gentle sloshing of the first barrier. I placed a garment bag down at the base of the stairs, ready for my return, and placed my toes in the swirling waters, preparing for the long swim.

The waters were cool, being as deep within the earth as we were; they were untouched by the sun. A human's eyes would never be able to discern these black waters before them, but for me, it was simply shades of hazy grays. I always found it eerie, the fish that called these waters their home. They were not the type of creatures people normally see because no machine yet invented could penetrate this deep beneath the surface. There was a wealth of knowledge deep within the earth of which only immortals were privy.

As I dove deeper, I could see things carved into the walls of these water-filled caves. Stories of what had transpired; how Marie's 'Family' had escaped the assault, by using an area that was so secret. I stopped swimming to carefully acknowledge the carvings in the walls; filing the information away, in case I needed it, in the future.

Suddenly, I was stopped at a dead end. It was at this point, that I withdrew a heavy metal disk from around my neck. I carefully pressed a large, magnificent, sapphire down to snap open the metal tines that would act as the key to allow me past this next hurdle. The key that I held in my possession was one of two complete keys in existence. Marie held the only other. I carefully searched the natural rock face for the location of the lock. It was difficult for even my unclouded eyes to see.

My eyes picked up a pattern, on a natural rock depression, the same as that of the key I pressed the key into the rock carefully, matching up the patterns of both sides. I pressed the sapphire again, deeper into the medallion, and turned it to the left. The waters began rumbling, and I could hear the sound of rubble being disturbed in the distance. The entrance slid only enough to allow me through. I withdrew my key by pushing the sapphire one last time; it snapped into it's original position. I rushed to put it around my neck and swam quickly through the door as it began to slide closed once more.

The water pressure was nothing more a gentle tickling sensation over my body, as my arms and legs pushed deeper and deeper into the complex network of caves before me. The journey was familiar; I'd navigated this network of caves many times when attending various Universities in Europe. I'd once called these places my home.

At one time, each cave entrance led to a different kingdom. Where they led had been carefully marked by Royal Crests carved deep within the stone. This was the vampire equivalent to a highway. Only one cave interested me, just now, though the others could have easily been cleared of debris. The entrance to Marie's cave was also hidden beneath piles of stone, but I had it cleared in moments. I began a lazy ascent, through the waters, staying close to the top of the stony surface; watching for any creature inhabiting these lands, be they living, or one time, each cave entrance led to a different kingdom. Where they led had been carefully marked by Royal Crests carved deep within the stone. This was the vampire equivalent to a highway. Only one cave interested me, just now, though the other ones could have easily been cleared of debris. The entrance to Marie's cave was also hidden beneath piles of stone, but I had it cleared in minutes. I began a lazy ascent, through the waters, staying close to the top of the stony surface; watching for any creature inhabiting these lands, be they living, or undead.

The water temperature turned less cold as I neared what I knew would be the stair case leading me to the destination of which I sought. My hand grazed the rusted wrought iron bannister that served as nothing more than a decoration for those of us with perfect balance. Marie had always loved decorative iron, and I had a feeling that seeing her personal touches, all over this place, would be very difficult for me. Though I was never truly in love with her, she'd always held a special place within my heart.

I steeled myself for what I would find when my face broke the surface. I hadn't seen this place since before the wars; I would not recognize the ruins; I was certain.

The silence, in this abandoned world, was deafening. Once upon a time, this land had been teeming with activity; a bustling vampire metropolis. Now, there was nothing. No longer was there a steady wagon train heading between the complex network of land caves, and kingdoms, transporting humans, silks, precious metals and stones, of all kinds. No longer were there clandestine visits from rulers, of other lands. Now, there was nothing, except lonely silence.

I was first met with the site of a familiar forest, sprawling outward for miles. Each 'tree' was carefully carved from the the rocky terrain before me. I couldn't help but smile to myself as I thought of the place we first met. Carefully, I jogged over to that infamous tree, where she'd worn that eggplant colored gown—always my favorite. Many carved trees were lying on their sides, knocked down by battling immortals, but our tree still stood. Our tree had survived the chaos, and my heart secretly soared at the thought. Gently, I ran my fingers over the beveled edges, that comprised the 'bark'. Though our kind had been able to carve these great stone forests of nothing but solid rock; we'd never been able to emulate leaves.

Life could never truly be brought into this barren hell; beautiful though it may be.

I sat down at the foot of the tree and quietly reveled in the memory of my long-lost friend. I rested my weight on both of my hands behind me, looking off into the pitch black horizon. Once there had been powerful beings here, able to bewitch the sky to produce day, night, wind, rain. Now this land was lost in an eternal night; destroyed by the worst that immortality had to offer. The "Weather Bearers", as we called them, spread themselves across the lands, regulating our weather as it had always been done by God, on Earth.

Something skittered out of the tree as I climbed to the very limb that had held me, when Marie had first called out to me. I ran my fingers along its bark, before dropping to the ground, to retrieve the glittering object. I picked up a sliver of aged parchment between my fingers, held together with a hair pin. That hair pin was the first gift I'd ever purchased for Her. Diamonds and fine color amethysts entwined themselves into a perfect replication of Her family Crest. I still recall how wide Her eyes had gone when I pinned it in her hair, after having returned from a trip to India.

"'Sank you, Master Carlisle!" she had cried, tossing her tiny arms around my waist, holding me tightly. "I love eet!" After she finished showering my cheeks with kisses, she fixed her hair using her new pin, and never again did she go without it.

I carefully unfurled the parchment, reading a simple note.

"Le Bon Temps"

It read, in her careful, practiced calligraphy.

'The good times', I thought carefully. It was obviously a clue left for me to find. Marie, ever resourceful, had seen that I would come here to find her. We had taken several trips to New Orleans, riding the paddle boats, and enjoying the French Quarter. It had also been one of Marie's favorite places to visit, and she had purchased several homes in the area. I wanted to check the armory of the Palace, just to be certain. I felt that if She was going to leave me a direct clue, then it would be where no one else would think of looking.

I quickly picked my way through the forest, making my way towards Her estate. An elaborate wrought iron fence encased what used to be her home. It was a sprawling Plantation Style home with white marble pillars, and wrought iron balconies. She had placed iron street lamps every few feet, in an effort to light the house up at 'night'. We did not need the extra light to see, but such small extra details brought great comforts.

I wandered up what had once been a hand cobbled cul de sac. A broken down carriage sat uselessly, just outside of a carriage house; bones scattered aimlessly where horses should have been. These carriages would have carried royalty, and would have been driven by humans, which, if not used as a food supply, were enslaved. I wondered how her home had managed to go mostly untouched amidst all the chaos. Only one large brick wall was tumbled in the east side.

As much as I wanted to run inside the house, and bask in the life that once was, I knew I had to be careful. I couldn't smell any other creatures around, but that didn't mean that one didn't exist. It's possible that any humans left alive had permanently de-evolved into nothing but animals, seeing as they were treated as such when this place was inhabited, centuries ago.

There was the gentle crunch of gravel beneath my feet as my now dry shoes carried me passed the stables, closer to the house iteself. Articles that had once been inside the mansion began to litter the ground, many of them personal articles of Marie's. I looked up, and noticed that many of the double hung windows were broken. As I pressed my foot down, I heard glass crackle beneath me.

A chalice.

Once upon a time, the Weather Bearers used these chalices to help bring on whatever weather be desired. I carefully placed the glass upright and continued towards the house, entering through the missing east side. All of the draperies hung, as if untouched by decay. Everything was covered in a thick cloud of sediment. A dusty layer several inches thick carpeted every stationary surface.

The cast iron lamps were no longer filled with burning candles; the house had a vacant feel. Last time I'd been here, I'd felt totally at ease. This had been my most favorite of homes, with my most favorite of women. The heaviness in my dead heart was staggering.

My feet touched the worn wooden floors, feeling that many of the boards had been broken or damaged. As I looked to the ceiling above me, I could see that a section of flooring was missing. Internally, the house was more mangled than the outside had shown. Very obvious fighting had occurred here. Ancient tables and chairs were overturned and broken, most beyond repair. I traveled deeper into the mansion, stepping into the hallways that would have held the private chambers.

None were obviously used for sleeping, but perhaps the conditions of these rooms would help me discover what happened. I was also hoping that somewhere, within this rubble, I might find another clue to Marie's whereabouts.

Every chamber that I visited was heavily disturbed, or picked through; as if it's assailant had been searching for information. I entered Marie's 'public' private chamber, seeing it in the same state of disarray as the others. It was painful, seeing her possessions, many of which we had acquired together, strewn about, destroyed, on the floor.

I picked up an original Faberge Egg, one of the first, and finest ever made, from the floor. I recalled when she had it commissioned for my 'birthday'.

"It's a crime that you don't remember when you were born, Carlisle." She had cooed to me as we reclined lazily on her bed. "Do you know what I think?" She asked as she handed me the beautifully wrapped box.

"What do you think, Great Lady?" I caressed her soft cheek with the back of my fingertips.

"I think you look like a June baby." She proclaimed, and from that day forward, she proclaimed June 13th to be my birthday. It was a tradition that I had carried on, to this day. The diamonds glittered still on the lovely purple enameled egg.

I turned the egg over in my hands, working the clasp with my fingers. Another sliver of paper drifted daintily downwards, as I swiped it from the air with my hands.

'If Ever I Ceased to Love'

Another New Orleans reference. In 1870, the Twelfth Night Revelers had begun the tradition of giving a young woman a golden bean, and she became the queen of the Mardi Gras. Marie had been that first queen, but two years later, in 1872, the Krewe of Rex made their debut. Rex was the first Krewe to hold a daytime parade, and she had enjoyed it in the shadows of our Canal St. balcony.

"If Ever I Ceased to Love" had been that year's Mardi Gras Anthem.

I was relieved that the egg had survived the carnage, in tact, though I could not take it with me. It was one of the most fond memories that I have of her. Very carefully, I placed it on the silt covered bureau, next to her gilded mirror.

Marie's area had been the worst of all—they had been searching for clues regarding Her. The toe of my shoe hit something metallic, and it skittered across the room, which kicked up thick blankets of dust. The dust motes swirled through the air, distracting my always perfect vision. I reached down to pick up what looked to be a necklace, and swiped the dust off with my thumb.

It was the crest of the assailing Coven. Offensive Rubies were set in an intricate "V" pattern

The Volturi.

Aro's obsession with Her rang suddenly clear in my mind, as I recalled watching him fight for her affections. He should have known better than any of us, the uncontrollable nature of vampire love. He was a second generation vampire, created by the original, Ancient Ones.

Vladimir, one of the Romanians currently trapped within the confines of the Volturi, was the first of four vampires created by God, Himself, in the beginning of the world. Stefan, long missing and thought to be destroyed, was the second Vampire placed on the Earth at the time of creation.

Vladimir was the most powerful and terrifying of us all. Once he was unleashed, he would deal death on those immortals as he saw fit, and there wasn't a thing we could do about it A vampire's strength increases as they age, and that pair are the oldest two in existence. Not even Marie would be able to hold him at bay, if he chose to destroy innocents. We would have to approach his awakening carefully.

I took the Volturi crest with me, fastening it around my neck, next to the key. It may prove useful, at some point. As I opened the curtains that separated her dressing area and her parlour, I took note of the clothing, and jewels that lay scattered.

These were not things that she cared about; her most prized possessions would be kept in secret. Her treasures would be sealed in the armory—the direction I was headed next. My speed was a moderate human tempo, scanning every dust laden surface with my eyes, attempting to put the pieces together within my mind.

What happened here?

I slowly tread up the stairs, passing window after window, door after broken door. The ancient sediments swirled around me, creating special patterns in this normally windless environment. As I entered the last door of the long west corridor, on the left, I noticed that this room had been largely spared from the carnage. It was as if someone had just begun the destruction, of this final room, as the command to disband had been given.

This was the room of young Jane.

I pushed aside the large gilded bed, and pried up the floor boards. These boards covered a very narrow stairwell between the walls, which gave access to the most secret areas of the house. This area was not meant for a well-muscled man to push through, and I struggled, as gently as I could, to squeeze my way through the narrow maze. Nimbly, I wound my way through the hidden hallways, having to crawl in the narrow spaces between floors. Left, right, left, left, up, right, up, left, down, left, and finally, I dropped three full floors, till my feet hit stone floor.

I rose from my crouch, taking in my surroundings. This room, unlike the others, was untouched by dust, as the air supply was mostly cut off. I took note of a table that held nothing but a skeleton key, which I carefully picked up, and turned over in my hand.

There was a parchment attached to it by a ribbon. It was another item that I had purchased for Marie, this one in the very early 1920s—the last time I had seen her. Impossible tears welled in my eyes, as I thought of the pain within that near-final reunion.

Esme had joined our lives by now, and we were to be married. Marie was crushed; she vowed only to return when the time was right, and that was exactly what she did.

She did it for Me.

She did it for Esme.

Most of all, she did it for herself. She abandoned me, and my new fledgling family, so that my wife would not feel the competition of a centuries long companion.

'This must go to Her' the note stated, laden with a concise simplicity that I'd missed. I placed the key around my neck, as well, plodding deeper into the room, searching for the entrance to the armory.

The walls in this basement-like room were unusually bare, except for two, long unused, wall sconces that hung along one stone wall. I gave the one on the right a gentle pull. The door groaned loudly, sliding out of the way begrudgingly, revealing the area I much desired to see.

Modern vampires are near impervious to everything except another vampire, but that was not always true. Near the end of the Middle Ages, the werewolf population was dangerously on the rise. A single bite from a true werewolf could spell instant death for even a being as powerful as the Vampire. Their teeth could effortlessly carve through our harder than diamond skin. Thankfully, werewolves were not indestructible. This armory was filled with relics from the great Vampire and Werewolf Conflict of the Early Modern Era.

These creatures were not peaceful, like the Quilleutes, who potentially carried the genetic code to phase into wolves at will. These "Children of the Moon" were the objects that comprised both humans' and Vampires' nightmares alike.

A true werewolf is controlled only by the lunar cycle, and unlike a vampire's ability to control the person they become, a werewolf, when phased, loses all ability to process thought. They hunted only on instinct, and the thing that it desired most was the flesh of a vampire. We'd lost many of our kind battling these creatures, until we realized that pure silver was a deterrent. It would only weaken them, temporarily, but usually it was enough for a vampire to get close enough for the kill.

Marie created many metalsmiths to create complex armor, impenetrable by their repugnant teeth. I passed row after row of chain-link under armor, solid silver over armor, helmets, silver arrows, bows, swords made of solid silver, many encrusted with the Chevalier Crest.

The efficiency with which the Chevaliers exterminated the werewolf population was also how the Chevaliers became known as "Chevalier Huntresses".

Most of these items were smallish because the Chevalier Coven was comprised mostly of women. There were only a few isolated cases, within history, of a man being involved with the coven. The significance of the war between the Vampires and Werewolves was that the Chevaliers were then considered to be the highest of all covens; above even the Volturi. It was the war that the Chevalier's fought against the werewolves that made them so famous, and the Coven's members so widely sought after.

Immortals saw Marie as more powerful even than Aro. It was the reason why I stood in a razed mansion today. Aro always sought to be the most powerful, and he forced the woman that he supposedly loved, deep into hiding. It was the reason that he did not exterminate Young Alec and Jane, during the genocide, and instead made them both Volturi's.

Just as I passed the silver swords, I reached the door that I originally sought. I pushed the thick draperies aside, and turned the knob, pushing the door open, and stepping straight into my own past.

I saw the purple gown, and the pearl encrusted snood that she wore on our first meeting, and I felt my eyes prickle once more. The mannequin was of exact size, and it was almost like I was seeing her standing there, facing away from me. I glanced around at the chests filled with jewels, and closets filled with all of her favorite dresses. I could not take my eyes from that dress on the mannequin, however. I strolled towards it, trepidation coloring my speed, as I fingered the material lightly with my fingers. I could still pick up a trace of her scent in the stale, unmoving air. Ever so carefully, I removed the snood from the mannequin with my fingers, and brought it to my nose. I inhaled her scent, letting the history wash over me in waves, both the good, and the bad.

As I turned the soft fabric over in my hands, something clattered out of it. A diamond brooch that I had purchased, while in New Orleans, had a note tucked within. I carefully unhooked the clasp and unfurled the note.

If thou knowest where I be. Delay no more; send them to me!

I pinned the brooch to my shirt and began to make my way, as quickly as I could, back to the caves.

For now, at least, our path was clear. Isabella must learn the ways of a Vampirical Courtesan, so that we can bring her before Marie, the Highest of High Queens. Marie's current position was most definitely, without a doubt, in New Orleans; the American Mecca of Vampires.

Just as I reached the waterline, I heard the most unearthly howl imaginable. It was later joined by the yelp of several others, in a kind of war cry. The wild incantations caused the stones beneath my feet to vibrate, the earth to quake. Though very obviously made by humans, I did not contemplate as I dove headlong into the still, lifeless waters. These creatures would know no reason; they'd traded their humanity in for ferality after being abandoned by fleeing immortals. For now, my job was done. Whatever life survived, will stay undisturbed. Several crude spears rushed past me as I swam deeper into the caves, making my way back to Paris.

As my face again broke the surface of the still waters, I changed into dry clothes, and prepared to take a flight back home.

As I stepped out of the door of Marie's house, I turned on my cell phone. I was assaulted by dozens of missed calls, all by Edward.

"She's in New Orleans!" He kept screaming, though he knew, as I did, that names could never be said. "It was in Bella's journals all this time!" His voice pleaded, "I can't believe it! Carlisle, if you knew, and chose not to tell me..." The hysteric nature of his voice didn't sound right at all, and I was uncertain how to proceed, other than to go home to Forks, and find out had my first son so worked up.

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