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A/N: Beta'd by cupcakeriot. Without her, this would have been impossible.
Augury Chapter Ten
It's unbelievable, really, how a week can change everything.
A week ago, I wasn't a girl who was afraid of her own shadow.
A week ago, I thought I had all the time in the world.
A week ago, my reality wasn't a nightmare.
Like I said, a week is all it takes.
Now, sitting on the dry leaves in a corner of our training field, I gaze at the people who are my entire world.
They are all hiding from me.
I understood this the very moment Em refused to make eye contact with me, instead choosing to give me a short reply and fleeing from the room.
It had hurt. We have never kept anything from each other. Ever. It still hurts when I see Rose give me a meek smile and leave the room whenever I enter it.
It's as if they can't breathe in the same room I'm in.
Dad explained the reason behind their weird behavior the next day. He sat me down beside him, with Peter and Carlisle at his other side and told me what was going on.
"Bell, did Volturi try to break inside your head again?" he asked me.
I answered him by shaking my head. It hadn't happened since that time in the Cullen's living room.
Dad looked me straight in the eye with smoldering intensity. He reached his hand into his jacket pocket and brought out a piece of paper which he passed to me.
"What's this?" I questioned.
"I think you deserve to know why this is happening to you," he replied.
Still confused, I took the paper from him and unfolded it to see words in English written in a beautiful script:
The one oracle shall not be fulfilled until the time of darkness comes to an end.
The scarlet eye shall be granted an eternal time of youth.
The golden swan will shield like the skillful guardian while the leaves wither away.
The cursed wizard will make his prey cry tears of blood.
The blessed one shall only unveil the power in the time of desperate need.
The dissimilarity can be seen with naked eyes, but from within, they will be halves of the whole.
She will not hurt and he will not bleed.
But the reign of terror shall finally come to an end when the day will end and the sun will set.
A victory must take place on the winter solstice.
One will finally scatter and the other will be named on the pages of history.
At last, the tale will end and the age of peace will begin.
"T-This―" I stammered.
"This is the one prophecy- the prophecy above all other."
When I didn't answer back, Dad enlightened the references to me. "Now that we know the answer, the meaning is quite obvious. It's all here," Dad points out the third line of the prophecy, "The golden swan will shield like the skillful guardian."
I slowly nodded as my brain made the connections.
"Now look at this line here," he continued pointing out the sixth line of the prophecy.
"The dissimilarity can be seen with naked eyes, but from within, they are halves of the whole," I read aloud. "Halves of the whole?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes, you and Volturi are twins in a manner,"
"What?" I exploded. I had nothing in common with that monster.
"Shhh, Bell, calm down. Now, can you guess the one thing that is common between twins?"
"Um… their faces, I guess," I answered, unsure.
"No, Bell, think harder. I want you to guess this. What do the twins share that makes them have absolute control over each?"
"It's becoming very rare nowadays," Carlisle provided.
And it clicked.
"The Arweirrr bond?" I ask, shell-shocked.
There were only a few unfortunate twins in this world of Witchcraft and Wizardry who shared the Arweirrr bond. The bond enabled the twins to read each other's mind and share each other's thoughts. In short, the bond enables the twins to have complete power over each other.
"Please don't tell me that Volturi and I share the Arweirrr bond," I cried, desperately.
"I think you do," Dad told me, his eyes looking as if he wished it was otherwise.
'Oh my God!" I hid my face in my hands. "But why is all of this starting now? If we share the Arweirrr bond, we shared it from birth. Why is he starting to take control now?" I queried.
"My theory is that Volturi wasn't aware of the connection until now. I remember you saying that you were the one in his head the first time this happened. I guess that was when he found out about the bond."
"But, Dad, it doesn't feel like he's trying to control me. I've told you this before."
"Bella, he can't control you. He'll never be able to control you," Peter told me, smiling a Mona Lisa smile.
"But you just said―"
"You're protected by your gift, child," Carlisle said.
When realization hit me, I looked up at Dad- my eyes, questioning. "My shield?"
Dad nodded. "Your shield prevents Volturi from taking complete control over you."
I sighed in relief.
"However, he can read your thought when ever he wants to. Your shield is not strong enough to hold all of him out."
My mind traveled back to that time in the Cullen's living room and I felt a chill ride up my spine. "H-How can I stop him?"
"Billy will show you," Dad said, getting up.
"Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"This why you haven't been telling me what is going on, isn't it? This is why the others have been acting so cold? You think he's going to get in my head and read my thoughts."
"We just don't want to take any chances, Bell," Dad told me, sitting back down and taking my hand in his.
I scooted towards Dad and laid my head on his shoulder. Peter and Carlisle must have left the room because a few moments later, I heard the door being closed. "I told your brother and your friends to keep information away from you as much as possible. It's for your own good, Bell," Dad said, stroking my hair.
"Dad, what's going to happen now?" I whisper.
"Tomorrow, I'm calling all the coven members to the clearing. They need to decide what they are going to do next."
"What do you mean?"
"They have to decide whether they want to leave Forks or stay with us to fight the Volturi."
"But Dad―"
"They should get a choice, Bella. Your mother would have wanted them to have a choice."
Suddenly, I was at a loss for words.
"Bella?"
"Hmm?" I looked up at him curiously.
"If I would have gotten a choice, I would have saved you two. I would have run," he whispered into my hair.
I closed my eyes and tried to fool my heart into believing that everything was alright. I failed yet again.
*.*.*
"My fellow Witches and Wizards, today we all gather here for a very important purpose." My head snaps up when I hear my Dad speak. All the coven members are staring at Dad intently, completely unaware of the tension in the air. Today, the sun is not up in the sky; the sky is not a cloudless blue and the wind is not whistling. It's as if they are sentient of what is about to come.
"I have to make an announcement and I beg you to hear me out before reacting. After I finish speaking, you are free to make a decision and what ever you will decide will be respected by this coven. Are we clear?"
There are a few hums of approval from the crowd.
"The one prophecy is almost fulfilled―" Dad stops when gasps of shock and voices of incredulity are heard. "It is the truth and the sooner you believe it, the better for you. The one prophecy is almost fulfilled and the second witch has finally revealed herself. But don't ask me who it is, because I can't answer that question." Dad stops again to take a deep breath. "All these years we have merely guessed at the outcomes of the fulfillment of the one prophecy and every time, our minds have worked down only one conclusion- a war. A war that will bring about the end of the age of malice. A war that will be the end of them."
There is a moment of silence and it feels like all the people gathered in the clearing are all taking breath as one, dreading my father's next words.
"A war is upon us. And now, my friends, it is time for you to make a decision. Are you prepared to sacrifice your lives for the greater good? Are you prepared to risk your lives in order to banish all evil? Are you ready to fight alongside us?"
No one answers. No one moves. It's exactly as I feared.
"The Black family will fight for the coven until their last breath," I hear a familiar voice shout.
Jacob.
My head snaps up to find a bulky figure standing right across the field from me, his mouth pulled up in a grin which stretches from ear to ear. I watch as Master Black walks to stand beside my childhood friend. "Spoken like a true Black, my son," he says loudly.
"The Woods offer up their lives to you too," Mr. Wood says, stepping forward.
Following their example, most of the members of the coven steps forward with their heads held high.
"Thank you. Thank you so very much." The emotion in my Dad's voice is unmistakable.
I place a hand over my heart and close my eyes.
Maybe there's hope after all, Mom.
A/N: As always, thank you for supporting my crazy idea. Your reviews are precious to me. And now for the replies: Twilight Rocker 12- No, it's not soul mate theory. That would be disgusting. I don't ship Aroella. It's twin theory, if you know what I mean. ;) Thank you for reviewing.
AnnaTheBookWorm- Your review just made my day. Thanks a bunch!
debslmac- :D:D sujari6- Bella's not immortal. gredelina1- Thank you!
Edward's spouse- Thanks! maysnrs- Thank you for reviewing. And you'll get to know what's going on with Cullen in the next chapter and onwards. majose
dinotopian, angelari7, lacysangles and frayedbristles- Thank you so much! :D I know that there is not much of Edward in this chapter, but don't worry, the next chapter will be FILLED with him. Until next time, buh bye!
