A/N: This one flew out of my fingers! I enjoyed getting back to writing about the original cast. Thanks for all of your kind reviews and help throughout this experience. I appreciate it more than I can say. Sooooo...Please read, enjoy, review in that order...lol
So much is coming so brace yourselves! I feel a writing storm brewing
Chapter 11 – Prophecy Part 2
It was an odd place for a meeting, especially this one Bella thought as she felt the breeze flutter through her long chocolate locks. Edward's hand was firm in her own, his face a mask of foreboding, his jaw clenched in a way that told her he was tense. They were all tense. That much was obvious as she looked around at her family. Alice and Jasper stood a few feet away on the grassy field Carlisle had suggested for the meeting. A neutral zone, he'd said but in looking at him now with his best diplomatic expression in place Bella could see his resolve breaking. Esme looked up at him twining her arm around his for support. The mist swirled around Rosalie's stylish black boots and up over the dark wash jeans that Emmett wore. His eyes were flat, his mouth set in a firm line. The core of the Cullen family was standing in the middle of the same field where the battle for Renesmee's life had been waged years before oddly enough waiting for the same enemy. Nobody had wanted this, least of all Carlisle but it had become apparent that the help of the Volturi might be needed after Alice's last vision and the information Samara had gathered from the captive. If there was to be a war then there would most certainly be human casualties which might bring attention to the more mystical things going on. This would be the very thing that Aro would not want. So the phone call had been made and a neutral ground decided upon. Now all that was left to do was wait.
"Do you see anything?" Jasper murmured into Alice's ear but everyone could hear the question. Alice shuddered slightly as if she were cold and clung to her lover tightly.
"Aro is on his way with Marcus and Caius. Jane and Alec are a few paces behind. Demetri is stationed there with a couple of others" Alice only shifted her eyes to the west to show everyone just where they had stationed him.
"I can hear Demetri's thoughts. He wants us to react, to cause trouble. It's all he can think about" Edward whispered through clenched teeth.
"We won't give him the satisfaction" Carlisle interjected quietly "This is to be a civilized meeting"
"It will be civilized as long as he doesn't threaten my girls again" Emmett boomed loud enough for any vampire within earshot to have heard. They all remembered back to a darker time when Aro had discovered Samara and Kalika's intertwined powers. He had offered them a place in the Volturi guard almost from the moment they'd been brought home with a hint of impending violence if the decision should not be in his favour. Emmett and Demetri had, had a throw down then tearing the side off of the house in the process. Rosalie frowned as she was forced to think about the day she'd almost lost her daughters to the Volturi's grasp. It had been the entire reason that Phoenix's ability be kept under the strictest of confidences. Aro had left empty handed that day but if he had known the gift her precious boy had been given the outcome would have been much different. She growled low in the back of her throat at the very inkling.
"Calm down, Rose. There will be no violence today. Is that understood?" Esme spoke up commanding in a tone that still made Rosalie feel as if she were a child instead of a grown woman with a family of her own. She halted her growls but looked up meaningfully into her husband's golden eyes. The look they exchanged was the same fierce steadfastness.
"We cannot afford to air our petty grievances now" Bella spoke up thinking about her own daughter and the life she carried. Aro would most certainly be interested in the new lives that were coming. It had to be kept quiet which was why the meeting had been planned with only the core family involved.
"They're coming" Edward spoke ominously in the misty air. The clouds hanging overhead had turned the field dark. The fog swirled on the ground and everyone's eyes were locked on the tree line. Bella could almost smell the anticipation and nerves of her family all lined up and waiting for the cloaked figures to burst onto the field. Jasper was sending out his usual calming waves but they were having little effect today.
Is it still clear? Edward projected directly into Alice's mind. She gave no indication that she had heard, simply sent him a response via her own thoughts.
Aro is only here to see what Carlisle has to say. He has no other agendas that I can see right now.
...and Jane?
She will do as her master commands.
Alice's silent assurances only made Edward feel a little better about what was coming. There was a sweep of sound, the screech of a raven as it flew away in terror and a flicker of red as Aro came through the trees arrogantly first. Marcus and Caius came directly behind him forming a sort of triad. It may have been the dramatic cloaks they wore, or maybe it was simply the grace they had developed in their many years of life but all three of them seemed to float upon the mist rather than walking through it. Their faces peered out from under their hoods, bone white and withered with red pools set deep into the sockets. Even in this dim light they seemed to glow an eerie crimson that showed the life force of what they had been dining on. Edward could only hope that they had left the people of Forks alone on their journey. Aro's thoughts were difficult to read as he came forward to greet Carlisle with a warm handshake. Jane and Alec swiftly moved to his side seeming to come from nowhere in a sort of lithe dance.
"How are you old friend? You're looking a little underfed but I suppose that's to be expected" Aro asked Carlisle with genuine affection. The two of them had somehow managed to keep up a steady rapport even throughout all of the history between them. Edward knew it was because Aro was fascinated with the choices Carlisle had made while also being intrigued and a little apprehensive about the large coven he had created.
"I'm well, and you?" Carlisle replied in a voice that belied the strain he was obviously feeling. He ignored Aro's attempt at humour. They had patched things up since the half-breed incidents now that Aro was certain Carlisle had not been planning any kind of political overthrow.
"Excellent. How are the children doing? The boy, Phoenix, has he yet to discover his power?" Aro asked looking evocatively over at Rosalie with a twisted grin. Rosalie gasped angrily as Emmett's growls began to rip free, bringing Jane and Alec to the front of their master. Aro laughed heartily seeming to find the situation very amusing.
"Please, Aro we have business to discuss. The matters of my family are mine to control" Carlisle stated in a firm authoritative voice. Though his voice was calm and composed his eyes were dark with fury.
"Yes, yes, of course Carlisle. Now what is this business about Corbin? I thought we had gotten rid of that bad apple decades ago" Aro waved his watchdogs away with the exaggerated brush of one jewelled hand.
"It seems he has created his own faction. He is still after the same agendas, Aro. He wishes to find a way to turn the Quiluetes into vampires, to create a superior race" Carlisle explained.
"You have seen this?" Aro queried looking over into Alice's bright eyes. His face had dropped from the superior grin he had worn to a more curious expression.
"I have seen a battle, yes. He will capture the wolves but after that..." Alice gestured in defeat with her hands. "I have seen no further"
Caius stood in the background with fierce eyes his interest in the conversation suddenly piqued.
"So then were here because you had a vision that may or may not come true" he exploded "I knew it was a mistake to come here. Can't you see Aro, they have no useful information. This is a waste of your time" Bella could sense that there was something deeper going on here from the way Caius was talking. It dawned on her quickly and she stepped forward shrugging her hand free from Edward's restraining grip.
"You knew about this didn't you?" She cried coming just close enough to Aro to keep Jane and Alec from advancing. "How long were you planning on waiting before you warned us? Tell us what you know" she demanded, thoroughly angry at Caius's arrogance and Marcus's obvious boredom. "Settle down china doll. You know you're impotent against me" Bella called when Jane began to come forward, when she felt the burn of power brushing against her shield. Jane's eyes gleamed and a strange smirk crossed over her porcelain face and then dropped into fury when she realized that Bella's shield had already been effortlessly coating the entire family. She knew it was petty but Bella simply could not resist the fierce grin.
Aro lifted a finger that had Jane reluctantly retreating to stand with her brother but she clearly was not happy.
"Is this true?" Carlisle asked stepping to stand beside Bella. The others had all come into a kind of lopsided semi-circle. Everyone wanted to be close in case trouble was to follow.
"We have been watching him of late, yes" Aro began lifting his arms out in a twisted kind of apology "There is something that you don't know about Corbin, something that happened long before your time with us, Carlisle. You must remember Norah?" he questioned and continued when Carlisle nodded. "Norah had a vision of a child. This child was meant to be born during the first decade of the twenty-first century to two extraordinary parents. If you will allow Demetri to come forth I have the document that I wrote and then sealed away due to the destructive nature of what the vision proposed but not before Corbin had seen it. This is what began his obsession with creating the half-breeds. When he left us I would not allow him access to the vault and so instead he took Norah with him" Aro sighed and waited for Carlisle to give the necessary permission. Caius grunted in displeasure. He clearly thought that they should be the ones in charge here. After a long pause and a silent exchange between Carlisle and Emmett he finally spoke.
"It's fine"
Aro signalled for Demetri to come forward and he came through the trees exactly where Alice had said he would be. There were two female vampires with him and one very large, brawny looking male that gave even Emmett a run for his money. In his hand was a small leather tube. He handed it off to Aro and took his place beside Marcus with a conceited sneer for Emmett. The scroll that Aro unearthed from the tube looked very old and very delicate. Gingerly he handed the parchment to Carlisle and everyone waited while the words were read all except for Edward. His groan broke through the silence and he grabbed onto Bella sending her a thought that made her blood boil in terror.
"Read it Carlisle" Edward almost hissed in a fearful tenor. The others would have to know and when they did it was going to be difficult to calm the wildfire that would result. As the words were spoken the hush of the crowd began to rise into alarm.
It will come to pass in the first decade of the twenty-first century that a child will be born. This extraordinary child will be of two breeds but also of two destinies. Many amazing children will come but only he will be gifted beyond measure. His fate will be determined in his first year of life when either he is fostered by the light or damned by the darkness. He can be either the source of a new reform, a new regime to bring unity to our changing world or the force that will burn it to the ground. The two paths are as diverse as the dawn is from the twilight. If the darkness should claim him, our way of life will certainly be at an end.
Born of both beast and vampire, the chosen one, set to bring about the destruction of the vilest of races, the plague of humanity. His power will be such that the angels will weep and the demons will join him in his battle cries. The world will be his to reign over beginning a new race, a new era of superior beings to abolish the old regime.