13

The day was upon them. This was the day they were to seal their fate.

Jenna knew that one of them-either her or her mother-was going to die today. She was ready. Her suffering would end. But her part in this world had just begun. She had to stay alive.

Jenna had spent the night before with her siblings. When Holly had fallen asleep, she had talked with Carlisle for part of the night, and then hunted for about thirty minutes. Carlisle stayed with her until Holly awoke, and then went off with Esme, Jenna and Holly's sister-in-law.

Jenna and Holly flew to the baseball clearing. Jenna found Shane, Kevin, Seth, and Leah talking, and Artemis standing awkwardly, a little ways to the side.

Jenna landed beside Artemis, and heard a flash of jealousy ignite Shane's thoughts.

"Seth, Leah, you know the formation," she called, "Artemis, Butler, you and Shane and Kevin are going to wait back at the house."

"Why? What-" Butler started to say.

"Nessie, come here a minute," Jenna called, "Butler, how old are you?"

"Forty-one, but-"

"Nessie is three. Nessie, throw Butler into that tree."

Renesmee obliged, and Jenna stopped Butler before he got hurt.

"I see your point," he mumbled.

"Guys, Holly and I are going to go back and get changed, and you're coming with us. Holly, take Kevin and Shane." Jenna said as she took off with Artemis and Butler.

As they flew, Jenna heard Kevin and Shane thinking, Wow, Jenna's sister is so hot.

"Kevin, you have no chance. Holly is over sixty-five years your senior and already in a serious relationship. And Shane? How could you?" Jenna cried.

"Sorry," Shane shouted, "Mind drifted a bit there."

"Just remember who you're dating."

Holly picked up on one word, Dating? When this is over, spill all the details.

Of course.

The group touched down a few seconds later. They filed into the front room of the big house, and Holly, Jenna, and Leah (who had run with them) proceeded up to Jenna's new bedroom. Jenna and Holly showered, and then slipped into their dresses.

"I feel like I'm going to prom, not an attack." Holly said while she pulled a brush through her pixie-cut length hair.

"Me too," Jenna agreed, tying her hair into a braid, "Though I've never been to prom."

"You two look amazing," Leah complimented them, "Now for the first test." She beckoned towards the door.

Holly quickly slipped on a pair of clear sandals, tying the ribbon laces up her leg to her knee. The ribbon would stand out against her coffee-coloured skin. Jenna went barefoot.

Silently, Jenna and Holly descended on the stairs. Holly hugged a stunned Artemis, while Jenna stepped into Shane's arms and kissed him.

"Good luck, girls. See you soon." Shane said.

"I hope so."

"Don't even think that, Holly. You're going to be fine." Holly was practically invisible inside Butler's hug.

Jenna embraced Artemis and kissed his cheek, "Goodbye, my friend."

"Not you too!" Artemis exclaimed, holding Jenna at arms length, "You are going to get through this. You have strength in numbers, and not to mention the magic of seven Elves, one elf, and your own magic."

Holly took her headset off the table and hooked it over one pointed ear, "He's right, sis. We are going to get you through this." she said as she fastened her belt around her waist.

"I guess. At least, I hope," Jenna replied, "We'd better get going. The Volturi are so close I can almost hear their minds. Come on, Holly, Leah."

They raced out the door.

Only Artemis can appreciate the irony of this.

Irony? Oh yes, the men stay at home while the woman go to fight.

Oh, the irony, Artemis thought.

Jenna, Holly, and Leah came into the clearing and took up the formation.

They waited. Fifteen seconds...ten...five...four...three...two...one.

Now for the final test, Leah thought.

Jenna barely nodded. She turned towards the sound of the approaching vampires. Everyone turned with her, a second later after their weaker ears found the sound.

They came in a formation they had used hundreds of times before. They came like the opening of a fan, a smilie Bella had used when these vampires had come to destroy Renesmee. It was beautiful, yet angular. Holly gasped at the sight.

Jenna reached a hand forward. She placed it on Carlisle's shoulder, and he took it. Holly took Jenna's other hand.

"Carlisle," Aro said, "It's been years."

"Please, Aro," Jenna sighed, "You have lived a long time. Alas, you must have more than one greeting. You used that one last time. Or, wait a second, Carlisle used it."

Aro, Marcus, and Carius flipped their attention from Carlisle to Jenna.

Jenna dipped her chin, creating Alice's vision scene.

"Child, raise your head," Aro called.

Looking up, Jenna kept her eyes closed, "You have come to destroy my family," she said, "And for that you are corrupt. I will not allow it." Jenna's eyes flew open, fixing Aro's with a piercing violet gaze. She raised her right arm, letting go of Carlisle's hand. She released enough magic to make some of the Volturi cower.

"Enough!" Aro roared, "I will not-we will not-be spoken to this way by a newborn!"

"Careful where you tread, Aro," Carlisle growled, "That is my sister you are talking to."

"I'm very sorry, Carlisle. Would the Cullen siblings please step forward?"

"Yes, please do." Marcus agreed eagerly.

Jenna, Holly, and Carlisle stepped forward. Jenna felt Bella's shield flex around them.

Holly spoke for the first time, "Matilda," she said, addressing the Elf in the middle of the Volturi grouping, "Think of what you are doing. Do you really want this to be your legacy?"

Matilda snarled.

"Elf," Carius said, "This is the girl?" He pointed to Jenna.

"The girl? The girl?" Jenna laughed. Nobody had ever seen her in this mood, not even Leah, who had known her as a teenager for longer than the rest. Jenna was downright murderous, "Mother, you neglected to mention the 'girl' you are trying to kill is a newborn vampire, a Fairy-Elf with magic, and has the ability to fly. Not to mention this girl is your daughter. Your own flesh and blood. Not that you ever treated me that way."

"Matilda!" Jenna's aunt Elevra cried, "What on Earth do you think you're doing? Ginny and I have never given up on you, even after Jenna ran away. And this is how you treat your own daughter! I can't believe you. I'm ashamed to call you my sister. I'm ashamed that we're triplets! So is Ginevra-I mean Ginny! Think, Matty! Use your brain. We are the same, you, Ginny, and I. Why are you doing this?"

"Elevra, shut up," Ginny said, "She's a lost cause. We lost our third third the day she ran off with Harrison Cullen."

"Don't you dare talk about him to me!" Matilda screeched.

"Elf!" Aro barked, "Who is this girl, really?"

Jenna let out a short laugh, "You didn't tell them? I am Jenna Annabeth Trinity Ellanora Minerva Greenleaf. This is my half-sister, Holly Cyera Short, and my half-brother, Carlisle Robert Cullen."

"Huh," Aro addressed Tanya, Kate, Carmen, Garrett, and Eleazar, "can you attest to wether or not this newborn is safe?"

Eleazar came to Jenna's side, "I can. This newborn is the most compassionate vampire I have ever met. In the little time that I have known her, she has been the exact opposite of what our standard depiction of a newborn is. Jenna Greenleaf has a beautiful face and a beautiful soul. I could go on for days about her good qualities. She is only a couple of weeks old, and yet she is able keep a best friend who's a 'shapeshifter,' and a steady boyfriend. Her sister, who she has spent the last four days with, is an elf. As you can smell, elves have the sweetest blood on the planet. The rest of Jenna's family is a different species of Elf, and their blood is sweet too. Jenna hasn't killed a single one of them, nor a single human."

"Lovely Carmen, do you say the same thing?"

"I do, Aro, although I would like to add one thing."

"And what is that, lovely Carmen?"

"You cannot kill Jenna because she is indestructible."

"Yes," Anastasia piped up, "She was shot by the arrow that you said could break vampire skin, yet it just bounced back."

"You tell them, Ana!" Faro exclaimed.

"Silence, boy!" Aro snapped.

"How dare you! I am no more of a boy than you are!"

"We shall vote," Aro said, ignoring Faro, "Marcus, your vote."

"She is too much of a threat. She has to die."

"Marcus? Too much of a threat? And yet here you stand amongst the most malicious beings ever to walk the Earth. My Earth." Jenna snorted with laughter.

Excellent choice, Aro thought.

Prepare yourselves. Even if Carius votes I should live, then it will come to a fight. Aro believes I should die. Pardon me-it will will only come to a fight if you stand beside me. Will you? I will fight still, even if you don't.

Do you really doubt us that much, Ne?

"Thanks, everyone."

Foaly spoke for the first time in Holly's headset, "How are we doing?" he asked.

"Not great. Get Retrieval 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 ready. Arm them all to the teeth with those new fire blasters. Make sure none of them go into hand-to-hand combat. They will die. No exceptions."

"And you?"

"I'm not going into combat. I'll stand with the Retrievals."

"Agreed"

Aro spoke again, "My brother Carius, how do you find?"

"Same as Marcus. She is simply too dangerous."

"Dangerous my foot" Legolas muttered.

"And I believe the same. It is unanimous. The girl is to die now."

A hard yet light laugh started up. Jenna focused on Matilda. She felt the anger that she had been repressing for the last month build up inside her.

"I've waited sixteen years for this, myra kerenza, sixteen! And now it is within my grasp!"

Legolas spoke before Jenna could, "Don't you dare call her your dear daughter! So dear that you arranged to have her killed? Your Mother and I raised you better than this, Matilda. How did Ginevra and Elevra turn out so much better than you? You received the same upbringing as them." He cried.

Matilda snarled and screeched, "You are no Father of mine!"

Jenna clutched a small mark on her left arm. It was burning like nothing she had felt in six years. That was Matilda's main power, to cause that one scar unbearable pain. But over the years, Jenna had built up a resistance. She heard Jasper feel the pain in her arm, but she did not waver, "He's right," she said in a voice that barely escaped shaking, "I need my life, and I can't have it with you alive! One of us is going to die today, and it's going to be you. Any last words, Mother?" Jenna brought her hands together above her head, and a bolt of lightning came from the sky to incinerate Matilda Greenleaf. Matilda blocked it with a quick spell.

"You never were stronger than me, Jen, and you aren't now!"

"Oh, yah? Well just you wait and see!" Jenna preformed a series of complicated hand movements.

"She's making Fyre." Faro whispered in awe.

Before everyone's eyes, every atom in Matilda's two thousand-year-old self spontaneously combusted.

Jenna addressed the Volturi leaders, "Unless you want to meet the same end, I suggest you leave. Now."

"No," Aro said, force in every syllable, "This is all the more reason why you must be destroyed."

Jenna nodded to Holly, who had the Retrievals on standby.

"Fire at will," Holly said in Gnomish into her headset.

Fireballs started to rain from the sky, targeting the Volturi. Many of the guard combusted on the spot. Those who didn't leapt into group of Elves, vampires, and werewolves.

"Don't shield!" Jenna heard Holly yell from somewhere above her. She didn't pause to look where, but she knew Holly had activated her wings, "They can see us anyway!"

Jenna launched herself from the ground and joined the aerial attack. She sent glowing orbs of purple light at the remaining Volturi members. It didn't kill them; it just allowed them to be killed easier by her family members.

"For my sisters!" Carlisle cried as he plunged into the heart of the battle, immediately decapitating Jane and Alec, the 'witch twins,' "May they live in peace now!"

The battle did not last long. For the first time in their existence, the Volturi were outnumbered, out classed, and out matched.

Miles away from where the Volturi were getting slaughtered, Shane stepped in front of Artemis. "What is between you and Jenna?" he demanded.

"Nothing. We are friends, that's all."

"It doesn't look like that. I can tell she likes, maybe loves, you, too. My advice, stay away from her. Unless you want me after you."

Artemis was even paler than usual, "Shane, I don't need your advice. You are not going to stop me from seeing one of my closest friends. Jenna has a heart of gold. Do not jeopardize her feelings for you by antagonizing with me. Jenna will see it. She sees everything, you know."

"Not everything," Shane muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing"

Butler stepped in and put a massive arm in between them, "Okay, that's enough." he told the boys.

"Shane, I care. I care a lot about Jenna. More than you do in some cases."

"Are you accusing me of not caring about her? Why do you think I've stuck with her all this time? She wronged me first, and I forgave her!"

"She wronged you, and you're holding that against her? What kind of a boyfriend do you think you are?"

"A good one! I can provide for her better than you can! For one thing, I don't live in Ireland!"

"Jenna can provide for herself, you know! How can you be a good boyfriend if you don't know that? And if you think you're so much better than everyone else!"

"Because I just can!"

"What kind of an explanation is that, you compassionless shrew? You're a superficial coward!"

"Tell Jenna I'm going home."

Jenna was invisibly observing the group. She saw Aro quietly escape and dove after him.

"You really didn't think you could leave that easily, did you?" she said, materializing in front of him much to his surprise.

"This is what you get when you mess with the Cullen family," Carlisle said, stopping to Jenna's right.

Holly appeared in Aro's sight line, "Your corrupt ways must be stopped." she said in a menacing voice.

"Carlisle, please, spare me! I have to protect Volterra, and the rest to the vampire world! Our secret cannot be revealed!"

"The power has gone to your head, Aro. It has corrupted you."

"Carlisle, see reason!"

Carlisle looked to Jenna.

Jenna nodded, "We have to do it. You've probably heard 'absolute power corrupts, and power corrupts absolutely?" Thousands of years of absolute power is terrible...he won't change." Holly nodded her agreement.

Carlisle grimaced and threw himself at Aro.

"Carlisle!" Aro cried as he sidestepped Jenna's brother.

"You tried to kill my sister. After all she's been through. She's only dangerous when she wants to be." He dove at Aro again, this time taking off one of the Volturi leader's arms.

Carlisle proceeded to decapitate the rest of the body. When that was done, Holly drew her pistol and shot the remains, making them catch on fire.

"Jenna, help me. Make sure we get every piece" Carlisle said. He grabbed and threw little pieces of vampire.

Jenna and Holly helped him scour the ground until all of Aro's remains were in the fire.

"He really stinks," Jenna said.

"What? He smells the same as everyone else who's a vampire."

"No, he doesn't. He smells like a decaying body. Probably because he's so old."

And with that elegant comment, the half-siblings returned to the baseball clearing.

"Did we loose anyone?" Carlisle asked.

"No. Everyone is fine." Esme was beaming.

Jenna sat down at the edge of the clearing. She put her head between her knees. Holly, Carlisle, and Alice came over to her.

"Is it really over?" She asked quietly.

"Yes," Alice breathed, staring into the future, "The Volturi are done. It really is over."

The cheers erupted. Alice ran to Jasper's arms. Carlisle caught Esme as she flashed to his side. Emmett and Rosalie kissed, and so did Edward and Bella.

"Come on, Jenna," Jasper called, perfectly happy for once, "Let's go home."

Home. Jenna loved the word. For the first time in her entire life, she had a home.