Hey there everyone! Please forgive me for the much too late update. All I have to say in my defense is this; MIDTERMS… God, I hate them, but they're part of college life as much as everything… Enough said about that. Now as far as this chapter is concerned, I tried to make it longer again as the slightest compensation for the long wait. Just let me thank all of you my readers and reviewers who stuck with me for this long and assure you that this story will definitely be completed. Now to answer some of the questions you asked;
Irene90; Yes, I did use a small part of Shakespeare's sonnets… Hehe, couldn't help it! And you'll see what will happen with Bella's parents in this chapter. I hope you'll enjoy reading it!
Coffeeholic7; Hmm… I promise that I'll give you some, let's say crispier, scenes in the future.
Jackie; It will be just a few more chapters now, I'm afraid. Maybe three more or so.
Sol Swan Cullen; you'll have to wait for Jacob's reaction to everything, but not for long. Probably till the next chapter.
Twird96; Bella's dad killing Edward? Now where did you get that idea from I wonder (and now picture me smiling evilly…)
I Won't Go Home Without You; Nothing really, I just had Edward admit that he can sometimes be as mature and stubborn as a five year old… ;p
And that would be all! I just hope you'll enjoy this next chapter too! It happens to be one of my personal favorites! And, please, don't forget to review!
Disclaimer; I don't own any of the Twilight characters. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer.
TITANOMACHY
"Here we go then." I whispered as we took the steps that could lead us to our downfall. We took the steps that might lead us to my parents and our future as a family; together.
I looked around me in wonder. And yet, as hard as I searched, as far as I pushed my eyesight upwards so enhanced as it was, all I could see in frond of me was gray granite rock. A vertical wall stretching upwards to the heavens -or whatever the end of this black sky was- with a huge crack in the middle that served as a gate to the prison that held my parents. Nothing I had ever imagined could have prepared me for this; was this monstrosity the place where my parents were imprisoned for more than eighteen years now?
My heart clenched in pure anguish as I turned to Edward. He read the pain in my eyes and offered me a short smile, comforting me as much as he could before he turned around to observe his surroundings. Not being able to take my eyes from my parents' prison I felt him stiffen beside me. While following his gaze afraid for the worse, I was compelled to follow his example too; I froze.
Behind us the scenery looked just like something brought right out of my worst nightmares into true life to haunt me; the ground was painted a sickly deep orange and was cracked all over, almost appearing to be perched and scorched under a bright sun. Still the sun itself was nowhere to be found. I roamed the sky with my eyes and what appeared to have been pure black to me now unfolded its true nature.
It was darkness; not dark blue or black or anything else. Just darkness. I could rather feel it than actually see it twirling around and moving endlessly to some place at the opposite side from us, but there was no doubt in my mind anymore. So this was the place they called the Underworld; a deserted land as my father once put it, at least the place they were held.
"So what now?" Edward asked staying calm for both our sakes. In all truth I didn't know; I was somehow supposed to unlock all my strength and navigate it towards the wall of the cell. But was I supposed to attack full front without warning my parents first? As if hearing my doubt, my father's voice echoed in my head.
"It's time now Bells. Don't worry you'll be okay; just aim at the opening and give it your best shot." I turned at Edward again; he smiled at me and urged my forward.
"I'll be right here for you love. I won't let anything happen to you, I swear."
"Then let's do this." I breathed in deeply and focused on the wall in frond of me, marking it as a target in my head as clearly as possible. I closed my eyes and called forth my powers. I tried to not simply choose one of them to manifest but push all of them forward instead and see what would come of it. I felt stupid for a second. Nothing seemed to be happening, no bright light manifesting itself, no rumbling sounds, no nothing. I was ready to open my eyes and ask Edward for his opinion when it happened.
Slowly I felt something deep inside my chest moving and taking life of its own, almost begging me to come out. Warmth spread from my very core to every last fiber of my being, trembling and shining inside me as it made its way towards the final layers of my skin. The warmth intensified as it finally hit the outer layers of my body, but it wasn't unpleasant one bit; on the contrary, it felt oddly liberating. Almost like the way I felt when I flew. I don't if it happened because I thought of flying or not, but the very moment thoughts of flight hit my mind, I sensed my feet leaving the ground gracefully and found myself floating. I reveled in the sensation for a second and then focused back on the task at hand; I had to get my parents out.
More energy kept surging from within me and slowly gathered in my hands as I raised them upwards, with eyes still closed, aiming straight at the wall. The waves of pure strength rippled through me and suddenly I started feeling lightheaded; the warmth was so comforting. It felt natural and just right to be that way. Then a different sensation caught me. It felt like a slight tugging on my head. How odd.
"That's right little girl keep the energy floating through you. Why let go and waste all that warmth on the wall?" Huh? That was new; whom did that voice belong to? It sounded familiar in way, but, if I had to, I could swear I had never heard it before. Why did it sound so familiar then? The voice was smooth and comforting, almost leaving a sweet aftertaste in my mind. For a moment there I felt there was a double edge on that voice; something hidden behind it. Some malice still unknown to me, something threatening. I swiftly brushed it off; I had no time for voices in my head. I had to get my parents out.
"But why? Isn't it nice, the way you feel now? Don't you want to see how far can you go with your powers?" There it was again. That voice. It did make a point though. I would like to see how far I could go with my powers and then, when my curiosity was satisfied, I would break down the prison's walls. I let more of my powers flow through me; a strange feeling of being home at last reached me and a soft haze began clouding my mind. I could sense my powers forming a cocoon around me and I felt protected from the world. But I had to let go; I had to get my parents out, right?
"Come on little girl, why stop now. Can't you feel it too? You're home now. You're safe." Of course the unknown man -for he was a man- was right; this did feel like home. That was when I felt something moving outside my protective shell. Somewhere down beneath me I could sense movement and hear something like… battle cries? Like the sound the elements made when I practiced in my basement back home. But who could make such sounds now? I wasn't using any of my powers that way. Edward? Edward! He was down there! Was he in danger? I tried to lift the haze from my mind.
"He is fine. Don't worry about anything; you're safe. If you stay like this there will be no more pain. Remember how you felt when he left you? Do you want to feel that pain again?" The voice argued in my head and I withdrew deeper in my cocoon, which now was thickening, slightly confused from the voice's knowledge of my past. But that thought was soon forgotten as the full force of the pain his abandonment had caused me came back and an imaginary, yet very physically painful hole made its reappearance on my chest. The fog in my mind thickened too but a small voice of reason I vaguely recognized as my own reminded me that he had come back to me. That Edward loved me and I loved him too and we were going to be fine now.
"He could leave you again. You're safe here, why should you let go?" The voice was right. I was safe here. There would be no more pain and no more leaving me behind. How could have I even imagined the voice would want to hurt me in the first place? I was safe and I was free and I could barely hear the sounds outside my shell anymore. Why did I even want to let go of my powers in the first place anyway? I remembered there was something I had come here to do but…
"Don't bother. You're safe here." Of course I was safe here! If only I could remember where here was… How meddlesome that haze in my mind was! Why was I here anyways?
"No more questions. Just keep still little Bella." Okay, I would keep still and protected in my cocoon. I could trust the voice. Just one thing was left unanswered now; why did the voice called me Bella? Who was this Bella?
Edward's POV;
So this was the Underworld. A world truly devoid of life, empty to all extends. I let my eyes wander on that hideous wall in front of us. This had to be the entrance to Bella's parents' prison. Those cursed gods really didn't fool around did they?
I turned my attention back to my love; she was in pain, I could tell. I smiled at her as warmly as I could; it would all be over soon. We would set her parents free and then I would devote the rest of my life to make sure she would never have to feel this way again. I would make sure she would be kept happy and smiling at all times. I turned around, double-checking to make sure we were alone. I had to freeze at what I saw. Bella felt my reaction and turned to see for herself. Her movements copied mine exactly. I couldn't blame her.
The ground was cracked and dried, a dessert of burnt sienna stretching endlessly under a dark sky. I briefly wondered how we could see even if there was no source of light around. I found my own answer unnerving; the ground must be producing the luminosity necessary. We had to get out of here fast; I tried my best to remain calm but still I had the worst of feelings for this place that brought to my mind words for the valley of death.
I had just turned to Bella and asked her whether she knew what to do or not, when the voice of her father reached my mind; "It's time now Bells. Don't worry you'll be okay; just aim at the opening and give it your best shot." So, it was finally going to happen. My Bella tuned to me for support;
"I'll be right here for you love. I won't let anything happen to you, I swear." And I would keep that promise; come what may, I would make sure we would all, her parents included, walk free out of this place. I wouldn't stand for us to spend eternity trapped here. Even though eternity with Bella would be perfect in anyplace, she deserved much more than that.
"Then let's do this." She moved forward and I found my eyes were unable to leave her form. There it was; that feeling again. The urge inside of me that told me that if I took my eyes away from her she would disappear, dissolving into thin air. I shook my head not wanting to let my always worrying self unnerve Bella. I watched her as she focused on the wall and closed her eyes, willing her powers to manifest themselves, yet nothing seemed to happen. Had something gone wrong?
And then I felt it; a strong surge of power coming from her in waves, spreading its warmth to the wasteland around us. Slowly her skin lit up more than it usually did as that power found its way out. Now I couldn't take my eyes of her even if I tried; she looked mesmerizing. Her hands spread at her sides and her long hair started floating around her as the light intensified. I could feel the pure white rays touching my skin and going through my body, warming me to the core.
Then her feet left the ground and she ascended until she was at least twenty feet from the ground. She had become the sun this place lacked. An overwhelming wave of bliss shook my body; by some whim of fate this goddess was mine. I didn't deserve her, I really didn't. But I was never going to let her go; I couldn't let her go. I focused on her face marveling on her perfect features that where now shining bright and illuminating this dark place.
And then I knew something was wrong; she was slightly biting her lower lip as she did when she was in deep thought. I always loved that little movement of hers, founding it unbelievably enticing, but now it just felt wrong. She slightly shook her head as if she was trying to disperse a nightmare that had formed in her mind. What was happening to her? I was about to ask her through our connection when I heard it; a swishing sound some good feet behind me.
I turned around and for the second time since I entered this god forsaken place I froze; a portal similar to the one Bella and I had used to get here was being created out of pure darkness that had appeared, seemingly, out of nowhere. I braced myself and got ready to attack to whatever came through that door, a small part of my brain making a mental note to myself to actually pay attention when my unconscious tried to warn me the next time around.
The doorway solidified and three men made their way out; they all were somewhere over six feet tall and appeared to be in their early twenties. One was ash blond and sported a ridiculously annoying grin. The one at the right, the bulkier one, had long brown hair that was flowing behind him as he walked. The third one, who also had light brown hair, albeit shorter, stopped immediately once he exited the gate and looked maliciously at Bella. Their facial characteristics were seemingly shaped to perfection yet with a closer inspection I found something oddly repelling in them; almost as if they were too perfect. Fake.
And of course I could plainly see that their eyes were a clouded gold. The cursed ones. I prepared for a fight and hoped Bella would free her parents soon; I might be able to control more elements than the three of them did, but they have millennia of experience and are three after all. Plus, I was in their turf. I watched two of them, the blond and the bulky one, moving closer while the third one stayed behind still looking at my Bella. I had no time to process what he could be doing because the blond decided it was high time to strike me with a lightning bolt.
I felt my body lift from the floor and fly backwards till I collided with something hard; that damn granite wall managed to prove inconvenient whether you were locked inside or outside of the prison it withheld. I tried not to shout, not wanting to give them the pleasure, but I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips. I had just made an important discovery for my newfound god status; lightning bolts couldn't kill me, but they sure hurt like hell. I pushed myself from the wall and prepared to retaliate. Experienced or not, I was the only one standing between them and Bella. And they weren't going to touch her. Furry rippled through me. Not her.
I stood up and took a look at Bella to make sure she was still safe. What I saw wasn't at all what I expected; where Bella was a few seconds ago I could now only see an orb of pure white light. And I could feel Bella inside it. Instinctively I knew this had something to do with the remaining one of the cursed ones that stood staring at Bella. I let out a roar, a reminder of my vampire days, and began striking back right before the blond tried to attack again.
Relying mostly on impulse I decided to play with fire. After all fire was the element connected with emotions and the rage I felt towards those three men, no, those creatures for trying to hurt my Bella was enough to reduce the already scorched land of the Underworld to dust.
And like that, fire sprouted from both my hands and flew swiftly towards the two of the three cursed ones. Magnified from my anger the fire had turned from a simple ray to a full wall of blazing flames. A grin spread across my face as I watched them take the full force of my attack and, mostly, as I watched their surprised expressions while they were hit. They really didn't expect something of that magnitude from me.
Immediately, the blond extinguished the fires throwing water from his hands, while the bulkier one bent down to touch the ground. A rumbling sound was heard and suddenly a wall made of the orange earth of the underworld itself rose to protect them.
"Nice hit boy." The one that had created the protecting wall said. His voice was deep and would have been pleasant if I couldn't feel the ice behind it. "Quite the moves you got there." He spoke without a specific accent yet his voice had a musical tone to it. I felt a tugging on my mind and I swiftly pushed the intruding conscience out of my conscious. I had enough experience with mind reading to know when someone was trying to get into mine. It was the blonds' time to speak; his voice was lighter and cheerful yet equally frozen, allowing only a soft undertone of surprise to slip through.
"Seems we started on the wrong foot here." He offered lightly. "Hi there. I'm Loki and this man on my right is Set. The one you see in the back is Kronos." Was he actually trying to make small talk with me? "What would your name be?" he said as he stepped away from the wall he was hiding behind a big smile of his face. I shivered. It was almost a copy of the huge grins I was used to receiving from Emmet, only his smile never reached his eyes, making his smile distinctively unlike the goofy grins my brother freely offered around. Not knowing what else to do I decided to see where he was going with it.
"Edward." I said mastering my feelings as I was trained to do when being angry and around Jasper, trying to sound unaffected by their presence. "My name is Edward." His smile never fell as he took another step towards me. I really didn't like this at all but now idea of how I could get the upper hand got to my mind. All I could do was play along.
"Edward then. Your powers seem to be rather developed, yet you can't have them for more than… when was my dear niece's birthday again? Oh yes, three months ago? Care to share your secrets?" he asked smiling as brightly as ever. He was really getting on my nerves. Time to fight fire with fire. I smiled brightly back at him too.
"Sorry, but that would be cheating. You should learn to handle your powers by yourself you know. One would say you're old enough." With glee I noticed his smile falter for a second before coming back to full force.
"Well put little Edward." Little? Don't let him get on your nerves Edward. For Bella's sake don't let him. I kept chanting that to myself while trying to find a way to take control of the conversation.
"I might just give you some pointers if you would answer a question for me; how did you know we were here?" Now that I would like to find out. Bella hadn't even touched the wall yet.
"Nice question boy. You see very few amongst our race have the power to control darkness and most of them are actually gathered here. Those who aren't here would never dare to set a foot in the Underworld. So Kronos back there figured out that if someone tried to enter using the dark element would be our baby niece up there. So when a portal was opened we came running. You on the other hand were an unexpected bonus. We only expected her." He said and pointed at Bella. The orb surrounding her was brighter now. I could barely feel her anymore.
As I turned to look at her the bulkier one, Set, jumped behind the wall he had created, executed a perfectly balanced summersault and landed punching the ground. The earth beneath him rippled and rose in sharp fang like pieces that where swiftly heading my way. I took flight and let them pass right behind me. Loki took the opportunity to throw another lightning bolt at me.
I avoided it this time and hit him back with one lightning bolt of my own out of pure instinct that hit him straight on the chest. While flying back down I borrowed a page from their book and created a wall to protect myself from their blows. So much for small talk. I was still surprised not all three of them weren't attacking me.
And mostly I was worried for Bella. How could I help her? I felt like smacking my head on the wall I had conjured. What good is the ability to converse through our minds if I wouldn't use it? I reached for her mind. A strong spasm of despair shook me. I could barely feel her. What had happened to my Bella? It appeared as if a haze, a thick dark fog, clouded her mind and prevented me from reaching her. I longed to hear her voice again in my mind but it was like I couldn't find her. And then, as I searched for her, I found the voice of someone else.
"No more questions. Just keep still little Bella." It was the voice of a god that much I could tell. Then it hit me; the one that had stayed behind. Kronos. He must have been the one doing this while the others just gave him some time to do whatever it was he was doing to Bella's mind. I tried my best to dissolve the fog fighting back its advances while searching for Bella's consciousness at the same time. She was there I could feel it; I started talking to her hoping that she would hear me, fighting to dominate to her thoughts so Kronos wouldn't get a way back in.
"Bella! It's me, Edward. Come back to me love. I know you can hear me. Please, fight back Bella." No response. At the same time something hit the other side of the wall I had created. "Bella, listen to me please." Nothing. I started panicking. "Bella come on! Come on love fight for yourself, for your parents." The fog stood unaffected. Was I too late?
Another hit on the wall. A chunk broke and fell as a result of the impact but I couldn't bring myself to care. I felt tears in my eyes; I didn't care about them either. I started pleading. "Fight for me love." No response. Another hit on the wall. It wouldn't last long now. I looked at the bright orb that was Bella's powers, her own strength that held her hidden from me and summoned all my feelings for her; all the love, all the hope for our future. My everything. And just as the wall in front of me took a final hit and collapsed I shouted out loud and in her head. I called for her. I screamed her name.
"BELLA!"
Bella's POV;
I stood still in my cocoon in complete silence as the voice had instructed. The fog around me was thicker than before and very still but it was okay. I was safe here, right? It was warm yet somehow suffocating and I felt like something important was missing… Nah, no more thoughts of that. What if the warmth was suppressing me? What if I craved for some fresh air? I could trust the voice. Of course I could! Couldn't I? And suddenly the fog sifted.
Like it was hit by the air I had wished for though it never actually reached me. Whispers… someone was whispering through the fog. That voice sounded familiar too. But who could it be? The fog moved again and this time I could almost feel the wind that carried the voice;
"…fight for yourself, for your parents…" Parents? What parents? And that voice… so perfect! Like velvet and honey. Oh, I knew that voice! It felt like it was the most important sound in the world for me. I had to know that voice! But from where?
"Fight for me love." He sounded like he was pleading for me. Had he called me love? Why did I felt I could take on the whole world and win just because that voice called me 'love'? My head was hurting again. And suddenly I felt trapped inside the fog; how could I have ever felt protected here in the first place? The warmth was too much. It burned me now. And that amazing voice. Why couldn't I remember? I just wanted to remember the man behind that voice! If only the fog would go away…
The wind blew again and I felt it this time; like a cool breeze that touched me and brought me back from a nightmare. Such an invigorating feeling. And with the wind came that voice again. It screamed just one word this time. My name;
"BELLA!"
And it all came back to me; my parents, the Underworld and of course the man behind the voice; Edward. My Edward. And just as quickly as it came, the fog dispersed; the cocoon around me lightened until finally it was gone too. I snapped my eyes open and looked around; three men where attacking Edward. Three gods. Three gods with clouded gold eyes. The cursed ones.
"Edward watch out!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I watched a wave of ice heading his way from the man standing at the back. He seemed to sprung into action the moment he heard my voice sending fire -was that really a wall of fire?- towards the ice. He turned up to look at me with my favorite grin in place as the ice evaporated to smoke in front of him momentarily hiding him from his assaulters. Was that tears in his eyes?
"Are you all right love? Are you hurt? What happened?" My overanxious Edward. How could I forget?
"I love you. Thank you for bringing me back; I'll explain later. At least I'll explain what I understand myself. Keep those jerks at bay for a little longer. My parents will know what to do with them." He smiled at me again, despite the tears in his eyes; I could feel his joy and that gave me strength to go on. Suddenly, I realized I was still suspended in mid-air. I quickly summoned my powers again, no tugging on my mind this time.
The warmth chorused through my body once more but this time I didn't let it get too far. Edward kept fighting the cursed ones beneath me as I focused on the wall. With no fog in my head I suddenly knew when the right time to strike was.
The light around my body focused on my hands and then, finally, I let it all go. A beam of pure white light left my hands and made impact with the door. I held steady and kept channeling all I had to my target. The cursed ones beneath me decided to change their target from Edward to me, but he didn't seem to agree as he sent one more of his fire walls, an even greater one this time, towards them. He really had a talent with those.
I refocused on the wall as a deep rumbling sound came from the granite; the door was opening. Inch by inch with a ferocious growl the sides of the fissure parted. And then I saw them; my parents made their way out of their prison. They looked at the battle in front of them and afterwards their eyes travelled upwards to me, both smiling as I swiftly landed next to them. Or to be more accurate, on top of them.
"Nice flying honey, but we'll need to work on your landing skills." My father joked as he rose from the ground. I didn't know what to say. When they both stood up I just did the first thing that popped into mind. Something I wanted to do from the first time I saw them. I ran back to them and hugged them, holding them for dear life.
"Hey there baby." My mother said in between sobs. My father simply held me as he cried some tears of his own.
A lightning bolt gashed the wall behind us, effectively ending our reunion. I looked at Edward. He was using fire again to hold them back. As unbelievable as it looked the fire barrier he had created looked even bigger this time. His hair was more ruffled than usual and with the fire behind him he looked truly dazzling. No surprise there. He turned at our side and once he saw my parents next to me he smiled. My knees felt week from his smile, even at the situation we were at.
I turned back to my parents; my mother looked slightly surprised as she looked at the flames, but I could tell it was a good surprise. My father looked at Edward in a thoughtful manner; I just hope he wouldn't get all daddy-like right now.
"What do you say we go help your soul mate honey?" My mother offered and I nodded my agreement in glee. The fire wall Edward had created faded and we finally faced the cursed ones as a family. Oh, how I enjoyed the stunned look on their faces! They were positively frightened as my father, after acknowledging Edward with a short nod -and thankfully a soft smile, moved forward to address them;
"Long time no see." He said frostily. If looks could kill, those three would be dead as dust, whether they where gods or not. "If I remember correctly, last time you tried to kill my daughter and imprisoned me and my wife in that sorry excuse for a cell. Can't say I missed you."
"Now Ouranos, let's be sensible about it…" I instantly recognized the voice from my previous fog tilted nightmare. Edward growled beside me, but it was my mother who spoke.
"Sensible Kronos? But of course; we are going to be so sensible that we actually plan to give you the same treatment you so kindly bestowed us with eighteen years ago." If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes it would have been hard to believe that my kind spirited mother could look so intimidating. Wonders never seize I guess, at least not in this family.
"I'm sure that we can find another way to deal with the situation." The blond one offered calmly. "I'm sure that Bella over there can tell you that we never…"
"Don't you even dare mention her name!" Edward's voice boomed in the deserted land, his hands ablaze with new lit fire, effectively making the blond take a step back in fear. Edward looked positively wild at the moment and I found myself wondering if someone had turned on the heating in this place.
"I guess that settles it." My father said with a smirk on his face and waved his right hand. That small flicker was apparently all it took to create a mass whirlwind and send it towards the still scared cursed ones.
"I say we put them in the cell they kept us, what do you think?" My mother asked softly, like it was the simplest thing in the world. Still, I nodded in agreement, a weird sense of giddiness getting the best out of me. My parents leaped forward and, while my father took flight and kept pushing the cursed ones backwards by hitting them with powerful gust of winds or lightning bolts, my mother used ice to immobilize them for as long as possible, disabling their ability to fight back.
The cursed ones snapped out of their original shock quite fast and seemed to opt on not getting imprisoned for the rest of time. They began fighting back causing their retreat towards the still open gate to delay and then stop altogether.
"Love?" I heard Edwards voice in mind.
"Yes?"
"Remember the vines you used to entrap Victoria?" I nodded yes, trying to figure out where he was going with his plan. "Do you think you can find any type of vegetation here to create them again? I believe they would be quite useful as restraining measures." I smiled at him and started my research towards the ground, not wasting another second. In the beginning all I encountered was rocks, dry ground and more rocks. And just about when I was ready to tell him I couldn't find anything, a small spore caught my attention. It wasn't like any other type of flora I had ever encountered, but it would have to do.
"I think I got something love. So what's the plan?"
"You'll use those vines to catch them now that your parents brought them to a standstill and throw them backwards, while I will help your parents immobilize them and push them towards the cave. When we shove them inside, you'll close the door while I'll block the exit and, hopefully, that will be the last we'll see of them ever again." His voice when referring to the cursed ones was so dark I could practically taste it. I smiled slyly and gave him thumbs up. I reached for the plant I had previously discovered and got ready to attack, sending one last thought to Edward.
"You know, during the last ten minutes you have proven to be quite… feral." His eyebrow quirked in surprise.
"Really?" He was somewhat confused about what I meant.
"Yes, really. I might just have you show me how untamed you can become later. Just so you know…" Okay, now the grin he gave me as my words sunk in really was feral. Damn, that comment was supposed to leave him hot and bothered, not the other way around!
"That, I can promise you love." And with that he leaped forward, throwing ice to the massive one of the trio, who was at the moment trying to escape, rendering him immobile.
I came back to my senses and focused on the plant fifteen feet beneath me, calling it to the surface. A second later, with a rumbling sound and after rocketing some dirt all around in the process, the first vine emerged from the ground. I was right; I had never seen a plant like this before but then again, after seeing the Underworld with my own eyes, I should have figured out any type of life form originating from this place would have to immediately be classified as creepy. But for what I needed them, those vines would be just perfect.
I flicked my wrist and a thick black vine filled with thorns that strongly resembled iron nails, flew towards the man Edward had just brought down. After encircling him, I moved the vine backwards and threw him inside the cave. Edward took flight and reached the cave's entrance himself, ready to stop him from coming back outside. Not one to disappoint he tried to break free only seconds later, just to find himself thrown back by a well balanced yet vicious lightning bolt.
I left him to Edward to handle and I turned my attention back to the remaining two. It was a slow process since, as soon as they understood what I was trying to do they avoided the vines, but after about thirty minutes, a couple of failed attempts on our side, a few failed escapades from their side and a massive firewall -courtesy of Edward- later, I found myself ready to close the wall for the final time.
I gathered the strength necessary while the cursed ones decided to launch one final attack, hitting us, more accurately hitting me, with all they had. My parents got ready to attack but Edward, not failing to notice who the target of their attack was, beat them to the punch. Literally.
He ducked down and punched the ground viciously; if I had thought that he was great with fire, I could now confess that he was breathtaking with water. A deep growl was heard from the ground and a thick wall of water erupted heading upwards in dazzling speed. In a matter of seconds I could no longer see where it ended even though I floated twenty feet above them.
Suddenly Edward rose and brought his hands forward, causing the water to freeze into a sparkling glacier. My mind barely registered the stunned expressions of my parents before I focused back at the wall, wanting nothing more than to finish this once and for all.
With a final deafening roar, the wall closed hiding the cave inside which I first met my parents and the men that imprisoned them from my sight for good. I landed next to them and for a few seconds we just stood there looking at each other, none moving, still unable to realize it was finally over. Edward was the one who moved first. He ran towards me and before I could realize what he was doing he caught me in his arms and crushed his lips onto mine.
A few dizzying moments later I was kissing him back with fervor, momentarily forgetting where I was and who was watching us. A discrete coughing sound brought me back to reality; I stepped back and turned to face my parents, Edward never leaving me from his embrace. My mother was smiling knowingly while my father looked at Edward with narrowed eyes. I blushed but Edward seemed unfazed as he smiled at my parents. Never letting me from his arms he moved forward and extended his hand to my mother who was closer to him.
"It's great to finally be able to meet you. I'm Edward." My mother smiled and instead of shaking his hand moved forward and pulled him in for a hug. Edward seemed a little surprised from her move and so was I, but soon hugged her back.
"It's great to meet you too Edward. I'm Gaia." She stepped back to get a better look at Edward. "My, my… it seems our Bella picked a handsome one, didn't she?" My mother teased, causing Edward to blush slightly and smile warmly back at her. My father moved towards Edward and studied him carefully. Any lesser man would have faltered or at least started fidgeting under the golden stare of the leader of the gods, but Edward stood his ground. My mother looked at me a little concerned but my father surprised us both when he smiled and extended his hand to Edward first.
"Well it seems that my daughter knew what she was doing when she picked you." He said and smiled as Edward shook his hand. I let out an inaudible sigh and so did my mother. "I'm Ouranos, Bella's father. I hope we can trust you with the happiness of our daughter." Oh oh… Daddy mode activated.
"I would rather die than have anything happen to Bella sir." Edward stated calmly. My father waved his hand dismissively.
"No need to call me sir, Edward. Just call me Ouranos. Or dad. Whatever suits you best." I gapped at my father and then run to hug him; he was one big softie after all. "Hey honey, why so surprised? I never threatened to attack the boy, did I?"
"No." I agreed my voice muffled as I never stopped hugging him. My mother laughed behind us.
"You never threatened him but for a moment back there you sure seemed ready to charge." She said joking. Edward joined her laughter while messing up his hair further with his hand. I couldn't believe my luck. I finally had all my family with me.
"Sorry for that, but I couldn't help it." My father admitted coyly. "Edward kind of caught me of guard rushing to Bella like that." He made a face at the memory. "That will take some getting used to." He admitted. Edward smiled again.
"Sorry for that too, but for a moment back there I thought I had lost her." He turned to me, eyes bright with fear. "What happened back there? One moment you were ready to attack and the next thing I know, you're lost inside an orb of light and I'm outside, desperate as ever and unable to reach you."
"I really don't know what happened." I admitted. "I heard the voice of the one you called Kronos in my mind and then I found myself forgetting stuff, until I was lost in a fog, trapped inside my mind, not even remembering my own name." My mother gasped and brought her hand to her mouth.
"Is that what took you so long?" My father asked concerned.
"Yes." I said, not sure why they acted that way.
"We thought that we couldn't hear you because you were gathering your powers to strike the wall." My father whispered paling. "We never thought that they would… we should have warned you…" He looked ready to collapse.
"Ouranos, what's wrong? What happened to her?" Edward asked as my mother began crying. My father breathed in deeply for a while, seemingly steadying himself.
"Kronos tried to trap you into your own mind, using the power of darkness. Technically it's impossible to do, but in the rare occasion that a god or goddess are using their full strength, if another god breaks into their mind, they can turn their strength against them, using the power of darkness. Kronos tried to do that to you; he first made you forget why you were here and then made you forget yourself. Your powers, not knowing what to do since you couldn't remember why you called them on the first place, did the only thing logical; they tried to seal you from any external attack waiting for you to command them on what to do next." My father stopped and looked at me scared, as if I was going to drop dead any second now.
"So that's why I felt as I was being wrapped in a cocoon. I technically was." I said more to myself than anyone. My mother let out a small sob and hugged me for dear life. "It's okay mom. Nothing happened, see?" my father seemed in the brink of tears too.
"Bella you don't understand. Your powers in their purest form created an impenetrable shield, separating you from the outer world. The order from you for them to disperse would have never come since you didn't even remember who you were. Theoretically, once you had reached that point when you couldn't remember yourself, there should have been no turning back. You would remain trapped forever inside your mind with no way out; a prison much worse than the one we were in." My mother stepped back to look at me, just to make sure I was still there, while Edward held me tight again wrapping his arms around me tightly from the behind, placing his chin on top of my head.
"I could have…" I muttered, unable to go any further. I felt something wet and warm trailing down my cheeks, but I was too shocked to have started crying. I felt Edward's chest that was flushed on my back convulsing. I turned upwards and looked at his face. His lips were slightly parted and his eyes held a tortured look; it was his tears that had fallen on my face. I turned around and cupped his face. "Hey, I'm here. I'm fine. You got me out, remember?" He bent to kiss me down once more, almost as if I was his lifeline.
"Edward… Edward got you out?" My mother asked surprised. I turned to face her, a very difficult feat as Edward's hands almost constricted every movement.
"Yes, he did. I remember I was floating inside that fog when it suddenly stirred and I heard someone whispering through it. A voice that was telling me to fight back. I started remembering things and then the wind that moved the fog reached me along with Edward's voice screaming my name. That was when I snapped out of it." I explained as my parents turned to stare at Edward. He didn't seem to notice though as he held me tighter and buried his face in my hair, inhaling deeply, mumbling something about never letting me go.
"It seems we owe you much more than we thought son." My father said and moved closer to place a hand on Edward's shoulder as my mother pulled both of us in her embrace. "Thank you. For everything."
"You don't owe me anything. I should have seen this coming; Bella should have never been in such a situation to begin with." He said shivering. He was blaming himself? Oh, love…
"You couldn't possibly know what was happening Edward. If anything we should have warned Bella, but we never thought there would be more than one types of alarm in this place." My mother said, shaking her head in regret. "If anything you did more than we knew was possible. Thank you son." We stood like that for a few more minutes trying to comprehend everything that had happened. Finally, I breathed deeply and spoke;
"Don't you think we should better get out of here? This place kind of creeps me out." My mother laughed while my father and Edward chuckled softly.
"I think you're right honey." My father agreed.
"What about those three?" Edward asked referring to the cursed ones.
"As long as one of us doesn't snap and decide to free them, they won't see the light of day ever again." My mother said firmly. I smiled, finally able to let that part of my past to rest. I raised my hand and called forth the power of darkness ready to go home. When the portal was ready, I turned to my parents.
"Are you ready?" My father winked at me playfully.
"We have been ready for eighteen years, honey." And with that we walked through the portal and back to my room. My parents immediately looked outside the window and straight at the moon.
"Oh, I've missed the sky." My mother admitted as my father went to hold her. Edward and I mirrored there movements as we stood still, watching the moon slowly fall through the sky. We must have been gone for around two hours.
"Bella?" Edward asked softly and pressed his head in my hair again.
"Yes Edward?" I said turning to look at him, his handsome features enticing me as ever. He seemed serious and deep in thought as his hand slowly made its way towards his military style jacket's inner pocket. I tried to make sense of what he was doing but I decided to just let things unfold.
"I've been meaning to ask you something and I believe that now is as good a time as ever so…" I waited for him to finish his sentence when the wind shifted and a new scent came through the window. I felt like jumping down said window and landing on my head on purpose.
Of all the scents in the world, it simply had to be the scent of unknown vampires. He had caught it too as he stopped speaking and looked out the window confused. I turned to my parents for an answer. My mother was covering her eyes with her right hand in an exasperated movement, while my father looked enraged beyond words.
I shared a look of utter confusion with Edward as we both tried to make sense of their reaction. It took two simple words from my father to make everything clear to both of us.
"The Volturi."