Author's note: This chapter has been edited. 08/15/10

Chapter 25 – The March

June 2009 – Present

"Are they going to make him walk all the way?" Bella asked Amy, referring to old Quil. The ancient tribal leader was clearly struggling as he made his way slowly up the trail. "Can't one of the wolves carry him?"

"Yes. I wish they would," Amy answered. "He looks so tired." The group of tribal members, vampires and werewolves had been walking for more than three hours, and Amy could tell the humans were getting tired.

It had been a long night. They'd begun with a drive south out of Forks. After continuing for several miles east along the Upper-Hoh Road, they'd entered Olympic National Park, but that was just the start of their journey. Just beyond the Visitor Center, they left their cars at the trailhead and began to follow a meandering path through the rainforest, their destination: Mount Olympus.

"They'll have to carry him eventually, but he seems to be doing alright," Edward observed, trying to keep his voice low so that only the other vampires could hear. He flicked his eyes toward the leader and frowned slightly. "He's proud and stubborn. He should ask for help."

"I bet he won't." Amy nodded. "But it's not just the elders. The children need help, too."

"I could carry him—" Edward suggested. But Leah cut him off.

"We can handle it, bloodsucker," she spat irritably. Her super natural hearing had heard every word.

"Leave him alone, Leah," Sue ordered. "This is not the time to start a fight."

Leah obeyed, but she couldn't help glowering back. An icy retort was on the tip of her tongue, but she decided not to push it. She didn't need to speak anyway; Edward had heard all of her cursing thoughts. Her eyes, however, continued to burn with suspicion as they remained fixed on Jacob's frozen body.

Suspended, this time in a form that appeared to be entirely human, Jake's arms and legs had curled awkwardly into his chest, and his eyes had clamped tightly shut. Despite the strangely contorted position of Jacob's body, Amy easily carried him in her arms, her newborn strength making it an easy task.

Up ahead, the path wound its way steadily forward. Like a natural staircase, it gained height as it rolled ahead on the constantly rising terrain. Although well-marked, the trail was hard to see in the darkness, at least for the humans. It dipped into treacherous hollows that alternated with short, steep hills. On the right, the churning Hoh River flowed noisily over a bed of glacial rocks. Adding to the atmosphere, the smell of rotting vegetation from the rainforest beyond filled the air with a pungent scent. Forced to a slower pace, they began to march in a single line the narrowing trail width making it rough going for the Quileutes.

Old Quil continued to hobble silently alongside Sue and Leah. He looked down as he walked, being careful not to stumble. In rhythm with his shuffling stride, his long, graying hair swayed with each step he took, but Amy noticed a smile spread across his face at Leah's earlier words of protectiveness.

"Excuse me, sir, but ... why is it so important that all of your people come along?" Amy questioned the old man curiously. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but it seems so hard on them. The trail is more than 15 miles long, and the last stretch past Elk Lake to the summit is … well, it's just crazy. It goes almost straight up. And there's still tons of snow up there. Why risk it?"

"You have to understand that the entire tribe is linked by blood to Jacob. As much as they're a part of Jake, he is a part of them," Old Quil answered patiently. "We must do this together."

"But it's so far," Amy worried, her soft heart instantly showing her concern for the others.

"The journey is part of the cleansing," the old man explained as he stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "Before we can speak to our ancestors, we must be prepared in mind and heart. They will not listen if we are not pure in spirit. The walk helps us to purge our hate and open our minds to new possibilities."

"But will your ancestors listen to vampires?" Edward wondered doubtfully. "I mean – we're the reason your wolf-selves were created. To stop the cold ones."

"Yes, that is true. It has always been this way with our people. Centuries ago, when the threat arose, the spirit wolf joined with our leaders and came to live inside us. It was the only way to protect our people from our natural enemies. But this is a new quest. Today, we do not seek to vanquish an enemy."

No, they're trying to vanquish the vampire in Jacob, Amy thought. But if they succeed and can permanently change Jacob back to his former condition, then—

"The Volturi will retaliate," Edward whispered quietly into Amy's ear. "Aro will no longer have a reason to stop Caius because Bella would have broken her word."

Suddenly, old Quil stopped and let out a gasp. His hand clenched tightly to his chest, and he began to sway. Instantly, Edward was by his side, as was Leah.

"Take us to the mountain," old Quil wheezed. "Quickly. All of you … please hurry … the wolf gets stronger."

June 2009 – Five Days Ago

"AAAMY!" Jacob screamed at the top of his lungs. He'd phased back in midair, hoping to grab something of Amy as she fell. His hands groped uselessly trying to find an arm or a piece of her clothing – anything to keep her from falling. But it was a hopeless wish. The two sailed through empty space in total freefall, but there was no parachute to catch their fragile bodies. Instead, the rocks rose up like the devil's sentinels to greet them.

The serrated pinnacles spread out in a series of strips, appearing like rows of deadly dinosaur teeth. The jaws of the earth had opened wide ready to receive their victims. Above them, Edward watched, mesmerized by the inevitable conclusion as the two bodies twisted and turned, almost dancing in flight. Despite his fear for Amy, he couldn't tear his eyes away as the weak flesh ultimately made contact with the knives of stone.

Jacob was first. His heavier form crumpled like an accordion onto the rocks. He'd tried desperately to push against it, but the force of his fall overpowered his strength. It was too late. A javelin-shaped pillar of granite sliced through the middle of his torso, impaling him like a marshmallow on its end. The impact instantly severed his spine. His head bounced like a rubber ball against the side of another outcropping, but in a miracle of fate, his skull did not explode. Blessedly, he was rendered unconscious, but his tenuous link to life was breaking away. If not for his unusual strength, Jacob would already be dead.

The jolt of Jacob's body hitting the lion only moments before pulled Amy back to the reality of her situation. At first, she had an odd thought. The wolf. It's going to save me. But before she had time to dwell on the event, she felt her body lift into the air. The lion had not lost its death grip on Amy's neck, and as the wolf slammed into the feline, Amy flew with them over the edge.

Her eyes whirled in a circle as she became airborne. Blood stuck like dried tears to her face, maddeningly clogging her vision. In the rush of the fall, the wind stung at her eyes and forced them open. The instant she'd focused on the wolf, it miraculously changed shape.

What the hell? Amy thought vaguely as she watched. The air itself seemed to bend and turn sideways. In a shimmer of light, the wolf transformed into a man. Helplessly, he looked up at her, and for the briefest of moments, their eyes met. She heard him call to her. Jacob, she thought with a silent scream. Then, she saw his panic. It mingled like a swarm of hornets with his agony. But it was not his own pain that she saw written so clearly on his features. The fear was for her.

Less than a second after Jacob collided with the rocks, Amy, too, made contact. Only a few feet from Jacob's pierced form, the wicked teeth of the volcanic stone grazed her side and forced her into a roll. Her body bounced into the cliff's side and broke open like a torn ragdoll. After an eternity, the movement stopped. She'd been wedged into a narrow crevice.

The silence that drenched the scene was as complete as a coffin's embrace. Even the birds had stilled their constant chirping. But Amy's living world had not yet ended. Concentrating all her energy into the task, she tried to open her eyes. She had to see. She had to find out what had happened to Jake. Oddly, she felt no pain. The shock of her fall had blissfully swept it away. She could feel almost nothing through the dim haze, but her body was pinned so tightly against the stones that she couldn't move.

"AHHHH!"

Still not thinking clearly, Amy heard the agonized moan, but it didn't make sense. How could Jacob be here? How could there have been a wolf and then a man? She must be hallucinating, but then she remembered Jacob's horrified look as he'd fallen onto the rocks. Oh God, she thought. It is Jake. Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was still alive. But how could she help?

June 2009 – Present

"Help me," old Quil grunted.

"We have you," Sue answered, her voice full of authority. "Leah, take him up the mountain. You know the spot."

"Yes, but what about Jacob?" Leah asked worriedly.

"We'll follow you. Don't worry, we can keep up," Bella assured her.

Edward looked up. The trail was almost at an end, the path finishing in a circular loop. But a small opening appeared in the dense wall of foliage beyond. They were so close now.

"The … others …" the old man gasped. "They must all come … they are part of the wolf … hurry."

Edward looked at Amy. He wanted to help, but he was reluctant to leave her side.

"Go," she said. "There's no time. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I love you," he whispered and touched her lips with the tip of his finger.

"I know." Amy nodded.

At almost the exact the same time, Edward smiled as he read her thoughts, but the hopeful look soon disappeared. He had to tell the others. They were losing time. With his brow now furrowed in concentration, he streaked away. Only an afterglow of light remained.

June 2009 – Five Days Ago

Edward sprang up from the grass. His body created a small ditch as he landed, but the fall had left him entirely undamaged, just as he knew it would. If not for the tear in his newly soiled shirt, he looked perfectly unscathed.

Nothing could stop him now. With a surge of energy, he pushed off from the short ledge, breaking the rock into a thousand pieces with his foot. From there he flew to the ground, landing with the softness of a snowflake next to Amy.

Forgetting that he was dead to her – forgetting that, by his own rules, Edward was never allowed to speak to her – forgetting everything, he knelt beside Amy's ruined body. "Amy? Please … talk to me," he croaked miserably. "Please, don't be dead."

There was no immediate answer. Unable to stop himself, Edward grasped her bloody hand and pulled it to his cheek. Although the urge to drink was almost irresistible, he fought back the desire and the thirst. He had only one thought now. He loved her. The love was so strong he could taste it, yet he was in agony. He knew there was nothing – absolutely nothing he could do to save her life.

"Oh, Amy," he moaned, his voice burning like a tortured animal. Then, a change occurred. Either by the shock of his words, or the coldness of his touch, Amy began to respond. Her eyelids moved slightly. Seeing the single twitch, Edward began to hope. He carefully allowed a tiny ray of sunshine to rise within his heart. It was all he had now. Gently, he placed his lips along the crest of her ear and leaned in as close as he could.

"Please, Amy," he begged. "You have to hang on. I can get help." But there was no help, and Edward knew it. Her heart was wobbling oddly in her chest, the damaged muscle becoming weaker by the minute. He felt powerless, and all he wanted was to banish her fear and ease her pain.

Who's talking? she wondered in the same detached manner as before. The voice. It sounded so beautiful. The melodious timbre had reached out and stroked her soul. Without question, she knew her private angel was there to take her to heaven. It would have been so easy to go, to let him take her away. It was her Edward. How could she make him wait? But … NO! She couldn't go. Not yet. She wasn't finished.

An angry burst of energy pushed a surge of adrenalin into Amy's torn flesh. It flamed her body back to consciousness, the potent chemical allowing her eyelids to jerk for a second time. With the greatest of efforts, she forced her eyes open. The cerulean orbs didn't focus at first, but she could see a bright, dazzling light above her. Confused by the glow, she wondered, was it heaven? Was it her angel? Feverishly, her lips moved as she tried to speak.

Edward leaned closer. "What is it? What do you need? Tell me, my love. I'll do anything." But Edward didn't need to wait for an answer. He read it in her mind. His eyes glanced to the stricken pile of mangled flesh that was Jacob Black.

Not realizing that her message had been received, Amy struggled again to speak, the words finally tumbling out. "Jacob," she wheezed. "Help … Jake." Only a soft whisper escaped. It was all she could manage. "My Jacob …" she finished, almost inaudibly. But the effort had cost her. The light was dimming, and Amy's world was ending. Peacefully, she drifted into a void, and her angel grew silent.

Edward looked at Jacob again. What could he do? There was no time. Even with Jacob's fantastic healing ability, he could never pull the pieces together. It was impossible. Sadly, Edward looked back at Amy's pale, sweet face, her life draining unstoppably away. She had wanted him to save Jacob. How could he ignore her dying wish?

Slowly, he stood up. As he moved, a shadow appeared. It crossed Amy's body only fleetingly as it launched itself farther along the ridge toward Jacob. The shadow belonged to a black, cloaked figure that knelt swiftly beside Jacob's seemingly lifeless body.

"What are you doing?" Edward screamed. Furious, he leapt away from Amy and bounded across the jagged stones. "You stay away from him." His anger was fueled by grief and the knowledge that this creature, this thing he saw crouched beside Jacob's body, was intent upon finishing the wolf off. There were only minutes left of Jacob's life. If he couldn't grant Amy's last wish and save Black's life, he thought, at least he could prevent another vampire from ending it. He wouldn't let them steal even a second of Jacob's last few breaths on earth.

"NO!" he yelled again, launching himself at the predator. His body slammed into the creature and knocked it on its side. The force of the blow lifted the black hood and revealed an angry, snarling creature.

"Bella Swan?"

A/N: Thank you to my beta Fainting Fancies for all her hard work. Also, thank you to my readers and my reviewer: haleyscott305. Comments welcome.

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