This chapter seems a bit boring. Hmm. You might get a bit more of that because tensions are building.

At least it's not as boring as the initial chapters were. Or as short.

REPLIES:

Holidai: Thank you for your kind words! I must say, this is a wonderful chapter to start on, as almost nothing is given away that you don't already know (i.e. the wedding). Read whenever you'd like, I guess xD Although, I have to ask, is the holiday thing a reference to your username?

Arabella Whitlock: Kristen probably doesn't trust the Volturi not to kill her, to be honest. And to be fair, the last human drinkers she really had major contact with did try that (James and Victoria). So. She does have some logic behind it.

Nyaaaaaaah: Thanks! And the entire Twilight series's plotline will be almost the exact same, event wise. As you can see.

Maiannaise: Bree's an adorable little shy girl in my mind :3 She's painfully shy. PAINFULLY. Results in incapability to function with the others.

Goddess Cure Mystic: Hmm... ;P

Guest: IT'S COME. IT'S TIME

I am in Loki's Army: Egyptian War is the best game ever. But I do remember playing at a camp once, coming home, asking others if they know what it is, and their being extremely confused. So. And THANKS!

Isabella love (Guest): Since I'm getting tired of this question, I'm just going to say it outright: it's going to be in one of the last four chapters. There's a reason why this story is not a romance :3

Happy. Death. Executioner: She is indeed. Kristen's slowly growing on me :)

I am the Story Teller: Many self-declaring accounts, there are. Thank you! The long-string thing is the result of careful planning on my part for like a month before I actually posted the first chapter. And I never really liked the almost gloss-over that Stephenie Meyer gave every coven besides the Cullens. I wanted to give them a bit more detail from my perspective :D YOU'RE AWESOME TOO WE WILL GO BE AWESOME TOGETHER YES.

Alice (Guest): YES THANK YOU FOR THIS HELP GODS BLESS. I didn't really feel like proofreading fyi. The Ms. was kinda on purpose because why not? The Mrs. felt odd to me, too. Not sure why. The 'this' thing seems to be a thing that I did when I changed what I wanted Alec to say without changing what I previously wrote. I also have the dodgiest d-key on my computer. It ends up not working at random times, as you have seen. I usually catch it, but I slip sometimes. Also, that STRATEGY IS THE STUPIDEST THING. The rule that 'you have to sacrifice a card if you touch the stack' is used to the person's advantage, and they slap the stack repeatedly until they end up with what they know to be a 'face card', usually a jack. THEN THEY WIN THE ENTIRE THING. I dislike playing with those people. Bree was originally supposed to come to Volterra as a witness and be treated much like Edward, Alice, and Kristen were, but then I started to feel really bad for Bree and just decided to let her join in a scene that isn't really written out. You're spot-on about the Marcus/Didyme/Bree relationship too, though I don't plan to focus on that particular relationship. Whenever I read up on Bree when researching, she seemed like someone who was abused by her parents, so that translated to a cautious nature towards the two vampires who claim to be her parents. Carlisle's being more than a bit arrogant of his status as an animal-drinking vampire. The thing with Kristen is that she's still IMMENSELY CONFUSED. Since she knows that vampires have a higher thinking capacity, one can assume that she wants to be changed so she can understand. Or just that she doesn't want to tip Edward off that she knows she's not his mate. She's kinda powerless at the moment. And who knows? I'm always dropping hints at every possible juncture so when you reread certain chapters you'll probably go "I DEFINITELY SAW THAT COME INTO PLAY NOW OH MY GOD" like the emphasized fascination Isabella has in books and music early on. There are also hints to future developments here that you haven't really caught ;) Also TIME-SKIP FROM THE TIME I WRITE THIS TO THE TIME YOU READ IT.

CheriseMarlie: "The Juniper Tree"? It was one of the original Grimm brothers' fairy tales, if I recall correctly. Nothing too wrong with it, just cannibalism, death, and beheadings. The usual.

Calista (Guest): Thank you! Yes, only nine chapters and lots of action to shove into them. Your comment on how well I portray the siblings' bonds is actually rather amusing, as I myself am an only child xD


Kristen was still staring at the unchanging waves. They were blue on the horizon, the color of sapphires, with the baby-blue sky kissing the space in between. They seemed so united, so perfect. The sky was often bonded to the earth as well, but they seemed to be in an eternal embrace, with the earth grasping at the sky's heights and the sky almost reluctantly allowing it to. The sea and the sky seemed almost perfect for each other, the way that the sky rained down on the ocean and the ocean's waves. The water merrily bobbed up and down against the horizon line.

"Kristen, my darling?" That cursed, melodious, alluring voice. She wanted to tear out its owner's vocal cords for ensnaring her with it when she was lonesome and vulnerable. Too bad she couldn't do that quite yet; he was expecting something from her. She felt like an animal being brought up to slaughter, all for another's pleasure. She just hoped that the night wouldn't end with her lying a bloodless corpse.

"Yes, Edward?" she responded, trying to make her voice sound excited and upbeat, or just content at the very least. It apparently didn't work; the bronze-haired vampire furrowed his brow in slight confusion and cocked his head towards her. His expression smoothened out after a second, just accepting the fact that maybe she was nervous for what was ahead. What she had asked him for. He thought that she finally realized that it might be a bad mistake, after all. At least, he could hope.

"Are you feeling... up to this? I mean, the entire honeymoon situation. Isle Esme may be romantic, but we could take it easy if you want to," he said, sounding hopeful that she would call off his side of the deal.

Kristen basked in the glory of being able to hold something over this cocky, overconfident vampire for once. He really could be a prude, forcing her into marriage just to make love like the hormonal teenagers they really were.

"No. Tonight, I want you." Not really, she added mentally. She just knew that she wanted to exert this power over her so-called lover. He didn't need to know of her newfound hesitation. It would probably be better that he didn't, seeing as he would use it as an excuse to leave her human. That was the greatest cruelty of all; she already knew so much, and she honestly couldn't see herself as an older woman with children. It wasn't the life she imagined for herself. She imagined herself as an older teenager, or at most a young adult, always lounging on the couch and reading some book or maybe doing homework while blasting music.

Edward seemed solemn all of a sudden. Actually, the better word would be 'sulky' or perhaps 'sullen.' "Well, while I appreciate your leaving your first time to your husband, I think we should just wait at least one day to get settled here. We don't have to be too enthusiastic about this decision, after all." He sounded as though he were trying to assert his nonexistent authority.

"Oh Edward," Kristen sighed, feeling invigorated for the first time, dizzy with exhilaration. For the thousandth time, she thanked whatever God there was that Edward couldn't read her mind, no matter how much he wanted to. "When did I say this was my first time?"

His reaction, complete with gaping, stuttering, and spluttering, was priceless. She would willingly go through all of the pain in her life to get to this very moment, when she rendered a vampire speechless with horror for the first time.

"Two years ago. Before I came to Forks," she elaborated briefly. "Mostly just experimentation, to be honest. You weren't the first person I fell in love with, Edward, or the first one to break my heart. And you sure as hell won't be the proud owner of my V-card." She smiled, winked, and walked into the cabin of the boat, leaving a stupefied vampire on deck, mouth still open, staring at the place she had just vacated at the bow.

True to her word, that very night, she convinced Edward to take her to the bed, undress her as she undressed him, and follow through with his promise. At first, he was almost hesitant. That phase didn't last too long. Soon enough, he was crouched over her in the most possessive way that she had ever seen him.

Edward's thoughts reeled as he took in the human in front of her. Her nude form didn't exactly perform wonders for his body, but the very scent of her blood was enough of an aphrodisiac to compensate. He took a deep breath and leaned over Kristen one last time.

"We don't have to do this," he whispered to her.

"Just fuck me." She sounded snappy, impatient, not as loving as she usually sounded. She saw his throat bob as he swallowed nervously.

He awkwardly obeyed the order. She heard the frame of the bed splinter under his violent ministrations sometime later in the night; he clenched to it, breaking wood off, throwing it to the side, sometimes digging his carefully blunted nails into the pillows in an effort to keep his hands and strength off of her. Near the end of the night, he gave up on destroying the bed and just clung to her with unrestrained strength, sending shrieks of pain pouring out of her throat.

She knew it would leave marks in the morning. It bothered her more than she thought it would.


"You're pregnant?" Rosalie's garbled voice still carried her incredulity from an entire continent away.

"Yep. He didn't understand that condoms aren't illegal anymore and wasn't wearing one, I guess," Kristen responded, picking at her eggs. At this point, she honestly didn't give a fuck about Edward anymore, whether it be literally or mentally. She didn't care if he was listening, either.

She heard Rosalie almost giggle slightly. "Well, that's the virginal guy that I knew and hated for all of these years. Anyhow, I would think that you would be on the pill or something."

"Human anti-child medications don't seem to work on weird vampire-hybrid children," Kristen snorted, shoving a forkful of egg into her mouth and chewing quietly. She glanced around and didn't see Edward anywhere, so she leaned forward as though Rosalie was sitting across the table from her. "Rose?" she said much more quietly, breathing the vampire's name. "I'm scared."

She heard the blonde vampire sigh. "Look, I've got nothing for you. You know that I've been looking for ways to have children for decades, I assume. I know that isn't what you want. But I honestly can't give you any other advice than that. You can come back, get some support from Em, Ali, Esme, and me, but I haven't a clue what else to do. Goodness knows that Carlisle will care more about studying the baby than helping you birth it. You are birthing it, right?"

Kristen bit her lip, though she knew that Rosalie wouldn't be able to see the nervous gesture. "I'm not sure, Rosalie. I never wanted this, human or no."

Rosalie was silent, pondering. "Kristen, if you don't want the child, I'll raise it. I don't think there's any way possible to force a vampire out of life, unless you plan to set yourself on fire to be rid of the baby. You see how clingy Edward gets with you. Imagine a small child with similar tendencies. Even if it is half-human."

"Lord have mercy on us all, if there was ever a tiny immature version of Eddie running around," Kristen grumbled, poking her stomach where it protruded slightly with a grimace. Rosalie's high-pitched, bell-like laughter echoed back into Kristen's ear.


"Jamie, when will you not have bad news from the Cullens?" Caius said with a groan, leaning back in his throne and giving the guard an incredulous look.

Jamie shrugged helplessly, having nothing to say. "I apologize, sir king. It's not my fault that the golden-eyes are extremely fucking stupid."

"This is true," Jane muttered from behind Aro's throne. Alec had to obscure his chuckle with a well-placed cough upon hearing her snide comment.

Aro sighed again for maybe the millionth time since the Cullens practically adopted a mortal. "Jamie, please, elaborate on what you have found from the coven that seems to be the dumbest ones of our kinds this time."

"Well, they contributed to our wealth of knowledge, at the very least," Jamie offered. "The singer-human was impregnated by the one that calls himself her mate. Maybe that means that singers are the most biologically similar to the vampire that craves them or something. At the very least, all that I can say is that the child is growing at an astonishing rate; it may even be born at the end of this month, if not only days after it finishes. I would suggest finding out more information about possible hybrids wherever they can be found in order to combat the situation."

"I see," Marcus muttered, leaning back in his throne. He waved Jamie away, and the lesser guard bowed quickly before leaving the room. "This is the connection that I saw linking those two together. The connection of childbirth. It was a bit different than the other ones as well."

"You're rambling again, Marcus," Caius droned, massaging his temple.

"My apologies," Marcus responded unclearly, still deep in thought.

"Well, we're going to have to send out a message to as many covens as possible. Tell them to contact us if there are any myths about half-human half-vampire children in their native areas."

"If I may, sir," Isabella said politely, "I would suggest asking the Amazonians."

"Zafrina's group?" Aro asked sharply.

"Yes, sir. We have least contact with them; perhaps there is something buried within their native legends that can help?"

Aro nodded slightly, seeing her perspective. "Yes, Isabella, perhaps we will. Someone get me Lilianna. We need the swiftest to travel to the jungle."

"And God knows she needs to get rid of her energy," Reina muttered, leaving the room to get the requested guard.


Lilianna soon found herself navigating through thick jungle brush, the humidity causing her clothes to stick to her in a most unattractive way. "Why did I agree to do this," she muttered, rearranging the dark silver cloth around her head to block out the sun and pulling her khakis down for what felt like the hundredth time.

"An immortal?" A voice asked from behind her. Lilianna turned to see three women, their faces cautiously curious, their stance slightly defensive. They matched the description that Aro had given her days prior.

Lilianna bowed to them, inclining her head the slightest amount. "Indeed. I am Lilianna of the Volturi's lower guard. Zafrina, I assume?"

The woman in front of the other two narrowed her crimson eyes slightly and nodded.

"I have been looking for you. We have a slight crisis. A singer has been impregnated, and Aro wants to make sure that the child won't expose us."

Their reaction was quick and unpredictable. Zafrina's eyes shot wide open, and the two others behind her (Kachiri and Senna, Aro had called them, but she wasn't sure if those were their real names) stepped closer together, as if comforting one another.

"You ask of the dhampirs around here?" she asked sharply. Lilianna got the idea that she was the main spokeswoman for their group, so to speak.

"We do not know of their real name. We merely wish to ensure the survival of our kind," Lilianna replied.

Zafrina nodded slowly. "I see." She turned to one of her coven mates.

"Kachiri, please go find Huilen. I feel that she and Nahuel have much to discuss with this pale one."

The other vampire nodded, quickly darted forward to peck Zafrina on the lips, and dash away.

"Senna, go find where Joham is lurking."

The third vampire mirrored Kachiri's actions almost exactly before running off in the opposite direction.

Zafrina turned back to Lilianna, who was patiently waiting. "I will accompany you back to our current campsite for tonight. This is a large rainforest, after all. It will take the two of them until sundown to find what you seek."

Lilianna graciously accepted Zafrina's invitation and joined her under the shade of a thick piece of leather that had been carefully strung up to prevent any light from entering. The dark skin of the native vampires was more lustrous than sparkling, but it was still a noticeable difference from a typical human's skin. Lilianna stayed with Zafrina and told her what happened in the world outside of the forest.

"Carlisle's tribe has created a dhampir?" Zafrina asked in horror.

"Please, ensure that no one else knows."

"No one else ventures here. Does Carlisle know how dangerous one can be? The pregnancy is too fast, the way of birth too violent, the mothers almost always dead. How could he?"

Lilianna held up her hands helplessly. "Hell if I know. The only other thing that Aro told me prior to my leaving is that there was a possibility that you wouldn't cooperate, as one of Carlisle's closest acquaintances."

Zafrina held her head up higher. "We pride ourselves for setting the law higher than our friends, miss!" she proclaimed. "I hope you tell your precious king that."

"He isn't precious at all, but I will," Lilianna responded, leaning on the dirt ground, letting her cloak drag in the dust. "This is important though, you must admit."

Zafrina nodded as she leaned back herself. "Yes, this is an occasion that I am sure Carlisle will soon tell me of. I will try and remember what you tell me now."

Their conversation turned to idle chatter until Kachiri reappeared with two other natives in tow. Lilianna glanced over, confused. One of them had a heartbeat, a faster than usual one, but still a heartbeat.

"This is Huilen and Nahuel," Kachiri said quietly, gesturing first to the female and then to the male. "As you can probably hear, Nahuel himself is part mortal. Huilen's sister was his mother, who died giving him life. He changed her when she came to care for her sister."

Nahuel bowed slightly to Lilianna. His eyes were a darker brown, she noticed, not the crimson red or even black that she expected.

"It is an honor to meet you," Lilianna murmured. "Thank you for agreeing to talk to me."

Huilen gave her a hesitant smile. "Of course. Anything for the Volturi."

Her voice quivered at the last word.

Lilianna cocked her head. "Do you fear us?"

Huilen's head snapped up. She glanced from side to side before nodding slowly. Nahuel extended a comforting arm around her. She gratefully nodded to him.

"Why do you fear us?" Lilianna whispered.

"Your guards. They say that you will torture us if we don't agree."

Lilianna backed up slightly. "Are you serious? That's what they say now?" she asked, her voice raising in pitch and volume at her incredulity.

Nahuel pushed Huilen behind him, growling slightly. "Leave her alone," he snarled at Lilianna.

"I'm just amazed," Lilianna clarified. "Unless you count being asked politely to stay with us for three days as we investigate and deliberate in one of our finest guest rooms and access to everywhere in the Castle torture, we don't force our guests to suffer. Anyone undergoing a trial is treated innocent until proven guilty. At worst, the elites who do have significant powers use them so infrequently that I tend to even forget they have them. Alec uses his numbing to get rid of our thirst. Jane sometimes pinches you lightly if you ignore her long enough. Isabella protects us all. Demetri pretends to follow you around. Felix lifts up couches whenever game pieces fall underneath them. The list goes on and on! We use our gifts for fun, not for torture."

The four native vampires stared at Lilianna with awe in their eyes. They imagined the Castle as a chaotic place filled with screams and sadistic laughter. What this guard described sounded like a large, happy family-like coven, much more connected than the Olympia coven.

"Could we see this place?" Nahuel asked cautiously.

Lilianna blinked. "You want to see Volterra?"

"Well, it sounds nice, but I'm not sure how much of it can be trusted, yes?"

The blonde vampire shrugged. "Can't blame you on that. When I return home, you can come with and talk to Aro face to face."

"How do you plan to get back?" Zafrina asked curiously.

"Oh, just going to run back across the Atlantic. Anyways," she noticed the gapes on their faces, "where's the other girl, Senna, was it?"

"It was," Zafrina said, snapping out of her shock. "She will be back as soon as she finds Joham. We will explain to you about him as well."

When Senna returned, all six vampires sat down in the dim moonlight. Huilen took a deep breath and explained about how her sister was impregnated, how she craved blood, how the infant tore itself out of her stomach, how she watched her sister die, how she was bitten by Nahuel and awoke to see him slumbering beside her peacefully. He took over, telling Lilianna how she raised him, how she told him about his mother, how he hated himself for killing her and tearing away the chance to meet his mother. He recounted the first meeting with his father, a rather bad meeting, and about his three half-sisters.

Lilianna heard it all and slowly filed it away to show Aro later. She knew now that bringing them back would be much better as well, for it got rid of her own prejudices and gave Aro only the quote-en-quote 'raw footage' of the details.

The next day, they stayed under the cloth to avoid the sun. Zafrina showed Lilianna her gift briefly. That night, they went to the shore and Lilianna showed them just how fast she could run. Seeing that Nahuel couldn't quite get the high speed required to dash across the waves, Lilianna grabbed his wrist and ran, dragging him behind her, Huilen in hot pursuit. The three other natives stayed at the edge, shaking their heads at her enthusiasm to run, and reentered their jungle of a home to move camps again.


When Lilianna walked into the lobby, she nodded to Gianna, attracting her attention. "Gianna, are the kings in as usual?"

The human glanced at the figures behind her curiously before nodding. "Yes, they're expecting you, actually. Go right in," she said before looking back down at the papers on her desk. Huilen and Nahuel gave her a curious glance before following Lilianna through the hallways.

No one was standing in the hallways waiting for them, and when Lilianna pushed the marble doors open, only the three kings were sitting in the room, waiting for the guard to report. When she came back with two more figures with her, they sat up a bit straighter.

"Lilianna? Who are these? I do not believe I've seen them before. And is that a heartbeat that I hear, devoid of the prey-scent of the humans?"

Lilianna bowed her head to Aro. "Sir, these are Huilen and Nahuel, natives that the Amazonians kindly brought to speak with me and agreed to come here out of curiosity and wish for you to understand. Zafrina referred to the developing hybrid as a dhampir, and Nahuel is himself one of these rare creatures. They both have first-hand knowledge of how the birthing goes and the maturation process of the dhampir. I believe that they can help you, sir, but I do not believe that my words by themselves will be enough."

Caius's eyes landed on Nahuel's. Rather than shrinking back like many vampires would do, the dhampir straightened his shoulders, locked his teak brown eyes onto Caius's crimson orbs, and stared back defiantly. Caius's lip quirked upwards in a smirk and he leaned back, nodding approvingly.

"Of course, Lilianna," Aro took over, turning to the other two. "I am Aro of the Volturi. We govern the world, ensure that humans do not know of our existence unless they are to be turned. I have the skill to see all of the thoughts in your mind with a touch, though I usually only see those you want me to. If you would do me the honor, I can see everything you did and winnow what it is that I need to know."

He held out his right hand, palm up, and nodded to Huilen and Nahuel.

"You may give your memories to me yourself, or you may leave peacefully. We are not the cruel group of leaders that others might believe we are."

Nahuel nodded at Huilen encouragingly when she gave him a panicked glance. She blinked before closing her eyes and tentatively sliding her hand into Aro's.

Aro clenched her hand for a brief two seconds before letting go and turning to Nahuel. Raising an eyebrow, he offered the same hand in the same position: palm up as though begging. Nahuel slid his hand into the grip and refused to break eye contact with the king even once. Aro released his hand and silently went back to his seat.

"There is much to discuss here, brothers," he told Marcus and Caius quietly. Raising his voice, he summoned Lilianna again. "It seems as though we may need to consult with these guests at a later time. If you would, please take them to the rooms, Lilianna."

The lesser guard nodded and took both of the new figures' hands again. Before they could protest, she had run out of the room, dragging them along behind her.

Aro watched them stumble as Lilianna tugged them behind her. "One day, that girl will be the death of us and many others."

Caius chuckled at the implication. Marcus just shrugged at his statement and got out of his throne, exiting the room via a hidden door to go find his mate and see if she had any success in getting Bree to open up.


"Aro, Reina wants to see you again. Says that she saw a twist in fate that she didn't expect until now."

Aro sighed before getting up and walking around his desk. Jane was standing in the doorway of his office, her arms crossed, staring straight at him. He leaned against his desk and mirrored her arm position.

"What do you mean, Jane?"

The petite guard shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. "I just told you exactly what she told me. So go on, they're in the white-cloak's lounge."

Aro followed the guard to the room, where Reina was crouching in the center of the room, eyes glassy. Her blood-red hair fell in her eyes in thin strands, and her hands shook as she saw.

"Reina? Is something the matter?" Aro asked sharply, suddenly focusing as soon as he saw how panicked the guard was.

"Everything's the matter," she muttered, clenching at the hem of her cloak. "Everything's changing, just because of one tiny difference. Who cares if one of them sees it? But it has changed the course of our futures. It hasn't even happened yet. But we have to let it happen, as fate has set out for us."

"Reina!"

Her eyes snapped to Aro's. "Take it, take it!" she practically shrieked, thrusting her hand towards him. Aro blinked before hesitatingly taking her hand.

A distended stomach. Light brown eyes wide open with fear and pain. A shriek of agony; the bulge moves. Panicked voices in the background, blabbing. A scalpel to the stomach. Pine trees and groups of figures, whispering as they hovered around another. Wide eyes, panicked again, this time a bright, glowing red. Dashing through a forest, marveling at the sights. Pinpointing a mountain lion and leaping on it to empty it of its fluids. Snow falls. Even more figures surrounding the original. An entering mass. A starting massacre.

Death on his hands.

Aro jerked backwards, his eyes widening as they took in Reina's slouched form again. She seemed hollowed out, unable to make out what she actually saw.

"Don't worry about this," Aro said, walking out. "We will get through this, don't worry."

"Are you sure?" Reina asked.

Aro gave a humorless laugh. "At least we won't be decimated and torn out of our home again."

He walked out, still thinking


Ehhh, the ending is kinda bad. But it's the most logical stopping place, so.

Any questions? Any comments? Review and I'm sure to respond!

~Shriayle