Aurora's Re-Birth
Little Aurora was lying on a plush chesterfield couch, one small leg dangling over the edge. She hugged a rather mangy-looking blanket, pressing it to her chest. She loved the way her blanket smelled of sun and her mother's hand cream. Her head was propped up on her mother's lap, her eyes closed. Her mother opened a large book and began to read to her daughter.
"Hansel and Gretel got lost in the forest, Yoo-hoo! Here comes an old witch! But when the witch looks into the oven,
It was so dark and so bitterly cold.
They came to a fine little gingerbread house.
Who could be the lord of this little house?
She lures the children into the gingerbread house.
She appears quite friendly, but oh Hansel, what trouble!
She wants to bake them as brown as bread in the oven.
She was pushed by Hansel and little Gretel.
The witch must bake, the children return home.
Now, the tale of Hansel and Gretel is over."
Aurora clapped her little hands looking into her mother's eyes. Her mother stroked her hair gently before kissing her on the forehead. Aurora's father walked in quietly, observing his wife and daughter. He leaned on the doorframe, his pipe in his mouth. Aurora raised her head.
"Papa! Papa! Did you hear my story?" Aurora giggled.
Aurora's father nodded his head, walking over to his daughter and sitting down beside her. Aurora snuggled into her father's chest.
"I did indeed little lamb," he said. "You are so brave to listen to such a story."
Aurora inhaled the peppermint smell on her father's clothes. She could feel herself getting sleepy, her eyes beginning to droop. She yawned loudly, her head rolling to her mother's side. Both her parent's warmth enveloped her. Her mother continued to stroke her hair.
"It's time to go Aurora," said a soft, distant voice.
Aurora nuzzled her nose further into her mother, while her little hand grasped her father's thumb. She didn't want to go anywhere.
"Just a little bit longer," Aurora murmured. "Just a little bit longer."
For a fleeting moment, Aurora's eyes fluttered open. She couldn't move, as if her body were encased under mounds of sand. She heard a distant demonic growl and yelling, and weight being lifted off her body. She vaguely registered that pressure was being alleviated from her neck. Then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell back into the unknown darkness.
In his bloodlust, Aldrick had not seen Carlisle's body begin to stir. It wasn't until he felt a strong, glacial hand on his neck, as he was being lifted from the bed and Aurora that he registered what was happening. Carlisle lifted him into the air, throwing him across the room and into the wall. Aldrick easily flipped through the air, landing on his feet.
"My, the dead have risen," Aldrick crooned.
Aldrick watched as Carlisle struggled to keep his balance, his breathing ragged. Carlisle leaned against the bed, his eyes were as dark as the pits of hell.
"You should have done your research," Carlisle panted. "Risin doesn't always kill a vampire. It is an effective way of immobilizing them, but not killing them."
Aldrick smirked.
"My intention was never to kill you, my dear man," he sneered. "It was to kill her spirit."
Aldrick's eyes moved to Aurora. She was paler than both Carlisle and Aldrick. A pool of blood had seeped in from around her neck, onto the pillow.
"If she believed you were dead, I could easily overpower her," he continued. "And it seems that for all your valiant efforts, you won't be able to save her. I have drunk her dry."
Carlisle dared not look at Aurora. His eyes were trained on Aldrick, watching as Aurora's blood dripped down his chin. For the first time in Carlisle's existence, he thirsted to inflict pain. Even when Aurora had stood against the Volturi, his wrath had not been so compelling. This was a rage that was unknown to him. It was rage and lust for blood that seemed to spring from the depths of a blazing inferno at Carlisle's feet, the flames licking at his skin. His eyes matched the coldness he saw in Aldrick's. A hideous smile curled onto Carlisle's red lips, his eyes burning coals of perdition. In one swift motion, he glided towards Aldrick, his hands clamping down on the vampire's neck. Carlisle lifted the vampire off the ground. Aldrick seemed at peace with his fate, his hands not clawing at his neck, not attempting to fight back.
"Killing me won't bring her back," Aldrick croaked. "Seeing that look in your eyes – I know I have won."
Carlisle squeezed the vampire's neck harder. Seething.
"No, it won't, but I'll tell you a little secret. As you drained Aurora of her life, her last thoughts weren't of bitterness or hatred towards you. They were of love," Carlisle whispered.
Carlisle watched Aldrick's eyes turn vengeful.
"How would you know?" Aldrick sputtered.
Carlisle smirked.
"Because that's who she is. That is Aurora's power. It's a power you will never understand," Carlisle whispered. "And by the look in your eye – you know it to be true too."
Carlisle's hands dug into the cold skin of the vampire until Aldrick's eyes rolled into the back of his head. His white skin veneer cracking. In one swift motion, Carlisle brought Aldrick down to the floor, his other hand easily snapping his neck. Carlisle ripped Aldrick's head from his body.
"May the demons that you buried in your soul find you a new home in hell," he whispered.
Carlise dropped the severed head on the floor, turning towards the bed. He crawled over to Aurora, who was a deathly white. Carlisle examined her neck wound. While Aldrick had not severed the artery in her neck, she had sustained much blood loss. Carlisle gently bent his head, lowering it to her chest. As he strained his ears, he could hear a faint heartbeat, each heartbeat slower than the next. Carlisle continued to look at his wife, realizing that she would soon slip away forever.
"Forgive me, my angel," he whispered into her ear. "This is the only way."
Carlisle uncuffed Aurora, placing her hands at her sides. He positioned his mouth over where Aldrick had bitten Aurora, closing his eyes, he plunged his fangs inside her, sucking the venom out. For what seemed like hours, Carlisle clamped down on her neck. Aurora didn't stir. Her heartbeat remained a slow death march towards eternal white.
Aurora moved her neck from side to side, feeling a strange pressure on it. Her eyes remained shut as she tried to squeeze her father's thumb harder, comforting herself.
"It's time to go Aurora," the soft distant voice repeated
It continued to repeat the words until they were a shrill whistle near her ear.
Aurora's eyes flew wide-open as electric bolts of agony pulsed from her neck, invading her body in overwhelming waves. Her skin was on fire, while her head felt as if someone had stabbed her with an ice-pick between the eyes. She violently bucked at the weight on her. A voice called her name, but she did not know who. She continued to convulse in pain.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHUGHHHHHHHH STOP!" she screamed out.
Carlisle raised his head, trying to stop Aurora from thrashing and losing more blood.
"Aurora, my love, my angel, I'm here," Carlisle whimpered. "I'm here, stay here with me!"
Aurora blinked, her eyes focusing on golden irises. She gasped.
"Carlisle, you're… we're… in heaven," she mumbled.
Carlisle shook his head, as Aurora closed her eyes.
"No Aurora, I'm here, you're alive, I'm alive," he begged.
Aurora kept shaking her head, refusing to open her eyes, afraid this was some hallucination in the afterlife
"Aurora please look at me!" Carlisle whispered. "I'm alive. You're alive. Just please open your eyes and look at me!"
Aurora opened one eye, then the next. She stared at Carlisle's face, her thoughts blowing in the wind.
"Carlisle… I… you… you were dead…." She choked out.
Carlisle brushed her cheeks with his fingers as he cradled her head in his arms.
"He poisoned me Aurora," he whispered. "He poisoned me."
Aurora tried to sit bolt upright, suddenly remembering Aldrick. Carlisle kept her still in his strong hands.
"He's dead Aurora," Carlisle murmured. "He's dead."
Aurora slumped into Carlisle's embrace.
"Carlisle… I feel cold," she whimpered.
Carlisle nodded.
"Aurora his venom poisoned your blood, he injected enough that your heart could stop beating," Carlisle said slowly. "If I don't suck the rest out, it will kill you."
Aurora blinked, feeling the pain pushing at her insides. She looked at Carlisle.
"Then do it, take it out of me," she breathed.
Carlisle smiled softly, a sadness in his eyes.
"Aurora if you lose any more blood, you will die, and if I continue to bite you, you will lose blood," he said, his voice hoarse. "I am going to kill you by trying to save you."
Aurora managed to raise a shaky hand to Carlisle's cheek.
"I'd rather die in your arms than live without you," she whispered, her fingers grazing his chin.
Carlisle buried his face in Aurora's hair.
"I love you, my angel," he whispered.
Aurora whimpered, feeling stabs of pain dig into her skull.
"Carlisle just try, I will hold on for you, I promise my love," she cried softly. "I promise I'll hold on as long as I can."
Carlisle shook his head, but in his heartbreak, he obeyed. Lowering his face down to her neck, he once again sunk his fangs into her. Aurora saw stars and a kaleidoscope of colors explode in front of her eyes as wave after wave of pain rolled over her body, pinning her to the bed. Tears splashed down her cheeks as she convulsed, her body contorting. A blinding light hit her eyes, as she began to feel gravity slipping away from her. Voices echoed loudly in her ears.
"Firmus maneo."
"Firmus maneo."
"Firmus maneo."
"Angel of love, my Guardian dear, to whom your love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide."
"Firmus maneo."
"Firmus maneo."
"Firmus maneo."
Carlisle groaned as he felt Aurora go rigid. Pulling his fangs from her, he placed her head on the pillow. He stared into her face, caressing her cheeks. As Carlisle held Aurora's wrist, he felt her pulse stop. Her chest rose no more. He buried his face into his hands. Minutes ticked by in deathly silence. If he could have drowned in his own tears, he would have. He would have gladly exchanged the Risin poisoning for death. He had been right all along – he would destroy what he held most dear to his heart. He slumped onto Aurora's lifeless body, his body convulsed in shudders and howls. His world was no more.
He didn't feel a soft hand rake through his hair. He didn't even feel when Aurora moved. It wasn't until a warm finger brushed against his cheek that Carlisle looked up.
There she lay, smiling at him. Her lips a pink rose. Her eyes, two pools of emeralds, twinkling in the late morning sun. Aurora's skin looked like that of a white peach from the Garden of Eden. No trace of bite marks could be seen on her supple neck. Her cheeks blushing, her dimples accentuating her sweet face. It was as if Aurora had all this time been hiding her beauty behind a transparent veil of stardust. Aurora's hair glowed with warmth as if she had bathed in the sunrise itself. She giggled seeing the expression on her husband's face. She sat up, wriggling from underneath him. Stretching her arms out above her head, as if she hadn't stretched in centuries, the massive wings that rose from her shoulder blades stretched with her.
Aurora's wings were not shadows, nor fairy dust. They were a pure heavenly white, soft as clouds. The ends of the feathers quivered slightly. Her wings outstretched to embrace Carlisle, sweeping him up in heaven. With a strength that surprised Carlisle, she pulled him into her, her skin warm like the afternoon sun.
"Aurora," he whispered, not daring to say her name louder, for fear she might disappear. "You… You're…"
Aurora leaned to kissing Carlisle. The kiss was soft, though it left a soft tingling sensation as if he had sugar crystals sticking to his lips. Carlisle looked up at her wings, gingerly taking his fingers and touching the tips of the feathers.
"I am reborn," Aurora sighed happily.