A/N:

Most of you guys were happy that Bella and Edward got married, and also that Benji was handfasted with Jacorel, but yes, the chapter ended on a different note than it began.

A LOT of questions will be answered in this chapter, and there is also an ANGST WARNING, but I hope you will like it!

I'm gonna continue putting the disclaimer here just be sure that everyone is aware of where this story originated.

This story isn't 100 % mine. I have transformed it into a story from an interactive story app called Choices and the creators are Pixelberry Studios.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

{Chapter 11}

The enormous vortex above The Ethereal swirled ominously.

"Despite everything we've done, he's activated Project Janus," Alistair moaned miserably.

Tanya gaped with wide terrified eyes. "But I thought Cullen was still missing a part of the Heart?"

A horn blasted from the boughs of Elyys'tel, and we all turned to the sound. Jacorel came running toward us, and he grabbed Benjamin's hand as he stared past us at the vortex.

"It is a terrible omen, friends," he said without taking his eyes off it.

Benjamin stepped closer to him as if he was seeking protection within his strong frame. "I remember Harrvel talking about this," he mumbled quietly. "'On the final day of Raan'losti, a gaping hole will puncture the heavens, and all of existence will vanish through it.'"

"More or less accurate, I'm afraid," Alistair confirmed as the only one with real intel on the project. "He's created a time rift large enough to permanently destabilize reality."

"We need to get to The Ethereal," Leah said without leaving room for discussion, and that was when Emilyne approached us and sidled up next to Jacorel.

"I've called for every warrior in Elyys'tel to assemble," she announced. "Our forces will be ready within the hour."

"Those who face Cullen may not come back, "Victoria said and frowned worriedly, but it caused Jacorel to tense up with anger.

"No Kaarii will cower while Raan'losti looms before us. We will fight to the end."

I nodded in agreement and met his determined gaze with my own. "To the end."

Emilyne took the lead and the rest of us followed her to the Valley of Tombs. Edward was walking quietly next to me, and I was surprised he hadn't cracked one of his one-liner jokes to lighten the mood, but maybe he felt the heavy burden of what was ahead was too great even for jokes.

Still, his silence made me worried.

"Are you okay?" I asked, and he gave me a small smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Not really," he admitted, and I pulled him back until we were at the end of our trekking group so that we could talk relatively undisturbed.

"Tell me," I said softly, but when he didn't it was I who attempted a joke. "You shouldn't keep secrets from your wife, you know. I can put you in the doghouse."

It worked, to a degree, for his mouth turned up somewhat at the corners, and he pulled me into his arms, but his words were the opposite. "I'm scared, Princess. Last night, I allowed myself to dream of the future which I haven't done since Kharzistan. But I had you in my arms, and I foolishly thought it meant I would get to keep you, but now it seems everythin' was in vain. Cullen is terrifyingly determined to end the world."

"Hey," I said and pushed on his chest to look into his eyes. "Neither of us is dead yet, and as long as at least one of us keeps fighting, this is not the end." I stroke his cheek and stood up on my toes to kiss him. "Besides, how many couples can say they saved the world on their honeymoon."

A real smile finally softened his frown. "I guess you're right."

"Yeah, I guess I am," I said, and with his hand firmly in mine, we started walking again. "Now let's not miss the pre-battle speeches."

Dozens of warriors were gathered in the secluded canyon, and I was shocked at the sheer amount.

"The Owls require more bows!" I heard a man yell. "Wolves, at attention! We will not stop Raan'losti with this mess!" A female ordered.

"Wow," Edward said under his breath. "I had no idea they had numbers like this."

"I didn't, either."

As Jacorel ascended onto a stone platform, an attendant sounded a giant horn. All at once fell silent and turned to their King.

"My fellow warriors of Elyys'tel, our time has come!" Jacorel bellowed, his voice carrying across the entire canyon. "The Hydra has called forth destruction upon us, and he hides in his palace while Raan'losti consumes all! The Catalysts know how to stop this! We must protect them as they carry out their sacred duty! If we fail, all we hold dear will cease to be!" He carefully studied the faces of his people. "I know you may be scared. I know you may feel helpless. It is troubling that this dark day coincides with the light and joy of Niala'rei. But have we not faced impossible odds before? Have we not defied our prophesied doom at every turn? So I ask you, would you tremble in the face of the end?" A few of the warriors began to shake their heads. "Or, like a true Kaarii," Jacorel's voice rose even further in volume, "would you rise above and fight?!"

The warriors simultaneously raised their weapons in the air and let out battle cries.

Jacorel beckoned me onto the platform, and when I had climbed up, I looked out over the sea of countless masked faces.

"Do you have anything you want to say, Bella?"

I thought for a moment and then smiled with a shake of my head. "Let's make the man you call Hydra answer for his crimes!" My voice didn't carry as far as Jacorel's, but enough of the warriors heard it to start up their cheering anew.

But then, Sether squeezed through to the front of the crowd. "Cat-a-liss! I wanna fight, too!"

Emilyne glared at him. "Sether, I told you to join the children!"

"But I'm a Kaarii warrior!" the boy insisted. "My elyyshar says we all have to fight!"

"When the city was attacked, the Sea Guardian almost killed you," Emilyne reminded him. "You're lucky Bella was there to save you."

Sether looked at me pleadingly. "Cat-a-liss, I want to help. What can I do?"

I had realized a long time ago that Sether didn't want to be treated like a child, but he could definitely not join the battle. However, there was a way for him to feel important while still remaining in the village.

"Sether, we need you to defend your people," I said, and his eyes widened with pride. "While we fight the Hydra, hardly anyone will be guarding the city. Do you think you could do that?"

He nodded excitedly. "Of course! I'll keep all my people safe!"

"Great," I said and smiled at him.

Emilyne sighed. "Go now, Sether."

"I will," he said, but then he got serious. "Please come back safe, okay?"

She placed a fist over her heart. "I promise. And you do the same, my brave boy." She watched Sether run off and then turned to address the crowd. "Warriors! We march! For Elyys'tel; for the Kaarii; for Kaanu!"

Rallying cries filled the air before we all headed into the rainforest.

Dusk had settled when we finally reached The Ethereal. The vortex loomed high above and was drawing the sky toward its spiraling center.

Along the hotel's lower floors, thick metal shutters blocked every door and window.

"I guess we're expected," I told the others.

Jacorel turned to his warriors. "Owls, report your findings!"

A man stepped forward. "The perimeter is guarded by less than ten men of the Spider. But we have no idea what awaits inside."

"Only one way to find out," I said and looked up at the hotel, and I was actually able to see the broken window of my old suite. I was about to step out of the foliage surrounding The Ethereal when James yanked me back. "Hey! What're you—"

"Shh! You feel that?" he asked me.

All of us stopped to listen, and a clear thumping, as if from large and heavy footsteps, vibrated through the ground and the ever darkening forest, followed by snapping branches.

"Defensive positions!" Jacorel ordered.

I could see a towering white figure burst through the canopy. It was the Yeti Guardian.

The Kaarii surrounded her quickly with every spear and arrow poised to strike.

Furball scampered up to her and placed his front paws on a massive, white foot before stroking his head against her leg and purring.

"Don't attack!" I told the warriors. "She's a friend."

The Yeti crouched down and licked Furball's head while growling affectionately. The Kaarii lowered their weapons and uttered exclamatory oaths under their breath.

"But why is she here?" I asked, not really expecting anyone to know. "We're a little far away from her natural habitat."

Tanya looked over her shoulder in the direction of the snowy mountains. "Maybe the vortex is messing with the island's climate?" she suggested.

Locking eyes with me, the Yeti lowered her head respectfully.

A smile started spreading across Jacorel's face. "I believe the Mountain Guardian has come to help. This is very fortuitous!"

"That's great and all," Edward, the constant skeptic, said. "But how's the Abominable Snow … uh, Woman gonna help?"

I looked back toward the window of my old suite. It wasn't the penthouse, but it was far up, several stories above the blockade. An idea formed in my head. "Guardian, could you get me up there?" I asked the Yeti and pointed at the window. "On your back?"

Kate frowned. "You can't honestly expect—" she started, but before she could finish, the Yeti let out a happy, consenting growl before flattening down on her stomach, as if she offered me her back.

I climbed atop her and hoped my grip on her fur would be enough to keep me in place. Edward wasn't about to let me go on my own, though, and after digging through his bag to produce some rope, he climbed up behind me.

"I'm going with you. I can secure the rope up there for people to climb."

"Okay then," I said, and glanced at the Yeti who looked up at me expectantly. I pointed in the direction I wanted her to go. "Go that way!"

She let out a rumbling response and then broke into an all-out sprint toward the hotel. I had to grip her fur with all of my strength to keep myself from falling off.

"Intruders incoming!" an Arachnid soldier warned. "Fire at will!"

Emilyne came sprinting beside us, a spear raised in her fist. "Defend the Catalysts! For Elyys'tel!"

The two soldiers guarding the front placed themselves between the Yeti and The Ethereal. Without breaking her sprint, the Yeti headbutted them with her great horns, which sent them flying.

As the Kaarii warriors engaged the soldiers that joined their fallen mates, the Yeti vaulted up the wall of the resort, finding handholds in the travertine facade. The wind whipped around us, as we shot straight up.

Finally, the Yeti reached the broken window of my suite and I hastily climbed off. Edward hopped off behind me, and we looked around the room together. It was a bit unsettling to stand in that room again. So much had happened since the last time I'd been there, but it looked as untouched as if it had been just yesterday.

Suddenly, bullets hit the Yeti and stained patches of her white fur red.

"No!" I cried out but she still launched herself from the open window and swung her way down to the snipers.

Edward frowned. "As much as I hate seeing her get hurt, it was a well-needed distraction," he said. "We need to get the rest inside." He handed me the rope. "Start feeding it down, and I'll secure the end."

I did as he told me, and soon, the others, as well as a few Kaarii warriors, climbed inside the suite. As we tried to get our bearings, I suddenly heard Benjamin gasp behind me.

"Bella … is that what I think it is?" he asked and pointed toward the bed where a red spacesuit had suddenly appeared, carefully laid out.

"What the..." I mumbled and approached it carefully.

"That can't be a coincidence," Victoria said and glanced at me. "The Endless must have placed it here for you."

I folded my arms and took a step back while frowning at the spacesuit. "I don't like this. What's to say everything won't repeat itself again if I put that on? What if I become the Endless? That's not what I want."

The others nodded understandingly, but Tanya was biting her lip while curiously staring at the suit. "I wonder if it still retains any time travel functionality?" she mused.

"That would be pretty handy," James pointed out as the one who would not really care if I became the Endless or not. I was nothing but a convenient ally to him after all.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Then you put it on."

Edward agreed with me by placing his hands on my arms and started to run them up and down comfortingly.

"I doubt it would work," Alistair said regretfully. "The spacesuit was designed by the Endless. For all intents and purposes, you, Bella. It will most likely only work for you."

"I'm sorry, Bella," Tanya apologized. "I didn't mean to put you in this situation, but we need every advantage, now more than ever."

I sighed because I knew she had me there. If the spacesuit meant I could make sure all of us got out of this unharmed, I felt that I didn't really have a choice. "Fine, I'll put it on," I consented, albeit still reluctantly, and pulled the suit on.

"I know how you're feeling, Bella," Alistair said. "Responsibility is a heavy burden, but if the Endless' abilities were any indication, this will certainly give us an advantage."

I nodded appreciatively at his acknowledgment.

Two Kaarii warriors entered the suite and hurried toward Jacorel.

"Elyyshar, all paths to the roof are blocked or destroyed!"

"One staircase remains, but it lies behind a barricade in a chamber like a great cavern—"

"The atrium," Tanya corrected gently.

The warrior nodded. "We were discovered scouting the passages that bypass the barricade. There will likely be traps along that path now."

"But approaching the barricade directly will mean an all-out assault."

Jacorel nodded thoughtfully. "Either path will be difficult for us, but I feel you should avoid a direct confrontation with the men of the Spider for as long as it is possible," he told us. "Traps can be detected. You'll take the back passage while my warriors and I will draw their attention to the barricade."

Once the plan was settled, we made our way to the eighth floor and the bar that was situated there. The second we entered, I had a bad feeling. Despite the lively decor, everything was eerily quiet and still.

"Something's not right," Emmett said quietly, obviously feeling what I was.

I scanned the room, and I noticed several silhouettes along the walls. Something glinted on the floor, but I couldn't make out what it was. I instantly knew it was one of the suspected traps, and I gestured for the others that we should go through the room by moving along the walls. Somehow, I knew that walking straight across would end badly.

I pressed myself against the wall and realized with a start that my reflection was pressing back.

Alistair shook his head. "Mirrored walls. How very sordid."

"You were expecting good taste from Cullen?" Kate asked him, and he cracked a smile.

"Fair point."

Gradually, all of us stalked around the room to the exit on the other side and slipped through it into an alcove at the back of the atrium. Through a distant archway, I could see a battle taking place beside the makeshift barricade.

"I don't think they know we're here yet," Garrett whispered, and all of us moved as quietly as possible to find hiding places.

Then, Jazz locked eyes with Edward and signed something to him. "Three soldiers, nine o'clock," he clarified for the rest of us. "Let's sneak up."

Edward gave him a subtle nod, and it had never been more clear how well-versed they were at working together like this. James, who was a soldier himself, although from an earlier time, understood the signs as well, and the three of them took the lead by slinking along the shadows until they were mere feet from the Arachnid troops.

They exchanged one look before pouncing from the shadows in unison to grab the troops in choke holds. Then they eased the unconscious soldiers down on the floor.

That was when I caught a whiff of cigar smoke, and I turned in time to see the silhouette of McKenzie striding into the middle of the atrium, his exoskeleton gleaming in the moonlight.

"Well, well, look who came to join the party," he said with evil, glittering eyes.

Before anyone could reply, he hefted a huge gun and deployed a missile at the archway that led to the lobby. The barricade and those on it were overwhelmed by collapsing rubble, and in seconds we were blocked in. Three Arachnid operatives coursed into the room behind McKenzie.

A female Kaarii turned to Jacorel. "If our tally was right, elyyshar, these are the only remaining forces."

The information caused Edward to grin. "Hear that, McKenzie? You're out of backup. Looks like you lose."

"Hah!" McKenzie laughed. "You just keep tellin' yourself that." He threw down the missile launcher and picked up a machine gun instead. His remaining soldiers moved to flank us.

I glared at the Commander. "Is this really worth the money, McKenzie?"

His smile grew. "Oh, yes. Every damn penny."

Kate huffed. "Wow, I didn't realize destroying the entire world was such a cheap job."

"Cullen better have promised you more than a paycheck or you're even dumber than you look," Rosalie spit out.

The Arachnid soldiers closed in as McKenzie took slow, intimidating steps forward.

"Too bad all of you won't be around when I kill Cullen and take his power for myself," he said.

"Everyone, scatter!" James yelled and all of us ran in different directions. The soldiers pursued us with batons raised to strike.

I saw one of them approach Edward from behind, and I yelled out to warn him. "Edward, behind you!"

He swiveled around and punched the soldier twice in the neck, which caused them to drop immediately. Both of us backed up until we felt each other's backs press together as the few troops left surrounded and focused on us.

Edward glanced at me over his shoulder. "Ready to dance, Bella?"

I smiled. "Always." No matter what, I would always have his back as he would always have mine.

"Good," he said and looked past me. "Duck!" He spun and caught the Arachnid's wrist before they could land a blow, then punched low in their gut. With a twist, he had their weapon in his hands. When he stopped to catch his breath, he sent me a wink. "Not done after one song, are ya, baby?"

"I could do this all night," I told him confidently before running under his arm to take on my own operative.

McKenzie leaned toward us from across the atrium. "Party's over. Time to die!" A shoulder panel opened on his exosuit, and a barrage of heat-seeking missiles hurtled our way.

"Run!" Jazz shouted.

A feeling bloomed up, like instinct, and I knew we had to head for the entry doorway, and I gestured for the others to follow me as I sprinted headlong in that direction. The missile was rapidly closing the gap. As soon as everyone was safely through, I slammed the door shut, and the projectiles swirled away in random directions before a series of devastating blasts tore the atrium apart.

Smoke and dust from shattered stonework billowed across the room as we walked back through the doorway.

"Think a little smoke screen's gonna help you now?!" McKenzie's booming voice called from somewhere across the smoke.

"What's our play?" Garrett asked. "We're outgunned here."

Edward looked toward the general area of where we thought McKenzie was. "We gotta take his toys away, or we're toast."

I agreed. "But how are we gonna do it?"

McKenzie lumbered out of the smoke toward the opening in the wall and readied a laser cannon, aiming at us.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed. There was no time to plan, so we just had to do what we could. We surrounded McKenzie and started grabbing at his exoskeleton. Startled by our approach, McKenzie didn't fight as Peter and Rosalie tore the cannon free.

"You're gonna regret that," he said when he regained his bearings. He swung his steel-clad arms wide and threw everyone back onto the rubble before aiming his last missile at me.

"No!"

Edward ran forward and leaped for McKenzie's arm. His momentum forced the missile launcher upward at the last moment. The missile streaked toward the ceiling and exploded, which sent chunks of concrete down into the room.

"Take cover!" I yelled and rushed behind a fallen marble boulder as the barrage of stonework came thundering down.

McKenzie screamed as the rubble covered him, and the air became a thick haze of dust.

We struggled to find each other in the thick smoke, but eventually, we did.

"Is—" Tanya started, but was interrupted by a cough. "Is it over?"

Jazz suddenly doubled over, and Edward ran to him.

"Jazz, what hurts?"

Jazz groaned. "I think … a lot of me is broken," he forced out.

The pile of rubble began to shift.

"No. Way," Benjamin said, shaking his head.

McKenzie rose from the stone, blood gushing down the side of his face. "You done yet?! I could do this all night!" he yelled at us. "C'mon! Hit me!"

I looked around for weapons, for anything that we could use to fight.

"When I take the power to control time from Cullen, you know the first thing I'm doing?" McKenzie taunted. "I'm gonna hunt each and every one of your families down and make sure none of you are ever born!"

Jazz hobbled to his feet and looked at me meaningfully. "Do me a favor?" he asked without taking his eyes off me.

"What?" I asked, worried what he had in mind.

"And that includes you, Mouse!" McKenzie continued to rant. "To think I wasted all that money on a defector like—"

Jazz grimaced. "Take care of Grandpa for me."

Edward frowned. "Jazz? What're you—"

Jazz reached into the tank of his jetpack and doused himself with fuel before using all of his remaining strength to launch himself onto McKenzie, his arms slipping between the steel beams of his exoskeleton.

"You gonna hug me to death, son?" McKenzie laughed.

"Goddammit, Jazz! Stop!" Edward yelled with wide and scared eyes as he tried to run after, but Leah, Garrett, and I held him back. His eyes got blank as tears welled up.

"I hope you burn slow, you bastard," Jazz said, and then grabbed a futon pillow that was on fire before he roared his jetpack to life. He rocketed them both through the hole in the ceiling.

"Jazz!" Edward screamed, but they were already gone.

Black smoke streaked behind them as they rose higher into the swirling sky, and then, with a boom, a massive fireball consumed them both.

"Nooooooooo!"

We held onto Edward as he fought us harder.

"Let me go! Let me go right now, goddammit, I need to—"

"Edward, he's—" Leah started.

"Don't say it!" he roared at her. "None of you say it or I swear—"

As the fire cleared and blackened ash fell away, it was clear there was absolutely nothing left of Jazz.

Edward finally tore himself free, but could only crumble to the ground as the fight left him. I knelt next to him and wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could muster, both to keep him from falling apart completely, and to show him that I was there for him.

It was the second time he had to watch his best friend die, and I knew the feeling all-too-well.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered to him and kissed his hair. "I am so, so sorry."

He leaned into me cried harder against my neck. "I was supposed to save him, Bella..."

"I know," I acknowledged. "And you did. And he … saved us."

His chest heaved helplessly in the throes of his grief.

Leah carefully approached us. "We've got to go deal with Cullen, now," she reminded.

"Will you be able to handle it?" I asked without letting go of Edward.

His sobs slowly resolved into one final shuddering gasp. We separated and he nodded at me, his cheeks still glistening with tears. "Let's go," he rasped. "I'm not gonna let him sacrifice himself in vain." With resolution, he stood up and strode toward the staircase on the opposite side of the atrium.

The rest of us followed behind him.

Jacorel momentarily stopped to instruct his warriors to protect the passage against any attempt at following us, and they immediately took positions at the bottom of the steps.

When we emerged onto the rooftop, howling winds tore at my hair and clothes.

The vortex had overtaken the entire sky. Stars and clouds spun helplessly toward its baleful eye and were swallowed into oblivion forever. Nearby, the pillar of crystal from Mount Suerte was shining brightly in the Omega Mech's grasp.

"Holy..." Peter exclaimed in a whisper. "I might've just peed myself," he said as he stared at the vortex up close.

"What should we do?!" Tanya yelled desperately.

I noticed Cullen standing off to the side. He knew we were there to stop him, but he didn't appear particularly fazed by that.

"Spacetime is more fragile than it looks," he said. "Create a large enough hole, and the whole thing comes crashing down." He set down a martini glass and pulled out a weathered Polaroid photo. "Tell me, Bella … do you believe in destiny?"

I glared at him and could feel the hate inside me pulse. "I believe in throwing you off this roof!"

Rosalie stepped up next to me. "I'm on board with that idea."

Cullen calmly met my eyes. "I know you distrust me, Bella. But consider the fact that I've never acted to harm you. All along, I've merely tried to help you learn how to wield the power you're about to hold."

Leah's fists trembled with rage. "Just give me the word, Bella, and I'll do it. I'll throw him down myself."

"Iris, Directive 8091 if you please!" Cullen requested.

Iris's hologram flickered into being above the Mech. Her features looked displeased. "Activating Omega Pilot Protocol."

The gargantuan robot suddenly lunged down and grabbed Leah with its free hand. She screamed and struggled against it.

"Let me … go!"

We rushed forward to help her. Furball leaped onto the Mech's arm and breathed patches of frost onto the machine's armored shell, but it did nothing. Leah continued to thrash in vain as she was lifted off her feet and thrust into the Mech's cockpit.

"Leah!"

"The project required an enormous amount of energy," Cullen explained, still as calm as ever. "The sheer number of tachyons coursing through the device would quickly kill me. But Leah is young and strong. Indomitable. A true Cullen."

We all froze in reaction to the new information.

"What?" Leah asked from inside the cockpit and pressed her hands against the enclosing glass while staring down at Cullen in disbelief.

Cullen turned to her. "I loved your mother Susan very much. And I believe she loved me, too, in her way. I regret her passing with every day." His face was drawn with sadness, but it looked more like a grimace. "I truly do."

Leah shook her head angrily. "Lies … Lies!" She rained blows on the windshield and it caused a web of small fractures to snake through the thick glass. Then she hesitated as the realization in her heart slowly crippled her, and she collapsed, weeping, onto the pilot's chair. "You bastard … you bastard!"

Edward clenched his fists and zeroed in on Cullen. "That's it. You just crossed the line, you piece of—" He grabbed Cullen and hurled him to the ground.

Garrett and James grabbed Cullen's arms and dragged him back to his feet, and the three men kept him immobile as I walked over.

"Release her, Cullen," I ordered, using the same calm tone he had.

"Impossible," he said. "Directive 8091 has superiority over all other processes."

"I don't care," I said, and it was obvious in my tone that I was dead serious. "Make it stop."

He eyed me dryly. "Iris, suspend the protocol."

"Negative. Omega Pilot Protocol cannot be suspended or overridden."

The Mech hefted the crystal pillar and pointed the palm of its other hand toward it. A beam of blue energy surged forth and slammed into the side of the pillar. The rooftop heaved beneath us and the vortex began to expand toward the surrounding landscape.

"It's happening, guys!" Emmett yelled.

Alistair frowned. "We need to access the Omega Mech's operating system! It's the only way!"

Rosalie and Peter braced against each other, and she pointed at the thatched gazebo beside the Mech. Peter immediately helped her get on top of it, and she reached up toward the robot.

"Crap," she groaned. "The panel on its waist is still too high up!"

"Leah!" I called up. "Can you bring its torso lower?"

"I can try," she said, her eyes wide with fear. She grabbed the controls, and the steel-giant took a step forward, nearly knocking over the gazebo.

Rosalie had to grab a hold of the roof to keep from falling off.

But then, the Mech's knees slowly bent and brought the central panel close enough for Rosalie to reach.

"It's no use," Cullen told us. "You heard Iris. Now that Directive 8091 has been—" he was interrupted by Kate who pulled a loop of gauze over his mouth.

"Just shut up," she told him and secured it tightly.

A display screen illuminated Rosalie's face as she typed several commands. "There we go," she said. "That should—"

The screen started to flash red.

"What? Oh, come on!" she complained.

Leah tried to move the Mech's arms and break the blue energy ray but to no avail. Red light continued to flicker across Rosalie's focused expression as she studied the screen.

"No, that doesn't make sense. I don't get why it wouldn't just..." she mumbled.

"I can't see the coastline anymore, dudes!" Emmett warned. "We've got, like, maybe a minute."

"Dammit, this should work!" Rosalie cursed. "Something's screwed up. I don't … I don't understand." She shook her head in frustration, and her eyes filled with tears.

"Rose, just take a deep breath!" I encouraged her. "Don't stress! You can do this! You're Rosalie Hale; expert hacker number one!"

She looked down at me and then did as I told her. "You're right. I am Rosalie Fucking Hale. Of course, I can disarm one stupid robot." She started to dig through her bag and brought out a tablet, which she connected to the Mech. Her eyes widened when she logged into the device. "There's another system here … Iris!" She crouched, the tablet resting in her lap, and began entering commands as fast as her fingers could move.

"Warning! Authorizations compromised!" Iris's hologram glitched wildly, and she spoke in a strange, disjointed voice. "TH15 05 G0T 0WN3D 8Y TH3 L1CH-QV33N!"

Peter cheered. "That's what I'm talking about, Rose!"

Rosalie grinned. "Restoring Esme's access!"

Iris blinked. "W-what? I'm..." she said in a much less robotic voice than she had ever spoken in.

The bead firing on the crystal pillar abruptly ceased. We all looked skyward and noticed that the vortex appeared to have stopped expanding.

"I think we're alright!" Emmett breathed in relief. "I can't see the lower floors of the hotel, though."

I turned to the female hologram who still appeared dazed and confused. "Iris … or Esme, can you let Leah out of the cockpit?"

Cullen gnashed through his gag. "Is that really what you'd want to do, dear? Set Susan's daughter free?"

The holographic face contorted with rage.

Kate slapped Cullen and kept her finger pointed at his face. "Shut! The hell! Up!"

"Please," Leah pleaded, her eyes directed at Iris. "Let me out."

"Leah..." Feelings welled up in Iris's translucent eyes. The Omega Mech lowered itself and the cockpit slowly opened. "Of course. I owe it to your mother to do the right thing."

The Mech set down the crystal pillar, which still blazed as if it was lit from within. Leah jumped out of the cockpit and ran to safety.

Cullen gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare! Your programming exists to see this through! You stupid cow, activate Directive—"

Garrett and James felled Cullen to the ground.

Iris smirked at his prone form. "Sorry, I didn't catch that." She quickly turned to Alistair. "Alistair, I know discovering your true nature has been very difficult," she said apologetically. "But, please know … you will always be my son, even though he refused to be a father to you."

Alistair looked down at his feet, and I could see his eyes glinting with unshed tears.

Garrett walked to the railing and squinted into the distance. "I don't see anything out there..." he breathed out. "I think we're trapped in the vortex."

"Between all possible timelines," Edward mumbled.

I approached the glowing mass of crystal resolutely. "I might be able to fix this," I said when an errant thought told me I could. I took a deep breath to steady myself, and then reached out with both hands to the shimmering surface.

In an instant, I was no longer on The Ethereal's rooftop. Instead, an alien landscape surrounded me; rocky, bare, and glowing with the multicolored crystals scattered around. The sky appeared almost purple, and I realized with a start that I saw two moons above. On the ground, blue flames burned along rock and soil alike and billowed into the air.

"Anyone … here?" I called out uncertainly.

A wind rose, and with it came the sound of anguished wailing.

"AaAAaaAAHhHhh..."

I followed the sound to a series of crystal prisms jutting from the ground. They emitted colorful flashes in my direction.

It felt as if whatever it was, it tried to speak to me, but I was unable to understand it.

One of the prisms ignited with blue fire and violently shattered apart. The voice became louder, seemingly crying out to me for help.

"W-what should I do?" I asked desperately.

Tentatively, I reached out to the prism closest, and it pulled me back to images and sounds I'd previously experienced.

Edward and Jazz were seated behind a stand in a military courtroom. A judge snapped his gavel down, having just announced a verdict.

McKenzie flew up from his chair and started to shout. "Your honor, I served my country for forty-one years … This is the thanks I get!? I made these boys who they are!"

Edward turned and looked McKenzie in the eyes. "I didn't become who I am because of you. I became who I am in spite of you! And now you've got plenty of time to think about what a spineless piece of garbage you are!"

In an open office, Peter and Garrett set down video game controllers. Garrett beamed a smile at Peter.

"Honestly man, I'm really proud of you."

"Really?"

"Since getting this job, I gotta say I feel like you've come into your own."

Tanya and Kate looked out across the skyline from a balcony outside an art gallery.

"You know … when I was little, she gave me this glass box full of butterflies. Beautiful specimens in every color of the rainbow. It was my most prized possession. And then I started to realize that's all I was to her. A precious thing to keep under glass and hide away."

Alistair brushed a tear from his cheek and looked down at his son thoughtfully.

"I don't think I've ever been as happy as I was the day you were born. Your mother, too. She was so … radiant." He hugged the boy close. "Everything I needed from my parents; all the love I didn't have the opportunity to experience, I'm going to make sure you have, if you want it."

From their blackened, half-shattered stumps, the other crystals flashed colored light toward me. They then darkened completely and left only me and the spreading inferno. Then Kaanu was before me.

"Kaanu," I breathed.

The spirit glowed, and then spoke in its resonant tone. "Everything in its own time. They are only words, and yet, my entire perspective has been altered. I'd somehow forgotten the patient, inevitable nature of the universe..."

"Where are we?" I asked.

"This is my homeworld. Shortly before the first sun collapsed and became a black hole." Kaanu surveyed the rocky plain around us, littered with crystalline fragments. "When the fires came, they consumed everything I'd ever known. And when the planet was finally torn apart, I was hurled through space, ultimately arriving on Earth. Upon my impact, El Jardín was dragged up from the molten mantle. And, as the fire coursed through me, time shattered."

My thoughts ran wild as I finally understood everything. "Those crystals … they wanted to help you."

Kaanu turned back to me. "Though we reside light years from Earth, we're more similar to humans than you'd expect. Let me show you..."

My sight was blinded by white light, and then I was standing in the aisle of Edward's old plane.

"Like us, your hearts hold immeasurable power," Kaanu said, and I looked toward a seat where Benjamin was sitting by himself, gazing sadly out the window as the plane departed for El Jardín.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned back, imagining a friend.

I was transferred to the Endless' temple and the lava-filled chamber.

"When you feel deeply, you can stop time. You can hold a single, fleeting moment inside of you for a lifetime, never losing your conviction."

The Endless was standing in the far doorway of the Threshold and watched rows of empty pedestals.

Once again, I was transported, and this time I was standing in Cullen's office in The Ethereal.

"You can go back over and over, seeking to change events that took something away from you. You might even convince yourself you've done it, all the while merely prolonging your loss."

Cullen was floating silently in his tank like an infant waiting to be born.

With a flash, I was back at the rocky plain, looking at Kaanu.

"We're similar enough that I was able to bring a human into existence from a fragment of myself. And you are everything I'd hoped, Bella."

A chill traveled along my spine and rooted me in place. "Y-you're saying I'm..."

"The missing piece. But my energy was merely the seed. The need in your friends made it grow, and the love they began to feel for you made it flourish. You're the person they needed in order to move forward with their lives."

I nodded as everything clicked. "So this is why I can't remember anything? And why I keep jumping back and forth in time?"

"Unknowingly, you may have created false memories to fill a void. Think back. What's the earliest experience you remember vividly?"

I sighed. "S-sitting next to Benjamin on the plane."

"That was the very moment you came into being."

"B-but..." I stuttered and swallowed hard. "Why?"

"To give us all hope. I know it must be hard, but please try to understand, Bella. Your friends need you now more than ever."

"How do I stop the vortex?" I asked desperately. "Can we still fix Earth and get everyone home?"

"Three potential futures issue from this moment," Kaanu told me. "Cullen's project could be resumed and Earth taken to a past it never had. Your friends will be as they were, and you will be with them … but nothing from El Jardín will remain."

"You mean we won't be friends or remember any of this?" Kaanu didn't nod, but I already knew the answer to my question. "What's the second option?" I asked worriedly.

"You have the power to reverse the vortex and preserve El Jardín forever as the Endless had hoped. The island will remain as it was, never again to be threatened by Cullen's machinations. You and your friends will be safe on the island forever."

"And the rest of the world?" Kaanu didn't answer this time either, but I understood. I exhaled and nodded. "I see. And the third?"

"In the third eventuality, you return your energy to me, allowing me to finally depart from Earth. Our consciousnesses will merge and all timelines become one. Earth will be restored and your friends can go back home."

I felt increasingly uncomfortable as every option would mean the loss of something. "And … that's it?" I asked for clarification. "It has to be one of those three?"

"We cannot control our circumstances, only how we choose to navigate them."

"What should I choose?" I whispered in fear.

"As ever, that is a question only you can answer, Bella. I cannot force you to merge back with me. It has to be your own choice."

A/N:

Yes, Jazz is now dead. He wasn't a major character, and it was painful to take him from Edward, but it felt as if it had to be done.

Leah is Cullen's daughter! I bet you guys didn't expect that!

And Bella … she was the missing piece of Kaanu's heart. Explains quite a lot, doesn't it? Why she can't remember anything clearly before El Jardín, why Cullen couldn't find any information on her, why she has such a psychic connection to everything going on around the island.

Now, it comes down to what she will choose. What do you want her to choose? What do you think is the right choice?

Can you guys believe it's only ONE more chapter of this story, and then the Epilogue? I know some of you will sigh in relief at those news because it's been one heck of a long ride, but I also hope you have enjoyed yourselves :)

I hope you'll share your thoughts anyway, and I'll see you next week!

Stay Awesome!