The war, finally, was over. The relief that washed across the battlefield was almost tangible, as the agonized cries of the mourning wives faded in the distance. They had refused to leave the remnants of their husbands' bodies, and had been carried away, kicking and screaming, by the haggard survivors of their army.
Someone had to reign over Volterra, after all.
And then a small voice broke the silence.
"They're... gone?"
Huilen smiled down at Nahuel.
"Yes, Honey. They are."
Cheers and screams of joy erupted all at once, as people blindly and randomly hugged each other. They were gone. It was over.
But some, in the boiling turmoil of utter happiness that surrounded them, were trapped outside of the joy and relief. Some were still frozen. Some were shaking with heaving, dry sobs, crumpled to the ground and hugging themselves to avoid falling apart.
And one of them had disappeared into the forest, and would not come back.
Because sometimes, victory is also loss. And pain, and guilt, and an awful lot of burning "what if's".
And now, as the mourning for the dead began, as Tanya and Kate shrieked for Irina, as Seth howled for Leah, as Senna collapsed in the pile of cinders that had been Zafrina, the Cullens were slowly coming upon the fact that they, too, had recieved a wound that could not be healed. That, where Alice Cullen had been standing in the once indestructible unit they formed, there was now a gaping hole and a pillar of purple smoke. And that Jasper, as he tried to get away from the void, had created a hole of his own.
o0o0o
"Auntie Rosie?"
"Yes honey ?"
"Where's Auntie Alice?"
If Rosalie could have cried, actually cried, with burning, bitter tears that would have taken away part of the pain, she would have. She would have sobbed and sobbed, at nighttime, hidden away in her room with Emmet, and together they would have said goodbye to Alice and Jasper. Then, in that dream world, she would have cried herself to sleep, and in the morning she would've felt better.
But this was no dream world, and she couldn't sleep. Or cry. And so it felt like she was still stuck on that wretched day, like she had lost Alice this morning. And because she couldn't cry, because her pain couldn't escape, it stayed inside her. Stifling her. Sometimes she could have sworn she was drowning, suffocating in her bitter grief and aching emptiness.
"She's gone, love. I'm sorry."
"When is she coming back?"
At this Rosalie felt a huge sob form in her chest. But you can't cry in front of a kid, even if you're not actually producing tears.
"She's not, love. She's not coming back."
And with that Rosalie fled the room and Renesmée's big, hurt-filled eyes.
"But she didn't say goodbye..." the little girl whispered, and a lonely tear slowly rolled off her cheek.
o0o0o
"Nessie? Nessie, what's wrong?"
"Auntie Rosie said Auntie Alice was gone, and not coming back. But she didn't say goodbye to me. What did I do, Momma? Was I a bad girl? Is it my fault?"
Bella's aching dead heart suddenly felt like it had split down the middle.
"Oh love no, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault, you were a very sweet little girl. What Auntie Rosalie meant, honey, is..."
She took a deep breath.
"... is that Auntie Alice died, love. That's why she's not coming back, and why she didn't say goodbye. But she loved you very very much, you know?"
"She died? Why did she die?" Renesmée sobbed.
"She was killed in the battle, Nessie. Remember the big battle?"
"Oh. Like Irina and Senna?"
"Yes, honey. Just like them."
"What about Uncle Jasper?"
"He left because he was sad about Auntie Alice. He wants to be alone for a bit."
"Because Auntie Alice died in a battle over me, right? So then this is my fault."
Bella grabbed her daughter's shoulders.
"Don't say that, Nessie. Nothing was your fault. The people in that battle were there willingly and knew the risks. I never want to hear you blame yourself about this again, okay love?"
If her hearing had been normal, human, she would have missed her daughter's answering whisper.
"Okay."
Umm... so? Whadd'ya think? I know it's very short, and I tried to make it longer, but anything I added just didn't sound right... sorry. I think next chapter might be about Bella and Edward, I've started writing it but... not sure ;) Also, if you find mistakes, can you please point them out? English still isn't my first language. Thanks!