Blood Requiem

Part Eight: End Of All Hope

No will to wake for this morn
To see another black rose born
Deathbed is slowly covered with snow

Angels, they fell first but I'm still here
Alone as they are drawing near
In heaven my masterpiece will finally be sung

Wounded is the deer that leaps highest
And my wound it cuts so deep
Turn off the light and let me pull the plug

It is the end of all hope
To lose the child, the faith
To end all the innocence
To be someone like me
This is the birth of all hope
To have what I once had
This life unforgiven
It will end with a birth

Mandylion without a face
Death wish without a prayer
End of hope
End of love
End of time
The rest is silence

The red object in the gloom on the road was the girl's truck. It was stopped diagonally across the road, blocking my path, the engine was still roaring away; I was surprised at how loud it was. I slammed on the brakes. I dashed out of the car to the abandoned vehicle. The driver's-side door was wrenched open, dented, and hung askew on the hinges.

As I went closer, the vampire-induced chill was different than usual. It was another vampire, a new one, and, most importantly, a malign one. I could feel it—wave after wave of maliciousness coming from the dark, foreboding forest. I went around to the nose of the truck, and I saw a deep hand-shaped impression on the front fender, near the driver's side. I inhaled sharply between my teeth, an action partly of apprehension and partly frustration.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I sighed, sprinting into the trees.

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(BPOV)

I shoved my feet into my shoes and walked as quickly as I could without tripping. It was warm enough that I didn't need a coat so I locked the door behind be and went to my truck. Charlie would be home late, so late it would be early when he got back, so I didn't have to worry about him.

I cringed as my truck roared to life; I pulled out of the driveway, and drove on down the street.

I had been driving for about fifteen minutes or more, I had turned onto a dark, tree-lined road, when I saw a flash of motion in the trees to my left. I gasped, clenching the steering wheel tightly, careful not to run myself off the road.

"It's nothing," I told myself, "just a deer, or something."

Or something.

I swallowed hard. I pressed harder on the gas pedal, engine whining. Suddenly, I saw a flash of bright red appear in front of my truck. I gasped as Victoria came to a dead stop on the road in front of me. Reaching out one hand in front of her, she caught the bumper, stopping the truck in it's tracks. The back end of the truck swung around, stopping with the truck sitting diagonally across the road, the engine sputtering in protest.

I sat, welded to the seat in fright. Victoria loped to my door, wrenching it open.

"Scream all you like," she told me, a sickly sweet tone to her voice, "no one can hear you."

Then she seized me roughly by the arm, hauling me out of the truck. Then she was dashing into the woods, with me in tow.

It was a rough trip, Victoria mostly dragged me along mercilessly, while I tried to keep up, vines and brambles continuously tripped me, scratching my ankles and calves. Branches slapped me in the face, leaving stinging welts everywhere, and on my arms. Now I wish I had brought a coat; at least it would have protected my arms.

I just hoped someone would come in time to save me. But, at least, neither Jacob and the pack nor the Cullens would have gotten hurt. Victoria will get what she wants (me dead), and she'll be satisfied and leave, and hopefully Edward won't go after her, and I hope Alice and the others will make sure he doesn't try to go to the Volturi again. I fought back a shiver. I hope they all forgive me. Charlie, Renee, Jake, Edward. Especially Edward.

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(EPOV)

"...So it's all been sorted out with the Quileutes, but in the future, if Victoria is to be stopped, we'll have to work together, and for that to work, I'll have to talk with Sam Uley." Carlisle was informing us.

Suddenly, Alice gasped, slipping into a vision. Through her eyes, I saw a horrific scene. Bella, in the woods, in the dark, at the mercy—or lack thereof— of Victoria. I growled. I ran to the door, my family calling after me.

"Edward, wait!" Esme called.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked.

I could hear them in my head as well as in my ears. "Victoria." I shouted back to them. I sensed them following me, but in my haste, I left them all behind to reach Bella. I was always the fastest runner.

Mistake after mistake. Peril after peril.

"I might actually have to.. change Bella sooner than planned if.. this keeps up. If I get to her in time." That last thought sent a flash of anger for Victoria through my frame, and a chill of sadness through my chest at the thought... of Bella... dead.

"Please, Bella, don't die before I get there," I begged silently. I sped up, until I could no longer hear the thoughts of my worried family.

"I'm coming for you."

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(CPOV)

I'd been following this... Victoria's trail for what seemed like too long. The vibes grew stronger and stronger, but there was no sight of the vampire, or the girl. The aura grew stifling as I continued forward. Dense branches stood in way, I gently—and quietly—pulled them back to reveal—more trees and bushes. I sighed, and continued onward, quickening my pace.

I had to find Bella, or else there'll be hell to pay.

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(BPOV)

Victoria had dragged me farther than I thought; we stopped in a vast, dark, unfamiliar clearing. It was shaped like an oblong oval. There, Victoria threw me to the scraggly crab grass at her feet, looming over me threateningly.

"I think I should make this slow, and painful," she mused darkly, enjoying the idea.

I stared up at her wide-eyed, heart pounding. I had pretty much resigned myself that I'd die right here and now, but the fear was still there. I did actually have a sense of self preservation.

Suddenly, Victoria's gaze shot from me to the far end of the clearing. She hissed fiercely, eyes slitted.

I followed her gaze, seeing nothing at first, then—some movement. The brush parted to reveal— Edward! I felt relief wash through me. He stopped at the sight of me, relief also coloring his features, as well as hatred, directed at Victoria. He proceeded to take a step forward, but I was abruptly pulled to my feet, held in Victoria's stony grasp; she gripped each of my arms, just below the shoulder, holding me in place. I could feel her icy breath near my throat; I shivered.

"Careful, Edward, or the next step you take," Victoria cautioned, "may be the last step for your human pet."

Edward froze, his expression was fearful, before darkening with enmity.

Just then, Victoria inhaled sharply—something that could almost, but not quite, be described as a gasp. In an instant, a dark figure dashed at Victoria and I from my right, almost flying through the air, and so fast, it was hard to tell who it was, or wether they were male or female. Either way, they couldn't possibly have been human.

Victoria released me, pushing me to the ground. I looked up to see her turn to the figure, who was racing towards her too fast to be distinguishable. Victoria crouched, raising her hands in front of her as the figure slammed into her. She and the figure had locked hands, and because of the force of the figure's arrival, she was pushed back several meters, leaving deep grooves in the dirt. All this had only happened in seconds—an instant, even. When the figure (and Victoria) had ground to a halt, I could finally see the person's face.

"It's Cassandra!" I thought, amazed.

Cassandra and Victoria were struggling against each other, trying to push the other back. Both of their faces were contorted in effort, Cassandra's more so, and I could see that Victoria was recovering, and beginning to force Cassandra backwards.

Cassandra turned to me, and said, almost growled, "run."

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did, I scrambled to my feet and ran to Edward, who reached me in a moment before I had taken ten steps.

"Bella," he breathed, wrapping me in a hug, which I quickly, and gratefully returned.

With his arms still around me, we turned back to see the battle between Cassandra and Victoria. I was amazed to see that Cassandra was holding her own against Victoria, even though, he was being forced back, step by step.

Suddenly, Victoria reversed direction, pulling Cassandra forward— who, in turn, lost her footing—and thrust a fist forward, digging it into Cassandra's stomach. Cassandra's breath left her with a whoosh as she fell forward. Victoria crouched under Cassandra as she fell, grabbed her by the collar of the shirt, and flipped her over, slamming her into the ground. I jumped as I heard a snap as Victoria pressed her fist into Cassandra's collar bone.

Cassandra flinched, but seemed otherwise unaffected. Victoria pulled her hand back, curling it into a fist as she prepared to drive it into Cassandra's face. I coved my mouth with my hands. But Cassandra rolled out of the way, somehow in time to miss Victoria's fist, which hit the ground with a resounding thud, digging deeply into the dirt.

Cassandra flipped up onto her feet and stood. Deliberately slowly, Victoria stood, facing her opponent. One of Victoria's fists flitted out, so fast it was merely a blur. Cassandra caught the blow in her hand, being forced back a step. Then Victoria dealt out another punch, which again, Cassandra blocked. And again, another step back. The punches were coming faster and faster, one blurring into the next, and Cassandra was somehow able to hold her own against the massively powerful vampire.

"It's amazing," Edward said, not looking away from the fight "how she's able withstand the force of Victoria's blows, and it's just as amazing that she can even catch them, but I'm not sure she can hold her back much longer."

I looked to Edward fearfully, then turned back to watch.

Through the blur of punches, I saw one break through Cassandra's guard, catching her across the chin, snapping her head to the side. Then Victoria crouched, bracing herself, and threw a punch straight into Cassandra's stomach, sending her flying through the air like a human-sized bullet. I gasped, and Edward's arm tightened around me.

Cassandra's body collided with a tree that was a good two feet in diameter. On impact with the tree, Cassandra's body made a sound half-way between a thud and a sickening crack. A cloud of thick dust was stirred up, and there were splinters flying everywhere. I tucked my head into Edward's chest, not wanting to see what was there when the dust settled. Edward placed a cold hand on the back of my head, trying to comfort me. I built up the courage to turn my head.

It looked like a meteor had crashed; the ground was torn up, and there were bits of wood everywhere. I saw the tree Cassandra had smashed into. It snapped in half about four feet up the trunk from the ground (the rest had fallen backwards into the forest), leaving sword-sized splinters, at least a foot long each, jutting up from the gnarled base. My breath caught in my throat when I caught sight of Cassandra, or, her body, because I was sure she was dead. Her body was splayed out over the stump, impaled on the enormous splinters, right through her stomach. There was blood, and I fought the urge to throw up.

"Oh my God..." I whispered, my voice was quivering. And despite myself, I was crying.

Edward pulled me behind him. I looked up to see Victoria, still admiring her handiwork with a sickening grin.

She turned to us, still wearing that repulsive grin. "And now it's time for you, my dear, to meet the same fate."

Edward crouched, snarling more fiercely than I'd ever heard heard him. "You will not come anywhere near her!" He snarled.

Victoria mimicked his posture.

Edward ran at her with a roar, he ran so fast, he became a blur. And when he and Victoria collided, there was a resounding crash, like two boulders slamming together. Edward and Victoria were throwing punch after punch at each other, matching blow for blow.

I had my eyes riveted on the current fight, to I was surprised to see some movement coming from the fallen tree, where Cassandra's body was. I looked again, my weak, human eyes straining in the darkness, and I saw it. Movement.

"It's... impossible..." I whispered, staggered.

Cassandra's body was moving.

She was still alive.

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(CPOV)

I was still maneuvering through the forest—and through the overpowering aura of Victoria—when I heard something. It sounded like someone speaking, but I was still to far away to be sure of anything. My hearing might be better than a human's but it wasn't better than, say, a vampire's. So I stopped, closed my eyes, and concentrated on the trail of vibes coming from this malicious vampire named Victoria.

I zoned in on where the vibes were strongest. There, I had her; two hundred yards dead ahead. I ran, picking up serious speed, forcing myself faster and faster. I was trying to pick up enough speed to be able to catch the vampire at least a little off guard.

I broke through the edge of the trees and there she stood, a vicious, catlike creature with flaming red hair. I launched myself through the air at her, flying through the air. She stood, poised, hand outstretched and waiting.

I slammed into her, locking onto her hands with as strong a grip as I could manage. The returning pressure nearly crushed my hands. At least I was able to catch her off guard enough to push her back. When we ground to a stop, I fought back the massive amount of force that Victoria was pushing against me with. My wrists were aching sharply, and it was hard to hold my ground; I had to step back to keep my footing. I was shaking with the effort, and Victoria smirked at me, sensing my weakness. I wouldn't be outdone, I wasn't finished yet, I wouldn't allow it. I pushed back with as much strength as I could muster that my bones wouldn't be crushed under. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, one slipping past my temple.

"Run," I told Bella, who scrambled up and ran away and into Edward's arms. I quickly looked back to my opponent.

Suddenly, Victoria pulled me forward, too quick for me to anticipate and readjust, and I was falling forward. The vampire balls her hand into a fist, and before I can react, she drives it into my stomach, knocking he wind out of me. I hear two ribs crack, and Victoria smiles, hearing them too.

Then she grabbed me by the collar, flipped me over, and pinned me to the ground with bone crushing force. I still struggled the catch my breath as she pressed her knuckles into my collarbone, breaking it in three places with a resounding snap. I flinched that time, and Victoria's grin grew wider.

This was a fool's errand, and I would die for saving an insignificant human girl. But I had to keep fighting; there was no way in hell I was going down without a fight. Victoria was about to punch me in the face, a blow which would have ended this fight for good. But I rolled quickly enough, escaping the deadly blow, which expended itself into the ground where my head once was.

I hopped up onto my feet, waiting for her next move. I saw that Bella and Edward had still not left. "Run, you fool, take the girl away and protect her," I thought angrily, "do you want all my effort to be in vain?"

I saw Edward catch my gaze in my peripheral vision. He could her my thoughts right then, I knew, and I saw him shake his head 'no' infinitesimally.

"Fine, if you want to be a stubborn ass, then be my guest. Risk the girl's life." I thought, and I saw him frown. "Oh, I see, you want a shot at her too. Well, you can have her when I'm done with her."

The exchanged lasted only a few seconds, and by now, Victoria was also on her feet. She dealt out the first blow, which I caught. Then a second; I caught that one too. But my arms were smarting and burning in protest, and I knew I couldn't keep this up much longer.

It was getting harder and harder to keep up with Victoria's punches. Suddenly, one broke through my blocking, and slammed into my chin, snapping my head to the side. Then Victoria crouched, balled a hand into a rock-solid fist, and drove it into my stomach, forcing me to double over and be thrown backward with massive force, and blinding speed. I crashed back-first into what must have been a tree, but could have easily been a transport truck at full tilt.

The force of my impact broke the tree in half, just below my back. I faded in an out of consciousness, and by the time I fully came to, my body was wracked with pain. I was aware through the pain, that my upper back and head were resting along the fallen part of the tree, while the rest of me... I opened my eyes, and was shocked to see massive, spear-like splinters of the tree stump jutting through my stomach, covered in blood. There was red pulsing around the edges of the wound, and with each pulse I felt a throb of pain that was worse than the rest. Blood bubbled up my throat and spilled out of the corner of my mouth, running over my bruised cheek. It might not be exactly deadly for me, but it was painful to say the least.

It would take a little longer to heal than a few cuts dealt by breaking a car window, but I'd survive. I tried to shift around, only to be shot down by a stab of pain. I breathed in sharply, wincing. My body was slowly working away to heal itself and seal up my wounds, but the biggest one was unable to seal up. Personally, I didn't like to feel like a dinner guest at Vlad Tepes's castle. Yes, the Romanian Count who would capture his enemies under the pretense of inviting them to dine and then impale them on spikes. Yeah, really friendly guy.

The fight the that now raged on between Edward and Victoria had moved to the far end of the clearing.

Suddenly I heard a voice.

"Are you...alright?"

It was Bella. I thought she had fled. I turned my head to look at her. She was focusing solely on my face, her gaze pointedly avoiding my wound. Even so, she still looked green in the face. I could see she was also holding her nose.

"Something bothering you, kid?" I rasped.

"The smell of... blood. I can smell it; it bothers me."

"Oh, that's strange." I said weakly.

"I want to help you." Bella said, sounding determined, if not also a little queasy.

"This is going to be very painful for me, and I'm probably going to scream, but don't stop unless you have to. I can't get off these spikes by myself, I need you to help me off."

At my words, Bella paled, and more green showed in through her thin, ivory skin. "I can't," she said, shaking her head, "I can't do it. I'll be sick."

"You said you wanted to help me," I began as calmly as I could for all the pain I was in, "and this is the only way you can help me."

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(BPOV)

"...And this is the only way you can help me."

I was still fighting off the urge to puke from the smell and sight of the blood, but the finality in Cassandra's words convinced me.

"Ok," I said, "I'll try."

"Good, now, as I sit up, you have to push me up from behind, and no matter how hard I scream, you have to keep pushing me up until I'm off the splinters." Cassandra instructed me.

I nodded.

She took a breath, positioned her hands behind her on the log, and leaned forward, beginning to sit up.

I took a deep breath, holding it, and placed my hands under her back and pushed up. I nearly gagged as I felt the blood on my hands, and I cringed as I heard Cassandra's scream pierce the night air. But I continued pushing, and slowly, Cassandra lifted a little higher off the splinters.

I saw her clamp her jaws together, grinding her teeth, keeping in a scream. I pushed more and she lifted a little higher. Blood streamed and dripped between my fingers. I saw Cassandra's nails dig into the bark of the tree trunk, and suddenly, the wood began to splinter under her hands. I decided to give one last shove to try and get her off the giant, killer splinters. As I pushed, Cassandra let out her loudest scream yet. Then finally the tips of the splinters were visible from underneath her back.

"You're free." I choked past the stench of the blood and the sight of the gore. Cassandra tilted to the side, rolling out my hands, landing on the now-bloodstained ground with a cry of pain. I rushed around the tree stump and kneeled by her side.

"Cassandra? Are you alright? Are you going to be ok?" I asked frantically.

Her eyes were screwed shut tightly, and she was seething in pain between her teeth; the side of her mouth was stained red with dried blood. She looked like she was going to die.

"I'm fine, kid," she said, managing a tight smile, "I'll be fine. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Why do you keep calling me kid?" I thought it was kind of strange to be calling someone kid when they looked like your age.

"I'm one year over two hundred. I think I have to right to call you kid." She told me, breathing heavily.

"Oh, I guess you do." I said. "Hey, shouldn't we at least bandage the wound?" I asked, even though just the sight of it made me queasy.

"No, I'll be fine. I heal quickly, you'll see." Cassandra smiled. I took a good look at her face right then. With her startling purple eyes, fair skin, and icy-blond hair, she was actually really pretty.

"Ok, so, if you'll excuse me.." I said, stomach heaving. I could still feel the sticky blood on my hands.

"Oh. Be my guest."

I crawled on my hands and knees, going a little ways away from Cassandra, and threw up in the grass.

I looked over to he other end of the clearing where Edward was fighting Victoria. Just then, he landed a skull-crushing blow to the side of her face, throwing her backward. Suddenly, the both froze in their tracks. At the edge of the clearing, I saw movement in the trees.

Emmet. Alice. Carlisle. Rosalie. Jasper. Esme. They all appeared at the edge of the clearing, ready to fight. I looked back to Victoria, who was looking very uncertain, and very outnumbered.

She gave one last hiss and darted away. They let her go. All attention was turned in our direction. Edward was by my side in an instant, hugging me fiercely to him.

"What about her?" Emmet asked, inclining a head to Cassandra.

"Don't kill her, if that's what you mean!" I protested. "She saved me."

"Yes. She did. Why?" Edward said, directing his last word to Cassandra.

"Because I was obligated to." Was her reply.

"By whom?" Carlisle asked.

"By..." Cassandra trailed off, "I'm not exactly sure what to call it, but I guess it could be referred to as 'the voice of the Universe', or, my 'conscience', if you will. It told me the girl—Bella," she nodded to me, "would be... destined for great things."

I was stunned. "Me? Destined? Great things? I think they've got the wrong girl, here."

"Is that all?" Carlisle spoke again.

"Yes, and It also said something about me being an obstinate, unruly outcast, but I don't see how that's important..." Cassandra said casually. I had to admit, she had a sense of humor.

Emmet whistled. "Wow, destined for great things. Are you sure you're up to it, Bella?"

I blushed, and gave a small laugh.

Then I remembered that Cassandra was still lying on the ground with a gaping wound through her stomach.

"Oh, Cassandra, your wound—!" I began but she cut me off.

"What wound?" She asked, hopping lithely to her feet, smiling. I looked and saw that the wound had completely disappeared. "I told you I heal quickly."

I wrote this all in one night, so I hope you all appreciate my hard work! I have a cramp in my index finger! But you know what will make it feel better? Some reviews would be nice. :) And thank you to all those wonderful, wonderful people who and posted reviews. Please continue doing so. lol

S.R.M