A/N: ...I caved. I had to post this. I love me some action! Well, kind of. Here we get a better look at Herold and his true nature. Before you tell me "LOLCLICHEHEROLD", I'm going to explain that he's very kindhearted, and he's quite liked Fleur since he met her. He's able to resist his family's ways due to this.
Ahh, I love my dynamic duo.
Into the Mist - Chapter Ten
Fleur sat on the soft, fluffy bed that was placed in her room. She was the only one in the whole family with a bed. For some strange reason, Fleur felt the need to have a bed. The Cullens guessed that it was a kid thing. Fleur had glared at them when they had said that - teasingly of course.
She was anxiously biting her lip. Thoughts of the Vareknis swirled through her small mind. Most of them featured her standing in front a power hungry Herold who was about to deliver the final blow to her. Which meant death. Horrible, terrible, death.
What was she supposed to do? Just sit around and wait for Herold to be changed into a bloodthirsty vampire that was going to kill her? No. She couldn't do that. It was not an option. She wasn't going to die. That would ruin the close knit family that she belonged to.
There was nothing she could do. She had no clue where the Vareknis were, for a start. Oh, yes, and not to mention that they were the most powerful and dangerous vampire coven to ever exist. Ah, and they knew that she had killed Mal single handedly. Mal had been a very valuable member, according to Herold. He had said something about his 'Uncle Mal' being murdered, and how he had been the most respected member of his 'family'. A family shouldn't be made of people who are only there to murder.
Fleur was angry, sad, scared, and determined all in one.
--
Alice sat in Jasper's arms, curled into a little ball. She was afraid for her Fleur.
"Jasper... they're the most dangerous vampires in the world. You can't expect her to do this alone..." Alice whimpered, shaking. Jasper kissed her hair soothingly.
"We have to have faith in her. She will do it. She will be victorious. You know that." Jasper smiled. Alice shook her head sadly. "She hasn't decided to go after them yet. I can't see how it'll turn out yet." She shook more.
Jasper sighed. "We'll just have to wait." He said the words he had said before. Alice continued quivering until little Fleur walked into the room.
"What's wrong with Alice?" She questioned curiously. Jasper didn't answer. He was too focused on trying to calm his sobbing wife. Fleur walked carefully towards her favorite sister, and wrapped her arms around her. Not knowing why Alice was so upset was making it rather hard to comfort her, but she managed.
"Alice, it will be okay." Fleur paused. "Whatever it is." Alice shook her head.
"No. Not if you aren't careful. Not if you aren't safe. Fleur, if you ever leave and don't come back, I will never forgive myself..." Alice sobbed quietly. Fleur was appalled.
"I would never leave! I wouldn't get myself killed, either. I'm careful. You know that." She said quietly, patting Alice. Fleur then turned away, and left the room. She had a feeling that this was something she really didn't need to know.
How wrong she was. This was something Fleur should have been told. Knowing what power she beheld would help her in the future. This was Alice's mistake. Her worst mistake ever. Not telling Fleur what power she had - and why she had it.
Mistakes happen.
--
Fleur sat at the desk in her room, absently chewing on a pencil. She had broken about twenty already - and that was just in the past hour. She had been thinking of ways to escape this mess - go back to the life she'd had this morning.
Sighing, Fleur hopped down from the pink chair placed by her desk. There was only one person in the house who knew her pain. Only one person who had survived the worst messes imaginable.
Bella.
Within seconds, Fleur arrived at Bella's door. Scenting Fleur, Bella called, "Come in, little one." The door creaked as Fleur opened it.
Bella's arms were open. Invitingly so. Quickly walking to her, Fleur curled up against Bella. Time for some whining.
"Bella, why does happiness elude me?" Bella smiled down at her sister, understanding plain on her beautiful face.
"I don't know why happiness eludes you, Fleur, but I do know you'll be fine, and get out of whatever mess you're in. I can promise you that. After all, I got out of terrible messes as a human." Bella paused. "Of course, there wasn't a prophecy about me." She added quietly.
Fleur pulled away to look at Bella's face. "What?" She practically screamed.
Bella cursed. "Damn it."
Anger filled Fleur's body. This was something she should have been told from the very beginning. Storming to Alice's room, she threw open the door with so much force it cracked.
"What makes you think it's okay to not tell me there's a freaking prophecy about me? Tell me what possessed you to let me go through this ordeal without warning me about what was to come? You know Alice! You know what's coming for me, yet you think it's fine NOT TO TELL ME." Fleur glared angrily. "This isn't a very sisterly thing to do, you know."
Before turning to leave, Fleur let out a vicious snarl. Sprinting out of the house, Fleur did not know of the damage she was leaving behind. Or the damage she was about to encounter.
--
Once Fleur was out of destroying distance, she sat herself down on a rock, rubbing her face. She didn't know what to do. Not the slightest inkling. Perhaps she could-
Her thought was cut off by the cracking of twigs. None of the Cullens were this clumsy, so she assumed it was merely a lost mortal.
She was quite wrong. Before she saw the figure, several more twigs snapped at an alarming pace. Fleur backed up. It could be anyone - and quite often anyone was ready to kill her. Staring, Fleur watched as a tiny blur sped by her and through the trees. Lifting her nose, Fleur recognized some of Herold's smell.
Fleur's eyes widened. It couldn't be time yet.
Standing stock still, Fleur watched as Herold came back through the trees. Skidding to a stop, Herold looked horrified at Fleur's presence. "You can't be here, Fleur. You need to run. NOW. They're coming. Get out of here - away from me, away from them."
"Who?"
"The Vareknis."
Screaming, Fleur turned and sped through the trees. Terror pulsed through her dead veins. Every part of her was aware of anything that moved. At any moment, a vampire could jump out in front of her and rip her head off.
Why now? Why not in five hundred years? Why me? Fleur was slipping back into her old state of mind. Everything was changing again - her vision was practically red.
NO. I will NOT slip back into my old ways. No. I have to stay normal... for my family. For myself. I need to live, and remain... as me. Shaking her head, Fleur pushed herself faster - away from her doom, away from her old ways. Away from her family. Away from everything she knew.
--
Hours later, Fleur sat herself down on top of a Pennsylvanian mountain. She buried her face in her hands. Everything had gone wrong. She was now completely alone.
"I can't do this. I'm only six. I can't fulfill this prophecy. I don't want this! I just want my mommy. I want my brother..." Images of her brother's death flashed through her mind.
Henry tossed Fleur's Barbie ball toward's the squealing three-year-old. Her chubby arms reached for the ball, but missed. The ball bounced into the forest. Pouting, Fleur watched her brother jog into the forest to grab the ball.
Roars filled the air.
Screaming, Fleur watched a large, brown figure rear up on it's hind legs, and crash down upon her brother. Henry's face was contorted in pain as the brown figure clawed at his face. Fleur screamed again as a hand touched her shoulder.
"Fleur, you need to come inside." Came the voice of her panicked mother. Fleur turned and ran into the house - tears streaming down her face. What was happening to her Henry.
"Mommy, will Henry come back?" Asked the terrified little girl. Her mother looked away, but not before Fleur saw the tears pouring from her eyes. "Mommy! Tell me." Her mother just picked her up.
"You will see him again one day."
Sniffling, Fleur turned to face the direction she had come in. "Will I ever be at peace with a family?" She asked herself, thinking of her vampiric family. Her human family were all gone now.
Turning her attention to the sky, Fleur wondered if her family each had their own little stars up above her. Perhaps they were rooting for her up in the sky. Maybe they knew she would join them soon. The Vareknis would get her eventually. This brought back the memory of a panic-stricken Herold. His behavior greatly confused Fleur. Why had he warned her? He must know she killed Mal - shouldn't that enrage him?
She needn't dwell on petty little newborns now. What she needed to focus on was surviving, and running. Pushing herself to her feet, Fleur began to walk across the mountain. She kept her nose in the air so she could scent anyone coming up from behind her. Or in front of her. Whichever. With these vampires, it really did depend on their strategy to get her.
After several mountains, Fleur came across the scent she had smelt earlier. Herold. And he was close. Her eyes wide with panic, Fleur darted into a small cave, attempting to hide from him. When she was deep in the cave, she realized how stupid of an idea this was. If he came in here she would be trapped.
And sure enough, she heard footsteps echoing around the cave.
Fleur did the only thing she could do - she crouched into an attacking position. Letting a snarl rip from her chest, she heard his footsteps stop.
"Fleur? I'm not here to kill you, if that's what you think. I'm on the run as well." Fleur growled. "That's what they say to lure you out. I'm not moving. And if you make so much as one move to attack me, your head is coming off." Herold moved into Fleur's line of vision.
"I'm not going to."
"You'd better not." Fleur didn't budge from her position. "Now... what do you want? If you aren't going to kill me when my back is turned."
"I... I need your help to elude my family. You have experience... right?" Herold still had that wild, terrified look in his eyes. Fleur's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Herold sighed. "I know it's wrong to hate my family, but I do. Three nights ago I was sitting in my room, watching a Dracula video. I don't think my uncles heard me in my room, so they were standing outside my room. I heard them talking, so I crept to the window to listen. 'The boy needs to be turned soon. We didn't take him from his family for nothing.' I heard the voice of Yeque. 'You're right. She's getting more powerful, and I think she's starting to catch on.' Added Tristan. I was horrified by their words. Turn? Stolen from my family? I had been told they died in a car crash. 'Fleur needs to die soon. And we mustn't get our hands dirty.' I heard Yeque chortle. That was when I started to scream. And then... I think they jumped through the window and... bit me? I'm still not sure what happened. All I remember is pain, and then running. And then I saw you. And I knew you had to leave." He looked at Fleur, as if hoping for answers.
Fleur softened. This situation felt so similar. It had happened to her, though slightly altered. "Herold, you are a vampire. So am I, and so is your family, and mine. You've entered the world of eternal damnation - as Edward puts it. And I'm sorry to tell you this, but you were raised to kill me." Herold looked more horror struck than he had when she'd seen him in the forest.
"What?" He hollered.
"QUIET!" Fleur whispered, clamping her dainty hand over his mouth. She was extremely wary of vampires' hearing. For all they knew, they could be just around the corner. He pushed her hand off.
"Sorry. I'm just... disgusted." Shaking his head, Herold walked to the opposite side of the cave. "If I stick around, I promise I won't bother you... It will be as though I don't exist."
Fleur nodded silently, turning to walk out of the cave. "I'm going to keep watch. You might want to hunt... But I can't let you do that alone. Hm. Well, I guess I can come with you, though I have no experience with hunting animals."
"Huh? Animals?" Herold raised an eyebrow. Fleur sighed. She'd forgotten not every vampire was a vegetarian vampire like her family members. "Instead of drinking human blood, you are going to drink animal blood. How would you have felt if I had drank your blood when you were human?"
"Not so good, I guess." He decided. Rising from his place, Herold zipped over to stand behind Fleur. "What are we going to hunt?" He asked excitedly. Fleur shrugged.
"I don't drink blood. I don't need to, I guess." Pausing, Fleur resisted tearing down the mountain in her anger at Alice. She'd always wondered why she didn't need blood like the rest of them. "I'm not quite sure why, but I think it has something to do with your family, and you."
Herold's eyes grew wide. "Really? That's awesome! Is that why your eyes are blue and not red or yellow?" Fleur couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm. He reminded her of Henry, though much, much younger.
"Topaz, actually."
Herold stuck his small tongue out at her. "Whatever." Fleur looked around her. "Hmm. There should be some mountain goats around here - I hope you don't mind a chase. Just don't-" She was cut off by the dust that swirled around her as he took off.
"...let anyone see you."