The Secret Alliance
"Ah, Alice, I am truly ecstatic to see you." Aro opened his arms as if awaiting an embrace from Alice, who stood still and expressionless. She did not foresee their sudden visitation, so she has yet to discover the reason. Aro let his arms drop disappointedly and seconds later, the rest of the Cullens are now facing the Volturi.
"It's not pleasant to hold grudges, you all should know," Aro said as he eyes each and every one of the vampires before him, though there was a good twenty feet between them. His gaze, however, lingered upon Bella and Edward.
"Who said we aren't pleased," Emmett nearly sneered. "You have no right to be near us. Unless you want to continue what we left off nine centuries ago," he inserted, giving them a mocking grin. Aro was not fazed by Emmett's insinuation about the battle that nearly broke out nine hundred years previously if it weren't for Alice. That battle could've been the downfall of the Volturi, for several vampires supported and stayed with the Cullens to fight and Bella's power was their greatest offense. That had truly caused the Volturi to doubt their victory.
Aro gave a dry, humorless laugh and responded, "I have every right to wander and be acquainted with old friends. Have you forgotten what era we are in? It's the New World
and clearly, my comrades still have not forgiven me."
"No one said we wanted to be acquainted with you and your guards," Carlisle stated, his voice composed, though with a little sternness. "There's nothing to forgive anymore. Forget everything that happened before and forget about us. We don't need any more of your help."
"But Carlisle, I am not here to offer help. Caius and I are here to make a proposal." He gestured to the second leader of their coven. Caius seemed disgusted and fought the urge to hiss when Aro told the Cullens what they were there for. He clearly did not like associating with the vampires who actually had a chance of defeating them. Let alone defeating him.
"If it involves using us and our abilities, you may forget it," said Bella with a merciless glance. Seeing them caused her greater pain than what she's undergoing every day. The thought of her daughter being gone can never be forgotten.
"My dear, I am genuinely sorry for your loss," Aro apologized, adding a slight bow for his "condolences." Bella gritted her teeth. It wasn't the Volturi's fault that Renesmee died, but they certainly had wanted to kill her and the rest of them several centuries before. They even formed an alibi, questioning the "danger" Renesmee might possess when she grows as an immortal child, just to finish their purpose of killing. If Alice had not come to prevent the brutal (and equal) fight, the Cullens, along with their true comrades, would have stood a chance. So what assures them that the Volturi would not attempt on destroying them again? Hence Jane, Alec, and the best of their guards are with them this instant.
"We do not need your sympathy," Edward spoke with bluntness. "As for your proposal I'm not sure what to believe anymore."
His family stared confusedly at him. What have you seen?, they all thought to him.
"You think the images in my head are imaginary?" Aro raised an eyebrow. "They are very much real. You know well of my secrets, Edward. I would not lie about this kind of situation."
"But how can it be?" Edward's face changed to complete awe and bewilder. "No, they are dead and cannot live in this atmosphere…"
"Edward, what is it?" asked Bella from beside him. He looked at her with the same expression and it made her touch his face. "You can tell me," she said softly.
"The werewolves are alive."
All of them had perplexed reactions once the words left Edward's lips. The truth seemed surreal.
"How?" Bella inquired.
"He's not thinking of it." Edward slightly clenched his teeth, listening to Aro's blank thoughts. Aro, of course, wouldn't let Edward hear his explanation, hence the cunning smile on his pale face. Edward read the rest of the Volturi guards' minds but none of them were thinking of the shape-shifters, therefore, the Cullens would have to listen to their bargain.
"Why don't you all hear our proposal?" Aro offered. "We all know how important those creatures are to you."
After a mere second of deliberation, Carlisle agreed for the group.
"Well, I'm sure you're quite surprised that we survived, am I correct?" Aro began, adding the same humorless laugh as he said, "You didn't think that you are the only ones who drink from corpses, no? There are hundreds of wise vampires out there and it is a fairly small world."
He paused then spoke in a more solemn tone.
"I am here to tell you that we are the source of one specific mission --- a duty where only the wisest can achieve," he emphasized the word, indicating his entire coven. "That mission is well-kept and I have sensibly chosen the individuals who are worthy of fulfilling it. Now I must know if you are worthy of hearing our secret. If you are not interested in knowing the rest of our intentions, then I won't speak any further of this. Nor will you hear anything about your beloved shape-shifters."
They stood still, considering his words. They were all undoubtedly intrigued, and with no further ado, they gave their word.
"We are listening carefully, Aro," Carlisle declared. "We will not speak of this to anyone outside this encounter. I assure you."
"Very well." Aro smiled, showing his perfect teeth.
"But," interrupted Edward, "we are not guaranteeing anything else other than listening."
"Why, of course," Aro said, smiling slyly. "I will let you all decide later on. Though for now, I should inform you on what we have planned since before the apocalypse.
"You see, I have found a clairvoyant of my own ---" he signaled to a petite, adolescent-looking girl behind him. She had scarlet shoulder length hair, which briefly reminded them of Victoria "--- though unlike Alice, she only foresees her future, which sometimes includes people associating with her, and she saw herself dying of starvation in this environment. Of course, I couldn't let that happen. Not to a sweet, newborn vampire. Therefore, she became a member of the guards.
"We were forewarned of the End of Humanity, as others call it, and we acted right away. By selecting the healthiest and fittest of humans, we've taken and protected them throughout the eroding of land and advancing of waters. When the water froze and the rest of the world had died under us, it was just the vampires and terrified humans that stood."
All of Aro's guards' eyes became longing and full of crave. All they've tasted from their previous life was human blood, but they are strictly forbidden to kill any one of the survivors. The consequence was severe and one of the guards has proven that. Undeniably, that guard is now dead.
Bella thought of her memoir when Aro revealed part of their secret. She had an intuition, though she found no proof to support it. Nevertheless she was right; there are humans living in this era.
"We knew that we wouldn't be able to contain ourselves with our cravings for long," continued Aro, "so we approached the only creatures whose lifelong duty is to protect humans, besides repulsing us. That way they can surround the survivors and repel us from the scent, which became very unappealing due to those beings."
"It's impossible for them to breathe in this atmosphere," Carlisle said skeptically. "But of course knowing that we have not encountered in more than nine hundred years, you probably found someone or something that makes it possible for them to live."
Aro smiled and uttered, "You know I have my ways, Carlisle. I went on a brief quest myself to search for the special talent I'm seeking. With much effort, though in so minimal time, I have finally found her but as a human.
"With no time to spare, I changed her. I trusted my instincts and with Mia's clairvoyance, my two youngest jewels are now very well fond of each other."
"What exactly can your youngest jewel do?" Rosalie inquired with slight cynicism escaping her beautiful voice.
"Ah, that is the most intriguing, I should say. My beloved Elda possesses a power that is truly impressive. She is like a source of inner life. She gives the ones in great jeopardy perpetual existence, but she can also take the privilege away. Enter her dome of life and you will enter the land where breathing is very much possible."
"You mean to say," Carlisle contemplated, "that this girl can reestablish oxygen within her dome?"
"Precisely. She is like a blooming flower, full of life while making it. She is indeed unique."
"Indeed," concurred Esme. "Aro, why are you telling this to us? I'm sure it's not atonement for what you have done."
"Esme, you are forever insightful," he said appreciatively. "I suppose I should begin the proposal now."
He advanced towards the Cullens and they were attentively observing his every move. He then halted eight feet in front of them and spoke.
"The shape-shifters doubt us. After three years of our convoluted alliance, they no longer trust us because they are imputing the deaths of some of the survivors upon us. They won't let us near them except for Elda."
"Then why don't you punish your guards who are responsible for the killings?" Jasper commented rhetorically. Nonetheless Aro replied sharply.
"I can't because not one of my guards is responsible for their assumptions. Chelsea was the only one who disobeyed my orders and I have taken care of that.
"Now as for me being here, I am formally asking you all to return with us to Elda's dome. The rest of my guards are surrounding the wolf barrier and the only approach I could muster is to let you, the Cullens, break the conflict."
"We cannot certify that they will simply move aside because of us. We have only been friends with their ancestors," Carlisle uttered prudently.
By "ancestors" he meant the Quileute "wolf" tribe that once lived around Forks, Washington. However, what the Cullens didn't know is that a couple of the un-imprinted shape-shifters they were well allied with are still alive.
"Who are the two you have been keeping, Aro?" Edward questioned as Aro let him hear the thought.
Instead of answering him immediately, Aro turned to a rather pensive Alice.
"You are wondering why you did not see us coming," he said more as a statement. She eyed him then he resumed, "There are rarely anyone who overpasses your visions and the shape-shifters are the foremost beings who you cannot see. The only answer as to why you did not expect us to visit is because we have with us a former wolf friend of yours."
They gazed at him expectantly, curiosity written on their beautiful faces. They tried sensing the distinct, foul scent of the familiar wolves, but none was there.
Finally, their queries had been answered, though replaced by shock.
Aro smiled knowingly as a pale, picturesque Seth Clearwater stepped beside him with crimson eyes.
-- -- -- -- --
Ooohhhh...I can't believe I just thought of this chapter ending like an hour ago! (Yes, it takes me a LONG time to write and edit. I write parts of a chapter whenever I feel like a should write and I proofread my chapters at least once.)
I feel like chapter 6 is a bit choppy, specifically Aro's dialogs (it's difficult for me to write his parts), but I hope it's still interesting! I try making every chapter satisfying and if it's not, I make up the suckiness with cliffhangers. Haha, sometimes =).
Oh yeah, just a reminder: "Mia" is Aro's clairvoyant and the "wolf barrier" is sort of like the shape-shifters creating a fence with themselves around Elda's invisible "dome of life." Plus, Mia saw some visions with her and Elda being friends and that's how she knew that Elda would be something special.
Just clearing some things up, so if you need anymore clarifications, feel free to ask. And before I forget, I downloaded Bella's font/handwriting in one of the Twilight books (don't remember which one) then replaced the font I used on Microsoft Word. That was random, but I just wanted to share...I wanted my fanfic (on Word) to look like her diary (well, the parts where she writes). See you next time!