Aurora

Disclaimer: The Twilight series is not owned by me. Well, I mean, I have all the books at my house but I didn't write 'em.

Summary: Carlisle Cullen once fought monsters and now he has become one. When he enters into Volterra, he is shown a world of civilization for his kind but he also shown the darkest of his kind. What path will he choose when he learns of all the horrors vampires bring upon the world and when they bring those horrors into his life?

Author's Note: Squee! Another review! This is awesome!

Chapter 21

"I," Catty started but couldst not continue. She closed her eyes tightly and I went to place my hand on her upper arm in which to steady her for I trow that my hand may hold her to this world and not allow the monster within her to become loose. Antonio too held her other arm and didst whisper to her.

"Caterina, remember yourself," Antonio said so lightly and so softly I wondered what he be. I looked at him curiously and Caterina offered a small smile as she began to look back up.

"I have forgotten my manners in this madness," she said. "Antonio," she gestured to the man before me and then to me, "Carlisle." I nodded politely to him as he did bow most graciously to me in introduction. "I promise to answer questions later but as of now, I suggest we must get the girls to home," she informed us both prior to turning to me.

"Wouldst thou take the girls a bit from here? I shall be shortly behind but I need to keep Antonio up to date on Anna's activities," Caterina asked of me. Quickly, I left her side and gently reached for Bianca again. Still, I was too fearful of loosing control, seeing Caterina nearly succumb let me know that my own control would be nil if I did so take a breath, so I did not question the girls. It was but by Fortune herself that Bianca and Lavinia both understood. I picked up Bianca, still fearful of her leg, but also did not wish for Lavinia to walk far in her condition. To pick them both up would not be a feat for myself but it would be most awkward for the girls, and of this I wished not to make them feel anymore uncomfortable than they did so readily.

"Take the horse for Lavinia," Antonio stated. My ears did pick up the sound of my sister grumbling in regards to a horse being nearby and her fears of my draining its blood before we got to Volterra. As I moved towards the animal, which stood behind the carriage and tied to a tree nearby, I mumbled a sorry to my sister, using the last of my breath, and helped Lavinia on to the beast after letting go of Bianca for a short while.

I led the horse with one arm whilst I carried young Bianca in my other with ease to a small path I knew of but a half mile out from our previous position near Antonio and Caterina. I wouldst have many questions for Caterina in regards to Antonio and in regards to this whole ordeal for I knew not what had happened within in the village walls though I was slightly fearful of asking. I wished not to know the most gruesome of details but only the very basics of the situation so I might mollify the questions in my mind.

There the three of us waited with the horse for Caterina to arrive. She was but five minutes for I heard her approach and her whispers to me, too low for the humans to hear.

"It's safer to breathe now, if you wish Carlisle. I can only barely smell the dried blood for none is free flowing anymore," she told me as she approached us. I thought to wait till my sister could hold Bianca so that I might have so measure of control and not be so tempted with two humans close by. As soon as Caterina was at my side, I handed Bianca over to her for I wished to at least attempt to speak and to not breath, to not have air, was most galling. Bianca went to Caterina with only a slight protest.

"I am most assuredly able to walk still!" the young girl scoffed at as. Caterina smiled at her softly and held her as in a sisterly embrace as Bianca did pout. It was Lavinia that spoke up to her for she was still most shakily pale and did look worried at their surroundings.

"If your Stregoni benefici think you not able to walk, then do not walk!" Lavinia did snap at her, using the words that Bianca said on to me earlier. She must have shared her thoughts with her sister durst their exchange earlier while I did wait for Caterina to return. Caterina raised an eyebrow at such words and looked unto me.

"Stregoni benefici?" she asked most amused to both myself and Bianca. I shrugged as I carefully took a breath whilst Bianca did explain for me.

"Yes, you are not evil like the witch who does the devil's work. You only work to benefit others, not to cause harm so you must be beneficial sorcerers," Bianca explained. Caterina's laughter was light, as if sunshine breaking through the gloom of this most horrid day and shining upon the gladness that was still apparent for Lavinia and Bianca were safe and Andrea was still alive. No more of the Gagliardo family was taken and killed by the most monstrous of my kind and no more would if I did hath my say upon such matters.

"Let us get back to your father, shall we?" I asked of the two humans women, offering to take Bianca back if Caterina did wish.

Caterina seems to think for a moment, and then didst look to the horse, she mumbled that it was most likely safer for me to carry the girl than lead the horse to which I was horribly embarrassed. If I couldst blush, I would have for my sister was still most bitter over the incident with her horse all those years ago. I knew she did not hold it against me as much as she did protest to for she had shown over and over again that she loved me and that no ill will lay betwixt us but still she did bring up the matter for a horse did we have here. Luckily, neither of the girls did understand her mumbles as I took young Bianca back into my arms and Catty went to lead the horse for Lavinia.

It took a great while for us to return to the outskirts of Volterra at a human pace for the way was long and the roads were not straight as the path Caterina and I did originally take. Bianca had fallen asleep in my arms, her head rested upon my shoulder as I held her and Lavinia could but barely keep her eyes open as she sat on the saddle of the horse. I looked to the sleeping girl in my arms and the pregnant woman upon the horse and thought briefly of asking Caterina to carry Lavinia but knew we were but a few minutes out at the time such thought did cross my mind.

Soon the sounds of the city were upon us as well and I took another careful breath as we slowly approached the ancient walls. Lavinia's eyes sparkled with hope upon seeing the familiar sight before her as she realized her ordeal was over for the night and we would continue to her father's home. As I turned to Caterina, I took another breath to speak and then it was that I did smell it for the smell was similar to that of raw silk and earth and I knew at once that one of the creatures that had attacked her must have been one of the children of the moon; but was the moon out tonight? Of now, did I see no mention of it though I did not recall seeing it earlier either and I was in remembrance of some the lore stating that the children could not change without the moon's visible aura. Yet, it may have well been out earlier and I took no notice of it for I had been through the underground tunnels, the woods, and been too focused upon the sickening sight before my eyes to notice the moon above my head.

Caterina's face registered confusion when her eyes met my own. Lavinia noticed our silent exchange and became most worried upon it for though Caterina's visage was one of confusion, mine was most likely one of shock and protectiveness toward my sisters. "What?" Lavinia asked most frantic. "Is she back? Is the witch back?" she continued in her questioning whilst looking about in the skies for Anna rather than upon the ground. I quickly shook my head while my sister did smile upon the pregnant woman.

"No, the witch is not here. There were simply other creatures out there that I did not realize had been around," I told Lavinia calmly as I could, hoping to not give too much away. Lavinia relaxed to a certain degree but not as completely as before. I looked back at Caterina who now hung her head.

"I shall tell you all when we return to my chambers," she whispered so low that Lavinia didst not hear it. However, such a statement did sedate me for the time being and I couldst wait until we were safe in the castle walls to discuss the dangers of werewolves with my sister though I knew she knew them well. I only hoped she had not been harmed.

Within minutes were we upon the threshold of the goodly doctor's door. I went for the door handle only to have the door fly open upon its own and see Dr. Gagliardo standing within the entrance to his home brandishing a sword in a most defensive posture. The moment he registered who was upon his step, he lowered his weapon, dropping it to the ground beside him, looking upon us. Caterina turned to help Lavinia down from the horse while I moved to bring Bianca inside the home. Dr. Gagliardo gladly gave me space to do so and looked upon his youngest daughter whilst receiving his middle daughter into his arms.

"Is she?" he choked out in regards to Bianca. I shook my head no, smiling knowing that what I would tell him would bring him much comfort since all his children were alive. He breathed a sigh of relief and reached for Bianca as he held Lavinia closely with his other arm. Lavinia sobbed into her father's shoulder, waking her sister though I had much doubt as to Bianca's minding of being awake during the reunion.

Bianca stirred against my shoulder, slowly opening her eyes as I carefully moved to place her upon the ground and stand her upright so her father might grab her with his free arm as he wished to do. As soon as the sleep faded and awareness came to her, she looked from me to her father and easily fell against him, sobbing most happily along with her sister. "Papa!" Bianca shouted upon seeing him.

After a few moments of the sweet reunion, Dr. Gagliardo turned to me, tears in the old man's eyes. "Thank you, Carlisle, thank you," he repeated again and again to both me and my sister.

"Of course," I told him simply for both the girls he held in his arms were as if my own family and no harm did I wish to come to them. "I did not have chance to see if Lavinia hath any injuries but Bianca has a cut upon her leg that will need to be tended to soon," I informed him. Dr. Gagliardo nodded and gently drew both his daughters to his office and I did not follow but, instead, turned to my sister who was looking oft at her hands and did not raise her eyes to me; and odd gesture for my virago sister.

"Catty," I began in an attempt to gain her attention. She looked up only briefly and I knew she was hiding something from me and I could only guess at what it was, so I did drag her into the living room which made her most vexed. As soon as I stopped, she pulled her arm from me in a huff and then resumed her previous posture. I did not wait for her to speak.

"Catty, art thou injured? If those vile creatures did anything to thee," I warned, most angered by the thought of the children of the moon hurting my sister.

She looked up upon me with most curious eyes. "Injured? Nay, I did manage to throw the newly created werewolf off of myself," she stated.

"Newly created? I left thee to go up against a newborn?" I asked, aghast at my own behavior. I knew I had to get Bianca out but I could have left her in the tree line and been by Caterina's side in a moment rather than having left my sister to go up against the rapid like creature.

"Carlisle, I am quite alright other than having let Anna get away again," she mumbled in both reassurance and with a tone I did not quite recognize.

"If I had been quicker, and gotten Bianca out sooner, then thou wouldst not hath had these problems," I told her verily.

"Do not blame thineself, dear brother, for I have tried many times to capture or kill Anna and yet she is much too …," Caterina sighed in frustration at herself. "Mayhaps that is her ability. A most strategic ability if I ever did see one but to be given to such a sadistic killer as Anna…" she stated to herself in thought. I grasped her by the shoulders and she looked upon me in shock.

"If she hath made an alliance with the rapid werewolves so as to give her newborn wolves under her control, mayhaps you need more help," I told her. She looked at me with eyes of sadness, for what, I did not know, but she shook her head and continued to look upon her hands.

"I need to do this, Carlisle. Thou canst not understand," she whispered to me and I placed my hand beneath her chin.

"Then help me to, if thou wilt?" I asked of her. Sadness nearly drenched her eyes and I knew if it were not for our natures, she would be crying.

"I am the only one that has gone against her and lived," she whispered and with this I understood a bit more but curiosity plagued my very being.

"How many?" I asked of her.

At first, Caterina did not answer but grew still and silent as was the way with our kind. It was only when the clock chimed the hour of five in the morning, only a few minutes before the dawn, which she did answer me. "I was told approximately….thirty of our kind hath gone against her and lost from Volterra," she whispered, not meeting my eyes.

"Thirty," I breathed and then heard the caveat to her number. "How many…total?" I didst barely get out for I knew that my sister had chased her for at least the past hundred years or there about so if there had been others before her that did try to take down Anna and Anna be only twice that of Caterina's age….

"We think," Catty started biting her lip as she searched my eyes for something. She looked back down as she finished her answer, "mayhaps a couple of hundred or so." "No one knows for sure," she whispered almost too softly for even my years.

Anna, I knew, had been born into her human life in the mid fourteenth century and turned towards the end of it, therefore, for a goodly number as two hundred or more of our kind to have perished at her hand in hopes of capturing her, in hopes of stopping her, I couldst not imagine. I had heard, briefly, of the wars that continued in the middle of the Americans that had been started once the New World had been discovered. But a hundred years ago, did the Volturi travel there to wipe out the warring factions that quickly destroyed entire tribes of the middle Americas and further south. I knew better than to go there when I do decide to go, but to stay to the north and out of the way of such mindless violence. For those vampires did destroy their own kind with ease as well as any others. Was Anna of this grouping? But even they did not sound as monstrous as Anna did seem but more animalistic, for the vampires of the Americas did work by instinct alone.

Anna, on the other hand, did take sick pleasure in her ill humor in which she tore people apart or had other humans do her work for her and now she had the help of the children of the moon. Such a treaty would not be tolerated, surely, by the Volturi, and the war against the werewolves would increase greatly due to such an alliance; for this alliance was not of peace but of death and could only end in such.

Author's Note: I hope y'all like this chapter as well. I promise, something big is coming. Only a chapter or two and then the big ending chapters. :-)