Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight related.
Author's note: I have one final chapter left that I'm hoping to finish tomorrow and have on before nightfall tomorrow. And knowing me my chapter will end as randomly as it began. Meaning I'm killing off another person in a stranger way. -at least thats how I'm planning it right now- Hope you like this chapter. Its long granted but you're almost done. Thank you for reading this with me so far.
"They're in the tunnels so don't go making any more videos," murmured Caius looking at a blank wall with his hand touching it gently. That was Caius's strongest power being the architect. He could touch the stone of any building he helped make, which was why he did a lot of work in Italy so he could keep track of people, feel the presence of those in it and also if anything happened there in the past. He could see the memories of a building. He shifted uncomfortably, froze for a moment at something he caught in the tunnels, and then ran hastily towards Bella's cell growling, "No!"
When he reached the cell Victoria came up behind him. He held Bella's body in his arms holding her face in his hands, her eyes staring at him almost accusingly at the extremes to which her death had been brought. "Pity. I would've much preferred Edward to have seen her pain," breathed Victoria looking at her nails calmly before biting off a hang nail. "Oh well we'll make due with her death. Bring her to the bigger chamber."
"I'm sorry Bella," breathed Caius his hand falling over Bella's face to close her two eyes shut. He picked her up gently in his hands, the ends of the chains he hadn't been able to pry from her so he'd just jerked off two rusted chains, her arms hung down from the weight of the irons around her wrist, and he walked out of the cell leading Victoria to a chamber where he knew they would end up after having seen where everyone was.
"Caius do we still have those spell books in this place? The ones of the ancients?" Victoria called out wearily. He nodded. He couldn't even speak to the woman. "Good. I feel like the wolves will probably try to fight us along with the other vampires and those warlocks. From what I hear of the past there are a few spells that our ancestors used."
"Its forbidden to use those texts, they are our only holy books," he growled to her turning at her with his fangs snapping shut in anger.
"Testy are we? It seems you were attached to this human," she breathed twirling a strand of Bella's hair around her finger. "Besides your life has probably already been condemned. What are a few more rules to break?"
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Victoria skimmed the one holy book of spells that Caius had given her. He couldn't fight her. She had a point. He was a dead man anyway. Her long finger found the spell that she needed and began to whisper the words in her mind.
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Jacob smelled her though the smell was different. It was like Bella had lost some of her Bella. "She's near!" He ran down the tunnel with Edward and as they exited out of it into the large chamber Jacob froze where he was staring at the image before him.
Alice, Jasper, and Rose chased after them but fell through a hole in the ground.
Bella lay on the ground at Victoria's feet, who was sitting in a throne smiling enchanted at the two. Normally she always had bruises on her body but this time she also had pale crescent shaped bites. Her once blushing face was pale. Her brown hair had lost its sheen. Her eyes were closed. And her moving chest was frozen. Victoria watched the reaction of the two men silently, a smile bright on her face.
Jacob's heart froze in his chest. He took a step forward and then another before he ran to Bella's body and fell down on his knees with his hand grasping for her neck trying to feel if there was a beat. Wildly he bent down and pressed his head to her chest searching for a sound. Silence. Edward stood motionless where he was, "She's dead Jake. She's really dead."
"No," growled Jacob pounding on the ground and leaving indents in it as he wept with his head cradled in Bella's neck. Tears tumbled down his face. His hands ravished her own holding her body close to him as he cradled her in his arms tenderly. "No!"
Victoria cackled in her wooden aged throne, "So sorry she died, believe me I am. I didn't get much fun out of her. It seems she couldn't stand the venom. Hello Edward, it seems that we're finally even now."
"You may be even with him but like hell we're even," growled Jacob jumping forward at Victoria. In that swift jump he turned into a wolf and he took her down, the chair being thrown backwards with the sheer force of the two and they began to fight.
Edward rushed forward at Victoria but she knocked Jacob into Edward and rushed for the book holding it closed in her hands. She had memorized the words by now, the words the ancients had used upon those who defied them to make them weak so they wouldn't attack.
"Undo the powers that have been bestowed,
"This I speak in the ancient ode,
"Weaken the bones of these born of the magical portal,
"Change their forms and make them mortal,
"Those who take arms against me,
"Those are the ones my power will come upon I plea,
"I speak these words that will bind thee,
"So I call forth so mote it be," she laughed.
Luna, Neville, Aro, and Marcus found their way finally –after finding a tunnel was lined with red arrows that said 'Victoria's this way'-. As they came into the room the ground shook and the wind howled.
Edward, Aro, and Marcus felt their bones waned, their eyes dulled, their teeth shrank, their muscles weakened, and their skin became the normal skin of humans.
Luna and Neville had raised their wands when they realized they could do nothing. Their wands didn't even spark and no matter how hard they tried they could do nothing. They were as useful as two muggles.
Jacob's shaggy wolf hair fell off and his muscles were gone. He was human as well.
"You're all mortals," Victoria snickered. Edward looked down at his hands in disbelief, touching his face, and his eyeteeth. His heart beat within his chest and he had color to his skin. Aro looked down his pants, "Yup still there." Marcus stood protectively in front of Luna. Edward glanced at the others trying to read their minds and found that he still could. Aro touched onto Neville and found that he also could read minds when he found the theme to Sailormoon in Neville's mind… Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight, never running from a real fight…
That's when Caius reached out and grabbed Edward's hand. Caius's mind pleaded, If you can hear me. Bella said she'd ask you to show me the truth. Show me what really happened.
Jacob got up angrily stepping forward towards Victoria, "You think that's going to stop me from fighting you?"
"We don't have a chance Jacob," breathed Edward angrily, his eyes a dark blue as he wished for vengeance upon Victoria with every breath in his body. Jacob launched himself on Victoria punching and fighting as best as he could. She just stood there and took it before throwing a light punch into Jacob's chest knocking him back against the wall and knocking the air out of him. She laughed, "This wasn't the reaction I was expecting. I thought Edward would've been the one I had to worry about."
Luna ran from the pack towards the book rushing with all of her might when Victoria jumped in her path smiling, "You want death to come so easily?"
A large rock hit Victoria's head and she turned around to glare at him. He held another large rock in his hand. "Do that again and I will-" The rock would've hit her square in the face however she was too fast and it only hit the side of her ear. She didn't even flinch as she lunged at Marcus. Luna ran towards the book when Victoria shouted, "One more step and Marcus dies." Luna's feet froze, her heart falling to her knees instead of her throat. That's when Neville, Edward, and Aro all lunged onto Victoria. Luna grabbed the book and began flipping the pages searching for the words, "Its in Latin! How the hell did she translate it to English that fast," she called out. She couldn't read a bit of it. A snap echoed the room. Marcus's body lay on the ground as Luna ran with the book not noticing that he was hurt. The others had been thrown off of Victoria. "Give it to me you brat!" Victoria appeared as fast as the wind, like the child of the wind being zipped out of the uterus, right in front of Luna.
"I've got the words memorized anyway," cried Aro opening his mouth to speak as Victoria jumped towards him ignoring the book in Luna's hands. She clammed her hand over his mouth and he chuckled into her hand.
"That moron barely knows his own address," blurted Caius. Aro had lied. Victoria turned to look at Luna but Edward was still rather fast and caught the book thrown to him. He didn't have to say a spell in the book, the book had power in itself when held. So Edward blurted out two lines knowing that even though they were short they were still strong. It was the fastest thing he could do.
He pointed the book at Jacob as he said aloud,
"Give back the power bequeathed to he,
"As I say so mote it be."
Jacob threw himself against Victoria before she could hurt Edward. His muscle forcing her to slide against the floor. Victoria got up and grabbed Jacob tossing him to the ground like a rag doll and kicking him lightly in his ribs. His ribs had been broken when she'd first hit him there and it still ached. Jacob was in no way able to fight in the condition he was in yet he pushed on. Jacob cast one look at Edward whose solemn stare said enough for those who couldn't mind read, Give up.
"I'm not letting her death have been in vain?" He huffed as Victoria lifted up Jacob by the head. He clawed and bucked trying to escape her grip but she whammed his body against the wall. Victoria was older than Edward; she was stronger.
"She's already dead. You fight for a dead woman," laughed Victoria squeezing Jacob's throat as his body
Edward flipped through the book. Searching desperately yet knowing that he couldn't intercede to save Jacob's life given the short amount of time he had to do so. His fingers were unbelievably slow in human form compared to his vampire form.
Jacob closed his eyes waiting for it to come. His death so that he could join Bella, though he hated to think of things that morbidly like the bloodsucker Edward. One of Victoria's hands held Jacob fastened to the wall and the other held his neck ready to snap it off. "I loved her," Jacob rasped out.
A loud heartbeat was heard in the room, a big rushing breeze stirred though where it came no one knew, and then silence.
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I found myself looking pristine, my skin had no blemishes, and I floated in a white dress. I'd been floating towards Heaven, celestial clouds lined the stairways that I floated over, and my nana stood there in front of the gates of Heaven smiling beautifully. It seemed like a long way to float, she was far away at the end of the tunnel of glowing light. She said in a lilting voice, "Its going to be okay You're going to love it here Bella dear…"
I shook my head furiously and stopped floating. "Wait… is this right?" I pulled my hand away confused. There was something I was forgetting. Something really important. But I couldn't remember. "I left something," I said grasping for the words I a stared at my grandmother floating there between Heaven and what was below me. "No… that can't be right someone… not something. But who?" I felt a tug at my body trying to pull me forward but I lurched back. "No. I shouldn't come."
"Bella that's all that's left for you to do is come dear."
"But…" I looked back behind me at the earth. There had to be someone I'd forgotten. I couldn't remember a thing. I hovered their indecisive when I fell on my knees in the air covering my ears as I heard a loud voice shout out, "I loved her!"
Memories flooded my mind that had been locked away when I died. His face. My beloved's face. I looked down at myself. My perfection shimmered and I saw myself for what I really was. My arms hung down with chains around my wrist, blood still dripped from my mouth in crimson, I was tired, a bruise on my knee, a stream of words escaped my lips, "He needs my help and I… I've been without him but I still love him…" My heart beat once in my chest. Wait? My heart beat? This was wrong. It wasn't supposed to beat. "Jacob," I shouted. Instantly I was flying far away from my grandmother, falling back, back to the earth being pulled by the Great Snark Snark who was the messenger of life and death, he was the grim reaper. My grandmother got farther and farther away. And then I landed. My body shaking as my soul thumped into it. My heart didn't beat anymore but I could feel the life in my fingers.
My eyes flew open and I rushed forward grabbing onto Victoria's hand. Everyone stared in silence as I pushed her away. I was strong. Stronger than I ever knew. My eyes raked over Jacob, poor Jacob and his beaten body as I rushed towards her, grabbed her neck, jumped high into the air, and sent her landing on the floor with a loud crash.
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Jacob felt a rush upon him when he saw Bella. Vampire Bella. And then he fell onto the floor staring at her. But it was okay. He'd felt the earth move and Heaven had come to him when he'd seen her. Though he was in pain his heart beat madly for her.
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"I told you to watch out for me," I hissed my eyes glowing bright as I jerked off her head, ripped apart her stony body, and ended Victoria. I ran to Jacob, though it seemed like I just floated considering I was by his side in a matter of seconds. "Jake are you okay?"
Victoria's remains began to reform, her mouth laughing, "You need fire and you don't have it."
"Bone to dust,
"These words are just,
"Take her soul,
"Take her whole,
"Rid from this earth,
"Kill this being evil from birth,
"Birth, life, and death the cycle of three,
"As I say so mote it be," cried Edward reading the death sentence off from the pages. Victoria shrieked as the wind stirred and her flesh decayed into that of bone and her bones decayed into that of dust, and the dust was blown away through the cracks. Victoria was no more.
"Marcus," cried Luna finally noticing that he wasn't getting up as she towards his body. Edward flipped the pages and read off one more spell.
"Powers taken,
"Give back to those forsaken,
"Strengthen the weak,
"Give to the mortal,
"A taste of immortal,
"Power to thee,
"So mote it be."
Their powers returned, their bodies glowing in that one moment, and Luna still wailed. Luna stared at Aro's limp body crying, tears rolling off her cheeks and landing onto his quiet face. "Marcus wake up. We have our powers back. Wake up please," she cried touching his cheeks. Luna leaned down and kissed Marcus's cold lips. "Please Marcus. I just started caring for you. Its time to wake up," she patted his face and stroked his hair, shook him once before looking up at Edward and Aro tearfully. "Why isn't he coming back?" Her eyes had lost their shine and she looked dumbstruck and confused. "You returned his powers. Why isn't- why isn't he back?" Her voice broke. Neither answered until she yelled, her voice hoarse as her body shook, "ANSWER ME!"
Edward turned to Aro, his eyes full of sadness, "Is there anything in here to bring him back?" Aro shook his head, his face pure sadness.
"No. Once taken one cannot be brought back even if he is once more immortal. He was taken as a mortal," breathed Aro coming down to his knees and wrapping an arm around Luna who cried into his chest sobbing as her heart broke. Aro glared at Caius.
"Run now Caius while you have the chance. After we mourn your life is at stake," whispered Aro. Caius was gone in a matter of seconds. Edward stared back at Jake and I as I wiped the blood from Jacob's cheek. Neville stood forgotten in the background thinking how much he hated people coming back to life when he thought they were dead. Friggin' Harry Potter messed up his life.
"How do we get out of here?" Neville asked curiously looking around before leaning against the wall. The room shook as his shoulder hit into another part of the wall that was a lever. "Oh no what did I do?"
"You just set off the self destruct button," growled Aro angrily swinging the crying Luna into his arms.
"You have a self destruct button," shouted Neville. "Why on earth would you have that button?"
"For the same reason you don't have smaller teeth. No reason whatsoever."
I picked up Jacob in my arms like a rag doll and looked around at the tunnels, "How do we get out of here?"
Mike came out of nowhere into the tunnel with his little laptop in his hands and glanced up at us with a bright grin breaking over his face. "Bella? Hey this worked for once!"
"How the hell did you find your way in here?" Jacob asked.
"There was a chip placed in Bella when she went to the hospital that day our cars collided," explained Mike nervously, "I think Dr. Carlisle must've place it in there."
"Hello young Michael," replied Carlisle coming out disheveled from a hole in the floor, Esme followed behind him as they looked around the slowly crumbling place. Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice somehow tumbled out of a hole above everyone. Yes, the law of physics does not apply with the tunnels. The tunnels defy the laws of physics. The three landed on top of one another looking around dizzily.
"Oh… hey doc," Mike said blushing to the roots frightened Carlisle would say something.
"Hows your bladder infection Michael?"
"Um, do you guys want out of here?" Michael switched the subject and looked at us expectantly.
"Yes! Now," I cried jumping forward and grabbing onto Mike's hand, "Hurry and I'll give you Rosalie's bathing suit!"
"Bella!"
"Rose do you want to live and wear a newer pair?" Rosalie shut up. The building would've fallen on all of them already had not the snargles made their way into the tunnels and began supporting its structure for the others to run out.
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Mike had saved the day. Carlisle pressed the top of his watch signaling for the bat plane to arrive quickly. And they all piled onto it finding that the rest of the wolf pack were already sitting inside of the plane. "How?" Alice asked them.
Sam shrugged in disbelief, "I don't know how but we fell down a hole in the tunnels and suddenly we popped out of the toilet…"
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," muttered Embry. "Lets just say everyone better hold it until we get back."
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Oddly enough Alec and Jane took the way back and ended up below the Leaning Tower of Pisa where they stumbled across Caius who was coming out of an escape hatch in the tunnels. Jane's eyes lit with fire, "You hurt Bella. You must die." Jane and Alec launched onto Caius grabbing hold of him. Sadly though the leaning tower of Pisa decided at that time that it wanted to pretend to be sleeping beauty because it was tired of being a building, it fell, squashed, and killed the three. And they were never heard from again.