Yep - the final chapter. :( If you call an Epilogue a chapter...

Anyway,

I'm already writing the sequel - but I just need a title! It should be online fairly quickly, just look on my profile!

EPILOGUE

Time flew by quickly over the next few months.

Francesca had disappeared completely, and no one dared pursue her. Jasper had returned to the Cullens, but had had to start from scratch on regaining his control over his thirst for blood. Edward had wandered off alone again, and Rosalie never returned. After being put into intensive care, Bella was fine, aside from being given anti-depressants and having Charlie monitor her behaviour for a month. She hadn't taken Emmett's death well – but really, who had?

Alice continued her research on Lucifer, keeping it a secret while devoting all her time to finding him. If he could truly bring back the dead, and cure bloodlust...both Emmett and Jasper could be saved.

Carlisle and Esme had not kept Emmett's death a secret; they publicly announced that he had 'choked' to death. His funeral passed quickly, there weren't many guests. Among those who did come were Rosalie and Edward. Rosalie sat at a pew in the back, sobbing. Edward lingered in the shadows by the doorway, watching. Afterwards, they left and didn't return.

The rest of the five months passed uneventfully – ending with Bella's graduation. Unlike her peers, she wasn't excited about it. She went through everyday grimly and quietly, it had become her new usual behaviour. Bella had seen councillors and had been given advice – but she never seemed to change. Jasper progressed quickly in his recovery to animal blood, and April fit in well as another member of the family. Jason had decided not to stay, and after suggestion from the Cullens had gone north to meet the Denali clan, close friends of theirs. Life had returned to an almost normal state.

Bella's POV

Bella awoke, screaming.

Her arms shot out into the darkness of her bedroom, but quickly swung behind her so that she could sit up. The door burst open and Charlie came running in, planning to wake her up. It had become a normal routine – the same dream every night. Or rather, a nightmare. Bella's breath came raggedly and quickly, mostly gasps. After a minute, her heart rate slowed and she breathed quietly. Charlie had left already, seeing her awake. Bella remembered the dream easily – but she knew she wouldn't for long.

In her dream, she stood in a dark forest, clinging to a figure desperately. She looked up into gleaming golden eyes worn by a pale, familiar face. His smiling features changed slowly, the upward curves of his perfect mouth drooping down, and his eyes widening. His whole face shifted into a mask of horror and pain, and he fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Bella screamed and called out his name, but felt that she couldn't move to help him. She watched in horror as the pale skin on his neck began to crumble...

Bella kept screaming and tried to get to him – to help him, but she was frozen in place. She couldn't even close her eyes to avoid watching as his head twisted gruesomely and...Detached itself from his body. Finally, Bella could move. She sprinted to his side and cried out. But his mouth was moving.

"I...died..." Emmett murmured. "Because...of...you."

Alice's POV

Alice sat in the front seat of her yellow Porsche, fiddling with her mobile phone.

She was parked on a little side street on the opposite side of town from the Cullens, all windows up and doors locked. The call she was about to make was private, and involved her research on Lucifer. She had told the Cullens that she was going shopping in Port Angeles – a lie of course, to make sure they didn't look for her. The roaring traffic from the main road to her right would drown out her quiet voice if a vampire would actually walk down there. But it was midday, and the sun was its highest point, beating heat down on the inhabitants of Forks, Washington State.

Alice flipped open her little cell phone and went to 'recent calls'. Not too far down on the list was the number she needed. Sighing, she hit 'dial' and pressed it to her ear.

"Alice?" Arina Retrova picked up on the second ring.

"Arina," Alice greeted her. "With the new details I gave you...did you find anything?" Arina paused before answering,

"I found a couple vamps that knew of the Aeternas, but that's it. Oh yeah, I got some more names. You were right, Lucifer was an Aeterna. Guess he was banished, too. Maybe he knew Francesca...or maybe..." Arina trailed off into silence.

"Arina, focus. Can you tell me the names?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah sure. There were originally eight Aeternas...now there are five, plus their guards. I got seven names and little details. Francesca, Lucifer – banished. Sofia, dead - Francesca killed her. Celeste, Phillip, Janine, and Lyreco, all still members. And the last one is their leader. I don't know anything about him except one, little, fact." Arina's tone quietened.

"And that is...?" Alice prompted.

"He was the first vampire."

Arina's POV

Alice hadn't seemed so surprised about the unknown-first-vampire.

In a league on the first vampires, there had to be one first. It was expected.

Arina was an old friend of Alice and out of boredom had agreed to go on this 'mission' for her. She was given all the research that Alice had discovered - which really wasn't much. However, she had found out that the Aeternas where in Italy.

The Aeternas, as Arina had gathered, were a council of (originally) eight vampires, who ruled the vampire world in secret. They were older and more powerful than the Volturi, but they were similar in many ways.

The Aeternas punished those who broke the rules – or rather, rule. But they did it secretly, barely anyone had ever heard of them. Being the first vampires, they had extraordinary powers that fascinated Arina. She only had one gift – but it was very useful in combat.

Arina could manipulate fire, she could control it. Arina could produce it as well as move it from other places. So far, she had only been able to project her power onto her palms, which meant she could only 'shoot' fire from her hands.

This power was also dangerous, however, because if her palms ever faced the wrong direction when she let her fire loose, she could kill herself.

Arina had been avoiding the Volturi for many years now – she wouldn't be a slave or guard to them. But they knew of her gift, and were determined to find her and 'convince' her to join their guard. Chelsea, an old friend, had joined the Volturi willingly. Her gift was the reason so many vampires were joining. She could mess with people's relationships – make them feel like they should join the Volturi. Arina had never seen Chelsea again. She knew though, that if Aro really wanted, he could send Demetri after her. He was a very skilled tracker, and it wouldn't be hard for him to find her. Luckily, he wasn't too desperate.

Yet.

Jasper's POV

Hours had passed since Alice had gone shopping.

It was now nine o'clock in the evening, and already dark. Jasper had told the Cullens that he was 'going out', but no other details. They didn't question him.

Now, Jasper was lingering in the shadows, waiting for the person he was to meet.

It had rained the previous night, and so the ground was still wet and covered with puddles strewn across the sidewalk.

Jasper was in Seattle – it had taken less than an hour to get there, and he was now waiting impatiently in a wide alley. It was dark and out of the way from the busy streets in an area that no one usually entered – perfect for a private meeting. The wet pavement glistened by the light of the dark glowing streetlamp. The windows from a neighbouring building were all out, some of them had curtains drawn and some had cracked or smashed glass.

It was an uninhabited area. A white blur flashed across the alley, but Jasper didn't dare move. He stayed locked in place, watching.

"Jasper?" a familiar voice chirped. Jasper let out a sigh and laughed, stepping out of the shadows.

"Hey, Veronica. What are you doing here?" he asked. Veronica appeared from the shadows, grinning. She swept her bouncy ash blonde hair behind her bare, tanned shoulders. Veronica wore only a light blue tank-top and cut off jeans. On her feet she wore grey sandals.

"Here for the meeting. Do you know how many people are coming?" she asked, glancing around.
"I don't know – I hope not too many..." Jasper murmured. "Elliot caused quite a fuss last night."

"Yet again," Veronica muttered, "Lyreco really needs to sort that guy out." She sighed. Just then, another figure joined them. Steven walked casually into the alley, but he didn't look surprised that Veronica and Jasper were there.

"Hey guys." He greeted them quietly before sitting on a large cardboard box against the wall.

"Hi." Veronica murmured. Tim was one of the youngest vampires in the Hostium, and so everyone was careful not to annoy him. At least his attitude wasn't as bad as Elliot's.

Jasper examined his situation.

He was part of Hostium, a growing resistance against the Aeternas. No one in his family knew about him being in this group – it was too dangerous. The Aeternas killed anyone in the Hostium with no mercy whatsoever. Lyreco, a former member of the Aeternas, had grown tired of their cruel and unfair ways, and had started a secret resistance against the council. He still held a place, however, as a spy.

Jasper laughed bitterly at himself. Such secrets he kept from his family – they didn't even know of the Aeternas!

Finally, Lyreco himself entered the alleyway. In his hand he held a little opaque plastic bag, zipped shut. He nodded to the three other vampires.

"As the leaders of the Hostium, I have decided to only share this with you." He murmured. His voice was husky and quiet, but held a seriousness that kept everyone silent.

"After years of searching," he continued. "I found the key to overthrowing the Aeternas. I've discovered what kills immortals." This statement was followed by a gasp from Veronica. Lyreco always referred to vampires as 'immortals'. He found it more civilized.

"What?" asked Jasper in a low voice. Lyreco opened the small plastic bag and held it wide open for the others to see. Inside were a few daggers, as Jasper counted he saw four.

"Knives?" Tim laughed. Lyreco glared at him and he shut up instantly.

"These aren't knives. They are specially made daggers," he took a dagger out of the bag, carefully holding it by the hilt. The white blade glistened in the weak light.

"The blade is made of...Immortals." he smiled maliciously.

"Immortals? What do you mean?" Veronica spoke up.

"After Sofia died, her body still held...magyk. These are made of her very flesh. I've tested them myself – through the heart it kills an immortal in an instant." Veronica was silent, Tim was choking on a breath, and Jasper stood curiously staring at the dagger.

Lyreco's pained cry filled the air, and the other three vampires leapt up. The former Aeterna looked down at his chest, where the white point of a dagger stuck out from his body. Something pushed him from behind, and he fell forward, slumping on the ground.

"Lyreco!" Veronica cried. Timothy and Jasper snarled. A feminine figure was silhouetted against the light.

"Hm. Looks like they work." Francesca smirked, stepping into view.

Fini. The End!

The sequel is on it's way...

Any reviews on the story afterall? I'd love to hear what you guys thought of it!