AN: I decided to post early, there's a lot of real life stuff happening tomorrow. Sorry if I've confused anyone, next chapter will be up the following day.

S. Meyer owns twilight.

CHAPTER 11

BPOV

Silence. Absolute silence. We froze as Aro dropped that bomb. Esme shocked us further by laughing. Full belly laughter echoed around the room. She clutched her sides and bent over, before sobbing a few times. She took a couple of deep breaths. We were watching her in concern. She had curled up in a fetal position, her forehead resting on the floor.

Her whispers were muffled. "It makes a sick sort of sense. Like a cosmic joke. For so long he told me the Volturi were heartless tyrants with no respect for life, he played the role of the compassionate doctor and devoted father. He painted himself to be the humble saint. Tell me Aro, did he use me to convince himself he was straight or because he wanted his mate to have the parents he'd lost so tragically?"
"Both." Aro replied grimly.

"He was always judgmental about the same sex mates in our coven. We aren't human and he thought by clinging to the values he was taught by his father he'd retain his humanity. Our species doesn't characterize sexuality the way humans do. We fall in love with, and are attracted to, the individual, not their genitals." Aro explained. Esme nodded against the rug. He continued "same sex relationships have been around for as long as we have, many cultures and religions fluctuate in their views on relationships. Hell, the idea of monogamy and marriage for love is a modern invention."

"Was he scared of being mated to a male because of his religion?" I asked. Aro shook his head and answered. "Religion, culture, society in general isn't responsible for homophobia. People use it as an excuse, but it has no bearing on their beliefs. Many of our guard are religious and they have no trouble accepting their own mates and other people's relationships."
"Does Carlisle know about the Guard being religious?" I asked. Aro chuckled "definitely not. They avoided him like the plague, he forced his father's ideals on everyone he spoke to. Quite a few of our coven were deeply offended by him."

Dad looked at Esme in concern. "Are you okay, Esme?" She hadn't moved from her position on the floor. "I'm a little freaked out" she admitted. Caius agreed with her and added, "There are a lot of changes happening, a lot of lies being exposed. It takes a while to get used to it all." Esme sniffled against the floor. She took a deep breath and explained. "For so long I couldn't trust my thoughts or feelings. I don't know who I am." She said. Marcus crouched down in front of her. "We'll help you get through this." He vowed.

She laughed a little and said, "I can't believe I'm here in Volterra, in a royal bedroom surrounded by the children I'd lost and the leaders of my species, talking to the floor." Marcus laughed lightly, "you're amazing, my dear Esme." She straightened up and looked at her true mate. "You don't think I'm stark raving mad? A lunatic?" She asked. Marcus shook his head, his eyes sparkling "not at all. I see a strong woman who is freeing herself from abuse. Surviving." She smiled and said, "This is the weirdest thing I've ever experienced."
"Welcome to our world" J smirked, she pinched his cheeks, smiling in relief "you're so cheeky now." She gushed. Rose hugged Esme "that high you feel right now? That's the beginning of your new life, you're free mom."

We shifted slightly, sitting in a circle. Esme sat between J and I, holding our hands like we would disappear if she let go. We were sharing fond memories. Dad had joined us, sitting on the other side of me. Rose sat next to J. The three Masters joined us, sitting cross legged on the floor and leaning their backs against the bed.

Emmett walked in a short while later, bringing Pete and Char with him. They removed their masks and hoods and joined us on the floor. Pete greeted Esme; "hey there, momma bear." They sat next to the Masters, expanding our circle. "Hello you two, how have you been?" Esme said cheerfully. "We've been well." Char said, grinning widely at her.

The story telling started up again. Pete was telling Esme how Jasper and the Major sometimes fought, J chuckled as Pete recounted seeing the Major slap Jasper for getting worked up about meeting me. I was giggling. "We were glad that Major took the situation at hand; I was driving the truck with Jasper next to me. It was even doing Char's head in and she was in the sedan. I would have slapped him, given the chance." Esme was shaking with silent laughter. "It was like a game of 'stop hitting yourself' without a bully. On the way back Jasper got his revenge" Pete continued, I shrugged and added; "I liked the Major, he was funny."
"Jasper wasn't fond of him at that moment" J said "he was afraid the Major would scare you away." He explained and rolled his eyes. Char teased lightly; "he should have known better."

"Can I ask why you wear masks?" Esme asked quietly. Pete fielded the question "J, Char and I have a reputation for bad arsery. After we escaped Maria's clutches we ran into the Volturi and made friends." Pete smiled at Caius "they'd just eradicated the new born armies and were heading home-" Caius interrupted, chuckling at the memory "I didn't know what to make of them; Jasper and Charlotte hung back, bowing their heads in submission. Peter just strolled right up to us with a cheerful 'howdy' and a winning smile. We brought them here, Aro read their thoughts and deemed them innocent. It was then that Marcus stood up and told us that Jasper and Charlotte are decedents of mine." He laughed at Esme's shocked face. "I was surprised as you are, Esme. They're distant descendants." He smiled at J and Char.

Pete took over, it was taking him a while to get to the reason for our masks. "We stayed here for a little bit, Caius spread the rumor that he had killed the Major and his Lieutenants. It gave us a clean slate." Pete caught Char's 'get on with it' glare and sped up his story telling. "Decades later, when Bella was turning, my gift slapped me across the face, it knocked me out. While incapacitated I saw a vision of the future and it was spectacular.

"My gift is similar to Charlie's. I'm Native American and was training to be a spirit walker when I was turned. Our tribe has two types of spirit walker; healers like Charlie & Emmett and Protectors, like Bella and I. In this vision I saw Bella, J, Char and I promoted to our current role; Guardians of Fate. I can read the paths of people's fate. The four of us are guided to keep the balance and prevent some individuals from deviating the future away from the path of fate."
"Wow..." Esme uttered.

"It's pretty awesome" Pete continued gently "fate gave us names." He paused, looking her directly in the eyes "we're not evil, I promise" he seemed to beg her. She stared back as she replied. "I won't judge. You've protected Jasper all these years. I trust you and Charlotte."

Pete cleared his throat, speaking quietly, his eyes imploring her not to be afraid. "The true definition of apocalypse is 'lifting the veil.' There is a lot of nastiness lurking in our world, blinding our kind. It will condemn us to remaining barbaric and feral. Fate wants to bring change, we will aide fate and the Volturi in bringing the supernatural world to peace. It is time we evolved, bettered ourselves rather than remain relics of conflict. Fate has named the four of us The Horsemen. Bella is Death, she's a powerful protector." He looked at me with pride "her compassion and gift are vital. Death doesn't have the same negativity as it does in the human world. For us Death is change, we die human and are reborn vampire."

He turned to J. "Jasper is War, he is a strong warrior. His mind was healed and bound together. He has the warmth of Jasper and protective side of the Major. He has reached his potential, the suffering he lived through honed his skills, giving him an understanding of the world and it's living creatures." He looked to Char "my mate is called Famine, her gift is to control blood lust. She is tactical, strong and able to protect us and the innocents we save."

He cleared his throat and shook his head "I am Conquest, but the ancestors named me Pestilence. My gift guides us to work with fate." He wrinkled his nose, still not fond of his name. "We are aiding the Volturi, there have been newborn armies sprouting up in the Southern states of America. Thanks to the Masters we can remain incognito, no one can know our true identities. Our reputation will grow, many will fear us. Some will want to challenge us, like in our previous lives. To protect us we wear masks and cloaks."

Esme nodded and touched Pete's hand "I understand. I'm glad you're all safe, I can't find it in myself to fear or hate you. I have to say, I'm surprised at the change that's coming. I'm only just beginning to see the hidden nastiness you mentioned. I ignored my instincts and lost myself to the lies." She sighed and looked to Aro as she continued. "I'm afraid that Carlisle has added to the obstacles you face in your mission."
"We know, Esme. Carlisle has caused so much damage, more than we ever imagined. I see now that the man is a bumbling idiot, a quack." Esme nodded and added; "I'm still in shock, I was so sure he acted out of kindness and love." Aro shook his head and replied, "no matter what his motives are, his actions cannot go unpunished." Pete agreed; "Aro's right, Fate is seeking justice. It's people like Carlisle who have taken fate off its natural path. We must bring it back, right the deviations."

"We truly are in the midst of an apocalypse" Esme observed "you've all given me so much information. I feel like my head will split in half." She looked to Emmett and Rose, "the Healers wear masks as well?" She asked. Rose nodded and explained; "we, like the Horsemen, need to remain incognito. If they found out we were in Carlisle's coven assumptions would be made regarding our allegiance. Others may attribute our path as evidence of Carlisle's success." Her tone grew bitter "I cannot return to my former life, nor can I be associated with it. I'm not a trinket, something to be admired at from afar. Joining Charlie has given me a purpose, he's given Em and I a chance to help. To use our brains, not our looks. For the first time we're respected, we work hard to earn it and keep it."

Charlie smiled at Rose and added to what she'd said. "I have to disguise myself, I'm part of the supernatural world, but not of the same species. Vampires aren't ready to know about my kind yet. I wear a cloak made of venom and red contacts to keep my identity hidden."
"I had no idea there were similar species to the wolves in La Push." Esme said.

"Do you have any other questions?" Pete asked Esme. "No, I'm still trying to digest everything you've said." She replied. "Perhaps we should retire for the night." Pete suggested, Marcus nodded and turned to speak to Esme; "would you like a tour of the castle? We have a lovely garden, I maintain it myself." Esme smiled and nodded "that sounds wonderful, thank you Marcus."

Esme watched us in amusement as we put on our masks and pulled our hoods over our heads. Pete turned to her "if you see us outside the Master's quarters, please only use our code names, few people know." She nodded and turned to Charlie, Rose and Em "what should I call you?"
"We usually just go by Healers." Charlie answered. "But what if I want to address one of you individually?" She asked. Rose answered her; "Just refer to us Healer. We won't bother with names outside the Master's quarters."

"Okay, Healer and Healers." She turned to each of our masked faces and pointed, confirming our names. "War...Death...Famine... and Pestilence" She giggled at Pete's name. We nodded, Marcus held out his arm for Esme to take and guided her out the door.

We instantly turned to Charlie. "How is she?" Aro asked. Dad smiled and said; "she's strong. I won't need to heal her like I did with J and Marcus." He looked around the room "you should all be proud of yourselves, you helped her release her own darkness. The truth set her free."
"I missed some stuff, didn't I?" Emmett said, he and Rose looked confused. Aro filled them in; "Carlisle's true mate is Edward"
"NO FUCKING WAY!" Em gaped. We laughed at his surprise, J patted his shoulder "we feel the same way, Em."
"I don't know whether to laugh or go beat the shit out of them for using Esme." Em mumbled. Rose turned to dad "she'll be okay?" She asked. "We'll make sure she is." Dad replied.

"Will she be able to stay here with us?" Em asked. Aro answered him. "I'd expect she'll join us soon." Emmett looked at him, wanting and explanation "Marcus is her true mate."

PPOV

Char and I were curled up in bed. It had been a long day. So much had changed in the last few days, at least it felt like it had. The rest of the world carried on without noticing the revolution we had started. We truly are in the midst of an Apocalypse Esme had said. She had taken in the information and it had released her rather than broken her. I was looking forward to see her transformation.

My mind drifted to J, he was so different now. Familiar, but not at the same time. Was this what he was like as a human? He was confident, happy. There was something new, an innocence? I shook my head. No, he wasn't innocent, those of us who were born into war had lost their innocence. He was clean. Yes, the scum that had weighed him down was gone. I could only hope Esme's healing was so complete, I knew enough about Marcus to know he wouldn't hurt her.

I let myself feel the happy calm of my mate lying naked next to me. We'd have to get back to work soon, the longer we stayed here the more lives were lost in the pursuit of greed. I'd have to speak to Aro, perhaps delay Carlisle and Edward's trial. I had a feeling Esme would need to heal some more before joining her mate in the trial. She would need to witness the trial for herself. Maybe she could watch from the Laird's Lug near the ceiling, I'm sure Charlie would help her through it while Marcus was working with Caius and Aro.

Our alarm went off, I knew our time together was limited, but I still groaned. Char smiled sadly "no rest for the wicked" she said. I smirked "I'd say we're pretty virtuous, in fact I'd say were virtuous enough to have another five minutes together" I replied. Her laughter echoed around the room. I watched her move as she quickly showered. "Come on Pete, we've got work to do." She smiled at me. I breathed in deep, smelling our scent in the air, and hoisted myself into the shower as she dried and went to dress.

We headed to Caius' study, J and Bella were already there. We joined them. Charlie walked in with Rose and Em minutes later. We were all wearing our cloaks and masks. Caius greeted us as he entered the room and got down to business "we should have your official masks ready in the next few days" he told the Healers, he glanced at the rest of us and explained "there wasn't enough time to have the anodized titanium masks made so these steel ones are a temporary measure."

He sat back and began our morning meeting "we need to discuss our next movements. While we sit here the newborn wars continue. We have the trial of Carlisle and Edward to attend to and I know none of you would like to miss it. There's also the matter of healing Esme and Alice. There are a lot of things to deal with and we can't be everywhere at once. I'd like to know your thoughts on how we proceed."

I shared my opinion; "I think we should delay the trial. Keep Carlisle and Edward in the dungeon until we're ready. Are they in the same cell?" I asked. Caius shook his head, I continued; "I think you should keep them in the same cell, they are mates after all. It would be beneficial to their relationship and it will show some mercy in not keeping mates separate. It's Volturi law, Caius. Carlisle has a lot of allies, you need to be seen as acting in adherence to your own laws."

"I'll arrange it. It'll be interesting seeing their progress, especially now that Edward's gift has been removed. Maybe they'll realize some things."
"Sorry Caius, but I don't think that's likely. They're blind to how they've affected others. In the meantime the Healers can work with Alice and Esme. Esme won't need much help, Marcus will be there for her. Alice on the other hand will need a lot of help. If I and my fellow Horsemen leave for America we can take care of the armies with a little help from you. We'll return when the threat has been taken care of." I said.

"What do the rest of you think?" Caius asked the others. J shared his thoughts; "I agree; give Esme some time to build on her relationship with Marcus and let Edward and Carlisle stew in the dungeon. It may be worth gathering witnesses for their trial, the Denalis could help you. It's important that you are seen to be holding a fair trial, Carlisle has deluded a lot of people.

"If the Denalis can help Aro convince others to testify, Carlisle's credibility will crumble." J said. Caius agreed, "that's an excellent idea." He said. Emmett spoke next "I agree with all you've said, but I'd like the Horsemen and the guard to have a safety net of sorts. I know us Healers are needed here, but maybe we can put together a first aid kit." We nodded in agreement.

Caius concluded the meeting. "I'll show Aro what we've discussed. Healers, would you be able to work on the Vampire first aid kit?" He asked. They nodded and Charlie spoke; "we can whip something up and have it ready by tonight"
"Excellent, I'll arrange to have the jet ready to take us to the States. Will 10pm be too soon?"
"No, we've got all the ingredients we need and there are a few coolers we can pack everything into." Charlie confirmed.

We headed to our rooms to pack as the Healer's headed to Aro's lab. Sometime later I heard Aro summon us back to Caius' study. There were a few guards sitting and talking quietly when I and the rest of the Horsemen entered.

Aro smiled at us and started to talk "some of you know the identity of our friends here." Jane, Alec, Demitri and Felix nodded. I recognized a few of the Guard who would be joining us, but I could tell they didn't recognize us. Aro continued; "Afton, Chelsea, Heidi; what you learn about them must be kept secret. Lives depend on it." He nodded to us and we pulled back our hoods and took off our masks.

Three mouths dropped open. Bella broke the silence, smiling and waving awkwardly "hi guys." Heidi smiled back at her then faced the rest of us; "I thought you were dead" her voice wavered. "We're sorry for the deception" J apologized and explained "we had to fake our deaths in order to live in peace. We've come out of retirement to help, but we're wearing disguises to ensure we'll be able to live normally when off duty." He looked at Bella and introduced her "this is my mate and fiancé, Bella." Heidi and Chelsea came forward to hug them and give their congratulations, Afton stayed back and smiled at the happy couple.

Aro updated them on our titles and purpose, Afton burst into laughter when he heard my code name. "Dude, you got a raw deal!" He said. I rolled my eyes and Aro continued "the Horsemen were able to capture the generals and leaders of a couple of armies. Caius and the rest of you will be acting as back up, travelling with our dear Horsemen and eradicating the armies. The Leaders and their Generals will be dismembered and put into bags to return to Volterra.

"Through what we've learnt there are many armies in the south eastern states. The Horsemen and some of our guards destroyed the armies located in Texas and New Mexico. You'll be landing in Louisiana and moving north east. When you reach the south eastern coast you'll return to Volterra with the prisoners. The Horsemen will double back and do a sweep of the southern states, they'll locate any stragglers. They'll return to Volterra when they reach the west coast."

There was a knock on the door. Charlie, Rose and Emmett came in, their masks and cloaks disguising them. Aro welcomed them. "Our Healers have put together a care package. There will be remedies to heal you and strengthen you on your mission. Demitri will be working as our communications officer; keeping everyone updated, rationing the supplies and arranging travel and personal needs." He moved to a cooler the Healers had brought in and opened it, smiling at the labeled contents. "Very good work my friends" he said to Em, Rose and Charlie. They nodded and left the room.

"I believe you have all the information needed. Caius will escort you to the cars and you'll head to the jet. On your journey our Horsemen will remain masked. At no time are you allowed to mention their real names or reveal any of their personal details. They have code names you must use when addressing them on missions and outside this room. No exceptions; Jasper is War, Bella is Death, Charlotte is Famine and Peter is Pestilence. Jasper will be the second in charge to Caius."

We went to collect our belongings and carry them to the cars, Mark was in the hallway with Alec. He was devastated that his mate was leaving on a dangerous mission. Bella went up to him and promised to protect Alec at all costs. Mark hugged her before turning to Alec and kissing him goodbye. Poor kid, I was thankful Char was able to fight at my side. It would be hard for Mark to be newly mated and so far away from Alec, especially knowing how bad the newborn armies could get.

Chelsea caught up to us in the bat cave, looking amazed and happy. Excellent, Aro had asked her to stop using her power on Marcus. As the others got into the cars I winked at her and whispered "the change in him is great, isn't it?" She nodded happily and whispered "I'm so happy for him, it's been too long." We got into the cars and headed to the airport.