A gentle breeze swept through the beach as the wind picked up again. The waves crashed against the shore and rocks, but she paid them no attention.

Bella remained motionless, staring in disbelief.

Aro stood in front of her, except he wasn't. A young man replaced the powerful and ancient vampire king she once knew. Other than the papery skin, he looked as he did in her time, but at the same time didn't. His eyes were sharp, filled with curiosity, and wildness. A unique wildness that could only be observed in newborns.

The memory of his death flashed in her head.

Aro died that day, she made sure of it. Yet he stood before her as alive as a vampire could be.

Minutes, seconds, or hours passed before she finally spoke.

"Where am I?" She looked around, confused. " When am I—where? What is this place— what—"

Aro cocked his head and frowned. His mouth opened and spoke a second later. And now she was confused.

Right, no English.

Bella furrowed her brows. She spoke modern Greek, to where she could pass as a local thanks to the perfect recall. And though she enjoyed reading, and learned a great deal of languages, she drew the lines at ancient ones. Latin and old English were the only ones she bothered with. And now here she was, understanding none of the words Aro said. The worst part was that it wasn't even ancient Greek, but something much older.

Bella fought the urge to wave her arms in frustration.

This was just her luck! Not only had Alex sent her to the wrong time, but she couldn't understand a word of the spoken language. She knew the risks were there when she asked him to use his abilities before testing them further. Being sent a little further in time was a risk she was willing to take, but this? She was not prepared for this! What was she even supposed to do? Edward wouldn't be born for thousands of years, not even Carlisle. Hell, she doubted even Julius Caesar had even been born yet! She was supposed to save Renesmee and Jacob—

Her eyes widened.

Renesmee!

She was in a time when she hadn't been born yet. What if she changed something in the past that prevented her from being born? Like stopping Carlisle from being turned and by extension Edward and the others? Fear erupted within her.

This was bad, very, very bad. She could not be here, should not be here. What if she—

A familiar voice said something, but it sounded muddled and she froze once more.

Aro was standing close to her. He said something in his strange language, looking at her with narrowed eyes. That seemed to break her last bit of sanity as she felt the sudden urge to get away.

Before Aro could even realize it, she turned and ran. She didn't know where she was going, only that she felt like a cornered animal.

Panic swelled within her as she ran. Chasing a vampire in her state was foolish, a fact well-known among their kind. They weren't human, and any emotional slip could reveal their beastly nature. Aro seemed unaware of this as he pursued her. Memories of being chased by humans, dogs and other creatures flooded her mind, triggering her fight-of-flight instincts.

She rarely lost control, being exceptionally good at keeping the beast at bay. But with everything that had happened in the past few minutes, she couldn't prevent the huntress from rising within her. Everything snapped as soon as Aro grabbed hold of her arm.

Bella planted her feet, coming to an abrupt stop, and whirled on the spot.

Danger, kill, must defend.

Aro didn't seem to have a tight grasp on his speed and skidded to a stop, almost falling flat on his face. She might have found it amusing any other time, but Bella wasn't in control. The huntress was, and she snapped her teeth and licked her lips at the adversary in front of her, seeing red. She did not differentiate between the young and the old, seeing only an enemy.

'This is the man that killed your family, who took everything from you.'

She bared her teeth and let out a threatening growl deep in her throat. A still sane part inside her told her this was a bad idea, but she was too far gone to listen.

Aro jerked as if confused for a second before instincts kicked in and his nose crinkled into a menacing snarl of his own. And that was where their dance began.

From a tree, a hawk screeched, captivated by the two dangerous creatures circling each other.

'Never make the first move when fighting a newborn if you can help it,' Jasper's words popped into her mind. However, they only made her more furious, as the man who murdered him was standing right in front of her.

The huntress impulsively lunged at her opponent. Aro had little time to wrap his arms around her as she pushed him into a tree. Shards of wood flew all around them as the tree broke in half, but both immortals were unphased. Feet making marks on the ground she continued to push him, Aro switched his grip to grab her from under her armpit and tossed her aside.

Rock dust made her teeth grit as she hit a bolder, creating an indent on its surface. Aro attacked her with fiery eyes and a snarling grin before she could get up.

She wasn't the greatest fighter of her kind, but given how sloppy this version of Aro was, she should have beaten him with ease. But blinded by rage and instinct, she wasn't able to control the fight as she would hope.

The huntress hissed and kicked Aro, sending him flying a few feet away. However, he changed direction in mid-air and used a nearby tree to propel himself back to her.

Newborns were powerful, and although Aro was young, he thankfully seemed to have passed his newborn state as his punches didn't do as much damage. Still, every time he landed a hit, she clenched her jaw.

Fights between vampires were usually graceful, as they ran and pounced like lithe predators. But their fight was far from graceful. Their moves lacked finesse as they clawed, punched, growled, hissed, and narrowly avoided bites.

She circled him for a moment before lunging at him once more. This time, it was Aro who kicked her. She winced as her stomach cracked, but she pulled through the pain and grabbed hold of his neck, her leather gloves creaking from the flex of her muscles. Realizing his mistake, the newborn's eyes widened as she slammed him against the ground; the impact, sending a cloud of sand to cover them. Aro gritted his teeth in pain as a crack marred his perfect skin from cheek to nose.

Aro snapped his teeth weakly at her, hands clawing at her arms. The huntress hissed, tightening her hold, cracking the perfect skin of his neck. Bella's distant voice warned her to release the pressure or risk breaking his neck. Blinded by rage, she didn't listen, ignoring the horrible ramifications Aro's death would cause. Then Aro grabbed her bare wrist.

Her eyes grew large.

There were no words to explain it, but it was as if something shifted inside her. Like a sigh had been released from deep within her, calming the huntress sightly. Bella used the opportunity to regain her composure and observed him.

Whatever had just transpired between them, Aro seemed to feel it too, as the animalistic haze left his eyes. He appeared confused, yet intrigued. Eyes searching his face, they landed on the crack on his cheek, and realization dawned on her. The red vanished from her sight.

What on earth was she doing?

Bella let go of his neck and jumped away.

Was she insane? Killing Aro now meant no Volturi. Romanians staying in power meant early vampire discovery. This could lead to Carlisle never being turned. All because of one slip of control.

Before panic could seize her again, Bella took a deep breath and pushed the huntress deep inside her. She opened her eyes and looked down.

Aro remained on the ground, studying her. He either avoided standing up to not provoke her or didn't know how to proceed after what happened. To be truthful, she didn't know either, but one thing was for certain. They couldn't continue not understanding each other.

Bella stepped towards him.

She didn't even want to know what would happen if she showed Aro the future. Looking at his much younger eyes, she doubted he could handle it. It would be like showing a phone to a caveman, vampire or not. But there was something she could show him.

There was a trick she learned a few years back, one she developed with Edward's help. During the first few years of their marriage, she sought to open her mind to him more, while also keeping some thoughts from him. And so she practiced until she could send individual thoughts, rather than an unbroken string of them. It took a while, but she managed it in the end.

Aro was not Edward. His ability was, in some ways, weaker and more powerful. His weakness lay in his inability to read minds from a distance, but the amount he could read also made him more powerful.

'Let's hope it's as powerful as they say,' she thought.

Bella removed her glove and extended her hand, offering it to him. Aro scrutinized her, checking for malicious intentions. When she kept her expression blank, he reached out and took her hand.

The strange shift returned, but Aro's forceful pushing against her shield overpowered it.

Bella ground her teeth and concentrated, her grip tightening around his hand. Expertly, she catalogued everything she knew about the English language. Of course, she hid slang and modern terminology, at least she hoped she did.

Aro kept holding her hand for a few seconds longer than necessary. Much like his older self, he seemed shocked that he couldn't read her as he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in wonder. However, when Bella made an opening in her shield, he inhaled sharply.

It was odd having him in her mind. Aro read her thoughts by digging deep into them, unlike Edward, who only read from the surface. After a few seconds of futilely attempting to go deeper, Aro grinned, his teeth flashing. She pulled him up to his feet, and he frowned but kept his grin as he appeared to analyze everything he had just learned.

"What an intriguing language," he sang with glee, but then winced at his accent. His frown deepened as he raised his finger to his lip and paced. "No, that's not quite right."

Bella was speechless.

That had actually worked? Honestly, she was almost sixty percent sure it wouldn't. Vampire or not, learning an entire language in seconds seemed impossible despite how great their memories were. It seemed she was wrong. Sure, his accent was awful, but then again, he literally just learned English.

Aro suddenly snapped his fingers and looked at her.

"How about now?" He asked, accent almost perfect.

Bella froze solid, breath hitching slightly.

She was back in the clearing, snow covering her boots. Her family and friends stood by her side, ready to risk it all for her daughter, unaware of the fate that awaited them. Her enemy stood before her, an angel of destruction ready to pass judgment.

'Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable.'

Aro studied her for a few seconds, visibly confused by her reaction before his lips split into a grin.

"Was it that horrible?"

"No, I just—sorry, it was fine. I was just remembering something."

Did she just apologize to Aro? The man that had Carlisle, Jasper and Seth killed? The one that hurt and killed hundreds, if not thousands, of vampires? The one that condemned his daughter to death simply because he feared what she would grow into, using her as an excuse to eradicate her coven? But then again this wasn't that Aro.

This was a young Aro, one that had done none of the things she hated him for. Therefore, it was wrong to blame him for the actions of his older, unhinged self. Come to think of it, she could see none of the madness his older self possessed in his eyes, just inquisitiveness.

"Ah, that's good to hear. I've learned languages from others before, but none like yours. You're probably wondering how I did that—"

"You read my mind," she cut in.

He tilted his head.

"How did you know?"

"I could feel you trying to force your way in."

His eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Fascinating," he hummed with glee. "But I have to wonder, why was I only able to read the thoughts about your language, and not everything else? Is psychic immunity universal among vampires?"

She shook her head and tried to hide the surprise on her face.

He didn't know about vampires? Aro, the man that, until Renesmee was born, knew everything about their race?

"No, my immunity is unique to me," she explained.

Aro made an O with his lips, and his eyes sparked with curiosity.

Did she just tell Aro, the man obsessed with collecting skilled vampires, that unique individuals existed? She hoped she didn't start his lifelong obsession sooner.

"Now tell me," his smile grew dangerous and his eyes fiery, "who are you and why did you attack me?"

Bella shifted her weight to one foot and crossed her arms. She knew he would get there eventually. However, she couldn't very well tell him the reason.

"I don't want to, nor do I have to answer that," she said simply, sidestepping him.

He stepped sideways and blocked her way.

"Oh, but I think you do."

Bella raised a brow and craned her head to look at him. She'd forgotten how tall he was, but unlike her human self, she was not afraid as she met his challenge.

"And why is that?"

He pursed his lips, glanced at the sky, then turned to her.

"I think I am owed an explanation after you rudely attacked me without warning, in my territory, no less."

Her chest swelled as she took a deep breath. She didn't have time for this. She had to find a way to— what find a way out of here? She was royally screwed, she knew that already. But there must be something she could do and entertaining Aro was not one of them.

"I just gave you knowledge of a new language. Consider that a recompense."

He grinned, eyes wrinkling with genuine amusement as he continued to block her path.

"You're a very hostile individual, aren't you?"

Bella huffed at that. He was exasperating. With a glare, she rounded on him and narrowed her eyes.

"And you haven't met too many vampires, have you?" She asked, already knowing the answer. "Don't you know that chasing an unknown vampire is a horrible idea?"

That seemed to be a somewhat sensitive topic as Aro shook his head and sighed, losing some of his confidence.

"No."

She narrowed her eyes.

"No what?"

"No, I have not met another of my kind before."

Her shoulders slumped as some of her anger drained out of her.

"How about the person that turned you?"

The Aro she knew would have hid his reaction behind his dangerous smiles. But this was not the same man. Unaffected by time, this Aro appeared less guarded as he displayed a look of loss in his expression.

"He turned me and disappeared soon after."

Bella blinked.

The thought of making a vampire and leaving them to fend for themselves was bizarre and even despicable to her. It was the duty of older vampires to teach and guide the younger generation. That was something few questioned in her time. Of course, Victoria, and Maria treated newborns like puppets, but they were exceptions. However, Carlisle also never met his maker, implying that wasn't always like that. Assuming the same was true in the seventeenth century, the situation was likely worse in ancient times. Still, all she could imagine was Alex being all alone, trying to fend for himself while making sense of the world he found himself in.

The thought almost provoked a growl from her, and she was stunned by the flood of protectiveness she felt for Aro.

Bella mentally shook her head.

"Where am I?" she asked, changing the subject altogether.

For a second, he seemed confused by her question, as if the answer should be obvious.

"You're in Mycenae."

Her eyes widened.

Mycenae? Not even Greece?

She almost panicked once more, but took a deep breath and pressed her hands to her lips.

"What year is it?" She murmured, afraid of the answer.

"It is the sixth year of the reign of King Kleonikh."

Bella nearly rolled her eyes. But what could she expect? For Aro to use the Gregorian calendar? She didn't know when that was invented, but she doubted it was years before the Roman Empire was even a thing. Before Rome in general existed, period.

"What pelt are they?" Aro asked, snapping her out of her train of thought.

She narrowed her eyes, confused.

"What?"

Aro rolled his eyes and pointed at her legs.

"What animal are your clothes made of?" he clarified.

Bella looked down at herself and realized that she was still wearing her modern clothes. And for the first time since arriving, she wondered about the damage she was causing history. Her phone vibrating in her pocket did not help matters. Her leather jacket was simple enough to explain. Her camisole and jeans were not, however. How was she supposed to explain what denim was to a man who didn't even know what paper was?

She had to change clothes and destroy her modern ones, fast.

"Animals from the land I come from. I doubt you've seen them before."

"And what land would those be?"

Shit.

"I never got your name, by the way," she said.

Aro blinked, then smiled and shook his head. He knew she was evading the question, but seemed more amused than frustrated.

"How foolish of me," he mused and waved his hand into a sort of greeting. "My name is Aro, and who might you be?"

Bella, she was about to say, finally ridding herself of her dreadful name. But then she thought of the people who gave her that name, and she couldn't part with it.

"Isabella."

The corners of his lips twitch as if he just won some great prize.

"Isabella, what a strange and beautiful name. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Bella nearly rolled her eyes at the way he pronounced the B and the double L. Young or old, Aro said her name the same way.

"Likewise," she said, then gestured at herself. "Now that we're acquainted, you wouldn't happen to know where I can get new clothes?"

Aro raised a brow.

"There is a farm nearby. The couple has a young daughter whose clothes will fit you perfectly." He waved her forward and smirked. "Come I'll show you. You can tell me more about yourself on the way."

Bella stared at his retreating form. What was she getting herself into?

This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I decided to cut it to update sooner!

So Aro's been revealed, and honestly, no character has left me second-guessing myself more. I know that technically vampires are frozen in both appearances and personality but I really wanted to explore the idea of him changing over time. That being said, I knew I couldn't write him the way he is in the book seeing as he's much younger here, but I also didn't want to lose the traits that make him so interesting. So I kinda found a middle ground and I really hope people like it!

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for your lovely reviews!