No Copyright Infringement is intended—all Characters in the Twilight Saga Belong to Stephanie Meyers. For any New Characters, the story's twists and turns are my creation.
30 Seconds to Mars - Birth
Chapter 1
We Were All Once Human
"An invisible thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place, and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break." – Ancient Chinese Proverb.
Spring Equinox of 806 AD. In a small English village.
My brother and I were unlike the other children of our small community, and our parents could sense the difference in us immediately. Growing up in an era where being different meant you were a practitioner of the dark arts or the spawn of Satan, trouble would always find you, and unfortunately for my brother and me, trouble seemed always to follow us.
"Thurstan, come along, brother, or we shall be late." I grab my brother's hand and pull him toward the festival. "Alianora, please slow down, and it is only a festival we have attended many times."
I could not help but roll my eyes at his words, even if the gesture was unladylike.
Yes, he was correct; the festival being held that day was one we attended every spring with our parents. However, this year, we were allowed to participate on our own. A privilege I found myself grateful for. "This one is special, Thurstan! The day will turn into the night if only for a moment or two." Even if many believed the anomaly to be ungodly or a punishment from the heavens, I felt it was majestic. A sight where I could look up into the sun without it hurting my eyes. A cloudless night without stars. It reminded me of a story I was told as a child.
It was of how the Sun and Moon were forbidden lovers, and due to a curse, one was bound to live his life as the spirit of the day. He was shining brightly in the sky and sharing with us his warmth. He was further known as the sun. As for the other, she was made to be a beacon in the night. Her bright radiance illuminates the darkness and spreads throughout the sky, keeping those who travel on the right path. She was known as the moon. However, there were periods when the sun and moon could touch, even for the briefest moments. Before they were once more split apart, the moon would whisper to her lover a promise to find a way to break the curse. It was a beautiful story. One I still to this day feel captivated by and hope I could love someone as much as the moon loved the sun.
"I wish not to miss such an event," I finally shouted to Thurstan as I picked up my pace. If I were to be honest, I wasn't just excited about the prospect of the heavens darkening but the fact that today was one to be celebrated. The old lady living on the other side of town would show my brother and me how to use our minds to defend ourselves. You see, Thurstan and I were "gifted" with specific talents that caused us to be different from other children. We could communicate with one another using our minds. "Thurstan?" Turning to look back at my brother, who had grown quiet, I continued walking as I studied his features, frowning at the thoughtful look that he wore. Not paying attention to where I was going, I walked into something cold and hard, causing my grip to slip from his hand and me to stumble until I fell. Looking up to see what exactly I'd walked into, my gaze collided with that of a pale-skinned male with black hair. Stunned into silence at how he seemed to glow, it took me a moment to notice that his hand was extended to help me up.
"P... Please forgive me, my lord. "
I found my voice after noticing the rich fabrics he wore under a dark cloak. I took his outstretched hand while my twin's voice was heard behind me. "Alianora, are you all right, sister?" I looked at my brother, nodding to let him know I was okay before my attention was drawn back to the male before us. Slipping my hand free of his cold one. How peculiar... "There is no need to apologize, Dear One. I am Aro." He said with a bow. Before motioning to the younger male beside him. "This is my brother, Caius." He spoke once more. Sliding my gaze towards the other male, I noticed with a slightly raised brow that the hair I could see through the hood he wore was light in color, almost white, and his eyes were a very peculiar shade—red, like blood. Looking between the two, taking note of the dark-haired male's accent and how they did not appear to be brothers, I thought perhaps the male with the lighter shade of hair had gotten his appearance from a mother.
I was dropping into a deep curtsey while Thurstan moved to stand beside me, bowing. "It is a pleasure to meet you both, Lord Aro and Lord Caius. I am the one they call Alianora, and this is my elder brother, Thurstan." Motioning towards my twin. "Please once more forgive my rudeness." He offered a kind smile. "As I have spoken before, no apology is needed. You seem to be in a rush. So please, do not let us keep you." He nodded, smiling in a way that caused warmth to flood my face. "Thank you, my lord. Good day to you both." I said to him and his brother as Thurstan seized my hand and began leading me in the direction we were headed. Listening to my brother speak when we were out of the strange men's earshot, I suddenly felt the men were watching us as we walked away. "Did you see the clothing they were wearing, Alianora? And the way they spoke? They are not of this land." Brow lifting, I glanced over my shoulder towards the two men we had just met, surprised to find them gone. "Perhaps they are from the northern territories?" We continued our journey into town, watching as the sky above darkened.
The moon had finally joined her lover, the sun, in the heavens. A thought that caused a smile to find its way into my face.
Holding onto Thurstan's hand, his grip tightened as we looked up, watching the sun disappear. "Do you feel it, Thurstan? Change is in the air." I whispered as we turned to smile at each other before returning our gazes to the sky. Hoping the Sun and Moon could hear the wish within my heart.
For my brother and I to never part and to find a love like that of the Heavens
A love that surpasses all barriers. A passion that stirs the depths of our souls and ignites an eternal flame throughout our hearts. A love worth fighting for.
Gasping as the sun slowly began to reemerge; I remembered the promise made to Milburga days before and quickly turned towards Thurstan. "We must leave or be late for our lesson." So, we ran through the road crowded with people out for the day, visiting the blacksmith, the market, or watching the heavens. I could hear whispers as we bumped into several people along the way. It was always the same. "Look at them. It is those twins again." "They are not normal." "Demons. Both of them." "I heard their mother was seduced by an incubus who appeared before her in the form of her poor husband." "I heard they are not even their child. They were found abandoned, and that family took pity on them." I could feel the anger within me growing. So much so that it felt as if the liquid fire was racing through my body, wanting to break free of the flesh that held it all in.
"You know, Alianora, you should not allow their words to cause you unease," I heard Thurstan say when we finally arrived at the small hut Milburga lived in. Herbs grew in the window on our left while a cat with fur darker than night rested in the one to our right. The stew was being cooked within, and the aroma caused my stomach to grumble from hunger. "Why should I stand about, allowing such distasteful things to spill from their lips?" Out of the two of us, Thurstan was always the calm one, level-headed and slightly saner. At the same time, I was like a raging blaze. "Just because we are different does not give them the right to treat us as diseased." I'd said just as the wooden door opened.
My gaze shifted from Thurstan to the plump older woman before us; streaks of grey were running through dark hair pulled away from her face. Her clothing was clean, patched in spots where the fabric had thinned. "Milburga!" I twisted my grip free from Thurstan's to skip into the woman's arms, melting in her embrace. Milburga was the old lady in the village that people tended to eschew out of fear that she would hex them. However, for my brother and me, she was like the grandmother we helplessly needed. "Come along, the both of you. Stew is resting on the fire, and tea is brewing." Releasing my hold on her, I noticed the stern expression on her face but the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. However, there was weariness in her voice, and I almost commented on it when Thurstan spoke up as we were ushered in. "Please forgive our tardiness. We lost track of time while observing the heavens, Milburga." We were only silent momentarily as she gazed at us with one blue eye and the other cloudy with sickness. When her gaze finally fixed on me with a grim set on her lips, she finally sighed, shaking her head. "It is all right. After all, this phenomenon is one not to be missed." Finally, a smile found its way onto her lips, and that was enough for me to sit in one of the wooden chairs while my brother seated himself in the one across from me.
Then, our lesson began.
My brother and I were gifted. At an early age, our parents found out when they noticed us staring at us for hours, laughing at odd intervals, and most noticeably when an object flew across the room. They were unsure how to handle the situation and thought it was best not to discuss it or use any of our "curses" anymore. That is where Milburga had come in. She'd immediately noticed our gifts and wished to teach us to control them. Where our parents refused to show us any care, she did.
Like all the others before, we would close our eyes and use our minds to communicate. We would talk about things that had happened within that week, the sights and smells, and the taste of the foods eaten. Then came moving small objects placed on the table: apples, a wooden figure, and a vase filled with wildflowers. Finally, after a few hours, we would break the connection between our minds, open our eyes, and smile at one another. Head lifted, I'd searched for Milburga, who had disappeared during the lesson, watching as she emerged from a small back room with a carved wooden box in her hands. "In celebration of the Spring Equinox, I've created a little something for the two of you." She paused at the table where we were seated, placing the box that faintly smelled of apples between us. "It is not much, "Her eyes shifted between us, sadness clouding her gaze. "Nevertheless, I wanted you both to have a charm. It shall bring you luck and love." Excitedly removing the bracelets from the box, they seemed to be made with twine, stones made of Amethyst, Green Aventurine, a Rosy Crystal, and a Clear one, wrapped in twine and connected to the bracelet. Delicately running my fingers along the smooth, shiny stones, I giggled as I put the bracelet onto my wrist, securing it in place. "These are beautiful Milburga. Thank you." Standing from the chair, I moved towards her, arms wrapped around her wide waist. She smiled when we exited her home, the sun slowly setting in the west. How I would begin to wish that wouldn't have been the last time we saw such a gesture from her.
...
"Alianora! You must wake up! Something is happening in the village center." Releasing a tiny groan as I'm repeatedly shaken awake, I stared at Thurston from a small hole in my blanket. I became alert at the panic expression he wore. "What is wrong, brother?" I said, sitting up straight. Tentacles of hair were plastered to my forehead, most likely from the beads of sweat on my skin's surface. It must have been the dream again, where I'd been enveloped in fire. The nightmares had come more and more as of late, and I couldn't help but shiver as I remembered my screams. It caused dread, heavy as lead, to settle in the bottom of my stomach. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I nodded at Thurstan, who said I must hurry, and rose out of bed, putting on a simple dressing gown and slipped my feet into shoes. I wasn't worried about my hair, as I usually wore it down. So, instead, I ran dainty digits through long, dark honey locks as my feet moved to keep up with Thurstan.
It hadn't taken us long to travel from our tiny home to the town square, where a crowd had formed around something or, better yet, someone. Brows furrowed, I shifted through the crowd, muttering apologies while ignoring glares and whispers as we grew close enough to hear what sounded like the village leader was saying. "This filthy creature you see before you. She is one of the devil's servants." I could hear gasps from the crowd as the woman I knew, bound to a pole, clothes drenched in something dark I could only guess was blood, gritted her teeth against the pain of a whip slicing into her flesh
The woman was Milburga.
Eyes sliding towards my twin without even shifting my head, the same confused, pained expression I wore mirrored his face as he watched the life essence leak from Milburga's flesh.
"It is because of her kind that sickness runs rapidly throughout your village, that babies are born without taking their first breath of life, your beloved strays, the harvest has not been bountiful these last four years, or the floods wash away our livestock. This woman! This thing!" His index finger pointed right at Milburga's head as he hissed, "and those of her kind are to blame." I felt myself moving forward, but as quickly as I moved, a hand seized my arm, keeping me in place. Head snapping down to stare, I saw the callous fingers of my brother and frowned when my head lifted to lock eyes with him.
"Don't"
He spoke mentally, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming out in frustration. Swallowing hard, Milburga's hoarse voice lifted my head, and my eyes strained to see her through the tears.
"You call me wicked." She wheezed and coughed, causing crimson to paint her lips red. "You pray to your God when your child is sick, your lover does not return home when food is scarce, and water is next to none."
Her eyes were huge as they scanned the crowd, growing harder when they landed on Thurstan and me. There was sadness in her gaze, regret, but also love.
"But it is I and those like me you come to heal those of your flesh and blood, to cast charms to protect your homes, herbs for your teas to chase away terrible nightmares, chants over the fields so that harvest is bountiful, and words to my Goddess so that she may bring rain. But now, you crucify me just like those who did the same to the God you now worship."
The crowd had grown silent at her words, and I knew many people were quiet because they felt the emotions coming from her words. I've seen Milburga help many people in our small community; sometimes, my brother and I had help with charms and herbs.
So, did that mean...
Shifting my gaze back to the minister, I watched as he removed a torch aflame with the bright orange glow of the fire and tossed it onto the pile of dry grass and twigs surrounding Milburga. Instantly, the kindling went up in flames, smoke billowing from the bottom of Milburga's clothing that had caught fire. She didn't scream as the blaze slowly climbed up her body, engulfing her in an eternal glow. However, as I watched the woman who was like a grandmother to my brother and me for so many years slowly succumb to death, I could faintly hear the village leader continue with his declaration.
"These heathens, harlots, are of the devil and must be destroyed. Today, we have lit this fire in warning to all who practice the ways of Lucifer that they are next. If a witch is found in your home or anything that could be used in the dark arts, all household inhabitants will be burned under the law of the King and God. Those who have corresponded with this woman, children included, shall meet the same fate."
My breath was stolen from me when understanding finally sunk in.
Many people have seen Thurstan and me around the village with Milburga. Helping her with tasks or in the herb garden, even in her home, multiple times a week, and from the looks we were getting presently, we were next. Thurstan must have thought the same thing because he took my hand into his own without waiting for another second and pulled me through the crowd. People turned to look at us, gasping in surprise and whispering about two serpents slithering away. But then again, what was more surprising was the sound of our father's voice, along with the woman who had given birth to us, speaking to another woman.
"I cannot believe your children could have gotten mixed up with such a wicked woman as her." It was our neighbor. The one who had always turned her back on us or scurried into her home in disgust when we walked by. Now, her voice was filled with concern for our parents, or she was trying to gather information from them to turn us in. "What will you ever do?"
The voice and words that followed made my blood cold and shook me. It was the voice of our father.
"What else can we do but turn them in? They share our blood, but they are no longer our children.
I wanted to cry, scream, invoke the elements. How could our parents turn their backs on us? Allow the people of our village to do us harm? If it weren't for Thurstan leading me away, leaving behind all our possessions, I would have unleashed the chaos within.
...
"Happy birthday, brother! now open it." Seating myself on the edge of the bed, I watched with anticipation as Thurstan undid the twine that held the smoothed cloth together. His gaze was becoming as wide as he unveiled his gift. "Alianora. You shouldn't have," He spoke with a weakened voice. Winter had come, and with it, a sickness that Thurstan hadn't been able to heal from. Still, I was hopeful that an upcoming hunt for herbs and a rabbit for supper would help him. "You say I shouldn't have. However, you and I both know that those rags you are wearing will not do for the colder weather upon us." The Winter season started with cool temperatures that were becoming bitter by the day. If Thurstan had no proper clothing, he would die, leaving me alone.
After our teacher's sudden and brutal death and our parents turning their backs on us, Thurstan and I ran away from our village, leaving our lives and belongings behind. Only stopping for rest and to eat whatever we could forage from the forest. We continued our trek away from the village and around the mountain until we found a cabin that time had forgotten. The walls were in good condition, but the roof needed work from where a tree had fallen. But it was hidden in case someone came looking for us. After cleaning and repairing the holes, Thurstan and I constructed the necessary things. Since our father was a carpenter, Thurstan had become skilled, somewhat, in building things. It also helps that we had a bit of magic on our side when lifting heavy objects. Of course, there was a bit of sneaking into town during the night hours to procure other items that may make a living a bit easier—a bit of cloth here, a knife there, anything to help us. Two years later, we were thriving, surviving—no thanks to the people who had forsaken us.
"Sister Dear, you did not have to do this. Nevertheless, I am grateful." His eyes began to water over, and I knew for a moment he was thinking about the life we used to live. Full of laughter and with no worries. Now, we had to scour for every ounce of food that filled our bellies, and on some nights, our stomachs went empty when the weather outside this cabin was too terrible to travel in.
With blue orbs traveling over my twin's sickly frame, I knew, without a doubt, that if nothing were done soon, he wouldn't survive this frozen season.
"I feel awful that I did not give you a gift to celebrate this day."
He said, bringing me out of my thoughts. Mentally shaking myself, an arm extended, fingers dirty from the ashes of a fire I'd been stroking to keep us warm, gently caressing his cheek as a light smile touched my lips.
"It is all right. In better health, you will be the best gift any brother can bestow upon a sister."
Leaning forward, cracked lips brushed over his forehead, peppered with feverish sweat before I rose from the bed. The duties of a sister caring for her ailing brother were never done. "Now, you rest up while I gather more kindling for the fire," I said outwardly, using our mental link to speak. "And check the traps for tonight's dinner."
With his head falling back onto the pillow, I turned away and moved towards the door where my cloak and hunting axe was. Placing the cape hood over my head to keep me warm, I slide the axe into the belt I wore while glancing in my twin's direction. "I will return soon." That was the last thing I said before exiting the cabin.
Immediately, I first noticed the blanket of frost covering the ground, our cabin, and the vegetation. Secondly, dark clouds were brewing in the distance, and I could distantly feel unearthly warmth along the flesh of my arms. Light-colored brows drew together, and I turned back to gaze at the cabin; something was coming, and I wasn't sure if it was negative or positive. Still, I whispered a promise not to stay away long before pulling the hood of my cloak tighter over my head and taking my leave.
The sun had disappeared over the barren trees, indicating darkness was upon me. Having spent most of my time checking a field of herbs that could be used with the two rabbits I'd captured in the traps and medication for Thurstan, I'd placed everything in two separate sacs. I had begun my trek back to the cabin when I felt it.
The prickle of goosebumps along my skin and, soon, the mental anguish I felt. Something was wrong with Thurstan; he was scared and in the axe from the ground beside my feet, I took off running toward home, mentally asking Thurstan repeatedly what was wrong.
I was met with silence.
Breaking through the trees, I first noticed that the door was open, and pieces of wood splintered off as if someone or thing had forced their way indoors. Secondly, there seemed to be indentions in the ground, and the closer I moved toward the cabin, the more that appeared to be drag marks. Blue orbs widening, I moved quickly into the house, hand wrapped tightly around the handle of the axe to prepare myself for the worst, and when I moved into the part of the house where I'd left Thurstan only hours ago, a scream was ripped from my lips. Feeling the panic rise within me, I moved through the rest of the tiny home, hoping upon hope that my brother was hidden, someone. But of course, I found no signs of him. That is when I moved outdoors.
"Thurstan!"
I called out. I was spinning in a circle, hoping to find some sign of him. After the fifth time of me turning, I spotted prints in the snow that weren't mine, and gradually, dread set in.
Boot prints. Feet larger than mine and my brother, they came from a familiar direction and, once again, moved back to the exact location.
There was one thing I knew for sure.
The villagers had found us.
I ripped the satchel from my body and tossed it on the ground. I took off running in the same direction as the prints led, hoping I would make it before anything terrible happened.
...
It felt as if it'd been raining for days when it was only a few hours from now that the sun had disappeared, being replaced by the moon in its brilliance. Every once in a while, a picture would flash in my mind's eyes, along with the weakening whispers of Thurstan's voice. On his journey back to town, he was mocked and doused with water and salt that were supposed to have been blessed by a Bishop in the hope of driving out the demon within him. Feeling myself growl, I told Thurstan to hold on, that I would soon rescue him. Yet, I was once again met with silence. Meaning my body must go faster. I felt a surge of energy, and soon, I could make out the homes in the village.
A brightness came from the center of the town, and my stomach began to spin with anxiety. Following the pull towards Thurstan's energy, I was surprised by the lack of people who usually were out and about this time of evening, and soon, I found where they all were. The townsfolk were listening and watching a spectacle in the town square, where the brightest part of town was. Pulling the hood of my clock up and over to cover my features, I pushed through the crowd, Thurstan's presence becoming stronger, and when I stepped around the last person to see what they were all gathered for, I found out why.
There, tied to a pole in the same fashion Milburga two years ago, was my brother. He'd been beaten; his body was now bruised, sweaty from the fever, and bloody from leaking wounds. Swallowing hard as he slowly lifted his head, an eye that wasn't swollen finding me immediately. I wanted to run to him, but before I could, he shook his head as if telling me to stay put.
"I cannot allow you to die!"
I thought while biting back an outward hiss of aggravation. He and I, for the last Seventeen years, have been a pair. We did everything together, from learning skills from our father to helping our mother prepare meals. We were playing in the field when the flowers would bloom, the River in the warmer months, and preparing for the frost. Now... Now, I was about to lose him.
"You see this beast! Body feverish because it can not contain the demon that dwells within!"
The man. The same one who had caused me to lose the last person I cared about spoke while, oh heavens, standing by our parents. I should have known they would have something to do with this. If not, they would have been tied to poles like their flesh and blood.
"Tonight, we rid this village of this plague! Tonight! We kill the beast!"
The crowd roared to life. Shouting slurs of "Kill the beast!"
"Remove its head."
"Take out its heart!"
No more. I could not take the slander of my flesh and blood. As the bishop picked up a torch from its perch on the ground, swinging it around to excite the crowd more, I watched in slow motion as it was tossed on the pile of wood surrounding my brother. They instantly caught fire. A scream was released from my lips as I watched in horror. "Ah, I see the succubus joined us. The heavens have surely blessed us. Tonight, we rid ourselves of two demons." He hissed.
I didn't care that the crowd had parted and men were now headed in my direction to seize me. I only cared about the fearful expression that Thurstan was wearing.
The fire hadn't reached him yet; it burned through the wood piled around his feet. Someone must have done a poor job when they began to build it. But I knew, at any moment, one log, then another would catch fire, and my brother would be no more. Blue hues scanning the area, I noticed another pole and a pile of straw and wood next to the one Thurstan was strapped to. "Must have been intended for me." I thought sourly. Breathing in through my nose to try to keep myself calm, the scent of smoke and something else caught my attention, and when my eyes traveled back to where Thurstan was, I almost screamed. The fire had reached him, licking at the flesh of his bare feet, the skin bubbling until they bled.
Something within me clawed to the surface, and for once, I didn't listen to any internal voice of reason as I ran forward, a hand flying out to use the magic I was taught to move people out of the way.
There was no fear in me as I flung people out of my way, no uneasiness when time slowed as I reached the edge of the fire; I felt nothing but concern for my twin as I leaped over the circle of fire to cling to Thurstan.
Teeth gritted, trying not to scream, and reacted outwardly to the pain he must be in.
"S... sister, what are you doing?" He whispered between bated breaths.
Head lifting, my head was still tilted downwards as I called upon the Goddess to move the flames back here inches so he couldn't feel them any longer. Thurstan was too good and pure and didn't deserve to suffer such a fate.
So, if I could prolong his life a little longer, I would.
Someone in the heavens must have heard my prayer because the flames receded to just a few inches behind me. "Good." I thought while my head lifted to offer my twin a small smile. He was still in pain from where the fire had burned the skin of my feet, and I wished I could do more. But magic came at a price, and I had used much energy to get to him. I pulled myself up, my arms wrapped around his waist, head resting against his chest while I tried to drown out the noise of the Villagers around us. Screaming for us both to burn. He was calling us filth while our parents stood nearby and allowed all of this to go on.
"A... Alianora...Y... you should have stayed away." He breathed out while I felt the heat of the fire grow closer. When the flames finally reached us, I felt them first on the heel of my shoe, then the bottom portion of my gown. Whimpering, I bit the inside of my cheek to contain a scream while my fingers dug into the sides of Thurstan's hips, and cool tears slipped from my eyes to slide down my cheeks. "No... If you were to die, where would that leave me? I cannot allow you to suffer on your own." I panted out while my skin felt like it was melting from my bones.
Darkness invaded the edges of my vision, causing my grip on Thurstan to loosen. "AALIANORA!" I heard my name being called out. It came from above me, and slowly, my head lifted so I could stare at the pained gaze of my twin.
For Seventeen years, we have done everything together.
We played in the fields near this village together, hunted as one, and took care of one another, discovered our hidden talents jointly. Our days were filled with laughter and love for one another, and when the world turned its back on us, all we had was each other. Now, as I blocked my brother's body from the flames of death with my own, a soft smile found its way onto my face as the pain dulled into numbness, and as the darkness began to overtake me, I saw a flash of a memory. No, a vision?
Eyes that were a lovely shade of brown. They reminded me of the colors of rich earth, wood, stone, wholesomeness, reliability, elegance, security, healing, grounding, stability, warmth, honesty, and home.
Then, there was flesh. It was a darker brown with tints of red. Muscle pulled taut over bone. Warm like the sun and beautiful like the leaves on a tree during the Autumn Season. Perhaps the skin of an apple? I wasn't sure. But what I was certain of was that whomever this person was, my soul called out to him.
Being pulled out of the vision, it took me a moment to notice that the noise surrounding us had grown louder. I could make our screams of terror and the shouting of the bishop as he screamed, "Foul beast! God is on my side."
When I could no longer hold onto Thurstan, I allowed the darkness to consume me while whispering my final goodbye.
"Ave Atque Vale..."
