Burning Star: A Twilight FanFic

Ch 16- Almost the Multiverse

Gavrila and I had been left to our own devices shortly after she'd been given the run down on her new position. It was about nine in the morning. She had accepted, obviously, but I knew she didn't want this. I'd known Gavrila since we were four years old, and I knew she wasn't one to join the bureaucracy. After we'd graduated from our extended time at The Academy, the Council had been more than willing to find a position for her. Already as a teenager she'd revolutionized magic by inventing magic tools, and everyone knew that she was a genius. But she'd turned them, or us I guess, down.

My oldest friend was somewhat of a free spirit. She loved to travel and party, she had a million projects to fill her free time. She did technically work as an independent contractor for the Council, but she was already going to do the same thing with or without their backing. She'd been inventing. Devices meant to store common sequences and memories. A key that could be used to teleport to any location, even without a gate. Storage spaces that were never ending- an idea she'd gotten from Mary Poppins. She'd even revolutionized spell casting itself with her unique methods.

"I can't believe this," Gavrila mumbled. "I'm a Council member."

I laughed. "I never would've seen this coming. You got yourself into the biggest trouble of your life, and you get a promotion. Typical."

"I guess karma's really on my side, huh? Three years of hell and now I'm living large," she snorted. "Guess killing my sperm donor really paid off."

I shook my head. I was well aware of Gavrila's past, but I was one of the very few who was. Pretty much only Al, Boahinmaa, Fernanda, Olly, her aunt and uncle, and myself. And Berit.

Gavrila's mother was a seer, and her father was a rather well known witch from what I'd been told. They were both independents. Nobody ever knew what a monster the man was. Once her mother, Katya, got pregnant, her father locked her mother up and refused to let her see anyone. Nobody ever knew that they had a child. He murdered her when Gavrila was two. Barely past babyhood, Gavrila managed to teach herself magic from books, and while experimenting accidentally lit her house on fire. A beam knocked down in the explosion crushed her father. Nikolai was nearby, and managed to put out the fire quickly, and that's when he discovered Gavrila. The Council took her in and she started at the Academy the next year.

It had been Berit that helped her through her struggles as a child. We were about seven or so when they met. Berit had come to discuss vampires and vampiric gifts, and while teaching, discovered Gavrila's fears. She came to visit the troubled little girl often. Gavrila had even gone on vacation with the McCabes once or twice.

I looked over at my friend- actually, I could probably even say Gavrila was my best friend. She looked lost.

"What am I supposed to do now," she whispered softly.

"Maybe," I mused, "I should take you to see Berit."

And that's how we found ourselves at the front desk of the small hotel in Forks, getting Gavrila a room next to mine.

Seth stepped out into the hallway as he heard our approach. He looked relieved to see me. "You're back," he sighed.

"I'm back," I confirmed.

"I'm gonna guess that you're Seth?" Gavrila asked. "I'm Gavrila, a friend of Brielle's."

"It's nice to meet you," he said with a smile.

She looked at me. "Well he's a polite one for a wolf isn't he?"

"Not sure why you're surprised. It's not like the McCabe men are rude," I pointed out. "Well, except DaKoda."

"You've got that right," she snorted.

Once Gavrila was put her small bag of belongings in the room, we headed down to my rental car to go to the Cullen's house. I'd already told Gavrila everything that'd happened over the past few days.

Berit practically tackled Gavrila when she saw her. "I've missed ye, sweet girl!" she crooned in a babying tone.

"What am I, six?" Gavrila groaned.

"What a nice response," Berit deadpanned.

"I've missed you too," she said.

We all went inside and the introductions were made. Will and Alex were there, but apparently the others were at the reservation still. Gavrila greeted the Cullens politely and her laid back manner allowed everyone to skip over any awkwardness. I noticed Edward was a bit frustrated by her. Gavrila always had a mental block in place, and there was no way he would ever be able to penetrate it. Only Al and I were ever able to slip into her mind.

She spent a long time talking with Alice. While Gavrila didn't have very many memories of her mother, she'd done a lot of research into seers when she'd gotten older. She was interested in the gaps in Alice's vision and the three of us began discussing solutions.

All while we talked, Berit was glued to Gavrila's side. Every once in a while, Berit would run her hand up and down Gavrila's back soothingly. The half vampire's mothering seemed to relax her.

We did come to a solution, eventually.

"So the root of the problem is that Alice hasn't experienced life as a wolf or a half vampire or a witch. Normally I'd say we should just try to show her the minds of other beings, but considering that communicating with Renesmee's gift hasn't allowed her to see half vampires, I don't think that'll work. I suspect the problem is that she can't just see what it's like to be somebody else as a different creature," Gavrila explained.

"That sounds about right," I agreed. "So what do you suggest?"

"An extended illusion. We can create an alternate reality simulation in her mind that would let her live as the creatures that she can't see. It'll take a couple days if we do it right, but after that she should have a complete field of vision."

Alice agreed, and Gavrila and I began discussing the sequencing of the illusion with the others. We made sure to get as much input from Berit, Renesmee, Jacob, Mitch, and Seth as we could. And in no time at all, we were ready to make a vampire dream.