Twilight Imagines

The new Denali Part 2

Word count: 1921

They came with pageantry, with a kind of beauty. They came in a rigid, formal formation. They moved together, but it was not a march; they flowed in perfect synchronicity from the trees - a dark, unbroken shape that seemed to hover a few inches above the white snow, so smooth was the advance. The outer perimeter was gray; the color darkened with each line of bodies until the heart of the formation was deepest black. Every face was cowled, shadowed. The faint brushing sound of their feet was so regular it was like music, a complicated beat that never faltered.
At some sign no one saw or heard- or perhaps there was no sign, only millennia of practice - the configuration folded outward. The motion was too stiff, too square to resemble the opening of a flower, though the color suggested that; it was the opening of a fan, graceful but very angular.
The gray-cloaked figures spread to the flanks while the darker forms surged precisely forward in the center, each movement closely controlled. Their progress was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no tension, no anxiety. It was the pace of the invincible.
Thus far, the Volturi were too disciplined to show any emotion at all. They also showed no surprise or dismay at the collection of vampires that waited for them here - a collection that looked suddenly disorganized and unprepared in comparison. They showed no surprise at the giant wolf that stood in your midst. You quickly counted your foes, something Garrett had taught you in the centuries you spend roaming the Earth. There were thirty-two of them. Even if you did not count the two drifting, waifish black-cloaked figures in the very back, who you assumed were the wives - their protected position suggesting that they would not be involved in the attack - you were still outnumbered. There were just twenty on your side who would fight, and then seven more to watch as you were destroyed. Even counting the ten wolves, they had you.

"The redcoats are coming, the redcoats are coming," Garrett muttered mysteriously to himself and then chuckled once. He slid one step closer to Kate. "They did come," Vladimir whispered to Stefan.
''The wives," Stefan hissed back. ''The entire guard. All of them together. It's well we didn't try Volterra." Tanya took a step closer towards you, wrapping her arms around your waist holding you close. Her scent hit your nose and you relaxed almost immediately. You gently placed your hands ontop of hers and stroked her hand with your thumb, trying to calm her down.
And then, as if their numbers were not enough, while the Volturi slowly and majestically advanced, more vampires began entering the clearing behind them. The faces in this seemingly endless influx of vampires were the antithesis to the Volturi's expressionless discipline - they wore a kaleidoscope of emotions. At first there was the shock and even some anxiety as they saw the unexpected force awaiting them. But that concern passed quickly; they were secure in their overwhelming numbers, secure in their position behind the unstoppable Volturi force. Their features returned to the expression they'd worn before we'd surprised them. It was easy enough to understand their mindset - the faces were that explicit. This was an angry mob, whipped to a frenzy and slavering for justice. It was clear that this motley, disorganized horde - more than forty vampires altogether - was the Volturi's own kind of witness. When we were dead, they would spread the word that the criminals had been eradicated, that the Volturi had acted with nothing but impartiality. Most looked like they hoped for more than just an opportunity to witness - they wanted to help tear and burn. Despair weighted the air, pushing me down with more pressure than before. One vampire in the opposing force did not seem to belong to either party. It was clear by the small gasp from Tanya that it was her sister Irina. Irina, she hesitated in between the two companies, her expression unique among the others. Irina's horrified gaze was locked on Tanya's position in the front line. Edward snarled, a very low but fervent sound.
"Alistairwas right," he murmured to Carlisle. Carlisle glanced at Edward questioningly.
"Alistair was right?" Tanya whispered, tightening her grip on your waist. 'They - Caius and Aro - come to destroy and acquire," Edward breathed almost silently back. "They have many layers of strategy already in place. If Irina's accusation had somehow proven to be false, they were committed to find another reason to take offense. But they can see Renesmee now, so they are perfectly sanguine about their course. We could still attempt to defend against their other contrived charges, but first they have to stop, to hear the truth about Renesmee." Then, even lower. "Which they have no intention of doing."

Jacob gave a strange little huff. And then, unexpectedly, two seconds later, the procession did halt. The low music of perfectly synchronized movements turned to silence. The flawless discipline remained unbroken; the Volturi froze into absolute stillness as one. They stood about a hundred yards away from your side. You risked taking a glance to the left and the right from the corners of yout eyes to see what had stopped the Volturi advance. The wolves had joined you.
On either side of our uneven line, the wolves branched out in long, bordering arms. There were sixteen of them spaced evenly around you - seventeen total, counting Jacob. It was clear from their heights and oversized paws that the newcomers all were very, very young. Bella's lips curved back automatically, and a low, fierce snarl tore up her throat, the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile. Beside her, Zafrina and Senna echoed her hushed growl. Edward squeezed the hand he still held, cautioning her.
The shadowed Volturi faces were still expressionless for the most part. Only two sets of eyes betrayed any emotion at all. In the very center, touching hands, Aro and Caius had paused to evaluate, and the entire guard had paused with them, waiting for the order to kill. The two did not look at each other, but it was obvious that they were communicating. Marcus, though touching Aro's other hand, did not seem part of the conversation. His expression was not as mindless as the guards', but it was nearly as blank. The bodies of the Volturis witnesses leaned toward your group, their eyes fixed furiously on Renesmee and Bella, but they stayed near the fringe of the forest, leaving a wide berth between themselves and the Volturi soldiers. Only Irina hovered close behind the Volturi, just a few paces away from the ancient females - both fair-haired with powdery skin and filmed eyes - and their two massive bodyguards.

As the pause lengthened, I heard Edward's breath speed. "Edward?" Carlisle asked, low and anxious. 'They're not sure how to proceed. They're weighing options, choosing key targets - me, of course, you, Eleazar, Tanya. Marcus is reading the strength of our ties to each other, looking for weak points. The Romanians' presence irritates them. They're worried about the faces they don't recognize - Zafrina and Senna in particular - and the wolves, naturally. They've never been outnumbered before. That's what stopped them." "Outnumbered?" Tanya whispered incredulously. You stroked her arm, trying to sooth both her and your fear. You had just found your mate, and you were not planning on loosing her so soon.
"They don't count their witnesses," Edward breathed. "They are nonentities, meaningless to the guard. Aro just enjoys an audience." "Should I speak?" Carlisle asked. Edward hesitated, then nodded. "This is the only chance you'll get." Carlisle squared his shoulders and paced several steps ahead of our defensive line. You zoned out, trying to stay in the small bubble that was Tanya's scent and the future the two of you may never have. It was a nice daydream. Maybe your last daydream before your head would be seperated from your neck and you would never see the beauty that is your mate ever again.

"Artifice!" Caius snapped, bringing your attention back tot he present. "Where is the informer? Let her come forward!" He craned his neck around until he spotted Irina lingering behind the wives. "You! Come!" Irina stared at him uncomprehendingly, her face like that of someone who has not entirely awakened from a hideous nightmare. Impatiently, Caius snapped his fingers. One of the wives' huge bodyguards moved to Irina's side and prodded her roughly in the back. Irina blinked twice and then walked slowly toward Caius in a daze. She stopped several yards short, her eyes still on her sisters. Caius closed the distance between them and slapped her across the face. It couldn't have hurt, but there was something terribly degrading about the action. It was like watching someone kick a dog. Tanya and Kate hissed in synchronization. Garrett quickly wrapped his arms around Kate, stopping her from moving forward. You held onto Tanya's arms tighter, trying to do the same.
Irina's body went rigid and her eyes finally focused on Caius. He pointed one clawed finger at Renesmee, where she clung to Bella's back, her fingers still tangled in Jacob's fur.
"This is the child you saw?" Caius demanded. "The one that was obviously more than human?"
Irina peered at us, examining Renesmee for the first time since entering the clearing. Her head tilted to the side, confusion crossed her features. "Well?" Caius snarled. "I... I'm not sure," she said, her tone perplexed. Caius's hand twitched as if he wanted to slap her again. "What do you mean?" he said in a steely whisper.
"She's not the same, but I think it's the same child. What I mean is, she's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw, but - " Caius's furious gasp crackled through his suddenly bared teeth, and Irina broke off without finishing. You moved around Tanya, wrapping your arms around her waist instead, feeling her rage coursing through her veins.
Aro flitted to Caius's side and put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Be composed, brother. We have time to sort this out. No need to be hasty." With a sullen expression, Caius turned his back on Irina. "Now, sweetling," Aro said in a warm, sugary murmur. "Show me what you're trying to say." He held his hand out to the bewildered vampire. Uncertainly, Irina took his hand. He held hers for only five seconds. "You see, Caius?" he said. "It's a simple matter to get what we need." Caius didn't answer him. From the corner of his eye, Aro glanced once at his audience, his mob, and then turned back to Carlisle. "And so we have a mystery on our hands, it seems. It would appear the child has grown. Yet Irina's first memory was clearly that of an immortal child. Curious." "That's exactly what I'm trying to explain," Carlisle said. The conversation kept on going, but your thoughts were once more on the blond beauty in your arms, trying to calm her down. You whispered sweet nothings in her ear, stroking her hand that held yours tightly.

"So much to discuss," Aro said, his tone suddenly that of an inundated businessman. "So much to decide. If you and your furry protector will excuse me, my dear Cullens, I must confer with my brothers." And so the wait for your fates began.