Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

Secrets to the Dead Part 3

"VAMPIRES DIE?" Heidi asked; shock painted heavily in her voice.
     "All but seventeen," Aro nodded.
     "What can we do?" Demetri asked.
     "It is not so much what you can do, as what you know," Aro explained. "But first, for my own life and my Sulpicia's, I feel as if I should explain my past actions."
     "I do not like where this is going, Aro," Marcus growled.
     "Marcus, let him finish," I said quickly. "And then after, if he won't, we will."
     Marcus looked briefly at me, confusion became quick, peaceful acknowledgement.
     "Brothers, sisters, friends. You've been living for a very long time under a secret and a lie. And I apologise as the secret is mine. I was blinded by the power that had been given to me, and it made me do things that I have regretted from the moment it happened. It made me jealous, angry, protective of the wrong people. I have never missed my sister more, than in the moments looking at the brothers and sisters before me. Fortunate, to be immortal together, as we once were... I locked out my guilt, for exactly the reasons young Verity spoke earlier. By remembering the burdens my sister gave me and choosing to not think of all the happiness she brought not only myself but all of us.
     "Didyme was... not deserving of what happened to her and I am terribly sorry, to all of you, for what I have done. In a blind thirst for power and in fear of my sister taking not only Marcus but members of the guard away, I killed her. I killed my sister so I could keep the more fortunately gifted-"
     Marcus growl echoed through the hall. I ran to catch him before he lunged, breaking his thrown as I held him to the ground. As Aro and Sulpicia feared, none of the guards moved to help Aro.
     "I killed my sister, for power," Aro continued. "And I have never felt worse for it. Now that the doors have been opened, the guilt will haunt me for the rest of eternity. The reason I am telling you all this now is that this secret has a strong potential of being a point in time that leads to the battle that kills us all. I am giving all of you now, a choice. Knowing what you now know, you may leave. I will no longer keep anyone here for power; I will no longer hold anything against anyone for power."
     He looked over to Marcus, still squirming in my grasp.
     "My brother-"
     "Don't call me that," Marcus growled.
     "Marcus, I am truly sorry for what I did."
     "Aro- oof!"
     Marcus threw me off, knocking me far and hard into the wall beside him.
     Once my head recovered from the impact, I looked and saw Igor and Carlisle holding on to Marcus firmly. They must have caught on as to why I protected Aro.
     "You have lived too long without your love. Let my guilt be my punishment, do not leave Sulpicia to your pain. Let me help you, with something I should have done a very long time ago."
     Marcus's knees caved under him, and Aro approached him.
     "Marcus, my brother. I truly am sorry. You may join her now, where you both can be happy again. I hope you will someday forgive me."
     While Marcus kept his head down, Aro tore it off. Igor and Carlisle let his body drop and the three of us ran to Verity's side as Aro placed Marcus' head surprisingly gently on the body, and burnt it alive.
     Sulpicia ran to Aro's side and he embraced her, it was a sight no one in the Volturi had seen before.
     "What did you show them?" Athenodora asked, from her stand beside Caius.
     I looked to Aro and Sulpicia as Aro kissed the top of her head before looking to a surprised looking Caius and Athenodora.
     "What it is like to lose the one you love," Aro answered for me. "And the eternal darkness that follows."
     I felt Igor's eyes on me.
     So, Aro saw more to the fight than just its beginning.
     Aro looked from Athenodora to his guard and stood away from Sulpicia, yet still holding her hand. It did make me happy, to see the contact.
     "What you do now is up to the rest of you," he stated. "Of course, you are all welcomed to stay, but I understand if you would now prefer to leave."
     Nobody moved. Well, not quite. Jane and Alec stood closer together, but no one else moved. Aro waited patiently, holding Sulpicia's hand, while no one budged.
     "I see," Aro said with a soft smile. "Thank you all, for your decision."
     He turned his eyes back to us.
     "Thank you for what you have told me, you may now leave. Or stay, if you wish."
     "We will leave," Igor stated and looked at Carlisle.
     "And yourself, Carlisle? I do hope you will also, one day, forgive me for my actions."
     "I do not hold grudges, Aro. Give it time," Carlisle responded.
     "Then perhaps one day, we will part as friends."
     "Perhaps."
     "Aro," Igor said firmly. "We will be leaving now."
     I took my brother's hand firmly as Igor lead us out.
     "Elizabeth!"
     I turned to face Aro, he was now in the centre of the hall. I looked at him and wasn't sure what I saw in his eyes, but it put a knot in my stomach.
     "If you meet anyone who poses a threat to the future we now work towards, please, do not hesitate in letting us know," Aro said.
     "Okay."
     So we left the castle. I didn't stop running until we were long out of Italy.
     We finally stopped on the other side of the continent. Well... I stopped. The others were only following me once we were out of the castle.
     "I still don't trust him," I muttered.
     "Is that why you didn't stop running?" Verity laughed.
     "Of course, you don't," Igor chuckled and kissed my temple.