This is it friends. The final chapter. I hope you all of enjoyed the story and will look for others I plan on writing. None of the characters are mine. ENJOY!

Chapter 25

Aro POV

Felix and Demetri were on their way back from the destruction of the Southern Wars. They had called in and let me know that The General and The Major were once again together and had refused his invitation to join them on the jet. Stating instead that they would be to Italy to visit within 12 months and in that time, Isa would like her chance to repay Alice and Edward for their crimes against her.

I did not look forward to that confrontation. It has been wonderful to have the two gifted Cullen's in my Guard and I was not going to let her kill them, but from previous experience meeting survivors of the Vampire Wars, they were very creative in their punishments for those who have wronged them.

Between The Major and The General, I am sure they will come up with some kind of acceptable punishment and while the two offenders may wish to die, I will not let them have that pleasure.

Ah, Felix and Demetri have finally returned and are coming to give the full details of their time in the Southern Americas.

"Master," They both spoke at the same time as they bowed. Entering the throne room is always a grand gesture, but my subjects follow traditions quite well. Felix was the one to come forward to show me his thoughts.

"I was in the front directly behind The General, Master. My thoughts would be the best view for you. Demetri had circled around the camp to be sure that none had escaped that way." Felix always liked to fill me in on the viewpoint before I dove into his thoughts. I never told him so, but I appreciated knowing what I angle I was coming from. Every person has a different view on the actions around them and he is always unique. I like how Felix will categorize events and actions, analyzing every one of them.

From the beginning, I could sense his hesitancy about being on a plane with The General and even about the plan she had prepared well before they were in the air. I watch as she pours over a map of a region of Mexico that she seems to be rather familiar with. Every so often I could see her slip into her mind thinking through the options.

To be honest, it looked a little bit like that strange look Alice gets on her face when she has a vision, but that can't be true. Young Isa is a mental and physical shield. Brushing off my thoughts I refocus on the images in front of me.

Once they land the three vampires assess the time and location they are headed. It will be safe for them to travel without fear of the sun. Just in case, however, I see Demetri hand Isa a guard cloak to keep her covered should the need arise. She took it from him without showing much annoyance at the piece of clothing.

"You know these tend to hinder the guard in their fights right. You might want to ask your master for a newer design before you find yourself flung into the flames by the cape attached to your back." She remarked as if she had thought about it extensively, and maybe she had. I mean she has been fighting her entire life and there is little to do with your time between battles then come up with new ways to fight.

I, however, dismissed her assessment. It hasn't been a problem in the past and I do not expect to be a problem in the future. I surely have no desire to go against The Major nor his mate and she is the only one to have thought of the possibilities in several millennia.

I once again turned my attention back to Felix's memories.

The next important part comes when The General meets up with two more vampires that are scarred as if they had been in the Wars as well. "Report," I guess some things never do change.

"Ma'am, he is in the compound to the south of us. I believe that going in the north end will be a better option this time around. Maria is not expecting anyone, and we will be able to get a clear shot at the most experienced in that way. The Major has been well fed though as I am sure you are aware his first meal was not a pleasant experience. The one we really need to watch out for however is the nuisance that has become Jasper's shadow.

"He is an unknown factor. We have been observing him and cannot come up with his gift. Perhaps he is just skilled in combat, but I don't imagine that The Major would be needed if that was the case."

I had never met this man before but the way he spoke I could tell that he was well experienced in the rank of second in command and was familiar with how Isa receives information in this state. Who I assume to be his mate, was standing beside him at attention like he was. It seemed to be the way that they held themselves around the authority that flows from vampires as powerful as The General.

I deduced that this must be The Captain, but I could not be sure as there were not any titles nor names spoken in the entire exchange. I wonder if that was on purpose.

The General nodded her head and looked at the group around her. "Okay, here is the plan unless we have objections to it, I am going to go in the south entrance with Felix beside me. He is well known as a Volturi enforcer and will put them off their game. Maria will not be expecting the Volturi to come calling without some kind of advance warning. You guys will take the Northeast side of the compound, make sure no one escapes. Demetri you will take the Northwest side same instructions.

'When you are sure there are no more flight risks, come inside and begin to clean up the mess. Someone also needs to light the barn on fire. I suspect that there are changing humans in there and the last thing we need is for some of them to wake up while no one is there to greet them."

Everyone in the group was agreeable to the course of action decided and moved into running formation. The General led the group. I was mildly surprised that she was not letting one of the men take the lead. Women are rarely the fighters, but she is the exception. I really wish she was in agreeable to joining the guard here in Volterra.

Felix stepped up beside her as they approached the camp. It was quite the sight to see. It had been many years since I had seen the inside of any Southern Camp; I try to avoid the memories of those veterans as often as possible. The General had nearly wiped them out before leaving Maria all those years ago. This one was set up slightly different than the last one I had seen.

There were bodies everywhere. Human remains were piled and strung out all over the camp. Blood from the latest feeding was still soaking into the desert sand. There were also vampire limbs twitching on the ground from previous fights that had not ended well. Only a few were there, however, so I assume that most were put back together by this point. I would say there is going to be a long fight ahead if the soldiers are recently fed.

The General took in all the information in one swoop, not lingering too long on images I am sure are already burned into her memory. Seconds after crossing the threshold of camp Maria appeared in front of the warriors.

I watched with rapt attention as the two women interacted with each other. Trading barbs and insults as if they were old friends. I observed the scene as if I were watching one of those new cinema creations that have come out in the last hundred years. Sulpicia liked to go when I was feeling adventurous though the theatre will always be my preference.

As I listened to the conversation, I could also see many newborns begin to circle the two fighters. Their eyes were bright crimson from a recent feeding. You could tell that they were ready to do whatever it took to get the next meal. Maria was taunting The General by trailing her hands up and down The Major's body. Making a show of how she used to control him and how he would fight for her even if it was against The General.

From the shudders that went through The Major's body at that thought, I had to suppress a chuckle. It seems that The great southern Major did not tell his captor who his mate was, and Isa was about to take that pleasure. I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face in anticipation.

"Maria, please kindly remove your hands from my mate before I do it for you, we have many things to discuss and I would hate for you to be in pain as we did so." The General was the perfect picture of the calm before the storm. The pure fury radiating off her was making it difficult for Felix to keep his calm charade. The feeling that Felix was relaying was similar to the effects of The Major's gift though. It must be him he is feeling, now The General.

"Your mate?" Maria couldn't hide the surprise from her tone at that statement and she started to look for a way out. "Well, you see, there was a misunderstanding and …"

On a signal I did not pick up the newborns surged forward, and The Major was quickly being surrounded by flames. It seems they have found out the gift of The Major's shadow. Luckily for him, The Captain disregarded orders and was perched on the wall closest to The Major and pounced just as the flames were getting close. He collided with The Major and was able to get enough distance between them and the flames before anything caught fire.

The battle was going on around them. Felix had a distinct lack of opponents to fight and started to pick up newborn pieces. Anytime one would get close he would dismember it, but the true show was the veterans of the southern wars.

The Major and The Captain were standing back to back covering each other and tearing them apart as fast as they came. The General was engaged with fighting Maria and the Firestarter.

She was speed personified, almost as if her newborn abilities never left her. It was difficult to keep up with the moves as she dodged and struck her opponents. The Firestarter was the first to fall. In a move so graceful it would have brought tears to my eyes if it were possible, she flipped over him using Maria as a springboard when she went to strike. She grabbed his head and twisted as she flipped in the air. His body stood frozen for a second only to collapse as his head rolled across the sandy ground.

"Want to give up now Maria? I promise to make your death less painful." The smirk that accompanied that statement made me shudder. Felix was engaged in his own battle at this point, so I missed the rest of the conversation, but the glimpses I got of the others were fascinating.

A snarl echoed across the field and Felix's attention snapped to The Major who was looking at his mate with lust in his eyes. Oh yes! Felix then glanced to Isa to see Maria's head dangling from her fingers. She was stalking across the field to her mate. All of a sudden, the remaining newborns were crushed under the weight of some unknown force.

The dust of their remains scattered on the next wind that came through the compound. The Major and The General met in the middle of the carnage and embraced. He started checking her for injuries on she did the same on him.

As the fighting ended the woman and Demetri came over the compound walls and began to set all the buildings on fire. The General had been correct in assuming that new vampires would awake soon, and the screams could be heard in the structure to the left. The building caught fire quickly with all of the extra venom and dry wood around.

"General …" Felix began to speak but halted suddenly when The Major's eyes flashed dangerously at him. It seems as though the fighting brought the beast a little closer to the surface though he was not as uncontrolled as I have seen in other memories. "… we have cleaned up the compound and are ready to depart. Aro would like to extend an invitation to you to join the guard in Volterra to keep the world safe from vampires that would do the same damage as you have seen here."

"Thank ya Felix, but my mate and I plan on travelling. We will stop in Volterra before too long to pay a visit to that insufferable seer, but we would like to be left alone for now." The Major spoke for Isa.

"Major, no disrespect, but I am supposed to bring The General back to Volterra."

Felix was cut off here and there seemed to be a block in his memories. The next thing I saw he was getting on the plane without either The Major nor his mate. I was alarmed to learn of this.

"Felix, what happened when you told Isa you needed to bring her back?" Felix seemed to think about the question then shrug his shoulders.

"I am not sure Master."

"Demetri come here. Let me see your thoughts on the events." I watched with rapt attention as Demetri waited outside the walls for defectors or the all clear. He then went in and searched the compound for other vampires and any information on vampires that were conspiring with Maria. He sent the building up in flames before returning to the group.

The two vampires that were not named were standing together watching the conversation between The Major and Felix. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but I did see the fidgeting the General was unable to hide. It seemed as if she was contemplating.

She got that same look as before, as Alice does. She then shifted her eyes to the male behind her and looked at Charlotte as if they were speaking. It was almost too little of a movement to see, but when I watched the interaction between the three of them, I saw that Peter's hair was all of a sudden drenched. There was a rain cloud above his head but nowhere else.

As soon as it appeared, I couldn't see it any longer. Almost as if I imagined it. "Okay we will be on our way now." Felix gestured for Demetri to join him on the return journey to the plane.

At this, I dropped Demetri's hand and rushed to find my brothers.

"Brothers, I may have found her. The one the seer spoke of. The sponge."

Thank you again for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story!