A/N: This is what happens when you get an image of a Major all dressed in black in your mind...

I don't own Twilight.
Any foreign language has been google-translated.
It's marked M for a reason.
There are some old acquaintances and some new ones.
There is no way in hell that the Volturi doesn't know about hybrids.

This wouldn't have been possible without my two exceptional betas: Bree and Amy. Thank you!
And also a huge thank you to all who have read my two other installments and reviewed. You keep me going!
Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Prologue

The canyon was wide with the tiniest stream at the bottom, meandering its way through the red dirt. Rocks and boulders were strewn across the ground as if a giant had dropped a handful of gravel. The sides were almost vertical, and showed an array of different types of rock layered in swirls and waves. The colors shifted from yellow to pink to red in the warm light of the setting sun. It was beautiful. However, none of the people standing on the flat bottom of the canyon took notice. The wind whispered and howled through the shafts and clefts, but no one spoke, and no one moved.

There were two groups of people facing each other: one smaller—all dressed in black and gray—and one much larger—more casually dressed in what looked mostly like jeans and shirts in muted colors. A man stepped forward from the smaller group, just a few steps, and raised his hands in the air with his palms facing the other group. He was tall and had long black hair. As he raised his hands, the sun's last beams caught the skin on his hands and face and made them sparkle.

"Maria, Major, it seems we have finally found you." His voice was soft and friendly, but the only reaction was a smile from the woman who stood at the front of the other group. She then took a few steps forward, followed closely by a tall, blond man who made Aro shudder. The man's scars were truly a sight to behold, to have lived through that ...

The woman's smile grew wider. "Aro, what gives us this pleasure?" Her voice was like chimes and carried through the canyon and drifted on the wind. Her long black hair stirred in the breeze, and she lifted an immaculate pale hand to swipe a lock of it from her face.

Aro smiled in return. "Oh, Maria, I think you know why we are here." He made a gesture to the group behind her. It was an odd mix of people, of all ages and sizes; the only things they had in common were the red eyes, the pale skin and their beauty.

As if on command, they all leaned slightly forward into a more threatening pose. Aro raised his eyebrows, and he could hear a whisper move through his own group. The Volturi had never seen an army of newborns behave like this before. Aro took a closer look at the opposition. Maria was petite, but he knew she had some kind of gift, and she had managed to claim and hold the largest area ever heard of in the wars. The man beside her, the Major, Jasper Whitlock, was tall and looked like the warrior he was. He had broad shoulders and a slim waist, and he was dressed in black jeans, a black vest, and a white shirt that had its sleeves rolled up. His eyes were cold and constantly moved over the Volturi. He didn't seem to miss much. Aro knew that this man had played a huge part in Maria's success, but he didn't know exactly how. Yet.

The group behind them was their army of newborns, and they were all so well controlled that it baffled Aro. Not only did they seem better kept than any of the other armies they had encountered so far—well fed and well clothed—but also none of them really displayed the bloodlust or frenzy that they should be. It was bewildering and made Aro feel a twinge of uncertainty. He counted at least twenty of them, but according to the information the Volturi had gathered there should be even more, an army of a size so far unheard of.

Maria's laughter interrupted his thoughts. "Aro, please. My army is well-behaved. You know that. And it seems you are a bit outnumbered."

Aro smiled again and tilted his head. Someone moved up behind him, and he reached back with his hand. It was Eleazar, and as he touched his leader's hand, Aro knew how all this had come to be. They had already known that the Major was an empath, but they didn't know that his gift was of this magnitude. If Eleazar was correct—which he usually was—the Major was the strongest empath they had ever met. They also had four others with gifts in their ranks—not counting Maria—which Eleazar easily identified: One could give pain, much like Jane, but was not as powerful. One was able to move incredibly fast, much faster than any normal vampire. One was a tracker of some capacity, and the last one was a shield of some sort. Maria herself seemed to have a version of Eleazar's own gift—she could judge if a vampire had a gift or not. All in all impressive, to be sure, but the real power here was the Major. It was he who kept the newborns in line.

"Maria," Aro responded after the short pause. "You know that we can't let you continue this campaign of yours. You are drawing the attention of the humans. You have razed villages. You have used mates against each other. All of this is against the law. Not to mention the fact that having a newborn army is forbidden."

Maria still smiled at him but then turned back toward the Major and whispered something to him that Aro could not hear. The Major nodded but made no move, his face still a calm and cold mask.

"As much as I've liked this little chat of ours, I think it's time for you to leave," Maria said with a friendly, almost lilting voice. "I will make you a deal, though, out of respect for the Volturi. I will keep to my lands and do everything in my power not to cause any more trouble. You will be allowed to leave, unharmed, never to come back."

Aro allowed himself to chuckle. The army was large, yes, and well-controlled, but they would handle it. Alec and Jane would work their magic, and the Volturi soldiers were well trained in fighting newborns.

Suddenly they could hear movement above them, and the Volturi looked up in surprise. The edges of the canyon on both sides were suddenly lined with twenty more vampires—ten on each side. Aro nodded slowly. The information had been correct, there were indeed more of them. He identified one vampire on each side that seemed to be in charge of their group, another tall blond man and a shorter, blonde woman. Both of them were featuring scars that warned off any attackers. The Volturi had had no idea that they were up there; they must have waited in absolute silence. Aro turned back toward Maria but met the Major's gaze.

"Impressive, Major. Most impressive." The Major tilted his head a little to the side, hardly noticeable. Aro bowed his head and seemed to be studying the ground. When he spoke again, he was talking to his own followers.

"My dear friends, this will be a hard fight. Some of us might not return home. Are we willing to risk that to uphold our laws?" There was a murmur of consent amongst the Volturi, and their formation changed in the blink of an eye. They fanned out to put up a broader front, moving in silent unison as one entity. Aro sighed and looked up again, meeting the Major's gleaming eyes while he again addressed his own followers.

"My dearest, I thank you for this sacrifice. It will not be forgotten." The murmur rose again from the Volturi soldiers, and they all shed their long cloaks. Several of them had long pikes made of metal in their hands. They were not for hurting—the metal would not be able to pierce vampire skin—but for holding raging newborns at bay. Maria's army didn't even twitch.

"Major," Aro started again. "It would please me immensely if you would consider to come work for us. You obviously have a great gift, and you are a talented fighter and commander. You would be welcomed in Volterra."

At his words Maria started to laugh, but Aro could see the shadow of an expression fly across the Major's face. The Major then raised his eyes and looked at the man and the woman who were up on the edges of the canyon, and they returned his gaze. Then the Major looked back at Aro again. He put a hand on Maria's shoulder. She was giggling now.

"Oh, Aro," she said, feigning being out of breath from laughter. "The Major is mine. He is loyal only to me. Nothing you say can—" She was interrupted as the Major took a step forward, so he was right behind her, his chest touching her back.

"Complete pardon?" Jasper said calmly.

The silence that suddenly filled the canyon was like a deafening quilt, almost palpable. An eternity seemed to pass before Maria gasped as Jasper's words sank into her mind.

Aro blinked.

"Yes, complete pardon for you …" He paused and looked up at the canyon edges. "And for anyone else that you can vouch for."

Maria started to scream, but it was cut short as her head was ripped from her shoulders without effort. Behind Jasper the newborns stared at the scene that had just unfolded, trying to grasp what was happening. A few of them seemed to be some sort of leaders, and they started to yell for attack. Jasper threw Maria's body into the middle of the army, and chaos ensued as everyone tried to get a piece of their tormentor, the control completely gone. Some of the newborns seemed to heed the orders that were shouted and launched forward at Jasper. The man and woman who had appeared on the canyon edges had jumped down and were now flanking him. They met the attack head on without any hesitation. Aro made a small gesture and the Volturi charged as well. Aro himself stood still, watching in awe as the Major fought. He was like a deadly whirlwind, impossible to catch, and his hands and teeth were lethal to anyone who came close. Even Aro had a hard time keeping track of what the Major was doing, but he saw the result clearly as the ground became littered with body parts.

The newborns that had been occupied by ripping Maria's body apart now turned to see if they could get a shot in at her second in command. As they ran forward to mindlessly charge Jasper and his two compatriots, they suddenly all fell to their knees and then collapsed on the ground—writhing and screaming in fear. Aro's eyes widened, and he looked at the Major again. Jasper was ripping the head from a body, but he had a frown on his face, as if he was concentrating on something, and his eyes kept glancing over the subdued vampires. Aro smiled to himself, the Major was going to be a huge asset indeed.

The fighting was soon done, and any runners were caught and disposed of. The Major and three others were left: his two allies and a dark-haired woman named Carmen who Eleazar had rescued from certain death. While Eleazar was occupied with reattaching her arm, Aro strode over to the other three. The two men could have been brothers, they looked so much alike, and the female seemed to be the yet unknown male's mate. Jasper turned to greet Aro with a nod.

"Quite impressive, Major, and quite unexpected. Would you like to introduce me to your friends?"

"This is Peter and his mate Charlotte. They are like siblings to me, and without them I would've gone insane a long time ago." Charlotte smiled at Jasper and touched his arm.

Aro took a closer look at them. They were both scarred almost as bad as the Major and both of them were blond just as the Major.

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you both." Aro made a short bow.

"Likewise, I'm sure," Peter responded as he gazed curiously at the Volturi king.

Another of the Volturi came up to them and bowed before he spoke. "Lord Aro, we are ready to leave. All has been taken care of."

"Good, good. Now, the three of you will be travelling with me. I can't wait to hear your stories! But first there is a small detail …" Aro stretched out his hand, and he noted that all three of them looked hesitant.

Jasper tilted his head slightly to one side. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Aro smiled, but his voice was colder when he responded. "It is mandatory, Major, for anyone who wants to join the Guard or reside in Volterra."

Jasper sighed but took a small step forward. "Remember," he said and met Aro's gaze. "I warned you." Then he took Aro's hand.

Thank you for reading.