NIGHTFALL





“As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there's a twilight where everything remains seemingly unchanged, and it is in such twilight that we must be aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.”
-William Orville Douglas


* I ilitumwa pictures of the dresses in the image section of my spot "lovethecullens" check it out!



Chapter 1: For as long as we both shall exist… (Nessie's POV)

I was surrounded kwa brightness, as though in a dream. I looked down at the Oscar De La Renta kanzu, gown that my Aunt Alice had insisted on. It was absolutely beautiful and I felt out of place in it. She had insisted on nothing less. It was a sleeveless dress, with flowers made out of material that were sewn along the top. The kanzu, gown was tight but flowed out around my feet where it was trimmed in antiqued lace. The hem hid the Manolos that my Aunt Alice had chosen. This morning I had slipped on a pair of my sneakers instead theinking that she wouldn't catch on because the kanzu, gown covered them but Amore ratted me out. I winced at how painful the stilettos were, vowing that I would ditch them the dakika I had a chance. My Aunt Rosalie had once again insisted on a tiara only a zaidi elaborate one this time. She had wanted me to wear a veil as well, I conceded as long as it was understood that as soon as the ceremony was over I was ditching the veil. Aunt Rosalie grudgingly agreed. Aunt Alice, Aunt Rosalie and Amore had spent hours upon hours getting me ready. They made sure that my naturally curly hair was coiffed in perfect curls which they piled on the juu of my head. My mother helped me to fasten the mkufu that Jake had aliyopewa me for my birthday. It was a crystal amulet that had belonged to his mother; it had been her wedding gift. I felt that it was necessary to represent his mother at our edding since she couldn't be here. Next, my mother brought me the combs that she had worn in her hair when she married my father, “Here is your “something borrowed”. She smiled as she placed them in my hair. Aunt Alice gave me a small box. “What is it?” I asked. She grinned, “It’s your “something new”. I opened the box and took out a lacey white garter and felt my face flush. Amore giggled as she grabbed it and slipped it onto my thigh. Aunt Alice glowered at my mother, “Instead of letting Renesmee borrow one I figured it was better to give her one since my last garter disappeared.” My mother narrowed her eyes at my aunt playfully. My mother hadn’t really alisema too much all day, she had kept to herself. She stood kwa my side watching the preparations; she seemed bewildered as to the fact that I was actually getting married. Leah sat in a chair looking bored, I laughed to myself. Becoming a vampire hadn’t done too much to change Leah’s demeanor. Although her sudden imprinting on Nahuel had made all of the difference in the world. They had become inseparable, and Leah was so happy it showed plain as siku when wewe looked at her. Even now the bored look in her eyes was contradicted kwa the smile that played on her lips as she met my gaze and rolled her eyes. I giggled and Aunt Alice looked over at her, “Save the faces Leah wewe are inayofuata in line for hair.” She groaned. “Alice, my hair is short there isn’t too much that wewe can do with it, just leave it alone.” My tiny aunt glared at her, “There is plenty that I can do with it,” she promised her through her clenched teeth. Aunt Alice turned back to me, her tone softened, “Well Nessie, I am finished do wewe want to look?” I winced as she gently turned me towards the mirror, and I gasped. I could barely recognize the strange woman in the mirror. She had perfect creamy skin; her large, excited brown eyes were played up with just the right amount and shade of eye makeup. Her cheeks, flushed with excitement and her red lips made her look like a movie nyota from a time long since forgotten. Her hair was nestled on op of her head in curly tendrils that emphasized her moyo shaped face. The tiara that was fastened at the head of the curls gave her a regal look. “It doesn’t even look like me,” I faltered. “Alice, wewe have outdone yourself yet again,” my father alisema in awe from the doorway. I turned to him slowly and met his gaze. He looked shocked, happy and saddened all at once. “Although my daughter's beauty even without the make up and fancy hair puts the dress to shame." I felt myself blush again. My father stepped into the bathroom, "I need to borrow the bride for a moment.” He told her. He held up a small box, “Here is your something old and blue.” My aunt looked me up and down and sighed in resignation, “Alright Edward but hurry up, and do not make her cry, I spent hours on that make up!” My mother kissed my cheek, “You are breathtaking, sweetheart. Just relax, and breathe. All that matters today is wewe and Jake and the upendo that wewe have for each other. I know it is nerve-racking but try to ignore everyone around you,” she shot Aunt Alice a withering glare, “especially the short, bossy ones.” My aunt stuck her tongue out at my mother. My mother turned back to me and rubbed my arm, “Just focus on Jake and it will be fine. I upendo you.” I smiled at her and hugged her. She always knew just what to say to make me feel better, “I upendo wewe too mom,” I whispered. My father took my arm and led me down the hall to his old room which was now Amore’s room. He was holding the small box, “This was my mother’s I have been saving it for you.” I opened the box; inside of it was a bracelet that had a sapphire that was surrounded kwa four diamonds, as well as diamonds along the side. It matched the combs in my hair uncannily. I gasped, “Oh, daddy it is beautiful.” I looked up at him and we just stared into each other’s faces. There were no words that could be found. What does a man say to his only little girl who is about to leave him, to prepare her for the world; and what does that little girl, now a grown woman, say to her father to thank him for all that he has done to lead her to this point. How can wewe thank your father for finding the courage to let wewe go? He finally spoke, his voice unsteady, “I am so proud of wewe my Renesmee, from the very beginning your life has been a series of struggles that wewe have met head on and rose above. wewe are a beautiful, smart, and kind young woman wewe have brought your mother and I so much happiness. Although it is hard to let wewe go, I know that wewe will be happy. He is a good man and will take care of you, as wewe will him. Just remember to always upendo each other equally.” I kissed him on the cheek, “I upendo wewe daddy. Thank you.” He looked at me in wonder as he slipped the bracelet onto my right hand, “What are wewe thanking me for?” I smiled at him as the tears lined my eyelashes, “For the bracelet but mostly for everything that wewe have ever done for me, wewe are a wonderful father.” He smiled at me sadly, “My little girl is all grown up.” I put my hand on his cheek, “I will always be your little girl” I told him as I went over childhood memories in my mind that I shared with him kwa leaving my hand on his cheek. My first memory of him, as he helped bring me into this world, the first time I saw him and my mother together as he stayed close to both of us in order to protect us both from her, the first time I bit Jake in front of him and how hard he laughed, the first time I alisema dada, how proud he was of me when I took my first step, the heartbreaking look on his face when the Volturi came when I was little and he thought Jake was going to have to take me to escape, he thought he would never see me again. Memories of my kinanda lessons with him, when he was teaching me to hunt although I was disgusted with it, his amusement when I mastered riding a bike on the first try, my birthday parties throughout the years, my first krisimasi with my parents when he gave me my MP3 player, and then my memories flashed to zaidi hivi karibuni memories, my most hivi karibuni birthday my 17th (technically according to the humans) which was last month, his face when he realized the Volturi were not going to keep me the last time they tried to take me from my family and that we would get away. Finally my inayopendelewa memory, the look of happiness in his face when he accepted the fact that Jake and I were engaged and he actually seemed overjoyed at the news. I slowly let my hand drop to my side, “do wewe really think the small matter of me becoming someone’s wife can cancel out all that wewe mean and are to me? wewe will always be very important in my life daddy, I upendo you.” Wordlessly he clutched me to his side and kissed my forehead. I wiped at the tears that were dripping down my face and heard a groan in the doorway, “Edward I TOLD wewe not to make her cry!” Aunt Alice growled as she came up and whisked me back into the bathroom to fix my make up that had melted a bit with the tears. My father shook his head at my aunt, “Some things never change,” he teased. Aunt Alice looked at him angrily, "yea? like what," she challenged. He smiled at her in amusement, "Like the amazing fact that although wewe are the smallest in this family wewe are kwa far the most annyoing." We laughed as my aunt grabbed a brush and raised it towards him, “hey, back off au I will make wewe go downstairs with the rest of the guys.” My mother looked at my eccentric aunt in exasperation, “Alice relax, wewe can’t make him leave, it’s time.” I felt my moyo skip a beat and I swallowed hard. Amore and Leah came up to me, Leah pushed a stray hair out of her eye and looked at me calmly, “Look, I know wewe are nervous, I would be too; this is a circus. But I know that he loves you, zaidi than anything. He has proven it,” I cringed at the memory of what Jake and his entire pack had done for me and Amore. “Just hold onto that and ignore all of the rest of this, “she gestured towards our dresses and downstairs where everyone was waiting. “This will all be over in a few hours but wewe will have Jake forever.” I smiled at her. I never thought that I would see the siku that Leah Clearwater would be comforting me. I hugged her, “Thank wewe for being my bridesmaid, and for everything else,” I said. She smiled at me and awkwardly returned the hug. Since changing into a vampire she was literally a different person. The transformation allowed her to imprint on Nahuel almost instantaneously which helped her to get past the bitterness and anger that she felt towards Sam, she felt nothing but upendo these days and I was so happy for her. She had even joined us all at Sam and Emily’s wedding. The news of Emily’s pregnancy soon after the wedding didn’t faze her and she was genuinely happy for them. With Nahuel kwa her side nothing bothered her anymore. There had been some contention regarding the change that she, Seth and Jake had undergone. It defied the Quileute belief structure. For a few months not even their parents had spoken with them. Billy and Sue as well as the other members of the Quileute’s came around after there had been a meeting between Wanyonya damu and werewolves. It was not the same as it had been before but now they understood the fact that there hadn’t been much of a choice for them to make. They changed out of necessity to save the women that they had imprinted on and for Leah she had changed out of loyalty to her pack. Sam couldn’t swali that. He knew that any of them would have done the same in their position although they didn’t want to admit it at first. Amore hugged me too, “everything will be just fine,” She promised me, “I am so happy for you. wewe are stunning.” I hugged my maid of honor back as I sighed, “Let’s get this onyesha on the road. My aunt Alice kissed me on the cheek as she flitted out of the door in her eye-catching black dress. It was short and had little ruffles all along the bottom that fluttered in the wind after her. Aunt Rosalie came up to me and kissed my cheek as well, she slid gracefully out of the room in a floor length red dress that was tight but fishtailed out and to the side at the bottom. My mother stepped up beside me. She looked dazzling in a peach, pichi dress that matched the color of the bridesmaid’s dresses but the style was different. Hers was a Greek inspired gladiator dress and she looked like a Grecian goddess. Her eyes were played up with smokey make up and her hair was also curled and piled on juu of her head. My father smiled at her and she smiled back in such a way that made me only hope that Jake and I would be as happy as they are. My parents each took one of my arms as Amore and Leah positioned themselves in front of us. Their dresses were gorgeous and very trendy. Aunt Alice and Amore battled over the bridesmaid’s dresses; in the end Amore won. They were a pale peach, pichi color the juu of the gowns looked as though it had been inspired kwa a corset, the boning could be seen underneath the surface of the material and the back featured a tie up look. Organza cascaded down in tears and ripples that fluttered in the wind making the two Wanyonya damu who wore them even zaidi graceful looking. They also wore tiny organza jackets that went over the dresses and matched the material. Amore’s long black hair was twisted into a chignon with a diamond headband and Leah’s short hair was styled with pin curls framing her beautiful face she also wore a diamond headband. The muziki started up from downstairs, my aunt Rosalie was at my father’s kinanda playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D, which I had requested. To my surprise I heard a violin start playing I looked to my father in confusion. He smiled at me, “Tanya... she wanted to surprise you,” he said. I smiled at how perfect it was. My father used to play it for me when I was little and I would twirl around the room with my dolls, grandfather, au whichever Uncle was closest. I smiled at the memory, and touched both of my parent’s faces. My mother grinned, “I thought that was why wewe chose this song.” Amore handed me my bouquet of tigerlillies and squeezed my hand, “Here we go, she whispered in my thoughts. She and Leah started their descent towards the stairs and my parents waited a few moments before leading me down after them. I was frozen where I stood I couldn’t move. My mother looked at me and smiled tenderly, “Just breathe.” She whispered as she carefully inserted my veil behind my tiara. My father kissed my cheek and pulled the veil over my face. I did as my mother told me and with one last look at each of my parents I focused on the task at hand. I felt a moment of sadness sweep over me as I realized that this was my last moment as Renesmee Cullen, that I would never be able to turn back. Not that I wanted to. Jake was my reason to exist, but it was a bittersweet moment just the same. I had fought against who I was so much in the past couple of years and now I was ironically clinging onto the last few sekunde as my parents little girl. We floated gracefully down the winding staircase (no thanks to me if it wasn’t for my parents I probably would have fallen down the stairs). Seth and Nahuel stepped up to jiunge Amore and Leah as they slowly walked towards the backyard. There were candles everywhere that mingled with vases of calla lilies, tiger lilies and orchids; my three inayopendelewa flowers. True to the vision that my Aunt Alice wanted to create all of the guests were waiting in the grand hallway and living room. She wanted them to make the walk with me, following me and signifying that my family and Marafiki were behind me; supporting me and Jake. I looked briefly into the faces of all of my loved ones as I reached the final stair. Grandpa Charlie was there with Sue, now his wife. They had been married last mwezi and I was so happy for them. Both of their eyes were red as they held each other’s hands. I was almost shocked to see all of the members of Sam’s pack with their dates, it was still so new for us to be on good terms with them again. Emily smiled at me encouragingly as her tiny hand rested on her swelling stomach. I felt a strange feeling as I looked at her she and Sam looked so content together as they patiently awaited for the arrival of their child I was almost jealous. My grandma Renee was there with her husband Phil she was sobbing openly I smiled at her. She looked beautiful in a floor length black gown. My mother and father had her believing that I was adopted but I think that she knew that there was zaidi to the story. My grandpa Charlie had spoken with her. We do not know what he told her but Grandma Renee never asked us any maswali which was quite out of character for her; but it allowed for her to be a part of our lives. I was so glad I loved my hair brained grandmother. I met my grandma Esme and Grandpa Carlisle’s eyes next. My grandmother’s lip trembled and I knew that she would be crying if possible. She was exquisite in a powder blue off the shoulder floor length gown. Part of her hair was up and the rest fell around her shoulder in soft waves. My grandfather was dashing in his tux which matched my father’s and the rest of the guys. He looked sad, but was beaming with pride, “I upendo you,” he mouthed to me. I smiled and mouthed it back. My aunt Rosalie and Tanya looked at me momentarily as they played the beautiful muziki that swelled throughout the house they both smiled. We continued the march along the white carpet that my aunt Alice had led from the stairs out to the backyard. I gasped when I saw how beautiful the yard was. The sun had begun to set, so it was dark enough that my vampire families' skin didn't give them away to our human guests. Although most already knew what they were. There were candles and torches all over the backyard with white chairs lined up into neat rows. The flowers from the house spilled out into the yard; that was when I saw him. My peripheral vision gave out Jake stood underneath an archway of lilies behind him stood the pastor, and Billy his father sat inayofuata to him in his wheel chair flanked kwa my new sister in laws. The moment that our eyes locked onto each other everything else faded. Nothing mattered except for him. He smiled at me with a look of pure adoration on his handsome face. I felt my pulse quicken only this time it wasn’t out of fear it was out of utter happiness and excitement. He was going to be mine. It felt like an eternity but I was finally in front of him. My father waited for everyone to be seated and then he turned towards me and gently lifted the veil off of my face and kissed my forehead. My mother kissed my cheek and then kissed Jake’s cheek. My father replaced the veil and then took my hand and placed it in Jake's and smiled at him warmly; and then my parents filed off to their seats in the front row leaving me alone with him. The pastor began the ceremony; I clutched my bouquet and stared into the eyes of the man that I loved zaidi than life itself. I had really wanted for us to write our own vows. Jake was nervous about it but went along with it because it was so important to me. I handed Amore my bouquet as Jake began his vows, he took my hand in his. “Renesmee Carlie Cullen. wewe are the light of my life, my moyo and soul. wewe always have been. I am nothing without you. I promise that I will be a good husband. I will be there for wewe throughout every event in our lives both good and bad. I will treasure wewe for as long as we both shall live.” He took the ring from Seth’s hand and slipped it onto my finger. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and wondered how I was going to get my vows out. I remembered my mother’s advice and took a deep breath as I clung to his hand, “Jacob Black, wewe have always been my protector, my best friend, my guide, and then my lover. wewe are always there for me and I will always be there for you. I cannot imagine a life without you. It would hold no meaning for me. On the dawn of our new life together I offer wewe this token of my upendo which is undying. I will upendo wewe until forever.” I shakily placed the ring on his finger and then directed my gaze back to his eyes which shown warmly; a liquid gold. The pastor interjected, “By the power invested in me I now pronounce wewe husband and wife, wewe may now kiss the bride.” Jake looked at me tenderly as he slowly lifted the veil. His eyes trailed down to my neckline, “My mother’s necklace?” He asked in wonder stated as a question. I nodded and responded softly, “I wanted for her to be here today and this is the only way that I knew how.” I noticed that Billy, Rachel and Rebecca had tears in their eyes at my words, I smiled at them softly. Jake looked at me unable to speak, “thank you,” he finally whispered as he wiped my tears away and then leaned down and kissed me sweetly. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled back enough so that he could whisper in my ear, “I upendo wewe Nessie Black, zaidi than wewe will ever know.” I smiled at him and kissed him vigorously, until the pastor cleared his throat. I pulled away from Jacob and blushed as I remembered that everyone was watching us the crowd laughed gently. The pastor announced, “I present to wewe for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Black. Everyone applauded. He kissed my cheek and whispered into my ear, “I could get used to the sound of that,” I smiled at my husband as we turned to face our family and Marafiki as a united front. A team of two for all of eternity.