Chapter Text
There were four things that Aro knew that were absolute fact.
Animals were afraid of vampires.
Animals ran as soon as they detected a vampire nearby.
Animals never willingly came anywhere near a vampire.
And sparrows did not just fly through windows into rooms full of vampires, carry around letters in their beaks, and turn into stunning, multicolored peacocks the size of a man.
The strange peacock-thing placed the letter at the feet of the three Volturi heads and, in a surprisingly deep and gravelly voice, growled contemptuously at the vampires.
"Open it and stop staring at me now, will you? This is a very serious matter. I would tell you what's in the letter myself, but I am not of high enough rank to be allowed the knowledge."
"Show a little more respect, will you?" Caius leaned forth in his chair, baring his teeth. Aro suppressed the urge to facepalm.
All these centuries, Caius, and you still allow your anger and bloodlust to override your reason. Could you not have spared enough time for me to announce the contents of the letter beforehand? Ugh...
Aro carelessly broke the wax seal and opened the envelope. The letter was written in a neat, formal script and the envelope contained what looked like an ancient Chinese coin on a chain. He cleared his throat and began to read the message aloud.
Dear Aro of the Volturi,
Please do not be alarmed by the arrival of this message. I am Huang Long, head of the Celestial Bureaucracy, an organization dedicated to protecting the world from supernatural threats. We have wished to contact you for quite a while now. Unfortunately, the demons never seem to rest on their vicious crusade and we have been constantly occupied trying to fend off their attacks.
I have sent this letter to you because we wish to meet with you to discuss some important matters, and to introduce ourselves properly. Even with humanity's and our own astounding advances in technology and magic respectively, the demons remain a world-ending threat. There is no possible way I could detail the powers they possess in one letter, even in one meeting.
Our meeting is to be in two weeks, on 12:00 p.m. the 26th of June. Our meeting place is in a location high in the sky. None of you can reach it by normal means. That is what the little coin pendant in the envelope is for. When the time comes, at precisely midnight, the token will transport you and anyone within 10 meters who you wish to bring along to our meeting place.
I am eagerly awaiting your response to this letter. The messenger who handed you this one has been ordered to keep a careful eye on your castle until you reply and will bring your response back to me.
Most sincerely,
Huang Long
Emperor of Heaven
Lord of Earth and the Turning Seasons
Head of the Celestial Bureaucracy
Caius hissed. "How are we to know if this is not a trap?"
"We have no need for a trap," said the red peacock. "What would be the point?"
Aro glanced passively up at the peacock, before his eyes flickered to Jane, Alec, and Chelsea for the smallest instant.
"I will certainly consent to this little meeting with your superiors. Given what you are... hm, what are you, exactly?"
"A feng huang, although you would likely call me a Chinese phoenix and leave it at that," the bird said stiffly.
"Ah, yes, a feng huang. Fascinating. I have never seen one of your kind before. What other sorts of creatures does your Bureaucracy host?"
"I think you will find out for yourself once you meet them," the feng huang said coldly, "if the writer of that note did not show their hand already. I will be off now. I have no wish to interfere in your governing."
With that, the bird spread his wings and his feathers darkened ever so slightly before Aro smiled and rose from his throne, stretching his hand out.
"It was such a pleasure meeting you, Mr... ?"
The bird lowered his wings and took a step back, giving Aro's hand a wary glance. "Tai Yang."
"Mr. Tai Yang."
"It would be Mr. Tai. Goodbye, now."
With that, Tai Yang turned back into a small sparrow and flew out the door.
"When the time for this meeting comes," Aro began, "perhaps it is best that we bring Renata. Afton and Colin too. The fact that the feng huang chose not to shake my hand leads me to suspect that this Celestial Bureaucracy has some idea of our capabilities. That, or simple disdain."