A/N: This story is sort of a prequel to As One We Fight. I was looking over my first chapter for that story last night and realized that I didn't have enough back story for that story yet, so I decided to start this one. I will leave the other one up for when I get back to that, but I will be primarily working on this one now. Read this first and probably don't read the other part unless you want spoilers. So on we go...


Prologue: River- Waking up Human

Waking up in a new world is always different, always new. There are different senses and emotions; different hosts. The one thing that is always the same though, my first experience is always my host's last memory. This time was no different.

Jim was dragging me into the house, his grip on my arm tight enough to bruise. He was drunk again. Jim was a mean drunk, and even though he always apologized for it afterwards I knew he never meant it. So why did I stay with him? Oh, yeah, our children.

My children meant everything to me and I would do anything to keep them safe from this monster.

"Jim, wait," I tried to reason with him even though I knew it was hopeless.

"Shut your demmed mouth, Anne," he slurred, pulling me further into the house as I looked around frantically praying the children had hidden themselves like I had told them when their father was in these moods. Not seeing any sign of them I sighed. The sigh turned into a cry of pain as Jim whipped me around and into our room, throwing me in the direction of the bed.

"Momma."

Dread filled me as I lifted my head to look into the surprised eyes of Davie, my two year old son. Next to him stood Callie and Candice, my twin six year old daughters. All three were staring at me and Jim with identical terrified expressions.

"Daddy?" Callie asked, confused.

Oh no, oh God no! What had possessed them to come in here, now, when their father was at his worst? I threw myself between my children and the man who would try to hurt them. My back to my children I raised my head to glare defiantly at Jim…but he wasn't standing there anymore.

I blinked in surprise and stared at the man who was not my husband, who now stood in the doorway to my bedroom. Looking down I saw Jim, a crumpled form on the floor at his feet. Was he a good samaritan that had heard our fight and come to my rescue? What was that weird little silver can he held in his hand.

"Thank-thank you," I managed to whisper as I continued to stare at the man in my doorway.

"You are most welcome, human." He stepped forward closer to me and bent down. Human? Why was he talking like that? "I am exceedingly sorry for this, but it is for the best." He turned the can toward me and sprayed a fine mist into my face. As my vision began to dim I turned back toward my children to make sure they were still safe. They had not moved from where they had stood and all three looked on as I collapsed onto the floor with expressions of utter calm and satisfaction, their eyes glowing a weird blue in the light.

"Thank you seeker," Davie said in a serious, adult voice. "I could not live one more minute with that male human. He was absolutely horrible!" My vision blacked out and my last thought was that my children had been body snatched by aliens.

I came back to myself and thought over the memory I had just experienced. The emotions of fear from my husband and needing to protect my children were still strong. I wanted to open my eyes and go find them, to make sure they were safe. To make sure Jim hadn't hurt them.

But then my own rational thought returned and I realized that a Soul must have been inserted into Jim as well, and there was no way that a Soul would hurt anyone, much less a child. With that comforting thought I skimmed through a few more of Anne's memories, getting to know the host I would be living with.

I slowly became aware of light filtering through my closed eyelids and realized that it must either be daytime or there were bright lights shining on me. Chancing to open my eyes I squinted at the bright light and shut them immediately.

"Welcome to Earth," a gentle voice said and I heard soft footsteps moving closer to me. "How are you assimilating?" the voice continued.

I opened my mouth and willed words to form. "Well…I think."

The light dimmed a little and the voice of the healer continued. "You may open your eyes again. The light is not as harsh as it was."

I opened my eyes and blinked up at the healer who stood over me. I studied her face and compared it to other human faces I had seen in my memories. I never remembered seeing any creature quite like humans in any of my other worlds. There was something very pleasing about the human form that I especially liked.

"Better?" she asked and when I nodded she smiled. "Your records say that you have been on three other planets and you had a different name on each. What would you like to be called here?"

I vaguely remembered half memory, half dream, my other lives. I could not think of what I had been called on those planets, but when I asked the healer she told me that here we called them bears, flowers and bats. My last life had been on the planet of the flowers, so I told the healer that I wished to be called by that name.

She nodded and smiled. "Then, welcome to Earth, Upon the River Bend. Would you like to see your family?"

My family. Yes, I would very much like to see my children.

My children, a voice inside me head insisted and I started in surprise. What was that?


A/N: Alright, so here's the first chapter of my story. Let me know what you think and if you liked it so far. I know where I'm going for the next few chapters so if work doesn't get me too bogged down I should be able to get those out now that its fresh in my mind. Thanks in advance for any likes/comments you leave. :)