The Cullens were out hunting.
It was another boring day. The trees rustled in the light breeze. Alice was staring into space, with Jasper's hand on her shoulder. Emmett was punching a tree, while Rosalie sighed impatiently. Esme paced back and forth between the trees, while Edward and Carslisle stood absolutely still to catch the scent of any wild animals that might be prowling nearby.
Edward caught no sound. No scent. Nothing. Imagine what a surprise it was for him to see what happened next.
A silver arrow flew out from between the trees and pinned Edward's shirt to the tree behind him.
Carlisle and Edward immediately tensed, looking for the cause. No one else seemed to have heard anything. Not the string of the beautiful silver bow snap back into place, not the whoosh of the arrow piercing the air, not when it pulled Edward's shirt to the tree. No one caught the scent of a mortal hunter through the woods, perhaps mistaking them for prey. It was only until the archers stepped out from between the trees that the rest of the vampires caught notice of what was going on.
Edward immediately noticed that both archers were female. The thing that surprised him the most was that one of them resembled Bella.
That was impossible. The vampires were hunting in Canada, nowhere near their old home in Forks. He left Bella there, to live her own human life. Besides, it had been nearly twenty years. There was no way Bella could look young and healthy, like when he had first met her. And Edward knew that with Bella's clumsiness, she would have never aspired to be a hunter.
But there she was. And here he was.
The girl that looked remarkably like Bella immediately focused on him, scowling. Then she looked at Alice, and her expression softened just a tiny bit.
"I knew there were monsters out here," the unfamilar archer said. "Let's -"
"No, Phoebe. If you would allow it, I would like to deal with them alone."
Edward stifled a gasp. It was Bella. Although she was dressed in an elegant silver hunting outfit, with her hair braided, and her regal speech pattern, he recognized that voice. The other Cullens were apparently thinking the same. Emmett's mouth was hanging open.
The one named Phoebe eyed the Cullens apprehensively. "Are you sure, Izzi? They seem to recognize you, and it would be awful for you to die from their vengeance."
Bella (or Izzi, as Phoebe seemed to recognize her as) rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I'm not a weakling. If I had slaughtered eight thousand five hundred thirty four monsters before with no failures, how much harder can this be?"
Jasper gaped. She had become a murdurer? And what did she mean by monsters? There were no such thing, unless vampires counted. And there weren't a hundred vampires in existence, much less eight thousand five hundred thirty four.
Phoebe gave the Cullens one last glance, and then turned around. "Fine. I'll meet up with Thalia to discuss our next move."
Phoebe fled the scene almost as fast as a vampire could.
Edward started. This was too odd. Things with no scent, perfect accuracy with a bow and arrow, and could run as fast as a vampire.
"If I were you," Bella-Izzi glared, "I wouldn't be lost in thought like that. At least, if you value your life."
"Bella?" Esme whispered, shocked.
"I go by Izzi now," Izzi said coldly.
"What in the world is going on?" Emmett yelled, frustrated.
Edward was frozen in place. He hadn't even bothered to pull his shirt free.
"You. You're Edward, aren't you?" Izzi directed at Edward.
He nodded, not able to say anything.
Izzy scowled. "You were the one that ruined my life. Making me feel like my world was all about you, then running off because you wanted to protect my humanity. Did you even care about what that would do to me? It just goes to show that romantic love is worthless. The only true kind of love is the kind that family shares."
"I didn't mean-" Edward said, not able to do anything else.
"Hold on," Carlisle said, ever the peace-maker. "What's going on? Why are you dressed like that, Be- Izzi?"
Izzi looked at Carlisle, her expression softening just a bit. "After you left Forks, the Hunters of Artemis found me. Found me heartbroken, crying my eyes out. They offered me the chance to abandon that life for immortality - what you wouldn't give me, by the way - and to be able to travel with a family of sisters around the world, vanquishing monsters that stood in the way. I accepted, and now I know not to trust men."
Izzi fired another arrow at Edward. It skimmed his arm, leaving cut skin, but no blood.
"Yes, these arrows are enchanted, along with the knives on my belt," Izzi said. "If I could, I would slice you," she continued, jerking her chin towards Edward, "into a thousand pieces and slowly burn each piece over a fire. You were the one that left me with my heart in pieces. You were the one that ruined my life. You were the one that made me abandon all of my other friends, the ones that truly cared about me, for you, and then you left me with nothing. But I can't do that to your family. They care about you, and as much as I absolutely hate you, I now know how powerful love from a family can be."
Alice stared at Izzi in horror. Rosalie's expression was filled with pure rage, while Edward, Emmett, and Esme couldn't seem to absorb it all. Carlisle and Jasper listened intently
"Lady Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, offered me this life nineteen years ago. I now have sisters to travel with. They are worth much more than weak or strong ties of romantic love that will leave you broken either way. I have been told to slaughter all monsters in this area, and clearly, you are all monsters."
Rosalie leaped. She couldn't stand this cold, calculating Bella. Love was what made her existance worth living, and now she was being told otherwise by an arrogant servant of some old, worthless Greek goddess.
Izzi saw it coming. She grabbed her silver hunting knife, unsheathed it, and sliced it in a wide arc through the air just in time to cut off Rosalie's left arm neatly.
"As I was saying," Izzi said, as if Rosalie hadn't tried to kill her, "I have been given orders to kill the monsters around this area, but I wouldn't do that. I'll leave you all alive, but stay. out. of. my. way."
Izzi lept over to where Edward sat a few feet away. She took her knife and lightly scraped it across his skin. No one tried to stop her.
When Izzi had fled, Edward looked down at his arm.
Scratched in faint letters read the words you won't forget me.