The Fire of the Sun
The Sun's ever-changing magnetism produces unrest on an awesome scale. The sudden, brief, intense outbursts called solar flares can rip through the Sun's atmosphere with tremendous violence. Solar flares are probably triggered when oppositely directed magnetic fields come together in the corona, releasing their stored magnetic energy in a manner similar to that of a tightly twisted rubber band that suddenly snaps.
-Encyclopedia Encarta, "Earth's Sun"
As I watched him go, I realized I had some serious problems.
My father thought my best friends were members of a dangerous gang and was determined to keep them away from me at all costs.
Said best friends were werewolves suffering from major upheavals; their current leader was injured, their prospective leader didn't want the job, and their ranks were growing steadily with no end in sight.
The local coven of vampires had returned, potentially sparking a severe and dangerous turf struggle.
I was imprinted to a werewolf and drawn to a vampire, two conditions that had to be adjusted and overcome respectively; it was more important than ever that I understand my own mind, and I was terrifyingly unsure of my ability to do so.
If I suffered from one more injury, Jacob, Edward, and Charlie would all set out to kill one another - with no certain victor.
And as all this was happening, I still needed to graduate from high school, go to work, heal my broken and burned hands, and fake a normal life - the normal life that I'd voluntarily relinquished when I made the decision to join the supernatural world. It was a choice I didn't regret... but it was clear to me now that the cost would be high.
-The Movement of the Earth, Epilogue: "Treaty (Redux)"
Book One: Bella
If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Preface
My body trembled.
I'd faced a lot my life so far. I'd seen childish nightmares come to life before my eyes. I'd come close to violent death more than once. I'd been scarred and broken and burned, both inside and out. I'd survived when no one else believed I could... so by comparison this should only have been a minor battle.
My heart pounded.
But all of the previous threats had been external. I'd always fought for my life against actual antagonists, enemies that could be defined. What was I supposed to do when my body turned against me? How are you supposed to keep struggling when all of your senses tell you to give in?
My breath stopped.
Don't do this, some tiny, still aware part of my mind pleaded. Don't.
I was beyond hearing.
My hands came up to caress the face of the man I loved... before his marble lips met mine and I began to drown in his kiss.
Chapter One: Return
Sanity Report: I know, I know, lots of set up for a couple of paragraphs. My anal-retentiveness about canon-compliant formatting continues unabated. (At least I'm posting Chapter One at the same time, yes?) For the record, I've got Breaking Dawn sitting next to me for the express purpose of checking structure as I go. I'm thinking I better surround it with salt. Just in case.