Soul Fliers

Chapter 4: Garnet

"Once your blood runsgarnetand gold, you need to learn the song." – Jason Johnston

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"All I'm saying is that I've noticed over the years that the humans who are the most judgemental, are also the humans who say they hate stereotypes," Bella said one day at lunch as she ate – surprise, surprise – a small salad; this time, with water bottle. Her outfit consisted of colours commonly found in highlighters, today. Neon pinks, greens, oranges, and yellow. She was one of only a few people in the world who could pull that off.

The gossip had moved away from her – the humans had moved on with their lives. The reason we were having the conversation about stereotypes, though, was because we had overheard Jessica Stanley telling Mike Newton that Bella was still sitting with the 'freaky Cullens'. They all still couldn't understand what was so different about her that we had finally allowed someone else into our circle. Truth is, they were all just jealous.

"I've noticed that, too!" Rosalie exclaimed, joining in on what had previously been an Emmett-and-Bella conversation. Those two had hit it off pretty good; I shuddered when I thought about the trouble they could get into together.

I hadn't been thinking too much about what Jasper had said about my emotions; every once and awhile it would pop up in my thoughts, but I would always shove it away, thinking there was time to look deeper into it later. The way I was going, 'later' would never come.

I pushed the thoughts away, paying more attention to the conversation in front of me; I could think about it later.

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After school that day – it was a Friday – Bella and I were listening to music in my room; the rest of my family had gone hunting, but I had already gone a couple of days before.

"What song is this?" I asked Bella quietly; we had moved on from my classical, to the number of burnt CDs Bella had in her truck. She had explained to me that every song had a meaning for her, so I was listening as best I could to pick out said meaning. I wasn't having much luck with it.

"Stop And Stare, by One Republic." She whispered. Her eyes were distant; she was obviously lost in thought, as she had been since the first song of hers had played. I had to admit she had good taste in music, though. I couldn't say that for the other members of my family – Emmett and Alice with their generic pop songs, Jasper with his country, and Rosalie with her... Rosalie didn't like music, all that much, actually. She would listen to it once in awhile, but she didn't really care what genre it was.

I was the music lover in the family, the only one who could play an instrument. I had learned a while ago that Bella knew how to play guitar, but that she didn't do it very often. I'm sure once Alice found out that little bit of information, we'd be having a show of her playing.

"Why do you listen to this song?" I asked her, trying to get further into the mind that I couldn't get a read on. Most of the songs she had were sad, which contrasted greatly with her positive demeanour. Just when I thought I was beginning to understand her, she throws something new in my face. She was a creature composed of complexities – try saying that ten times, fast.

"Well, I originally listened to it because of the first line – this town is colder now, I think it's sick of us – but, really, it just makes me think about the fact that I'm immortal, so I can never stay in one place for too long." She whispered, her voice tinkling with sadness.

For some inexplicable reason, I reached over and wrapped my arms around her, trying to comfort her; I didn't want her to be sad, even if it was for something that I, too, resented about immortality. We remained like that for the duration of three songs, until we heard the door opening and the sound of my family's voices – they had returned from their hunt.

I found myself not wanting to move, wanting to remain in that spot with her for the rest of eternity. I wanted her to stay in my arms.

She did it for me, though, reaching up and curling out of my embrace. She smiled at me, her eyes holding an emotion I couldn't decipher. She stood up from the couch, and looked down at me.

"Thanks, Edward," she said, her voice full of hidden meaning. Before leaving my room, she leaned down swiftly and planted a soft kiss on my frozen cheek, her warm lips lingering for a moment before they were gone. All I could do as I watched her leave through my door was lift my hand and place it on my cheek, as if trying to hold the feeling of her kiss there.

Yes, in that moment it was quite possible for me to be in love. Yes, I did love Isabella Swan.

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It seemed that though my world had distinctly changed in the few moments it took for her to kiss my cheek, her world was ever the same. The next day – Saturday – I found myself wishing that when she came to visit, the atmosphere around us would have shifted. But, she acted the same as always.

I began wondering if the kiss had only meant something big to me; she wasn't any different. Or, she didn't seem any different. I found she would send me glances and smiles, but she never really approached me or spoke to me, besides when she said 'hello' to me upon entering.

The day passed as I watched her from a distance, feeling the need to protect her from even my family. I suppose that's how that was with mates, though; you were always feeling the need to protect, even when the only people who could possibly harm her were people you trusted with your life.

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The opening of summer began with the family having to go watch as Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett graduated from high school... again. This time, it wasn't just us though. We had all invited Bella to come along; she was over at our house so often now that it was like she was a part of the family, anyways.

After the celebration, we all returned back to our house, sitting around talking and laughing. It was then that Bella decided to give us another hint.

"La Push," was all she said. None of us could understand what she meant, but much like when she had given us the 'birds' hint, she wouldn't say anything else.

Carlisle and Jasper excused themselves early, burying themselves in research once again; I noticed that Bella looked very much amused as they did so, no doubt knowing exactly what they were heading off to do. I never thought I would get this frustrated – but then again, I never thought there would ever be someone who could block me from reading their mind.

I've never had to work without my talent before, and it was doubly as irritating as Bella was the one creature on Earth who had a mind I thought worth reading. Sure, my family member's minds were okay, and a great break from listening to the selfish thoughts of humans, but they were not the minds of the woman I love.

The sad thing about that is that I don't even know what the woman I love is.

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The middle of July gave us a spell from entertaining and visiting Bella; she was leaving for two weeks, heading to go and visit an 'old friend' of hers.

The day before she was set to head off, she and I were once again in my room; though this time we sat in silence. We could both feel the oncoming conversation, but it seemed that neither of us was quite willing to be the one to start it. I wanted to tell her of my love for her, and that I felt the need to keep her by my side instead of seeing her off on a trip to a destination I didn't know – she wouldn't tell any of us, just that she would be safe and that she was to return here in exactly 14 days. She told us that if she was gone even an hour longer, only then should we panic and worry about her. I didn't like the sound of that; she made it sound like there was a good chance she would come across trouble while visiting her 'old friend'.

I didn't know what she wanted to talk to me about, but I could tell by the way she would glance at me once in a while and then snap her head back down to watch herself curl her fingers together. I had never seen her so... fidgety before. The months since she had seemingly blown in with the wind had passed quickly, yet fully; neither my family, nor I, had ever had such a good time in our existence.

"Edward," her soft voice broke through the deep silence of the room – of the house. My family had gone out – to where, I'm not entirely sure – whispering the idea to leave us alone so that we may say our own goodbyes. They knew how I felt, and they were sure that Bella felt the same – Jasper especially; but, then again, his field was in emotions. I didn't quite believe him, even though he had a direct read on her feelings – she never showed anything for me besides friendship.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispered to me, her deep brown eyes lifting from her hands to peer into my own. I knew they would be dark – ever since she arrived, I had begun to put off hunting for as long as possible in hope of getting more time with her.

"I'm going to miss you, too," I told her, reaching over to lay my arm across her shoulders. She moved closer to me, so that she was leaning into my side and my arm was slung comfortably around her back. She sighed softly, turning her eyes towards my window and peering out into the sky, which was bathed in the raging colours of the setting sun.

"You know, in all the many years I have walked this earth, I never thought that I would ever find a reason to feel the way I do. Missing people when they're not right beside you... I haven't felt this way in so long, I'd almost forgotten what it felt like. I don't like the idea that I could ever be alone for so long that I forget what it is like to feel some of the simplest of emotions." She smiled wistfully, and though her eyes never strayed from the image beyond my window, her eyes were distant – seeing things I couldn't imagine, and couldn't see.

"Why? Why did you have to be alone, are there not others of... your kind?" I asked her, also with a hint of asking if she would let me in on the secret of her species.

"There were others, a long time ago; most of my race has died out, though I suppose there may be a few nomads. I haven't been looking for any for a long time; I didn't find a point. The few I came across were wild, acting without thought or reason. It made me wish for the old days, when my kind was viewed upon by others as 'The Bringers of Light', or 'The Soul Fliers'. My father was the leader of all of the clans, the main king as it were. He was the greatest leader our kind had ever had; everybody loved him," she told me, her smile brightening at the memories of times that had long since passed. "Well, I shouldn't say everybody loved him – there were a select few who didn't, and they weren't ashamed to shout their views from the highest trees and mountains," she said bitterly.

"I see," I said, though I really didn't.

"No, you don't."

"No, really; I understand, in a way. Many of our kind think that the way we live is idiotic, that we are fools to pass up the opportunity of feasting on human blood. They can't understand why it is we strive so hard to hold onto that last shred of humanity," I whispered, not trying to hold the pain in.

"You're not a monster, Edward." I scoffed. "You're not! You hold yourself back from killing; not many people would do that, if the need to kill was as strong as your bloodlust is. You're so good, Edward; it's a shame you can't see it." Her voice was desperate, pleading for me to believe what she was saying.

But I couldn't, not yet. And I could see it in her eyes that that was the way I felt on the subject.

"Someday, I will make you see things the way I do," she vowed solemnly, before suddenly breaking out in laughter.

I looked at her, both bemused and confused. What would cause her to turn a serious conversation into a light-hearted laugh?

"I suppose I just gave you enough clues to easily solve the 'big mystery' of what I am, now," she said once her laughter had died down. Thinking back on it, I suppose she had given some major hints, if what her species were once called were any hints, and little bit of the story behind it.

"Yes, I suppose you have." I told her, before we returned to silence.

Around midnight, she shifted to check what time it was on her watch, before turning and smiling sadly at me; I knew that meant that it was time for her to go. She would be leaving at eight in the morning – she had already said goodbye to the rest of my family; I was the last one she was parting with.

We didn't say anything in those last moments, but I know that I would never forget the way she said goodbye to me. It lasted only the for the briefest four seconds of my existence, but I feel as if the impression her lips left on mine would last forever.

She backed away afterwards, smiling brightly with a hint of sadness, before turning and leaving. By the time I moved to make my way after her, to get just a few more minutes with her before she was gone for two weeks, I heard her decrepit beast of a truck start down the driveway.

The next two weeks would be the longest of my life.

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When my family returned home, and I discovered that they had been hunting all those hours, it was already after the time that Bella had said she would be leaving. I did not go after her to her house, even though I so badly wanted to talk with her – about the kiss, about her feelings, about her life, about everything.

I ran excitedly down the stairs, knowing that we would no doubt be closer to finding out what she was.

"Carlisle, Jasper; look up anything to do with 'The Bringers of Light', and 'The Soul Fliers'." I told them, looking forward to uncovering anything about her. Their eyes lit up, and they ran upstairs to the library, looking through any books they could find for anything about immortal creatures. They had realized that Bella must have given me more hints, hints that were far better than just 'birds' or 'La Push'.

A few hours later, Jasper called us upstairs. We entered to find him positioned above a book, smiling broadly about whatever he was reading, with Carlisle hovering over his shoulder, his smile matching Jasper's.

Jasper cleared his throat, before reading it out loud for us.

"The legend of the Birds of Night is one wrapped in mystery, charm, and brilliance. Once the most powerful race in the world, they were looked upon with awe and hope; they were thought to be the future of our universe – they would bring us salvation if we ever needed it. The characteristics of a Bird of Night differed between each person, but the standards were immortality, grace, they were nocturnal, high spirits, and beauty beyond that of this world. The trait they were most known for, however, was the ability to change their shape into that of a bird – each person had a bird that was a resemblance to their very souls. They were also known as the Bringers of Light, or more commonly, the Soul Fliers.

"The last known ruling family of the Birds of Night were the Swans, some seven hundred years ago. They were not true royals, but they were the ones of purest blood; Sir Charles Swan reigned with his wife, and mate, Lady Renee Swan; they birthed three heirs, twin boys Nathaniel and Jonathon Swan, and daughter Isabella Swan. They were free souls, and because of that they were looked to for guidance. The daughter, Isabella, was the best warrior in the land; whenever someone was in need of a guard, she was the one they looked to for aid. The legend says that she spent more time traveling with people who needed protection than she did protecting her family. It is possibly this fact which led to the death of her people.

"There was a man known only as Michael, who did not agree with the way things were done; he led the attack against Sir Charles and Lady Renee; no one in the manor or in the surrounding villages lived. It is said that Isabella returned to her home many months later, only to find that everything had been burnt down, and there was nobody to welcome her. Some believe that Isabella is still out there, biding her time until she can seek her revenge on the man who took everything away from her.

"The legends of the Birds of Night have since died out, but there are a select few people who believe that if the world shall perish in the future, the immortal Soul Fliers shall rise again and help us."

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That legend was harder to write than I thought it would be. Anyways, now you – and more importantly, the Cullens – know what Bella is. If you have any questions on the Birds of Night – or as I prefer, the Soul Fliers – feel free to message me. I'll answer your questions to the best of my ability – which should be pretty good, because I completely created the characteristics and the legend myself, I suppose I should know everything about them, right? Right.

I hope you guys don't hate me for this, but I would also like to say that I am putting Soul Fliers on hiatus for awhile. This chapter is a little longer than my other ones, and hopefully it will tide you over until I can rid myself of this horrible demon named Writer's Block. Head on over to my profile and click on the link for my blog to Soul Fliers, and there you will be able to get to the blog for a story I am going to be writing that will hopefully help cure me of this block.

Anyways, review, tell me what you think, flame me, whatever. I don't care; just leave your thoughts in a review. This will probably be one of the longest chapters in this story – I just knew I needed to fit the legend of Bella's people in. Hope you weren't disappointed.

Remember me.