Yay! I've gotten over 100 reviews! Thanks to all the brilliant people who took the time to review - your opinions were extremely valued. So, here comes chapter 7! It's a little shorter than I had originally intended but I decided to push the drama back a chapter. I didn't really want to rush through things. Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer - All recognisable characters are property of Stephanie Meyer who's an extremely talented author.

Chapter Seven: Beginnings

Bella

My first day in an eternity of vampirism had certainly started with a bang. I had met Aro who told me that I was a multi purpose shield who could absorb other vampire's abilities to make one kick ass gift.

As I said. Wow.

Aro was actually quite nice. He had an alluring, charming smile and had acted rather kindly, asking me about how the transformation went. He was polite, a stark contrast to the vile image that Edward had placed in my head. Almost immediately, I had begun to respect him as somebody who was rather compassionate, though not to Carlisle's degree, with great passion in art, music and literature.

Aro wanted my training to begin as soon as possible, seeing as I had more control over my instincts than the average newborn. I had been startled to discover such, but pleased all the same.

Aro, Demetri and I were walking slowly as the boys kept pointing out different rooms to me. I nodded even though my mind had begun to drift away.

Edward hated the Volturi. Would he ever forgive me? But, he won't ever think about you, would he? Glumly, I remembered that Edward and his family had left me. They wouldn't care if I lived or died – Alice would have visited long ago. But, she hadn't; so, I must have already been forgotten. Already a mere name in the Cullen History of Befriending Stupid Humans Book.

Joy.

I may as well try to move on and forget about my time with the Cullens. It was what Edward wanted anyway. I should just settle in with my new vampire family. I should simply abandon my past and reach out for my future.

However, a part of me knew this would ever happen. I still belonged to Edward – my first and only love.

"Bella!" A friendly voice interrupted my thoughts. It was Heidi, beaming from a few metres away. "We'll have to go shopping some time! Your wardrobe needs a mass restocking and I have no idea what you like!" I smiled, in what was hopefully a grin of appreciation.

But, on the inside I was weeping. Alice, Alice was like that too. Friendly, supportive, hyper about shopping...And she left me.

Could I learn to trust again?

It was farfetched but I got the distinct impression that I could. I was already transforming mentally and would now gladly accept Volterra Castle as a home. Its inner furnishings were exotic yet reasonable. No doubt they had withstood the test of time, standing tall for centuries.

For new beginnings then.

I slowed down abruptly to avoid crashing into Demetri. Distracted with my own thoughts, I only just noticed that the procession had halted outside a huge pearly white room.

"Alright Bella." Said Aro brightly. "Let's check out this gift of yours!"

Demetri

Sending other newborns flying as they hit an invisible wall. Valiantly resisting Aro's efforts to read her thoughts and Alec's attempts too when he joined us half an hour later.

To say that she was amazing was a vast understatement. Bella radiantly glowed, growing alongside Aro's fascination as she created (with deep concentration) a physical barrier around her. It was awesome. It had felt like hitting tonnes and tonnes of solid concrete – even with a vampire's brute strength, I couldn't penetrate.

I grinned sheepishly.

And Bella smiled back.

She was so beautiful.

I was proud of her. Bella was only a few hours old for goodness sake!

I decided to walk Bella to her room afterwards. She intrigued me with her heavenly laugh and the adorable way she tucked her hair behind her ears. We had plenty to talk about, from tastes in music (I would be the unexpected classical lover) to philosophy. We shared one big opinion that was rare among our kind – that vampires had souls.

I was pleased that somebody else accepted this viewpoint. Even though Felix was my greatest companion, he could think rashly at times. Felix was a goofball in that way.

*Flashback*

I was walking towards my quarters with Felix dragging his feet sluggishly behind me. I sighed in exasperation at the downcast, conflicted expression flashing in his eyes.

A week ago, he had confided in me that he had feelings for the human receptionist, Heidi. To say that I was astounded would be misguiding for I had stared at him silently for a full minute before cracking up, rolling all over the ground.

Except Felix wasn't joking.

"She'll never love me!" Felix half groaned, half exclaimed. "Who could love such a disgusting, soulless demon?"

I began to speak, to say something that I had said so many times when I was cut off.

"No! Don't say that vampires have souls!" he snapped.

So, I said nothing and kept on walking.

*End Flashback*

I was really, really liking Bella as a friend.

And maybe for somebody more as well.

Rosalie

Bella was dead. Edward was a zombie. Alice was alternating between screaming bloody murder and killing trees. Jasper was running out of the house at random intervals. Carlisle was burying himself with work. Esme was either dry sobbing in her bedroom or yelling explicatives to the night sky.

And, Emmett wasn't joking around as much.

What about me?

I hated the fact that my family was being torn apart by a mere insignificant human being. I hated how everything was deteriorating and how my life was looking more and more like a depressing hellhole.

You see, when I insisted from the very beginning that Bella was a curse, I meant it.

Just some people realised this a little too late.

I had been pondering deeply; hence the reason I failed to notice a certain pained vampire growling behind me. The vampire's name was Edward Cullen and he was prepared to kill.

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