The Four Species

Dare I even think it? Never thought I'd be relaxing on my couch smiling at the ceiling and just thinking about how good life can actually be. For once I paid attention to the bit of sun light peering in through the curtains and illuminating my room. It was midday and I love it.

Four days had passed since Bella and I were at our lake somewhere in Canada sharing our first kiss. It was also my first kiss. I had seen this act of affection so many times on television and theater. Countless times had I read about it in books, and even envied the vividly described details I thought I'd never know.

Is this what everyone's been going on about? Well they all were right and I was wrong. The bliss that filled you when sharing such a passionate embrace like I did with Bella is incontrovertible.

We lay there for hours. After we left the watery grave of the lake we lay out in the grass, next to each other and simply stared at the sky. The moon was so big and it felt like I was seeing it for the very first time. The diamond filled sky seemed so magnificent.

I held her in my arms and breathed in the deep aroma that defined her. Every breath was like Christmas morning. Each stroke of her divine head was me unwrapping one gift after another.

I remember how she lay over my chest, cradling herself into me. Her little finger traveled and tickled up and down my chin and I adored it. I never realized that such peace could exist. For once in my life I felt my worries flutter away with the pain of yesterday.

I never wanted it to end. I could have lain there forever as long as she was there with me.

So many thoughts raced through my mind that night especially about Bella. I relieved so many memories when she was covered in all those veils of mystery. But now the curtains were rising, and revealing one treasure after another.

Unfortunately our time came to an end when the sun began to rise towards the eastern hemisphere. I didn't mind though. I wanted to go back to Forks and show the others that I had been reinvented.

I wanted to clarify and show them that I was capable of everything they were.

On the way back I tightly grasped Bella's hand, riveting in her cold touch that seemed so familiar and pleasant now. I became more excited when she gently nudged her thumb along side of mine.

We didn't say much on the way back. I only ever stared into her eyes. They were continuous sun rises, and rose every time I looked at them. She smiled crookedly and smugly whenever I'd steal a glance at her.

The most fun was when we got to the small lake that flowed just behind the mansion. I remember it too good.

"Oh Edward please," Bella complained. I was adamant though. "C'mon, just this once." I made a discovery that night. I had a power I never knew I had.

I encircled Bella's hands in mine and held them over my heart. I touched her forehead with mine and dreamily gazed into her eyes that were glaring at me playfully.

"Please?" I had whispered innocently. Bella rolled her eyes and sighed, already defeated. "Just this once sweetling," she said agitated.

I swooped her up like a bride in my arms chuckling victoriously, and twirling my imaginary mustache. It took only one leap and we were on the other side of the small river.

I stood firmly on the other side smiling down at her shaking and embarrassed face. "Was that so bad?" She rolled her eyes at me again, they were so beautiful. "If anybody I KNOW had seen that…," she tried to say but I finished the sentence for her. "…they would say who is that handsome youth carrying her?"

Bella sighed chuckling and closing her eyes. "How do you yanks put it? Cocky?" I laughed out loud. "Definitely," I whispered and leaned down for a kiss on her soft and enticing lips.

My own laugh filled my room. A seldom noise these walls usually never hear.

We made it to the house with everyone already awaiting us inside. The first faces I saw were the anxious glimpses of Carlisle and Esme.

"Where were you? I've been worried Edward." Esme's motherly voice scorned me. Carlisle breathed a fresh air of relief rather than anything else.

I didn't like their thought patterns. They both didn't know what happened after Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie told them that I disappeared with Bella into the woods. Alice reassured them that I was safe and Bella wouldn't inflict any harm yet parents always worry no matter what you tell them.

I especially liked the surprised and eye widening look I saw on Esme when she noticed Bella's and my hand intermingled. Suddenly all the worry and mistrust she had placed on Bella evaporated.

"I put some new candles in your room since the others were burnt down. I hope you don't mind dear?" Esme's glow was mesmerizing. For too long had she worried about me.

Bella gave her a small smile. "Thank you." Esme smiled even brighter, "You're welcome." Carlisle too had seen our hands joined and tried to hide his smile. However, he was still a bit nervous. Unlike me, he virtually knew nothing about her.

"I think it's time to clarify some things don't you?" I had asked Bella. She looked at me with a sudden hardness in her face and I already sensed there would be restrictions.

You may not tell them of my true identity. Say nothing of Atlantis. It is a memento of the past that should not be revisited unless I chose so. Do not speak of Helios or what happened when our minds linked. Do not even mention that.

I looked into Carlisle's thirsting eyes when Bella whispered the rules to me mentally. He looked so excited and impatient. There were so many questions he wanted to ask a living breathing ancient that he didn't even know where to begin.

"Let us go into the living room shall we?" Carlisle invitingly poised his hand towards the living room where I detected everyone else already.

Emmett and Jasper were playing a round of chess while Rosalie was engulfed in Vogue magazine. Alice sat next to her pointing out the newest fashion trends.

Quickly we moved across the foyer into the living room. Esme was close next to Bella; her hand on Bella's back guiding her. She was overdoing it just a bit. Everyone stared at us when they finally saw us.

Emmett grinned, Jasper just smiled at Bella, Rosalie was expressionless yet surprised, and Alice glared at me.

You're going to pay for my ruined stuff, she shouted at me mentally. I sighed. Why not just get it I thought? I'm sure her accessories were still in the forest.

Suddenly I saw an image in Alice's mind, a past vision of a deer carrying of her jacket into the wilderness and trampling over her glasses. Funny I thought bemused.

Jasper and Emmett drew their attention away from their ongoing three hour chess game to give us their full attention. Rosalie put her magazine down feeling a change of mood in the room. Carlisle and Esme joined Alice and Rose on the couch while Jasper and Emmett remained stationary on their seat by the table.

Bella squeezed my hand slightly before leaving my sight to stand over by the walls of glass and looked out to the forest, crossing her arms over her chest. I knew then I would be alone in attempting an explanation and answering my families questions.

Carlisle patiently folded his hands together and leaned forward in his seat awaiting the long expected reasoning for the madness over the past few days. The room then got quiet. Everyone stared at me looking for a response. I contemplated on how to begin or what to say. I was limited to reveal anything concerning Bella's true identity which in turn retrogressed all I indeed knew.

They were waiting and I seemed to be stalling. There was but one place I could start.

"Well, she's an ancient." Their expressions didn't change nor showed surprise. They were already well aware of that fact.

Carlisle though was the first to exchange a glance between Bella and I. "Where does she come from?" His intrigue with her was apparent. "Well, before coming here she was in England."

And before that she came from the fabled vampire metropolis Elysium that now lies in ruins, I added mentally. Carlisle smiled.

"Actually I mean where was she born, and her heritage." I was fretting these questions. Bella instructed me not to give mention to Atlantis. I suppose she wanted to keep it a relic of the past. But what was I to say now?

"Does it matter?" Bella intervened. The icy look she had previously used against Carlisle had faded but was replaced with one of tediousness. I fervently hoped she wouldn't be pessimistic.

Carlisle returned her monotonous stare but kept his smile in place. The static that bolted back and forth between their stares seemed like a battle. Carlisle correctly predicted that Bella has many secrets and though he respected her privacy he wanted her to give some of these secrets up. But only because she was staying in his house and he wanted to ensure the safety of his family.

"We're merely interested in what culture you came from, and what traditions were passed down to you from your human lineage." Esme smiled, agreeing with Carlisle's words. "I would like to learn more about you too. I'm sure you have a lot of experiences and witnessed your share of historic events."

My gaze shifted back and forth between Bella and Carlisle, and Esme and finally I ended up back on Bella. I was curious to see what she would tell them.

"My way of life, the way of life I lead before being forced into this dull existence no longer prevails. The written word did not capture my people on pages. They only linger in my memory where they will remain."

Carlisle nodded, understanding. He slightly pursed his lips rethinking his position and formulated other questions he was curios to have answered. "How old are you if I may ask?"

Bella mimicked my half smile and grinned at Carlisle playfully, "Older than you." Carlisle coughed a laugh and swapped a brief look with Esme.

"Older than the Volturi…" We all gazed back at Bella as she continued. She turned away from the window pane and started to walk towards us. "Older than the great pyramids…"

I watched them closely from the corner of my eye. They hurried looks across the room at each other. Alice seemed to be the only one composed and cool. For once her mind was nowhere close to the future but latched to the present.

Carlisle slightly rose in his seat becoming more lively and interested. It seemed though the dam was breaking, and the water began flowing through.

"The time of my beginnings bore in the wastelands of shadow when Gaia was on the brink of annihilation. This time has since passed away from human memory and has been burned from the history pages. For longer than any of you have lived or will live have I journeyed the destitute routes of this plane.

The atrocities I have witnessed by the claws of others, and by my own have since shaped and formed me into who and what I am.

Many things shroud my existence and layer them in uncertainty and doubt. For there are many horrors and joys hidden in my past that none should be aware of. I understand your desire and curiosity towards me but rest assure that it would be wise not to humble me with anymore inquires. The less you know, the longer you may continue your life's on the immortal road."

Carlisle's curiosity accelerated even further with this new illumination. "So, you are saying that uncovering your secrets would strife others or even yourself to eliminate us?"

Bella nodded only once keeping her eyes hard. "Your secrets wouldn't have anything to do with the page of the vampire encyclopedia you destroyed would they?" I became a nervous. Carlisle was diving into something he shouldn't. His intellect and ability to see through charades was leading him down a dangerous path.

Bella did have something to do with it. Her name was on that list, her true name. The oldest names ever recorded by our kind were on that page and Bella destroyed it. It was certain to me that the other seven individuals listed were linked to her, and that just like she they too were still alive.

Bella smiled at Carlisle. "Prove it." The heat intensity being exchanged back and forth between the two was immeasurable. It seemed like they were equal. And even though I trusted, respected, and loved Carlisle I had to admit that in the end Bella would be victorious.

Carlislegot up from his seated position. He folded his hands together out in front of him and smiled kindly.

"I thank you for what you have done for us. If it weren't for you I'm sure that Emmett, Alice, Edward, Rosalie, and most certainly Jasper would be dead by now. It is only for this reason I tolerate your presence.

I have absolutely nothing against whom or what you are but please fathom that up until a few weeks ago I utterly believed that your kind no longer existed. I have heard enough tales of the ancients and the wars they raged to know that I fear what you are capable of.

It is not in my nature to be this way but you present me with a situation I don't know how to handle. Aro and his brothers searched the world for vampires like you to seek the knowledge and history of our kind that you possess and returned empty handed.

To all other vampires on this earth you no longer exist, and therein lies my worry. What will you do to ensure that we never reveal this meeting?"

So this is what Carlisle was hiding? I had been wrong and he had been hiding it well. Emmett then spoke up. "What are you thinking Carlisle? Do you think she will kill us?" Rosalie shook her head.

"No, why would she do that? If she wanted us gone then she would have allowed that beast to kill us but instead she saved me, and you."

"She's right," Jasper smiled agreeing. "She won't harm us." Alice peeked at him surprised. "How do you know?" Jasper grinned chuckling and shaking his head. "I don't know."

The attention in the room shifted to him, mine as well. "Well how can you make an assessment like that without knowing for sure?" Esme asked. "It's not knowing as much as feeling it. I can feel that she has no hostility towards us. Even if we'd decide to spread the word of surviving ancients to others she'd still not harm us."

Emmett reached over and playfully nudged Jasper's arm, "Now how would you know that? Another feeling?" Jasper smiled though he seemed confused. "No. This is not a feeling. It's knowledge."

"But we still don't understand how you would know that dear," Esme debated. Jasper shrugged his shoulders, "Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know either." This was puzzling indeed.

I turned around and looked at Bella who was wearing a low smile on her lips staring at Jasper. She knew why and I think I started to understand why too.

"Either way," Carlisle continued, "I still want to be absolutely sure that before you continue your stay with us that you will not endanger my family. If you can't guarantee their safety then I would bid you to leave this instant however, if you can assure peace and non aggression than you are more than welcome to stay."

And there it was; Carlisle's compromise. Bella had done nothing but meditate in this house using the candles that Esme and Alice bought for her. Bella seemed grim. Her transfixed look on Carlisle became dark. I don't know why. Maybe she didn't like the way he talked to her or maybe it was because she couldn't agree to his terms. If I were in his place I might have done the same thing though.

Bella glided slowly and elegantly across the Persian rug keeping her hands folded over her chest. "I can assure you that no ill temperament will befall you. If someone is approaching, I will know." Carlisle narrowed his eyes. "How?"

Bella sighed and turned around. She must honestly dislike curiosity. "If I tell you something of worth will you then leave me be?" Ah… Now she wants to compromise I thought amused. Carlisle's mind was a tangled web of worry and curiousness. What could possibly be more interesting than a living breathing ancient he thought.

"Such as?" he asked. Then, Bella dropped the bomb. "The beginning of our kind."

The notion in the room was the same for all of us as we gasped. "How would you know that?" Alice asked surprised. It was comical seeing her surprised. Bella's decision to confide must have happened mere seconds ago, not enough time for Alice to see.

Bella smiled smugly but paid no mind to anybody but Carlisle. He stared at her shocked. His thoughts were racing through his weary mind. He tried to think of how Bella could know such things and of how it was possible. But most importantly he was interested in knowing indeed how our kind came to be.

Bella lifted her hands out on either side of her like a weighing scale. "What is it Carlisle? Would you prefer the tale of an ancient or rather the fact of how we came to be?" She tilted her hands up and down teasing him.

"Do I still have you promise of no harm coming to us? That is my first priority." Bella sighed huffed bored, "Yes Carlisle. You have my word, and my word is my bond."

Carlisle looked at us now, and at the reactions on our faces. He wanted to make it a family decision. "What do you think," he asked. "Origin?" Everyone nodded vigorously.

This was a question weighing on every vampires mind. Where do we come from? What is our purpose? Why do we exist? How did we come into existence? Did Bella have the answers? As soon as we nodded and agreed to hear about the beginning Bella immediately began speaking.

I did learn one more thing about Bella today; she had a secret. It must be a secret so deep that she would dangle the origin of our species right in front of us just to make us loose the trail.

"Many would consider what I am about to tell you a mere legend. Why? No vampire has sufficient evidence to prove the worth and reality of this claim. However, there are some of us that were the offspring of those whom in turn were the offspring of those that still recalled this strand of memory.

The history of how we began has been passed down in the pool of vampire genetic memory for nearly one million years."

"Impossible…" Carlisle whispered almost hypnotized. Bella chuckled and went on.

"Oh yes, very possible. Long before the arrival of man, beast, and tree Gaia was engulfed in an apocalyptic battle of massive proportions. This still predates the time of giant lizards," she smiled.

"All those years ago Gaia was a battlefield for what we call, the Four original Super Powers that sprung from the hellfire's of creation. We have no exact knowledge of how they came into existence. All we do know is that when they opened their eyes to the world for the first time all they saw was flame. Therefore the sentiment sprung from the hellfire's of creation.

We have no exact knowledge of how or why they drove each other to war. Perhaps it was for domination of this world or perhaps the futile pursuit of proving themselves better over their rivals.

What we do know is that they respected one thing, and that was life. While they warred Gaia developed into a beautiful green paradise. The trees and animals started to appear, and brought forth new life. However, their warring lead to countless casualties that destroyed life and nearly drained Gaia of it making her obsolete.

Humans still wonder how the dinosaurs went extinct…" Bella laughed.

"Their battle tore and terraformed this world. Oceans were thrown out of balance, mountains were torn asunder, and the world turned into a dark place of shadowy chasms.

Yet, because they respected life and when the realization came to light they saw that their senseless battle was abruptly destroying an entire world. So, nearly one million years ago they left our plane of existence to move on to new horizons.

But before they left they seeded a new species that had erupted or had been created with their essence. This is how we came into existence.

They used their power to change four humans DNA to their liking and created them in the image of their preference.

Valar…" I was about to translate one of the few vamerrian words I knew when Jasper suddenly interrupted. "Vampire."

"Beolgo..." Bella said. Jasper did it again. "Werewolf". How would he know that term? The term Valar had come up many times during the conversation Bella and the Moriatus had but… come to think of it, Jasper wasn't even present for that.

"Moriatus…" Jasper translated again. "Gargoyle," he whispered. There was a glee of fear in his eyes as he said that word.

"And of course the Shurrings," Bella finished. That was a new world I never heard before. "Shifters," Jasper replied. Shifters?

"Wait a minute," Rosalie interrupted. "If these four formed these humans into their liking and possibly even their image?" Bella nodded approvingly. "Well then why do vampires look like humans? Even werewolves retake human form when the sun rises."

Carlisle answered Rosalie's plea. "The change she refers to dove into a considerably deeper level Rosalie. I believe this also occurred on the genetic level. Like Bella mentioned they changed their DNA."

"Oh…" Rosalie realized. "But why?" Esme asked. Bella blinked confused. "Why did they do what they did? Why did they create these four?"

"To leave behind their legacy," Bella answered. "When they changed their four specimens they also ensured that they would remember who their creators were and infested their minds with that knowledge.

From these four humans who became the first four, all of us came. Vampires infect humans with their venoms, and werewolves do the same. Shifters are born that way, and Moriatus…well… that is perhaps a discussion for another time."

"Shifters?" I asked. "What are shifters?" "It is merely a short term for the actual word shape shifters. They were able to take on any form of their liking. Unfortunately many thousands of years have passed and their lines have deteriorated. A shape shifter could live their entire life without knowing what they are. They require a trigger to reactivate the dormant gene in their bodies that allows their transformation and genetic memory.

That trigger being any one of the four species."

"Now I know you said you want to talk about it some other time but I'd like to hear this now," Emmett grinned mischievously. "How do the gargoyle's recruit?" It was an interesting question. I couldn't imagine it being similar to how a human is turned into a vampire.

"A Moriatus," Bella began seemingly defeated and appalled, "will bite a human much like vampires and werewolves and will inject them with massive amounts of their DNA. Within hours the selected humans DNA will change to match that of a Moriatus. After that, the fusion of the two DNA strands will form an embryo which will absorb nearly every white blood cell in a human's body along with other things like fats, water, and ATB.

They use humans like incubators for their young. After two or sometimes three days a Moriatus the size of a two year old child will burst from within a human's stomach and be born. Moriatus generally take their infected victims to isolated areas, preferably caves and other dark places for this process."

While I and everyone else seemed disgusted by this process Carlisle was absolutely fascinated.

"Why would the embryo take the white blood cells?" he asked. "White blood cells almost entirely compose a human's immune system and the Moriatus embryo needs them in order to create its own. Even if the process of creating a Moriatus young should fail the human would die anyway hence they will lack an immune system. Not to mention the fact that the embryo nearly absorbs all the fluids in their blood.

Carlisle smiled brightly, "I knew it must have been something like that. Why else rob them of all the white blood cells. That's amazing. What's the greater science behind it?" Bella's lips twitched and arched completely disturbed.

"Some other time…" Carlisle nodded agreeing seeing the displeasure on her face. "So go on please," Carlisle implored.

"About?" Bella asked. "About how we came to be," Alice said. Bella shrugged her shoulders. "That was all, I already told you. The knowledge was passed down along the hereditary line of vampires through venenum memoria until about ten thousand years ago when few and fewer vampires even still knew."

"So… vampires don't actually belong here?" Esme asked saddened. She was always one to believe that there was a higher purpose for our kind along with Carlisle.

"We do not know if these four monarchs were created or moved along an evolutionary path. However, we do know that they are originally from Earth and we are there descendants. We, along with every other living thing belong to this world."

Esme seemed a bit relieved but the sorrow was still in her golden eyes. Carlisle sat back down next to her and wrapped his arm around her. "The reason we are here and met was so that our love could be born, and so we could show the world the fruits of such a union." Esme smiled at Carlisle and kissed him on the lips.

"So where did they go?" Jasper asked. "The Four original Super Powers I mean?"

"I do not know," Bella answered honestly. "We know they shed themselves of their physical forms whilst they still warred and lived as pure energy. Once they ended their chaotic struggle they left this realm behind and have not been seen or heard from since."

And that was it then. I suppose there were some things that even Celest err.. Bella didn't even know.

I breathed in a fresh breeze that blew through the window bringing with it the tantalizing scent of the forest I had never noticed before. The four days after our small discussion were very peaceful. I had skipped school for the past few days simply not caring about the dramatic nonsense that waited there anymore.

I didn't want to go back to listening to unacquainted love or filthy desires of others anymore. For the first time ever in my life I experienced what true love was like and I didn't want it to be tainted by that garbage.

I had only seen Bella once during the last four days. I knocked on her door to invite her for a hunt. When she opened the door and I asked she replied that she was submerging herself into a deep state of mediation and that she wished to dwell on it for awhile. The feelings she had for me she apparently had not experienced for a very long time, actually since the death of Helios. She wanted to meditate on it so I let her.

She did promise me that once she was finished she would allow me to take her out and show her what sort of gentleman I could actually be. She also promised she would tell me more about herself, Elysium, and Atlantis. I couldn't wait.

It was suppose to be today but Alice felt the need to interfere.

"She needs some clothes and what we have just doesn't suit her. I'll take her to Seattle so we can do some proper shopping." Alice proclaimed.

"I have no need for new attire so…," " I don't care," Alice interrupted. "C'mon Bella lets do it. I'd be like a girl thing. Esme and Rosalie are coming too." Alice beseeched her and beseeched her until Bella finally gave in.

She was however able to negotiate with Alice and would be allowed to stand in the corners and out of sight and would allow Alice to do the shopping. Bella did warn her that she would still be choosing what to wear.

So… off they went to Seattle. Carlisle and Emmett went for out for a hunt about an hour ago while Jasper and I decided to stay at the house.

The four girls had been gone for most of the day already. I wonder what torments Alice was making Bella endure. I simply could not see Bella walking into a clothing store and trying on every single dress available. In addition, I also couldn't see Alice or even Rosalie convincing her to model for them. I can't wait for them to get back so Bella and I could spend some more time together.

Beep.

I jumped up from the couch and snatched my cell phone of my writing desk. I clapped it open hoping to see a call or text message from Alice telling me how their or rather Bella's day was going. I would also not be surprised to see an S.O.S from Bella telling me to rescue her from Alice's grasp.

I looked at the screen of my cell phone but didn't see anything. I skimmed through my inbox of old text messages but couldn't find any recent ones. I even went over to my missed calls to see if for some reason I had missed a call but no, I didn't.

Was it beeping because the battery was running low? It was fully charged I saw.

Beep.

Its not my cell phone that's making that noise. It was a soft and light noise but it was not my phone.

"Jasper, is your phone ringing?" Jasper was in Carlisle's study fiddling through the vampire index hoping to find an answer to his sudden knowledge. I had a theory about that. What if Bella's memories were passed on to him?

Though my tone was low I knew he heard. "No," he replied back. What? Well then what is it? I suppose it could be many things.

Beep.

There it was again. It didn't come from the inside of my room though. I went out in the hall only to meet Jasper coming out of Carlisle's study. "What is that?" He asked.

"I don't know. Everyone took their phones with them. And I don't think we have anything else that makes that sort of noise."

"Are you sure?" Jasper asked doubtful. "Yes. I'm almost positive that the noise came from the second story. The computers don't sound like that and even if mine and Carlisle's is turned off. The others are all downstairs. The television is turned off too."

Beep.

"There it goes again," I said. This time though I could pin point the source of the sound. I followed the sound down the corridor leading towards Bella's room. Jasper followed close behind.

I opened the door to her room without hesitation. Jasper laughed when he saw the entire room embedded with candles. They were everywhere, on top of the bed, table, chair, all over the floor, cabinet, even the window seal.

"She meditates," I chuckled to Jasper. "I can see that," he said laughing.

I gazed across the room looking for something that could explain the beeping. The television was turned off, and I didn't see a cell phone or any other electronic device for that matter.

Beep.

This time I heard where it was coming from. I went over to the bed and lifted up Bella's black coat that had been hanging over the bed post. The origin of the sound came from it. My fingers were cowards and didn't want to explore Bella's privacy.

"Are you sure she won't gut you for going through her coat?" Before… maybe but it was different between us now. What if the sound came from a cell phone she had and it was important?

I reached into a pocket inside of the coat and felt something small, and metallic. I pulled out whatever it was and revealed it to Jasper and me.

"Okay…" Jasper whispered. "I don't think that's it Edward."

We were looking at a small round hand mirror. It couldn't have been bigger than the size of a baseball. It was round, flat and thin. The silver thin lining around it was very shiny. There were also four small blue pebbles on the mirror. The pebbles were positioned on it like a compass showing north, south, east, and west; one on top, opposite from that one on the bottom, and left and right. They were perfect spheres.

I saw my reflection and the confused glimmer in my eyes while I examined it. I turned it over and found no other clues there. The back of it was plain silver.

"Check the other side of the coat maybe there is something else in there." I was about to pick up the coat off the bed when…

Beep.

Jasper and I were both startled when the northern small crystal ball on the mirror suddenly lit up with a blue light for but a second.

"Okay… so it is the mirror." I said. "Are you sure it's a mirror?" Jasper asked. "Why? I asked baffled. "Many things aren't always as they appear, much like your Bella Edward."

"So what should I do?" I didn't like toying with Bella's belongings without her consent.

"Touch the screen." I debated with it for a second. But curiosity would surely overtake me. I gave into Jaspers suggestion and tapped my finger on the mirror.

Suddenly the screen lit up with a blue light. Jasper and I both took a deep breath of awe and astonishment when his suspicion turned out accurate. The four crystal balls lit up too. The light was blinding at first but eventually I could make out some movement.

"Its like a small super computer" Jasper stated the obvious. The bright light subsided and showed what appeared to be a computer screen. Jasper and I watched as what looked like data flowed down the length of the mirror. It was making small beeping noises. I tried to read some of the symbols but they were unlike anything I had ever seen before.

It stopped and a new window appeared in the length of the mirror's reflection. Suddenly there were five small symbols on the right and left. The screen itself was blue but the symbols were yellow.

"Have you ever seen anything like them Edward?" Jasper asked confounded. I shook my head. "No, not like anything I've ever seen. There seems to be no comparison to the Runes, Hieroglyphics or anything else I've ever seen. Esme would know more."

"Well?" I looked at Jasper bewildered. "Well what?" Jasper pursed his lips.

"Well when you touched the screen you seemed to have activated it. That implies that it might be touch screen controlled. Try one of the small symbols."

"Jasper," I scolded, "we have no idea what this is. We have no business exploring Bella's belongings without her consent."

Jasper raised his jaw keeping it in a straight line. I was still getting used to him having no more scars. "I want to know more about her. Besides we have no idea what these symbols mean so we won't be able to read any of it anyway."

But if we won't be able to read it why bother continuing? My curiosity was poking at me to take up Jasper's advice.

I looked at the ten symbols deliberating which one to pick. I chose the one that looked the astrological symbol for Mercury with a dot in the middle. When I clicked on the symbol the screen changed.

At once the light blue screen returned with deep white lines forming what looked like houses and trees. The lines were still being drawn when I noticed two small red dots blinking.

"What do you suppose that means?" Jasper asked, studying the small gadget. The lines stopped fanning out and it appeared to be blueprints of sorts.

"Jasper…" I muttered when I realized what it was. "That's our house. The two red dots represent us." Jasper gasped and looked at me amazed.

"Like a life signs detector? How? This small thing?" I ignored his puzzled rambling and decided to tap the screen again. Now it seemed to widen out. The house became smaller as newer lines were drawn around it swiftly.

"Wait a minute," I said. "Look here Jazz." Jasper leaned closer to me and looked over my shoulder at the mirror. "I tapped it again and the range seemed to expand. See all of these other houses? It's a miniature map of Forks. Every single building, street, and even the trees seem to be shown."

"Amazing…" Jasper coughed. But the fact that this petit and thin piece of advanced technology could do this was not the most notable part.

"Don't you notice anything?" Jasper returned his golden orbs to me, they seemed overwhelmingly stunned.

"If like you say this thing can detect life sign then why don't I see any but the two of us? WAIT! I have an idea. Lets put the life signs theory to a test. Move back some," I ordered him. I crossed the room until the back of my knees touched the edge of the bed. I watched the monitor closely as Jasper proceeded into the hall in a human pace.

I tapped my finger on the small red dots and suddenly it zoomed in again showing only the house and the blinking flashes of red. Jasper was right. When he moved one of the dots moved. Jeez. It even showed the corridors and rooms in the house…

"You were right." Jasper crossed the hall quickly until he was looking over my shoulder again.

"But why isn't it showing human life signs? How can it even detect vampire life sign? Maybe some sort of sophisticated sensors? I mean we don't have any body heat so it's sensory perception can't be based on thermal detectors."

"Zoom out again," Jasper suggested. I did as he asked and tapped on the house and suddenly it widened again. Now I noticed six new small symbols on the bottom of the screen.

I lifted my fingers above them going back and forth trying to decide which one to hit. I chose the one that looked like a V and an up side down V joined with two small dots in the center.

The two tiny red dots disappeared. I gave it a few seconds awaiting the return of some sort of signal but nothing appeared.

"Great. You broke it didn't you?" I snorted. "Me? You told me to do it?"

"Since when do you listen to me or anybody else for that matter?" Jasper challenged. I growled under my breath. Jasper raised his eyebrows smiling challengingly.

I went back to the mirror, and still nothing. All it showed were the blueprints of the house and that was it. Maybe I should try widening it out again? I tapped the house and the range increased again. This time however, something did show up. As a matter of fact, numerous signals appeared.

"Look at that!" Jasper expressed mesmerized. The mirror showed the entirety of Forks along with sums and sums of life signs. "How many do you suppose there are?" I asked Jasper.

"At least three to four thousand," he guessed. I gasped.

'OF COURSE! Human life signs." Jasper nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"HOLY SH**!" Jasper bellowed when out of nowhere the light of the mirror shone very, very brightly right into our faces.

We stumbled back dropping the mirror in the process. It landed flat on its back. The blue light radiated strongly up against the ceiling.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Jasper yelled. "I DON'T KNOW!" I yelled back.

Suddenly the light began to deteriorate. Jasper and I watched it moving and decreasing in range. It descended until it was close to matching our size. Then, the planet Earth appeared.

The light from the mirror created a real time representation of the entire planet. It showed all the landmasses, oceans, North Pole, and everything else. "A holographic projection?"

"How?" Jasper asked. "It's impossible. There is no way. It's far too small to hold that sort of memory. How can it project anything without a proper power source?"

"Well what else could it be?" I stepped up encouraged and waved my hand through the representation of our Planet and saw it go right through it.

"Did you feel anything?" Jasper asked. I laughed. "Shouldn't you have detected that?" Jasper ignored me and joined my side looking at the projection mystified. "How were we able to summon this up?"

I shrugged my shoulders confused. "I don't know. I didn't push anything."

"Maybe not," Jasper stated. "But maybe it was something we said." I blinked dumbfounded. "How? If we're right then this is vamerrian and we don't know the language."

Jaspers eyes rolled in their sockets, plotting and configuring something. He smiled crookedly. "What if we actually spoke vamerrian but we didn't know it?"

"How?" I asked. "What if some words in the English language also exist in the language of the dead or even better, what if while we talked some words rhymed together in order to form something in the vampire tongue?"

Jasper made sense. It was possible that there was some derivative or even fusion of words in what we said. But this was all still a guess. But something this small and so advanced? Why wouldn't it have some form of voice activation?

"Let's retrace our words." I told him. "Alright, I think the last thing I said before the projection appeared was at least three to four thousand." Quickly we both started at the hologram but nothing happened. We gave it another few seconds but the image remained the same. It was so clear and perfect.

"My turn," I stated. "Of course, human life signs." Jasper and I both watched expectantly but again, nothing happened.

"Try again but this time say it faster because you didn't say it that slow," he suggested. I nodded agreeing.

"OF COURSE. Human life signs." The globe flickered for a second but stopped and returned to its former state. Jasper and I smiled at each other.

"Excellent. So now we know that it isn't actually a single word but rather the fusion of two or even tree. When you said 'of course' nothing happened. But when you said your last three words speedy it flickered."

Jasper and I spend the next five minutes going through random polymerizations of words but were unsuccessful. The combinations of words like Humanli, lif, shuma, manlif, and others proved in vain. We were starting to get frustrated until…

"Fesig?" The hologram fluttered once. I smiled proudly. "How did you do that?" Jasper asked. "What are you talking about? We've been trying different combinations for the better part of ten minutes. Finally 'fesig' seemed to work." Jasper started at me baffled.

"How can an English word work?" What? "What do you mean?"

"Well you said 'enlarge'." I shook my head slowly a bit spooked. "No I didn't. I said fesig." Jasper nodded. "Yeah, enlarge."

A hiss was building up in the back of my throat. If this was a joke it already failed. "I didn't say enlarge. I said fesig. I combined the last two letters of 'life', and the first three of the 'signs" to get that word.

Jasper stared at me stupefied. "Are you sure?" I sighed irate. "Yes Jazz." He looked away somewhat shocked. "I could have sworn you said…" Suddenly the puzzle pieces in my head came together.

"This is too accurate. You thought I said enlarge even though I didn't. However, enlarging is just what the mirror did." Jasper looked at me confused and troubled.

"I think when Bella allowed you to drink from her venom you got a whole lot more than just strength, speed, and even more advanced abilities."

"You think she gave me the gift to understand Vamerra?" Jasper wondered. "What else could it be? How else would you be able to understand a language only those know that should have faded from living memory long ago?"

Jaspers expression traveled from amazed to startled or almost faint like. Maybe Bella could spend some time with him and shed some light into his new 'powers'.

I changed the subject. "So what do we do with this thing now?" Jasper cleared his throat; I could feel waves of relief flowing from with him. "Don't know. Where those white dots there before?"

What? I looked at the hologram and noticed seven white dots blinking from all over the globe. They weren't there when the projection first came online.

"They weren't there before. What do you suppose they represent?"

"Hmm…" Jasper mumbled. "Well, one of them is in Washington State. Can you zoom in?"

"I'll try." I leaned forward and pushed my finger through the hologram of the small white circle and its image changed. Suddenly the globe disappeared and showed Forks from above. Blue lines represented the buildings and streets.

"The white dot seems to be at our house." I tapped the white dot again and it zoomed in even further. It showed our house in complete perfection. The corridors, and all the rooms were shown like a blueprint. "Its coming from this room."

"It doesn't appear to be presenting us. Before, our life signs were red and there were two and not just one." Jasper commented. Then what could it be representing other than maybe…

"What about itself?" Jasper nodded. "Yeah, that could make sense."

"Well then we could rule out military." Jasper looked at me stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Well at first I thought that Bella could have pilfered this from the military, so human ingenuity. But that doesn't make any sense. If this thing can detect and present a real time image of the entire planet, and has the sufficient data to present the blueprints of every city, country, and or mountain ranges then why are there only seven?

You'd think if the military invented such a small and handy device there would be many more. Not to mention the fact that it can sense vampire life signs and is programmed to use the vampire language Vamerra."

Jasper nodded to himself. "There is something else I've noticed too before we zoomed in." I waved my hand through the circle in a forward notion before retreating it to my chest. Like I had predicted it zoomed out and showed the city again. I mimicked my own gesture until the entire planet was shown again.

"Do you notice something rather… strange?" Jasper examined the globe, looking at the seven white dots.

"Well, there seems to be another one of these things in upstate New York. There is another one in South America possibly near Rio and another one in Russia near Siberia. Also, there is one in Asia probably Japan, and another in Australia. And also…" Jasper laughed disbelieving. "And also another one in Antarctica."

"Have you noticed?" I asked him again. Jasper narrowed his eyes viewing the signals once more. His lips parted and his eyes grew and I knew he noticed what I did.

"There is one of these on almost every single continent." I patted his back nodding my head. "But why isn't there one in Europe or Africa. Also, Russia isn't a continent by itself.

"I have a theory about that." Jasper looked at me curiously. "Well you see before Bella pursued the Moriatus all the way across the western hemisphere she told me that she was originally in England. So if she hadn't come here…"

"Then there would be one of these things on every single continent with the exception of Africa." Jasper stroked his jaw deep in thought. "But why is there one in Russia?"

"Russia is exceptionally large but it still doesn't explain why one is there. In addition, why isn't there one in Africa?"

"Edward I have an idea," Jasper whispered. "We both determined that this gadget can also be controlled via sound right?" I nodded. "Yes. But don't forget that you have to speak vamerrian in order to so. That we were able to figure out the last one was just plain dumb luck."

Jasper smiled viciously. He was compiling some thoughts into a plan, surely.

"But we do know certain words like… VALAR!"

The seven white dots disappeared and suddenly the globe became infested with tens and tens of red ones.

"Oh… my…" I had no words to give… "This is incredible," Jasper said trance like.

"So do you think that every single red dot represent every single vampire on Earth?" This was beyond belief. They were everywhere. I counted at least nine vampires in the United States. There were a lot of dots all over Europe.

"Edward look," Jasper laughed. I followed his vision to the icy continent of Antarctica and saw seventeen dots there. "What in the world would vampires be doing there? The famous penguin and polar bear diet?"

"I knew it," Jasper proclaimed. "What?"

"Look! There are little over two hundred signs all over the globe coming from all sorts of different regions. Yet, for reasons unknown there seem to be no vampires in Africa." Jasper folded his hands over his chest staring down the display.

I examined it and saw what he meant. The blinking red lights really did come from every corner of the earth but there wasn't a single signal coming from the African continent. "You know what I've been wondering about? Where does this thing get its information from?"

Jasper nodded agreeing. "Me too. There is no way it can detect or sense all of this information on its own. It must be getting this information from some terminal somewhere. At first I thought perhaps a satellite of sorts but I doubt that. Humans would have discovered it by now if that were the case. There must be a power relay station somewhere where it receives its data from."

"I agree." My eyes fixed on Africa wondering why there wasn't anything there. Maybe it was there where the source was.

"What could be in Africa that could be so worth protecting?" Jasper asked. "Edward?"

I couldn't be…

Jasper noticed my sudden silence and wide stare. "Edward?"

"I think I know why there aren't any signals coming from Africa."

"Why?"

… Elysium…

(Authors Note) – I hope you enjoyed. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of you. Reviews and comments would be the nicest Christmas presents :)!