Sincerity

(Edward's Point of View)

The truth? What did that word mean? I hadn't recognized the truth for so long. Bella was always shrouded in shades of grey. As hard as I tried I could never pierce her mystical presence. Over time I came accustomed to the many blind spots covering her identity and history. What would it be like to know the truth, everything? Would it change my entire view of her? She said she committed despicable crimes in the past but hadn't all vampires? Could I handle the truth?

My heart was broken and tossed a side like a hat someone got tired of wearing. Though it no longer held a beat beneath my chest even now I felt it cracking. I never tried picking up the pieces. What were they good for? I had never used my heart before until I met her. The very first time I allowed the feelings it expelled to fill me they were massacred. There was an empty void she had left somewhere within. I didn't know that love could hurt so much.

I looked into her eyes doubtful. I ignored the chitchat behind me there somewhere in the distance and bored into her eyes. That magnificent crimson glow radiating off them was hypnotizing. Like always she made me quiver and melt inside. Her aroma lay heavy in the air embedding me with its sublime fragrance. My lips shuddered as I looked at her, a small sob was constructing itself in my throat. It was so hard. Her mere presence was like an addiction. I couldn't get enough of her.

Bella broke our stare and looked around me watching my family leave with the rest of the Vampire Lords and former Volturi. They were all engaged in conversation and didn't notice Bella and me remaining still. The Vampire Lords seemed exceptionally interested in my family. They were inquisitive asking questions round after round. I saw that Carlisle and the others were exhilarated to dialogue with them. They were generally consent with being quizzed so much.

I turned away from Bella and wanted to join the group thinking that we were all heading back home. Abruptly I felt a pinch behind me. Bella fingers squeezed the lines of my shirt holding me in place. My expression was blank. I didn't know how to look at her anymore.

"Just where do you think you're going?" She asked puncturing my eyes with her burgundy glow.

"I was heading back with them," I said emotionless.

"Leaving me here?" She challenged. I shrugged my shoulders hiding away the longing to shadow her every move.

"You made your desires clear. I doubt the truth could hold any merit."

Bella sighed shaking her head. Her brows furrowed in a sorrowful notion. Suddenly her hand reached up to my face. Her cold touch cupped my cheek in her palm. Her fingers trapped my ear between them, stroking it. Her thumb traced the line beneath my eyes that held deep circles from my dry sobs.

"My sweet, sweet boy," she whispered lovingly. My reflexes gave away and my conscious mind collided with the yearning in my black little heart. My eyes fell shut and I leaned into her gentle touch. The winter's chill her hands housed had become so comfortable and familiar. I moved my face rubbing my cheek up against her palm.

If this was a dream then it was a good dream. I felt a layer of my despair washing away by her touch. Her coolness extinguished that burning anguish I felt deep beneath the flesh. But the shadows were still there; sheltering the secrets. It was so hard to remember the dark and gloomy face that shattered the blooming seed within me I grew just for her without remorse.

I opened my eyes, slowly, bathing in the moment's glory of her caressing fingers. Her eyes never left me. My sadness reflected in her red orbs and I realized that her ancient eyes displayed the same sadness.

"Come with me," she breathed, enticing me under her spell. Her hand left my cheek and already my being ached for that heavenly brush to return. Bella took my hand in hers and led the both of us towards the woods.

For a second I noticed the ashes twirling through the breeze over the ground. Whatever was left of Aro and Caius began dispersing into all the corners of the earth. I blanked out their memory knowing the truth of their existence and the true architects of our society. Bella and I strode through the trees. I watched out to not accidentally step on her sapphire gown that made her appear like some benevolent goddess.

She spotted a large log in the midst of the greenery covered with moss. She escorted me there without ever severing our hold. Unbeknownst to me my fingers had been squeezing her hand tightly. A small gale of wind blew through her dancing hair filling my nose with her mesmerizing scent of freesias, lavender, and that forever odd but sweet smell of brimstone. As I've said before, a carnival of aphrodisiacs.

Bella positioned my body to sit on the log while she still hovered over me for a second. In a very lady like gesture she folded her gown and joined me on the log. A rumble coursed through my veins like an electric shock when her leg touched mine as she sat so close to me. Bella took the blue scarf off her head and flung it off to the side. Alice would have a fit because it looked expensive.

With her fingers she lifted my left hand off my leg and placed it in her hand before enveloping it in both of hers. Though her head was down I saw the bridge between her brows pushing together. She inhaled deeply I noticed. She flashed her head away looking off into the forest. She hid her face behind the waterfalls of her straight mahogany hair. My eyes rested exclusively on her. The pain of the past three days made me feel weary and completely worn out. I couldn't imagine a scenario of how she felt.

I saw her shoulders move after she inhaled some more of the fresh air around us. As my mind conveyed to me that it wished for her to be more open to her emotions Bella crossed my vision with hers again.

"E-Edward," her voice and face both broke at the same time. She placed one of her hands over her chest where her heart was. "I'm so, so, so, so-o-o-ry," she cried. A sob erupted from her throat and she started to weep. Her small fingers snuggled into the palm of my open hand in her lap.

Shocked I stared at her with no words to fill my mouth. My lips began trembling and a moan escaped them as I watched her frailty. Her head fell again as her chest vibrated with lamenting tears of regret. My eyes fluttered while my own grieve got stuck somewhere between love and hate.

That barrier in my throat that held back the unbearable heartbreak fissured and unleashed the river. A dry sob of my own spilled out of me. What made it easier to experience penance if someone's there by your side to share in its dread? Is it the harmony of two broken hearts? Is it the guilt of one candle that flickers in the night while the other was made dull that invoked such emotions?

In a flash my body was moved and my face was buried in Bella's neck. Her delicate hair tickled me across my face. I felt her arms encircling me. One of them traveled across and between my shoulder blades where my body shook. With the other she intertwined her fingers in my hair holding on tightly. She stimulated my being by patting my head and digging her fingers into my messy hair over and over again. My head welcomed her cheek that she leaned up against it. Somehow the cold helped.

My body fell to the ground completely. And I can't tell if it was instinct or a sudden surge of feelings when my arms embraced her frame and I wrapped my arms around her waist. I rested my face against her chest just above her bosom.

I couldn't tell anymore if it was my imagination or not when I felt swift pricks on my head like kisses.

"My sweet, sweet boy," she cried into my hair. Her fingers eventually found the back of my neck that she trailed softly with her nails. She clutched my hair line with her palm while the tips of her fingers played with my earlobe soothingly. She had no idea what passion and control she asserted over me. Whenever she whispered that sentence my sweet, sweet boy I slowly felt life creeping back into me.

If I didn't feel her affliction penetrating every cell in my body I would be convinced that my recent tragedy was nothing but some ghastly nightmare. But here she was, with me, sharing the load.

Bella's hands seized my face in them. She withdrew my tears from her chest and poised my face to fix on hers. She whimpered. Her misery multiplied mine as her emotions bombarded me. In this instant I felt everything she did. I felt the guilt, the longing, the age of sorrow, the need, the regret, that stabbing sting that rips your heart from your ribcage.

"Sweetling…" she murmured. Bella leaned towards me and my eyes followed her marvelous lips as they kissed my forehead. The tender pressure they applied to my grim thoughts unhinged the venomous chains that interlocked them. I felt a sudden relieve as the pain seemed to spread wings and flew off towards distant and unknown horizons. That shadowy frame that consumed me in the abyss of my own self loathing suddenly fell to ruin, and I felt a freedom I had not experienced since fate intertwined our destinies.

"Edward, please, oh please understand why I said all those things. I would be deceiving you if I claimed not having a choice when I did. I had to safeguard the secrets that were buried deep within the earth. For two millennia they were arcane pieces of a riddle dipped so far in the darkness where not even the light could shine upon them.

It was my duty to ensure their mystery. And by protecting something I established myself I pushed you away from me when all I wanted was you to be with me. I am so thankful that you were born my sweet boy."

Words couldn't express my feelings and the flurry of rouge thoughts rampaging through my antique mind.

"It was a terrible choice to make and as much as it flayed me alive I had to think of the whole. But no longer Edward, do you hear me? NO MORE!"

My lips pressed together withholding the cries and staggering revelation of the lines in-between I had missed to read.

"It's time for me to be selfish. A new era is upon us and a new sun rises. The darkness is no longer my companion. I rid myself of that terrible loneliness. I banish the things I'll never do again and seek the pleasure of your arms beneath the lunar sky. I grew sick of the endless demons in the night haunting my every move. So I made a decision. Edward…"

Bella brought my face closer to hers. Heat and jitters made the hair on my arms stand up when she touched my nose with hers. "Edward… I want you, now and forever."

Then her lips kissed mine. Air flooded into me. Her long thin lashes tenderly brushed through mine when she closed her eyes. Bella moved her lips against mine. Her fingers were stimulating my temples releasing the stiffness until I had no choice but to surrender.

Her lips were sweet as honey. My head moved and I leaned into her face kissing her back. My lips trapped her upper lip. My tongue swept across the wet edges of her lip and it tasted like sugar. There was a certain purity in those sweet pieces of chocolate that had my mind flaring. She kissed my lips countering my own kisses. My body felt like mush when the tips of our tongues touched each other reaching the climax of our frenzy. Greedily my lips enclosed hers again before she pulled away.

My vision was blurry and I was barely able to keep my eyes open. I felt her breath invading my mouth encasing it in her delicious incense.

"Can you forgive this old woman?" She muttered against my lips. I saw the honesty in her crimson eyes. The bitterness I had last seen in them absolved and that special warmth was once more diving in its oceans.

"Forgive what exactly?" I asked her dazed. I saw her blink repeatedly giving into confusion.

"What?" Bella whispered. I sighed.

"Bella, I'm not stupid. You told me enough for me to understand that there ARE things more important than me. There are so many souls under your care, souls that you harbor below your grace. You are their champion. They need you. So when you left at first it shattered me," Bella's hands cringed lightly holding my face.

"I wasn't surprised either. You tried to hide it valiantly but failed miserably. I felt the light emanating from you. You are a shining beacon of hope for you people. When I saw you standing there at the spear of your court I saw the courage and inspiration you gave the other lords of old. You filled their emptiness with your imperial presence. You are their leader, the Supreme Vampire Lord. You didn't have to utter a word and I then already understood. You are the one that took their hands and led them into each new era.

Do you think I'm foolish enough to think that I could ever break the fellowship present between you and them or all the children of Elysium like Jane, Alec, and Corin? I was shocked to find out that the loyal subjects of Aro were really on your side but then again I wasn't. I looked at Jane and I saw your signature all over her. I saw the same strength and grandiose spirit as I see in you. I thought it was brilliant and I adored it.

You have a way with people that I don't even think you see Celest Alathielle. Because of you the broken hearts of vampires can survive and the shadows fade into the light. Yesterday becomes some old and creased page of our life's and we look ahead to add new chapters to our stories. Because of you they go on. Why? Because I fervently believe you are a champion; a hero, my hero!"

A smile rose on Bella's face. She tried to conceal it. Her eyes were beaming with that same brilliant light I had just described. She bit her lower lip looking at the ground for a moment, appearing shy. She returned her gaze to me glowing.

"Ha?" She asked innocently. I smiled at her wonderful grimace. My lips couldn't help but unlock when my cheeks started to hurt under the pressure of my own smile.

"You heard me," I smiled at her. Bella released my face from her grip and they slid down unto my shoulders. My fingers weaved together behind her lower back.

"Y-you think so?" She asked laughing.

I laughed out loud, "You don't see yourself very clearly do you?" Acting shy again Bella folded some of her hair behind her ear. I snickered.

I tightened my grip on her and lifted myself off the ground and her off the log. I embraced her with a new flame burning in my being. She swung her arms around my neck kissing it. She and I laughed in unison and though it might have seemed melodramatic I spun us around in a circle.

"My sweet, sweet, SWEET boy," she giggled in my arms. Her laugh was so refreshing and clear. Like healing bells they chimed through me negating all the dusty clutter that had built up. Without fear I poked my nose in her hair and inhaled that sweet scent one more time committing a much stronger version of it into my memory.

"How did you ever know all of this?" Bella looked at me from above smiling surprised yet pleased. I shrugged my shoulders and pouted my lips.

"When I was alone after you left, when I was broken I mean, I began to ponder in everything. I recalled our very first meeting and your very first words. I played it through my mind like a movie in a cinema. When I was so far down in that awful place all I had for a flashlight were memories of you," I made her lower her head and smile.

"I remembered your every word, action, gesture, puns, and everything else I knew about you that made you, you. I saw how the Moriatus was terrified of you, YOU a single vampire when it had torn through us like a knife cutting into paper. Your knowledge and undeniable wisdom of a revolutionary vision for all of us guided me to see that extraordinary light inside of you. I always saw it Bella. I suppose that's what attracted me to you. It was the kindness that you tried to hide.

We saw your kindness as cruelty, disrespect, and terror. But you knew that we needed some discipline and respect for our race. We spent so much effort and energy in defending against your malignant demeanor when secretly your kindness snuck into our hearts. And at the end of the day, that kindness Bella is worth more than any treasure of gold, silver or diamonds in the world. The clarity you bestowed on me gave me the ability to see you for what you are; a saint."

I sat Bella back to the ground. Her expression was overwhelming. The happiness that I saw on her face was worth more to me than any sum of anything in the world. She laughed again shaking her head. She combed a strand of hair out of my face stroking the lines of my head.

"My boy is so intelligent," she smiled brighter than I had ever seen. An angle I thought, in vampire form. What is the world going to show us next?

"But you know," Bella started; her smile lightly diminishing. "I still owe you the truth, especially the lies and truths I wove together in order to suspend you from me."

I nodded vigorously taking on a more seriousness notion too. "Yes, I want to know it all. No more lies, no more hints, no more half truths, I want the whole package."

Bella coughed a laugh, "That might take years," she noted.

"Well, it's a good thing we're immortal isn't it?" Bella shook her head again smirking.

"I'm sure the others are waiting so I'm afraid the highlights will have to do, for now; agreed?" She offered me her hand to shake. Ready to buy anything I took her offer and kissed her hand passionately, "Agreed."

She inhaled and exhaled sharply. I could tell she didn't do this very often. I wondered who outside Elysium knew anything about her. Her name must have only truly appeared in the broils of legends. I saw a little nervousness in her eyes but I erased it with a encouraging nod.

"I am Celest Alathielle, which is my birth name. I was named after the benevolent spirit Celest which in Lantean and Vamerrian means "Divinity". My last name was given to me by my mother whose name was Alathielle. In both the aforementioned languages it means "little hummingbird."

I laughed enjoying this already. Bella mimicked my gesture a little embarrassed. She continued with another fresh breath of air.

"Much like a regular mortal I lived out my life as any other would. I hailed from Atlantis located on the continent of Muu formerly Nedeen. I married and had a child and lived peacefully for all the days my heart had a beat. Unfortunately eternal tranquility was not meant to last and every utopian society is eventually challenged. By a chaotic cataclysm of apocalyptic proportions Atlantis met a terrible end at the hands of a great Leviathan. My wee son died being crushed by a heavy wave. My husband died of an injury and heavy blood loss."

My smile receded, "I'm so sorry Bella. I can't begin to imagine," Bella waved me off.

"No need for concern Edward. I made peace with that long ago. I occasionally dwell and visit those memories but that's it. They don't bind me to the past." I looked at her expression and found no grieve in them. It's amazing the things someone comes to terms with if you add a spice of immortality.

"I washed up on the shores of Morocco. I was dying of heavy energy loss and not even my vast generative abilities could aid me. I had given up the will to live at that point. However, it was not the end. I was found by a vampire not older than you at the time."

"Sekhmet," I answered. Bella nodded.

"Yes, the legend herself found me though at the time she was nowhere near being a legend. She took pity on me and didn't want to see me fade away, seeing it as a waste. So she bit me and transferred her venom along with her memories and those of Ra to me. While I writhed in pain under the transformation she carried me for miles through Algeria and eventually stopped in Libya. She had friends there.

When I awoke and learned what I had become, a Valar, I was outraged. My ancestors fought these beasts and forced them out of our sacred lands all those millennia ago. As a mortal I was able to trace my lineage all the way to Timaeus. This means that he was one of my forefathers also making Tiamat a distant ancestor to me.

Sekhmet tried to control my rage and though she was more experienced she couldn't comprehend what she had done. I, as a Lantean; an advanced human was very different from any other vampire of my age. I possessed abilities that ancients gain after many years on the path of enlightenment such as Telekinesis. Sekhmet and her few friends couldn't stop me. I killed two out of her four friends by setting them on fire. But not just mere flames Edward. My rage ignited flames as hot as those I used against Aro and Caius. I incinerated them instantly.

The rest of them only survived because I broke down and suffocated beneath my sorrow. Sekhmet was very loving back then and embraced me as a daughter and a student. She decided to take me to Elysium hidden deep within the jungles of the Congo. When I arrived there I learned that the myths of enlightenment were true. It was rumored that Timaeus and Critias achieved this and few of their direct descendants. I was overjoyed to learn I had a chance at redemption.

I grew close to the high priest of Elysium, Cronos. He and I became good friends. I also met Rusalka there for the first time. I admitted 2600 years to the cause of ascension. I achieved it so quickly I began to doubt my accomplishment. Days before I had reached that pivotal point of no return Elysium was attacked. Not by werewolves, vampires or Moriatus. A great storm of red lighting destroyed the flourishing metropolis."

I know love I whispered mentally. I saw the tragedy of Elysium and Atlantis both. The circumstances surrounding their demise seemed odd to me.

"After its destruction vampires were scattered to every corner of the earth. Cronos had brought them together in Elysium after the fall of the 1st vampire dynasty. All his work was unmade within one night. I sought a quiet place then to finally reach ascension. I found refugee in an underwater cave and devoted 200 more years to ascension. I would have ascended earlier but I had to prevail over the despair of losing Elysium and several cohorts.

I eventually reached that point Edward. I shed myself of my corporeal form and began to ascend to a higher plane as a being of pure energy."

I gasped, "What happened?"

"I returned. I stopped myself midway and retook my former vampire shell."

"Why?" I asked baffled. From what she had told me no vampire could refuse it.

"Because there was work to do!"

"Work?" Bella nodded stiffly.

"Shortly after the destruction of Elysium in about 8000 B.C the War of Wars broke out; a war that lasted for nearly 5000 evil years. I couldn't simply stand around and allow the world and vampires to fall into darkness. Not to mention all the innocent humans that would be caught in the crossfire."

"What did you do?"

"I set out and journeyed to many lands in search of vampires like me. I needed to find seven powerful souls with unique and strong talents. However that was not the most important factor. I needed to find those that had never been touched by love, and those that would have the stamina for eternity.

I found Olokun being worshipped because of his teachings of enlightenment by humans in Somalia. I knew Olokun would agree without question after all, he was the first vampire I had ever created.

Next I journeyed to Siberia and rediscovered Rusalka. She was luring young males to a river and drowned them before drinking their blood; the true first siren. She converted herself to my campaign. After Rusalka I found Kao-Guojiu in the vicinity of what one day would become known as the city of Xi'an. He was being worshiped as a supreme emperor. I swayed him away from his false godhood and he agreed to my terms and joined me.

I found Pilirin in Australia. He was living near the River of Murray showing inhabitants how to create fire with two sticks thus earning him the title of the Kestrel god of fire. He was bored with his existence and found excitement in my order, one last laugh he thought. He joined me. I found Tamula in South America as the god of night, ruling a primitive tribe.

Apotamkin was making his self known to Native American's as the deity of blood; basically the first embodiment of a vampiric creature in their history. Conterra was more difficult to find. She had hidden herself away in Antarctica. She was frightened of her own talent and wanted isolation from humanity. I promised her to help develop her talent, I did, and she joined me.

So there it was, all eight were gathered."

I chuckled shaking my head. "It's colorful what they all did before coming together. The highlights are fascinating so far. Please, continue."

"At the time I had no idea that Sekhmet was causing much of the pain throughout Europe and Africa. I was stunned when I learned what had happened to her. I told you before; Athena had corrupted her by turning her goodness into pure evil and thereby sired a most ferocious adversary for herself. It was because of her the great war between Greece and Kemet began. To sum it up for you, I became a general in the legions of the undead. My fellow lords gathered vampires from all over the globe and created new ones too. It was shortly before this that we became known as the Vampire Lords.

We lead the undead legions against both great nations and blood and death were ensued. The remaining vampires from Midgard, Romania, Ireland, China, Russia, Norway, and Elysium joined us in this battle and together we overcame the many foes until only the tyrants themselves were left.

I challenged Sekhmet and killed her to be blunt. It was a close battle. Had it not been for the perfecting of my special talent I might have lost."

"God Bella," I groaned. "It must have been hard to kill Sekhmet." Bella shook her head with a stern feature on her marble face.

"I felt sorry that she had been corrupted but the destruction she caused could never have been pardoned. Besides, I knew her, she would have wanted it. That compressing greed, I knew she would have wanted to be free of it."

"What about Athena?" Bella pursed her lips suddenly agitated. She sighed.

"We never found her. But suffice to say that she must have eventually ascended. There is no way she is still out there, I assure you. I'm certain you mind would conjured such a thought but again, no way. She's long ascended, and gone."

I agreed with her. If Bella believed that she was dead then so would I. I saw the clarity in her eyes. "What happened after the war?"

Bella puffed and her face became weary. "The cleaning up was burdensome. We spent 3000 years ending the remaining feuds between countries and removing any evidence to support the existence of our kind. We spent endless eons convincing humanity that we were nothing but some horrendous vision. We couldn't exempt ourselves completely unfortunately. Some things remained in myth but we knew humanity would one day grow to find the legends to be absurd. Of course all the monuments, pyramids, temples, etc had to be brought down. We had to do a lot of reconstruction for humans but the war was our fault so we obliged without question.

The second vampire dynasty that reigned for 10,000 years became known as the age of ash, but also the age of the Phoenix. Because out of the ashes new life sprang and we rebuilt everything that had been destroyed."

"So what age is this?"

"2000 years ago the third vampire dynasty began."

I nodded impressed. "Okay, after that?"

"I think you might now. We, the Courtship of the Vampire Lords decided it was best for us to disappear and fulfill our duties as the lords of old in secrecy."

I interrupted Bella by raising my finger like a first grader with a searing question. "Don't find me rude but what is it that a Vampire Lord actually does?"

Bella smiled, "I'm not technically a vampire Edward." I blinked astonished. I looked at her up and down trying to see some flaw. Her eyes burned red as our kind. Her chalky complexion represented the long life ages.

"Come again?" Bella laughed.

"I have no more need for the elixir of man. Vampires have always been defined by their need for blood. However, the venom of the Vampire Lords, and I have told you this before, has reached a certain stage of purity in which blood is no longer required. After so many millennia the thirst has been quenched. Therefore, some of the Elysium vampires have come to call us True Immortals."

I stood there with my mouth hanging open for about a minute. "Amazing!" Bella was pleased by my expression.

"Also, we are partially ascended." My eye lids fluttered again.

"What?" I asked stupefied.

"Yes, we are half immortal half ascended being. It is very, very difficult to explain sweetling. But be assured that I AM HERE WITH YOU. I can shed myself of this form and retake it. This however does not grant me any special powers but one."

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

"That what a Vampire Lord requires to fulfill his or her duty. You see, after we went into hiding we spread out to many lands. Each of us took certain areas of the world. Apotamkin became the Vampire Lord of North America and the Canadian territories. Tamula rules over South America and its many island chains. Conterra is Vampire Lord of Antarctica. Olokun guards the great African continent while Kao-Guojiu took the entirety of Asia under his control. Rusalka returned to Russia. Pilirin made a return voyage to Australia and rules over it including New Zealand.

And me, I became the Vampire Lord of the most dangerous zone, the old world; Europe."

"Wait a minute…" I stopped her. Bella widened her eyes expecting a question.

"Russia gets its own Vampire Lord?" Bella laughed loudly. I blinked smiling confused.

"Edward, my sweet boy, 2000 years ago the world was very different. I mean you have just heard me associate places with its proper names of today like Morocco, Congo, Antarctica and such but back then these places had different or no names. Not to mention that Russia is very big and was infested with werewolves. It needed one of us to itself."

A bit humiliated I sank back into my feet and gestured Bella to continue.

"Anyway, there is a lot of death in this world Edward. Humans die every single day. Within this world there is something called the life stream. An endless river from where all life originates. When someone dies their soul or essence returns to that stream. Gaia gives birth and nurtures you and when the time comes for you to die you give back what she gave you. However, a great many time's humans die an unclean death. Usually murder is the reason for this.

The souls of an unclean death do not return to the life stream. Their dark spirits linger here on earth. They wander aimlessly throughout the world in sorrow and despair of their death never finding peace. It is a horrific fate for anyone to endure. That's where we come in.

As ancients, as old as we are, we gained the ability to sniff out that weak scent of death. We find those poor souls.

Do you remember me telling you that Vampire Lords were also known as the guardians of the farthest gate?"

I nodded.

"Good, well that is exactly what we do Edward. We use the ability granted to us through ascension and create a passage, a bridge if you will to the farthest gate. We provide safe passage for these beings to travel through the farthest gate to return to the life stream. It is a safe journey and never once have they denied the opportunity. It is somewhat also a mental talent."

I looked at Bella astounded. "What's it like?"

Bella snickered. "The only way you'll know is if you ever become a Vampire Lord; in other words, indescribable."

"Wow," I muttered.

"Now you see why we needed Aro. The duty of guarding and setting forth paths to the farthest gate is taxing. We had no time to guard the secrecy of our world too so we let Aro do it for us. In the mean time Corin controlled Aro's every step and there was no worry of him inflicting too much damage.

And those are your highlights."

I folded my hands across my chest drawing a crooked grin on my face. "But by far it's not all of it. There are so many details in-between those highlights. So much history…" I mumbled.

"Yes but like I said, YEARS!"

"Hmm…" The rest of her extravagant tale might take decades to tell but still, there was one thing she could still tell me. Something that has been troubling me since we reconciled, and inflicted the most friction within me.

"Something wrong Edward? Not satiated enough?" I threw her a swift smile.

I took all the courage I had and would now confront her about it. I relaxed my joints and placed both of my hands on her shoulders. Of course Bella noticed the growing tension inside of me. She cocked her head to the side. I stared deep into her eyes hoping that somehow I wouldn't have to speak the words and that she would do it for me.

After a few seconds of me trying to transfer my question to her Bella' eyes grew wide. She nodded as though she heard me.

Such a chicken Edward, my mind whispered. No, I had to do it. I couldn't let her do it for me. I swallowed the pool of venom in my mouth and asked the one question that could still jeopardized me and Bella being together.

"Before you left," I faltered at the memory but kept on being vigilant, "you said that there was no way that you could ever be part of my world. You said you couldn't stay here in Forks and be one of us. The life here would literally kill you. You don't appreciate that fact; you don't want to stay here. The only reason why you came here in the first place was to get rid of the Moriatus. Is that all true Bella?"

Desperately I tried to glance into her soul to see the answer there. Bella's cheery expression vanished and rue settled in. She kept her eyes on mine, and nothing would break it.

As much as I prayed she would stay with me I simply couldn't envision it. I mean Bella going to high school? Bella spending the days with my family playing games, studying the arts, cooking with Esme, cloth shopping with Alice, and maybe some wrestling matches with Emmett and Jasper seemed like the delusions of a demented man. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see it.

I awaited her reply.

"It was true Edward," she whispered to the point I had to strain to hear it. My heart regressed back into my stomach.

"I can't stay here, and I can't be who you are here. I have a duty as a Vampire Lord. This duty exceeds assisting souls to pass on. I also help vampires find their path, their way to Elysium. I help them ascend."

"I understand Bella…" I whispered broken all over again. My dreams were destroyed once more. I seemed as though I wasn't going to keep her…

Bella gripped my face back into her hands, delicately, and made me look into her dreamy eyes. There was a purpose in them, a reason suddenly.

"I can't stay with you Edward…"

I nodded in her embrace slowly and disappointed returning to that awful little abyss.

Bella's thumps lifted my cheekbones forcing me to look at her again. Abruptly there was seriousness in her face.

"But I want you to come with me."

(Authors Note) – Two more chapters, extras, and Vampire Lord Profile of Celest (a little more detail). I hope you liked it. Please REVIEW, I know most of you don't but HEY hope springs eternal :)!