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Chapter 5: New Beginnings

Surprisingly, Jasper didn't sprint as soon as we got outside. He stayed by my side, leading me to the forest behind the house.

"I can tell you're nervous," Jasper breaks the silence. "You have no reason to be. We're secluded enough that there's no chance of a human finding us."

"While that's good news, that's not exactly what I was worried about." I cast my eyes to the ground. "How does a vampire hunt?"

Jasper grinned. "You'll know, trust me. Don't think about it too much. Let your instinct guide you and you'll be fine. Are you ready to run."

I nod and we take off. There's no way I am ever going to get used to running like this. It's thrilling. Every time I think I'm going to hit something, my body reacts on instinct. I stop to ask Jasper about this, but he's not there.

"Jasper?" I spin about, trying to locate him. "Hello?"

I hear a low growl behind me. I freeze and slowly turn around. I quickly scramble back. Standing before me was a large brown wolf. It glared at me, it's ears pulled back. I didn't know what I did to offend this animal, but I take a small step backwards anyway. It follows me, matching every step of the way. It hasn't stopped growling.

I keep backing up until I step into a river I didn't know was there. The shock of the water caused me to fall over. The wolf had stopped at the edge of the bank, never breaking his gaze or the growl.

"Eugene!" A pair of arms pulled me to my feet. "Are you alright?"

"Jasper!" I gasp. "What is-"'

"Shhhh." Jasper was staring at the wolf. "He's off your land now. You have my deepest apologies and a promise that this won't happen again."

The wolf seemed to find this answer satisfying. He turned and ran off into the trees.

"Uh, what was that?"

"A werewolf."

I blinked, "A werewolf?"

"Technically they're shape-shifters." Jasper explains. "But it doesn't matter what you call them. They're all dogs."

I nod slowly. "What did you mean by 'your land'?"

"The land on the other side of this river is wolf territory. Vampires aren't allowed there. You were so fast, I lost sight of you. You were already on the other side before I caught up to you."

I wince. Great. "I'm sorry."

Jasper shook his head. "No, it's my fault for not warning you. At least you're alright Let's get back to hunting, yeah?"

"Yes," I say, a feeling of nervousness sweeps over me, but it was quickly chased away by an overwhelming sensation of calm. "Thanks, Jasper."

"No problem."

We start moving through the trees again, though at a much slower pace than before.

"So what sort of animals are we going to be hunting?"

Jasper shrugged. "Normally, whatever you find. The most common in this area are deer, mountain lions, and bears. For you, I would recommend trying to find a lion. A deer would be too easy because you're a newborn, but a bear would prove too much of a challenge because you're inexperienced. Sound good?"

I nodded. "I guess. I mean, I don't have a clue what I'm doing so I'm relying on any tips you can give me."

Japer laughed. "I promise, you'll be fine." He stopped suddenly. "Do you smell that?"

"What am I supposed to be smelling?"

"You'll know."

I roll my eyes and then close them. I can smell trees, rivers, moss, and- "What is that?"

Jasper grinned and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "That, my friend, is a mountain lion. You're lucky that we came across one so quickly." Noticing my dazed expression, his grin only grew. "Smells good, right? Carnivorous animal's blood tastes the closest to human, but it's still a littler bitter. But I doubt you care about that right now."

He was right. I barely understood what he was saying. I kept staring at the direction the scent is coming from, unsure of what to do next.

Jasper, his hand still on my shoulder, guided me behind a pile of large rocks. He crouched down, gesturing for me to do the same as he lion came into view.

"Okay, here's what you're going to do." Jasper begins to explain. "You're not going to do anything. Stop thinking. Rely on your instincts. You've got this."

I glare at him halfheartedly, too hungry to reply. I peek around the rocks. The lion is sitting in a small clearing, licking its paws. I sense rather than see Jasper back off a bit. Don't think. I can do that. I close my eyes and rely only on scent. I unconsciously growl in my throat, making my eyes fly open. The lion has stopped licking itself and is now looking to bolt at any second. I pounce before it has the chance.

I wrestle the lion to the ground. It's claws and teeth scrape at my skin. I ignore it and concentrate on getting the lion to stop struggling. We were a blur of fur and tattered clothes. I manage to get my hands around its neck. The lion eventually stops struggling and I hiss in triumph. My teeth slice through its neck like butter. I greedily drink as the blood causes the burning in my throat to subside. It wasn't as satisfying as human blood, but it was enough. Before long the blood stopped flowing and I sat back in astonishment.

"I told you that you could do it." Jasper said behind me. "Even though you made quite a mess."

As my thoughts begin to come back to me, I notice that the lion has turned me clothes to shreds. Thankfully my pants were still intact, but my shirt was not salvageable. They were bloodstained and I could feel the blood drying around my mouth. "Oops."

Jasper smiled. "It's okay. This is actually expected your first time."

"But these aren't my clothes."

Jasper shrugged. "That doesn't matter. Alice never lets us wear the same thing twice anyways. You'll learn how to stay clean over time. Are you still hungry?"

"Is it bad if say yes?"

"Not at all." Jasper subtly sniffed the air. "There's a herd of deer not too far from here. It won't be as good as the lion because they aren't carnivores, but it'll be easier to take down. Sound okay?"

"Yeah," I shake my head. "Sounds great."

We decided to head home after taking down a few deer each, which was a lot simpler task than the lion. I tried to sneak into my room unnoticed, but Rosalie caught me outside my door. "That's hot."

"Shut up."

Emmett walks by and winces. "Been there, dude."

Rosalie laughs manically and follows him into their bedroom.

I roll my eyes and go to get changed.


The next week passed the same. I had near daily hunting trips, as the animal blood burned out a lot quicker than human. I was always accompanied by Jasper, who I had now declared as my best friend. Occasionally, other Cullens would join us. (Our hunt with Emmett had been… interesting.)

I was growing accustomed to my new life. In each hunt, my kills became cleaner and cleaner. I bonded more with each of the Cullens, becoming more a part of the family. Something that hadn't improved was my fever. That had gotten progressively worse. I told Carlisle and he said he's look into it. I still miss my old life terribly, but I'm adapting.

I notice something is off when Jasper and I are returning from a hunt. I'm quite proud of myself, as today is the first day that I have managed hunting without tearing or getting blood on my clothes. But something is wrong.

Jasper must have sensed it too. He stopped walking. All of a sudden, he growls. "Son of a-" He ran.

"Jasper!" I took off after him. We wound up back at the house. Everyone is on the front yard, including a girl I don't recognize. She stands off to the side looking uncomfortable while Edward fights with what looks like the whole family.

Jasper joins in. "What do you think you're doing?" He screams, "Do you want her killed?"

Edward growls quietly. "You two were gone! I was planning on having her home before you came back, but you're earlier than planned!"

I start to step forward. "What-"

"DON'T MOVE!" Everyone shouts.

I hold my hands up in surrender. "What is going on?"

Jasper grits his teeth. "Edward brought his girlfriend, Bella. She's human."

My eyes widen. "What the hell, Edward!"

Everyone starts talking at once again. As the seconds pass, I begin to hear one noise above the rest.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Bella's heartbeat.

"Oh no."

Eight pairs of eyes fix themselves on me. Edward growls low in his throat.

Bella looks between us all and starts backing up. "Maybe I should- AH!" Bella collapses to the ground.

Out of habit, I rush to her side. "Are you okay?"

She scrambles back, but winces and reaches toward her ankle. "I-I stepped in a hole and… how are you not-"

"Shhh, you're in pain." I gently examine her ankle. "Yeah, it's definitely twisted, maybe even broken."

"Eugene, I swear to-"

"Shh, Edward. Wait."

A song that I haven't heard in ages comes into my head. "You have got to be kidding me," I mutter. All of a sudden, I know what to do. I place my hands over her injury and sing the lyrics in my head.

Flower gleam and glow… let your power shine…

A soft golden light emits from my hands and wraps around Bella's injury.

Make the clock reverse… bring back what once was mine…

The light grows stronger, and then dims rapidly. I sit back and Bella gasps. Edward pushes his way past me and kneels at her side. "What did you do?"

Bella was staring at me in shock. "He… He healed me."

"How?" Alice asks.

I shrug and stand. "I don't know."

Edward helps his girlfriend to her feet. She stands easily.

Carlisle grins and places his hand on my shoulder. "Well, we now know what your ability is!"

"Yeah, who would have thought that Bella's clumsiness would come in handy," Emmett teases.

"Shut up," The group choruses.

Carlisle's hand is still on my shoulder. By the amount of pressure he is using, I can tell that it is more than just friendliness. He's making it impossible for me to leave his side. And based on the fast that Bella's heartbeat is getting louder with every passing second, it's the right move.

Carlisle must feel me stiffen, because he says, "Edward, I think it's best that you take Bella home now. Meet us inside when you return."

He steers me to the house, never once relenting his hold, even when we are inside. It isn't until Edward returns that he finally lets go. I let out a shuttering breath, even though I don't need it anymore. "Thank you."

"Of course," Carlisle says. "Not that we are all here, we can discuss the discovery of your gift."

"Is healing a bad thing?" I ask.

Carlisle shakes his head frantically. "No! Far from it, actually. Based on what we are, healing is actually a beautiful gift."

I am confused. "Then why are we having a discussion about it?"

"A lot of times, a vampire's gift has something to do with their previous life," Alice explains. "We are trying to figure out what caused your healing."

I study everyone's faces to see if they are joking. They are completely solemn. I know exactly how it happened! Without warning, I burst into laughter. It makes no sense why, but I just keep laughing and laughing.

"Eugene, are you okay?"

I try to compose myself. "I'm sorry, I'm just appreciating the irony of it all."

"Irony?"

"I know exactly where my gift comes from."

All the Cullens lean forward in anticipation.

"You all know how I am, um, was engaged to a royal?" I ask.

The Cullens nod. Something must click for Jasper. "Ohhhhh."

I smile in confirmation.

"Well that royal is Princess Rapunzel."

I watch their faces as they connect the dots.

"You're Flynn Rider?" Rosalie asks.

When I nod, Emmett laughs loudly, "Dude, you were my idol!" I smiled slightly.

"Be that as it may," Carlisle says. "How does that explain your gift?"

"How much do you know about… my time with Rapunzel?" I ask.

"Only rumors. People saying you died." I stare at him with a small smile. He got the hint. "Don't tell me…"

I sigh and begin to tell my story. "I was on the run from the royal guard because I had stolen the Princesses Crown. I saw a tower and I climbed it. Little did I know, that was where the Princess had been kept for 18 years."

"Wow."

"Wow is right. I didn't know she was the Princess, however. She offered me a deal; I take her to see the floating lanterns and she would give me the crown back."

"You mean the lanterns that are released in her honor?" Edward asks.

"Yep."

"Oh, the irony."

"Exactly. Anyway, I agreed. Skip all the details about our trip. The only thing you need to know is that we fell in love along the way."

"AW."

"Shut up, Emmett."

I blush slightly. "Yeah, um, what we didn't know was that the woman who kidnapped Rapunzel, Gothel, had been following us. She kidnapped her, again, and turned me into the guard."

Jasper leans forward. "How did you get out of this one?"

"I'm getting there." I mentally prepare myself for this part of the tale. "I escaped using the help of some thugs-"

"Excuse me, thugs?"

"Yes, Rosalie, keep up. I went to the tower with the intent of recuing my love, but as soon as I crawled through the window, Gothel stabbed me." I hold up my hand before anyone could say anything. "Let me finish. Rapunzel made a deal that she would go with Gothel if she was allowed to heal me."

"Heal you?" Carlisle asks. "You mean, the rumor that her hair had healing powers is true?"

I wince. "Did I not mention that?"

Everyone shook their heads. "Oh, well, yeah that's true. Anyway, she comes over to heal me, but I knew that there was no way I would let Gothel take her. So I did the first thing I could think of. I cut her hair."

The Cullens gasp. "Eugene, you just killed yourself!"

I wave. "Um, hi. Right here. And I would do it again in a heartbeat if it means my love would be safe. Yes, I died. Rapunzel was so distraught, she started crying over my body. And even though her hair was gone, the power still remained inside her. Her tears brought me back to life and you know the rest."

Carlisle nods slowly. "So the power left over in you after she brought you back manifested after you became a vampire."

"Exactly."

Emmett grins. "That is so cool."

Esme threw a pillow at him. "Emmett, dying is not 'cool'."

"Sorry,"

I grin. "No, you're right. It was cool, albeit terrifying at the time."

Suddenly, everyone in the room stiffens. "What is it?" I ask.

"Can't you smell them?" Rosalie hisses.

"I don't smell anything! Who's them?"

Edward growls. "The wolves are on our land."