Okay, so my old plot has written itself into a corner, and the poor plot bunny has died. RIP. But it has given birth to a new bunny. Yay! I like this bunny better. He's more cooperative. By the way, it will be written in entirely third person, with probably nothing from Edward's eyes. It will be all Bella's thoughts, though written with she and not I. The theory of this story is that death is a person, and the world was born from chaos, from which it will someday return. It is somewhat based off of Greek Mythology, so there will be an Underworld, though no gods or heroes. The story, this prologue, I made up myself.

Disclaimer for entire story: I own nothing.

Prologue

The Beginning of the World

At the beginning of the world, there was nothing. There was no sky, earth, or stars. Only darkness. Then much, much later, (we cannot tell how long, for there was no time yet) out of this whirling mass came two forms, born from the bottomless belly of Chaos. One was female, and represented all that was feminine. One was male, and represented all that was masculine. The female was Mother Earth, and she was pregnant with life: animals, plants, and the ultimate discovery, humans. The male was Father Time, and he was the father of all things known.

Mother Earth carried the burden of the soil willingly upon her shoulders, for she knew that without her, all life would be wiped out. She consented to lend the land to the humans, who used it to survive along with the other creatures. Cold was the world outside their home, for Chaos had no love for the living. But while they lived on Mother Earth, the humans were happy.

Now, while they could see Mother Earth, being the ground beneath their feet, they could see nothing of Father Time, for they were too blind and ambitious to sight something so good and pure.

Years passed, and now there were years, since the Father had sprung into existence. But humans lived on and on, immortal and young and free. They were unburdened with knowledge and were primitive creatures, not unlike their fellow companions. They ate of the fruit trees and drank of the juice from the fruit. And yet, one by one, the trees wilted. They could not survive with no warmth, no water, and no care.

Slowly, the abundance of food disappeared. Some, like the worms and the beetles, learned to gather nutrients from the soil itself. Some, like the horses and the cows, simply could not be happy without food, and lay down sick and wilted. Some, like the lions and wolves, turned from peaceful grazing animals to savage, flesh-tearing creatures with only the instinct to eat, even if it meant gorging themselves on blood.

And the victims could not die, could not escape their bones, which were all that were left of them. Nothing could die, for there was no Death.

One day, Father Time looked upon his sister's back and saw the terrible sight. Animals, wasted and sick, waiting for an ending that could not come. Animals, reduced to scourging the dirt for food. Animals, spilling blood on the ground and devouring flesh. And the trees, oh the trees! They lay forlorn and yellow, not dead, but too weak to truly be alive.

"Brother!" Mother Earth called. "Brother, help! I cannot provide for the trees anymore. I cannot provide for the animals anymore. Oh brother, if you love this new world, help the creatures upon my back! Do something! Stop this horror!"

What could Father Time do? He was helpless.

And then, he saw the fine sand littering his sister's back. The animals all huddled in packs, and there were large areas uninhabited by the living. Gathering a loose handful of sand in one hand and a blue-green rock in the other, he hurled the rock at the largest empty spot on Mother Earth. The rock shuddered, then a trickle of clear liquid crept out, then out poured a fountain of the liquid – the first sea! The humans named it the Pacific Ocean. Father Time threw the sand into the ocean, and each grain became a new marine creature. The rock became a girl christened Sea.

Then Father Time painted the sky with a blue paintbrush, and added clouds by plucking the soft balls from cotton plants. Picking up two more stones, he stuck them in the sky, at opposite ends, and addressed them thus: "Both of you shall dance forevermore across the sky, chasing each other and marking the days. You shall be called Sun and you will give light and fire and signal day. You shall be called Moon and you will offer truth and beauty and signal night." Sun and Moon nodded and immediately began their daily dance.

Sea allowed Sun to take a few drinks every day from her vast body. Sun drank and drank, and when he exhaled, the clouds collected the vapor. Rain was formed from the clouds, and this rain fell upon the land, creating lakes and rivers and nourishing the plants.

Time also fashioned four maidens: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Garbed in robes of green, yellow, red-gold, and white, these four daughters, named the Seasons, took turns gracing Mother Earth.

Now for his masterpiece. He had one more thing to do. From the shadows Sun casted, he formed a young girl, dark of hair and dark of eyes.

To her, he said, "Walk the land, my child, Bringer of the Final Sleep. Put to rest those who must leave the world for all eternity. You shall bring death, and Death you shall be. Not one to fear, but to bring joy. Bring the final sleep to those who must go, my dear." And that was how Death was born.

The eight siblings enjoyed each other's company. Every night of the new moon, they would gather 'round each other in a remote place on Mother Earth and share stories. Mostly, they were about humans and the curiosity those strange little creatures were.

But during one meeting, Moon was absent. Sun refused to speak of where she was. The next month, Moon was present, but she was different. Giggling and blushing was not something the old Moon would have done, but now she seemed do to nothing but giggle and blush. After some coaxing, she allowed her twin, Sun, to reveal exactly where she had been the last meeting: into the land of the humans. The six other siblings gasped.

"You can't go there!" Winter protested. In her upset state, she accidentally let loose an avalanche of snow.

Autumn fisted her red-gold robes and shook her hair, raining down orange leaves. "Moon, have you gone mad?"

Sea twittered in disapproval, her green-brown hair dripping and barnacles clinging to her robes. "What possessed you to go onto Mother Earth?"

Death listened attentively as Summer added her two cents. Spring, the youngest of the four Seasons, wisely kept quiet. Finally, Sun answered the question that was on all their minds. "Moon fell in love."

They all cried out in surprise and disbelief. "With a mortal?" they gasped. Sun nodded.

"Well? Are you just going to let her go gaga all over a mortal man?" Summer demanded, being the most brazen and bold of the siblings.

"Moon is my closest sister. I can never harm her. Though I do not approve of her love, I myself will love her nonetheless. It is my duty as a twin and as a brother."

Spring said quietly, "I do not know, Sun – "

Moon cut in. "The night is over. Dawn is approaching. Sun, you must go fulfill your duties."

Sun cast his sister a sad look, but went anyways. Sea stood and whispered to Moon, "You are my sister too. I am just looking out for your welfare." To the rest of the siblings, she added, "Be careful, and guard your heart with all your might, lest an unworthy man may steal it." Then the rest of them scattered too.

The next meeting, Moon was missing again, but the siblings pardoned her absence. Autumn told the assembled group that she would not be coming either; the son of a farmer had caught her attention while he gathered crops. They had lost another sister.

Months passed. Slowly, the rest of the siblings fell in love with mortals too. Sea loved a young fisherman that she glimpsed as he spread his nets. Summer loved the son of a rich man whom she saw relaxing in the shade of a large maple tree. Sun glanced down while warming the lands and loved a fair maiden gathering a bouquet of wild flowers. Winter, though she was cold and harsh to those she despised, grew warm in the sight of a young mountain-climber scaling the snow-dusted peaks. Only Spring and Death remained, faithfully attending the monthly meetings.

Finally, one day, when Autumn walked the land, Spring whispered softly to her last sibling, "Death, I apologize beforehand for what I am to tell you."

Death squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed a fistful of her black robes. "Tell me, sister."

"There is a man on Mother Earth's back...he is the seventh son of a farmer. He tills the land with a loving hand and caresses the plants. I...I have never met a man like him, a man that loves the springtime, and the joy that I bring. I think…I think I lo –"

"Don't say it." She hadn't meant to be so harsh, but Death realized that she had lost her last sister.

Spring fell silent. After a while, she finally rose and whispered, "Good-bye sister. I'm sorry. Love isn't that bad once you experience it."

"I will never be a prey to Love," Death growled. She glared at the grass in front of her and it withered under her burning eyes. Spring sighed, fixed the grass as best she could, and departed. Death threw back her head and howled at the dark sky, dark without Moon to bring luminosity to it. The stars cowered at her fury, and quenched their lights. Terrible was her voice as Death chanted, raising her arms and crying out in rising tones.

"I swear by all the stars in the sky, the rivers in the land, the mountains in the chains, and the waves in the sea. I swear by Mother Earth and Father Time. I swear by bone and flesh and blood and heart, though I have none. I swear upon Chaos herself, the ultimate being of the world, that I shall never love. Never! Untouched will be my heart. A maiden will I be forever."

Thunder rumbled as Father Time sealed the Oath. Sun sent brilliant rays from the east. Moon shed a light on the ground, illuminating a silver path on the grass. Sea sent a small wave lapping at her feet. The Seasons each gave her a sign, a sign that said they understood and would hold her to her oath when she was weak – a six-pointed snowflake, an orange leaf, a ripe apple, and a delicate flower. The Oath was sealed. She must keep it or fade into darkness.

Death dropped her arms and went about her business.

Many more years passed. The lands flourished. Sun was happy, providing light and warmth, blazing across the sky. Moon was happy, dancing serenely every night for the forests. Sea was happy, playing in her coral castles and amusing herself with the fish. The four Seasons were happy, gracing Mother Earth with their presence. And Death was happy.

Slowly, through time, the humans forgot that Death was the Bringer of the Final Sleep. They hated her and did all they could to keep her at bay. But nothing could stop her, not sacrifices, rituals, wealth, or pleading. After all, it was her duty to bring them to the Other Side. And when she did bring them to the Other Side, they found that maybe Death wasn't so bad after all. But still, the living feared her.

The other siblings had little affairs and brief romances with mortal men and women, as immortal beings are sure to do after a long time. However, they never strayed too far along the path of love, and they never gave up upon their sisters and brother. All was well, all were happy. That is, all were happy for many years. Many, many years, until the birth of one Italian boy in Chicago, Illinois.

Sometimes you just can't keep a promise.

Author's Note –Please review. They make me very happy. Oh…but if you reviewed already, then you can't review again. :( Ah, well, otherwise, send me a PM and tell me whacha think. Thanks!