Spirit Guardian

Beware The Moons Merciless Sway

Must have 10 comments and 20 votes for another chapter. Note: The pic is the closest I could get to what I wanted with Ai. Her hair is actually shorter.

                     Rain pours down on Forks, making it even gloomier than ever. Koda drives Old Red down the long road to the Quileute Indian Reservation with a disheveled Bella. She was paler than usual, if that was even possible. The poor girl had dark bags under her eyes from nights of never-ending nightmares, and lack of an appetite had caused her clothes to become baggy. Koda understood her sister's pain, and without the Denali sisters, she would have fallen into the same stupor of depression. If she was being honest, it had been Kate who refused to let her wallow in self-pity. The stubborn blonde would practically drag her out of the spare bedroom by her feet and into the snow in her underwear. Koda had to do the same; she couldn't allow Bella to weather away, even if that meant she had to build her sister back up piece by piece. "If you haven't told Jake the truth about you, then why are we going to see him?" Bella asked in a weak voice filled with tiredness.

                    "It's a surprise," Koda replied with her best smile.

                    "I hate surprises," Bella mumbled under her breath while looking out her window.

                    "I know, but you can't stay locked in your bedroom forever. Bells.... You have all of us worried about you. If something doesn't change, Dad is going to send you back to live with Renée," Koda admitted, causing her sister's head to snap towards her in a mix of surprise and disbelief.

                     "No! He can't!" she said, starting to hyperventilate at the thought of not being here when Edith returned. Koda yanks the steering wheel to the right, causing the truck to drive off the road and then screech to an abrupt halt in the dirt. Without a word, she unbuckled Bella, practically pulled her sister into her lap like a child, and embraced her. Bella clung to her sister's faded black flannel as if it were a lifeline in the raging sea of her life. She took comfort in her sister's arms that were wrapped so protectively around her. It was the only time she felt safe since Edith had left.

                    "I understand your pain, Bells.... you're not alone in this, but you can't just give up. Show her you're stronger than this.... that she made a mistake," Koda said confidently as she rubbed her sister's back.

                    "...How?" Bella asked as her head lay against her sister's shoulder.

                    "By surviving in her absence... find a way to make it without her. Let go of the broken dream of you together and instead take the day one step at a time. Get in the shower, make your bed, go out, and walk steadily on your feet. In time, you'll be able to say their name easily without crying and no longer see them everywhere," she promised, leaving out that every day would be the same battle until fate brought her and Edith back together. Koda knew Edith was never too far from Forks, having caught her fresh scent near their house and the school. The stubborn vampire wasn't capable of genuinely leaving her mate entirely. She would leave for a few weeks, and then when the pain became too much, Edith would return to watch Bella. Unfortunately, her ability to read minds made catching her in the act extremely difficult. Of course, Bella didn't know this, and Koda planned on keeping it that way until Edith came to her senses.

                    An hour later, Koda parked the truck in front of Billy's house as rain smacked against the windshield, making the image of the red house blurry. Since Bella had forgotten her coat, Koda pushed her jean jacket into her sister's arms and stepped out before she could complain. Her tennis shoes splashed against the wet grass, and droplets of rain hit the bare skin of her legs that her jean shorts didn't cover. As Bella stepped out of the truck, she saw the doors on the garage by Billy's house slide open, revealing Jacob. His face lights up at the sight of Bella, and he waves her over. She hurries towards the garage with Koda right behind her. As both girls enter the building, Koda stiffens, feeling as if she had been hit in the gut. She bites back a moan at the smell of Leah while lifting her eyes, meeting breathtaking chocolate irises. Seeing her sister's pain causes Bella to move in front of her protectively while glaring at Leah. The beautiful she-wolf raises her eyebrow in amusement at the sight. Koda grits her teeth and straightens her back. She touches Bella's shoulder, letting her know it's ok. Jake was utterly oblivious to the tension in the garage as he yanked a grease-stained sheet off the dirt bikes in a dramatic reveal.