This story is a super shout out to EvanescentOrchid, who wrote "Evanescent Temptation". If you're a fan of this genre, then you've probably already read it. It was awesome, was it not? Anyway, that story inspired me to write my own about Gemma mixed up with some vamps. However, much I love Twilight though, I just can't pair her with any of the guys from there. Sorry, I just don't have it in me. So instead, you'll just have to enjoy some Demma action (Damon/Gemma, I thought Gamon sounded too much like a Digimon or something. LOL) I do not have a beta, all mistakes are my own. If you want to be my beta, hit me up.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters, settings, or situations. I do however, own the characters reactions to the situations that I put them in.
BTW, if anyone seems OOC, they are. It's an AU, everyone is OOC. Silly geese!
When I met The Three on the foggy barge those many years ago, I didn't know that this is what they meant.
I should have realized it when they said we wouldn't meet again. They were the Three that took everyone to the other side after death. And like a fool I had given away my final choice of death. It wasn't until after my twenty-fifth birthday until I started to get a sense that something wasn't right. I had gone to America after graduating from Spence, I was going to start fresh. I graduated from university and became a secretary for a lawyer. It was while I was on a lunch with some of the other ladies from the office when it was brought to my attention.
"Gemma," started Addie, she was born in the States and she had a strange accent, she was from Boston, "you must tell us how you manage to stay looking so young. What are you, twenty-five and not a wrinkle in sight." Americans were very blunt, it took me a bit to get used to their inquisitiveness. In Britain, you didn't ask questions, you spoke about the weather just to be polite. But, I truly didn't have anything to tell her. I shrugged and said,
"My mother always looked younger than her age. I must have gotten it from her."
Three years later and I still looked the same. The same as I looked as a twenty-two year old. I felt as if it must have had something to do with the realms. I had not returned since that last time at Spence, so it couldn't have been a result of the magic that resided there. And there couldn't have been any magic left in me, because I had bound it equally to the lands. Both Ann and Felicity were just as involved in the realms as I was, but through the letters and pictures we had sent over the years, I could see them aging. Though slight, it was there. But for me, nothing had changed after a certain point in time.
I was at a loss for what could be causing my seemingly everlasting youth, and there was only one group of beings that could possibly answer my questions. So sitting alone in my apartment one evening after work, I gathered my courage to call the door of light.
I was afraid that it wouldn't work. I hadn't tried anything magic-related for eleven years. But I think I was even more afraid that it would work. I told the creatures of the realm that I would be back. To help them find a balance, and to mediate between the tribes. If this did work, all I could hope was that time passed differently there than it had for me, and that they hadn't missed my presence too much. And it was not only the creatures of the realms that I was worried about seeing again. Kartik was there, as he would be forever. While he assumed that we would meet, and be together again, how could that be? Especially since he was tethered to the Tree of All Souls for seemingly the rest of the realms' existence, and I wasn't even aging properly enough to expect death at this point. After the first couple years after our separation, I would have dream of him, of us in the realms, of love and possibilities. But sooner than later, those dreams dwindled, fizzled out to nothing, and I was left with the harsh realities that I find myself in now.
I called for the door. Nothing happened. I called again, focusing on the memories of old Gemma, Felicity, Ann, and Pippa when we would call it after sneaking out of Spence and into that cave in the woods. And the lights flickered out. A breeze made my spine tingle. And when I opened my eyes, the door was there. And I grabbed the knob and turned it, stepping to the other side.
When I stepped out, I was in the garden. A great wave of nostalgia passed over me. This was where I saw my pseudo-mother for the first time after her death, where the other girls and I would frolic and play. It looked the same. It looked beautiful. It was perfect. And I could feel the power I was used to feeling inside me thrum in the air. But it was quiet, and the silence made me wary. I was hoping to see some of my old allies here, just waiting for me. But I knew that was a wish if there ever was one. I started walking towards the river. If there was one person who I'd want to see most right now it would be Gorgon.
As I made my way to the river, I became aware of a rustling in the bushes. There was someone or something watching me, and here I was, all alone and unarmed. I hoped that whatever it was, was just curious, because I was out of shape and practice when it came to fighting for my life. I finally made it to the river, and I found what I was looking for. Gorgon's boat was quite a ways away from shore, but I waved, and it seems she or one of the many snakes nestled upon her crown was aware of me, for she began steering in my direction.
Whoever that was watching, had left by now. And I felt more safe the closer Gorgon came. At last, her boat drifted next to me, and she let the side down for me to board.
"Most High," she rasped. "You have finally returned." She didn't turn to look at me, which I was grateful for since in her unbound state her turn-you-to-stone eyes were active. Been there, done that.
"I have." I smiled. "It's really good to see you, Gorgon." I paused for a beat. "I do have a question though."
"Hm?" She asked, steering toward an unknown destination.
"I asked you before, why you called me Most High. Back then, you said it was because I was the most powerful priestess, the highest rank. But now, why do you still call me it? I have no more powers, I bound it all to be divided between the realms."
"Perhaps it is true that you bound power to the realms. But I do not lie. If you had none of your own, how is it that you are here?" She had a point. I needed to have some sort of magic to enter the realms. This was all just very confusing for me.
"Where are we going, Gorgon?"
"The Winterlands." She replied.
"For what reason?" I asked.
"I assumed that you would like to visit." She was right of course. I had grown older, but Gorgon was still 'Most Wise'. I sat back for the rest of the ride. My eyes taking in the changes that had occurred while I was away. We reached the Winterlands after a time, and the changes here were most drastic. For one, we didn't have to hide upon our entrance, the previously dead grass was completely rejuvenated, and even the trees were trying to turn over a new leaf. The silence of everything was still disconcerting. When we had gone as far as we could go by boat, Gorgon let down the plank.
"Thank you Gorgon. I'll be back shortly. I... just have to say goodbye."
"I will be here." Replied Gorgon. I knew the way well, even if I hadn't been here for years and the reason for visit was much different. When I made it, all I could do was sit at the base of the tree that captured my Kartik. Wendy had once told me that when the wind blew through the leaves she would hear the most beautiful sounds. Experiencing it for the first time myself, I was inclined to agree. It sounded like my name. Gem-ma, Gem-ma. It was him whispering my name.
I stood after a while and placed my palms and forehead on the bark, trying to get as close to Kartik as I could.
"Kartik. I know it has been quite a while. But I'm here now. And I'm here to say I love you. I will always love you, but I don't think we'll ever be together. I'll never forget you, and I probably will never move on, but it is time for me to say goodbye." I pat the trunk one last time before turning away, brushing off the traitorous tears that I didn't wish to fall." I swear as I was walking away I could hear him say 'I love you'.
Reaching the boat, I climbed aboard. "Gorgon, if it isn't too much trouble, could you take me to see Philon?"
"As you wish." Was her apathetic response. We arrived swiftly, and no more words passed between us. When we reached the edge of the forest, I was surprised to see Gorgon joining me on the ground. "Follow, Most High." We walked swiftly through the forest, and again, I felt like someone was watching me, possibly the same something from the garden. I chose to ignore it and hope that it wasn't a threat. Arriving to a clearing, I was surprised to see a few Hajin around. When I had left all those years ago, there was still a vast amount of animosity between the opposing creatures. Gorgon led me to a large tent that I remembered was Philon's and opened the flap, gesturing for me to go in. I did without hesitation, and she followed. Adjusting my eyes to the darker interior took me a few moments, and the first figures I saw were Philon and Asha.
"It's so good to see both of you." I bowed, I was in the presence of the leaders of the Forest People and the Hajin, respectively.
"Priestess." Philon greeted.
"Lady Hope." Asha smiled.
"It's been a while." Said Philon. "I was thinking that you'd never come back." The way he said it, I couldn't be sure if he was disappointed or not. I chose not to care.
"Yes. I had some...issues...I had to work out for myself. You've done a remarkable job rebuilding here. Everything looks the same, if not better."
"It just shows that working together we can accomplish the most impossible of things." Chimed the soft-spoken Hajin leader.
"It seems as if you want something, Priestess. Out with it." I wasn't sure how to phrase my question. "If you're worried about our bargain, while the way you went about dividing the magic wasn't ideal, the outcome was... favorable." Good. I had been worried about that. Philon had given me those silver arrows and bow, but in return he wanted a portion of the magic. He was mad enough that first time when I had a chance to split the magic with him, and instead I bound it all to myself. Philon wasn't the most trustworthy creature around.
"I need your council on a matter." He nodded his head, bringing a pipe to his lips. "I'm sure that you can tell I've grown, aged, somewhat. But I'm afraid that I haven't aged nearly as much as I should have. I believe that it has something to do with the magic or the realms, but I don't know how that could be if this is the first time in eleven years that I've stepped in them. And apart from whatever minor magic that I used to get into the realms, I don't have any.
"What an interesting conundrum."
"Do you remember when you went to visit the dark-hearted priestess in the well?" asked Asha. I nodded. How could I forget the complicated character that called herself Circe? "She told you that when you bound the magic, and used it, you changed it." I wasn't even going to dwell on the fact that Asha knew the whole time what Circe was telling me during our 'sessions'. "When you hold the magic long enough, it stays with you. You may not be tethered to this world, but a piece of it is tethered to you. The magic that you hold within yourself is not minor, and it belongs to you. As for the matter of aging, look around, we don't have much of that around here. I wouldn't know where to begin in dissecting that matter."
"Have you every encountered the Three?" Philon asked, he was now creating shapes with the smoke he blew out.
"The Three Crones? That ferry you to you death?" I asked. He nodded in affirmation.
"I have. But what do they have to do with anything?"
"Did you ever have a conversation with them?" I nodded slowly, going through my memories to try and recall what had been said.
*Flashback*
"Your time has come. You have a choice to make." She opened her hand. There rested a cluster of deep purple berries, much darker in hue than the ones Pip ate. They sat cupped in her palm, as bright as jewels. "Swallow the berries, and we will ferry you away to glory. Refuse them and you must return to whatever awaits. Once you choose, there is no turning back." For a moment, I heard my friends calling me, but they seemed far away, as if I could run and run and never catch them.
"Gemma." I turn to see Circe behind me. She had lost the gray pallor she wore earlier. She looked just as she did the first day I saw her at Spence, when she was Miss Moore, the teacher I loved. "You did well," she said.
"You knew Mrs. Spence had become the tree, didn't you?" I said.
"Yes." She answered.
"And you meant to save me?" I asked hopefully.
She gave me a rueful smile. "Have no illusions about me, Gemma. I meant to save myself first. To have the power second. You were a distant third."
"But I was third." I said.
"Yes," she said with a little laugh. "You were third."
"Thank you," I said. "You saved me."
"No. You saved yourself. I only helped a little bit."
"What will become of you now?" I asked. She doesn't answer.
"She will roam here in the mist for all time," the crone told me.
The choice before me in her palm. The cries of my friends grew faint in the fog. I took one plump berry and placed it on my tongue, tasting it. It was not tart. Rather, there was only a pleasant sweetness, and then nothing. It was the taste of forgetting. Of sleep and dreams with no waking. Never to long or yearn, to struggle or love or desire ever again. And I understood that this is what it truly meant to lose your soul. My mouth went numb with sweetness. The berry sat on my tongue.
Felicity carrying goldenrod in her arms. Ann's voice, strong and sure. Gorgon matching though the battlefield. I had to only swallow the berry and it would be done. That was all. Swallow the berry and with it all the struggle, all care, all hope. How easy it would've been to do.
Kartik. I left him at the tree. The tree. I was to do something there.
So very, very easy...
Kartik
With a tremendous effort, I spit the berry from my mouth, gagging as I tried to rid my tongue of the sugary numbness. My body ached as if I had pushed a heavy rock uphill forever, but now I was rid of it.
"I'm sorry. I cannot go with you. Not now. But I am to have a request, am I not?"
"If you wish it."
"I do. I should like to offer my place to another," I said, looking toward Circe.
"You would give it to me?" She said.
"You saved my life. That must count for something." I said.
"You know I abhor self-sacrifice," she replied.
"I know, but I'll not have you wandering in the mists. Too dangerous."
She smiled at me. "You've done very well, indeed, Gemma." She turned to the Three. "I accept." Circe stepped onto the barge. The crone nodded to me.
"You've made your choice. There is no turning back now. Whatever shall happen you must accept."
"Yes, I know."
"Then we wish you luck. We'll not meet again."
*End Flashback*
"I gave up my choice of glory in order to come back and finish the fight. She said that my choice was final and we wouldn't meet again..." I said trailing off. The truth was slowly but surely starting to unravel itself to me.
"What an interesting turn in events." While I counted Philon as an ally, his ambiguity made it really hard to like him as a person. He seemed to enjoy my confusion. "She offered you a sweet death, and yet you chose life. It seems to me that what we have here is a case of accidental immortality." I turned to Asha, incredulity coloring my features. She looked to be contemplating what he said, but not openly refuting it. And Gorgon, well, she seemed like she knew that was the case already. "Welcome to the ranks." Teased Philon, a small smirk on his face.
"Are you serious about this?"
"Well, it's only an educated guess. The only way to know for sure is if you look the same in fifty years."
"It doesn't happen often, but I've heard tales of immortality being gifted by the realms, after an incredibly courageous act. It hasn't happened before in my lifetime, but that doesn't make it any less possible." Added Asha.
"As a true immortal," Gorgon started, her snakes hissing lowly upon her head, "I recognize another." She nodded.
And that was how I found out I was immortal. After that, I made it back to my apartment, packed up and left. I couldn't stay there any longer. I traveled all over the States after that. Never staying in one place long enough to draw attention. I thanked my lucky stars that at least I looked old enough to rent or buy my own place. I could've just as easily been stuck in my seventeen year old body for the rest of my existence. And Asha was right about my magic. It was still with me and it was different. I found out when I created new identification papers the night I returned from the realms. I assumed that they would last at least a full day before fading out of existence, but two days passed, and they were still there, then a week, then a month. I realized that my powers upgraded from mere illusions to something permanent.
Alas, it was 2009 now, and I decided that my new home would be in the state I could never gather the courage to visit, Virginia. Like my mother. Finding a map, I looked around, trying to find a city that called out to me. Mystic Falls. Well that sounded promising. I took the map up to the teen behind the counter.
"Going on a road trip?" The gangly teen asked as I paid.
"Something like that." I answered vaguely. I left the gas station and headed toward my black Harley. Putting on my dark helmet, I started him up and pealed out of the parking lot. Maybe Mystic Falls would hold some type of adventure for me.
Okay. So Gemma's on her way to Mystic Falls. I'm starting this at Season One. This will be Demma, but I'm gonna start them out as friends. Because you know that Damon's obsessed with Katherine all season. Just to be clear, there will not be any Delena. Just some of the normal one-sided Datherine. So what did you think? Who of the Mystic Falls gang should she meet first? Let me know.
Oh and PS. That flashback is courtesy of The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray, p. 773-776. I changed some of the tenses to make it fit as a flashback.
Ren!