Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right
There was a darkness all around him, and nothing but darkness. That darkness was so deep and extensive that It could swallow the whole Earth, seven hells, seven heaven's and all the souls of those, who were born and died, since the human civilizaiton begun.
He even thought he is the part of that darkness.
He raised his hands too check out if there is a human flesh, where he saw it last time, or maybe unbridled emptiness who created everything in his sight.
He had hands.
As so, as eyes.
And in the moment he realized all those things, he saw the light.
It was a small flame, dim light beam but it was growing strong with every second. It was comin him.
The light was as powerfull as night, and as old, as eternal as night, and it began to slowly but intensively push the darkness aside.
And in the light, he saw h e r.
- Katherine?- Stefan whispered, but he had recognized her with every sense he could.
The smell of her peony perfumes, fit but fragile posture in tight, purple corset, and finally, when he managed to walked up to him, soft touch of her skin on his hand.
-What are you doing here?- he asked, catching himself that it's not the right question to ask. - What am I doing here?
Her lips curved into a childish smile she used to gave him as she was trying to convince him to feed her his blood. She was a Katherine he loved. The angel, the wealthy orphan from Salvatore's manor before he learned the truth about her past. Katherine - as impenetrable and inscrutable as mist rising above the drying lake.
- And where do you want to be?- his sin, his light asked him back.
And Stefan Salvatore closed his eyes.
Before he even managed to open them again, he knew the darkness around them vanished to reveal the lake on the outskirts of mystic falls.
This place looked exactly like the day he woke up as a vampire. It wasn't touched by human civilization in any way. The water was clear, uncontaminated, a single willow were growing at the shore, where they sat down.
- It's not a happy place, isn't it?- her sweet voice broke the silence.
- Damon told me here you're gone. That they have locked you in church and burned it down to the ground.
They were sitting there in silence and the lace of her dress plunged into the crystal clear water.
- You shouldn't be here with me. - she said.- You were good. Too good. For them, for me. You're heart was pure.
- Too pure. I shouldn't have seen all of the things I've seen. The wars, the battles, the rape, the blood. There are a particular, narrow range of evil one person can see through their lifetime. And I've seen it all.
- Forgive me. Forgive me, I... I shouldn't have. But I wanted you on my side so badly...
- So did I.
And Stefan took her by the hand.
He had no idea where they were or who they were- who they meant to be now. He wasn't sure if there's any idea of " now " here- in the paradise, or at the end of Universe.
Or their own Universe - created with unspoken words, dreams forgotten before the down, brief moments of inexpressible relief after long strugle with life. And afterlife.
- Elena was there with you, when you died?
- No.
- She should have. She should have lay beside you and take you in the arms. And make sure the last words you'd hear was " I love you. I love you. I love you."
Stefan was gazing at her.
It was Katherine he loved.
It was Katherinehe longing for.
And he was looking for her in every woman he ever seen. The more familiar she was to Katherine, the more sympathy he could muster towards her, but they wer just cheep substitues of the one and true original.
Katherine.
His Katherine.
Love of his huamn life, of his vampire life- of any and every life.
Life itself.
- But I am here now.- he said and raised up her chin.
Katherine's eyes were wide open in some kind of confusion and embarrassment , but she knew what he's gonna do, like his intentions were written in air, water and light.
He kissed her and she kissed him back, slowly, with laborious sweetness. He couldn't imagine himself better paradise.
Stefan fond out he was wearing his usual clothes from the day he has welcomed Katherine in Salvatore's manor.
He knew he can come back home, to his father, and mother- the one who never died, but survived her last childbirth to watch him grow up.
And, above all else, he had his beloved Katherine in his arms, closer than ever before.
They were together, on the other side.
They were dead.
They weren't spirits or angels- just two thoughts suspended under the Eden's sky.
