Disclaimer: There is a section further down in this chapter that mentions a certain part that was mentioned in Vampire Diaries last season. I only borrowed the idea to further the back story of one of the characters. It just seemed to fit kind of nicely. Again, I am only borrowing, not stealing.

Chapter 2 –

There was a dull ache running through me. Ugh! I was so sick of getting bashed in the head. It was like Strogoi know what it would take to incapacitate me. I sighed internally as my eyes fluttered open. The lights were so damn bright. I had to shield them with my hand till I had adjusted to the light.

Where was I? What had I been doing today? Was I protecting Lissa…?

The pieces were slowly coming back to me. There was a meeting today. I was protecting Lissa. The royal families were here about the mass killings.

Was there something else that I was missing? I just couldn't quite grasp it? Was Dimitri ok? What about Lissa? Christian? What was it? Dammit!

A flicker of a memory flashed before me. Lissa was missing. Oh god! It was my responsibility to protect her. She'd been taken by a tall, dark, and scary looking Strogoi.

Lissa was gone! Court was hit again! It started to all fall back into place.

I had to get up. I had to get up to go find Lissa. I need to make sure everything is in order. It was my responsibility and I failed. But I just couldn't make myself get up.

Get up Hathaway! Get up now!

Quickly, I sat up only to regret it when the pain hit my head like a mother…I grabbed my head to easy the pain, but it did nothing to alleviate it.

"SHIT!" The pounding would not let up. It needed to stop soon.

"Take it easy, Rose." Dimitri placed his hand on mine. "Don't get up to fast. You hit your head pretty hard. Adrian did what he could to heal your injuries, but he had to take a break; they were pretty extensive." Dimitri paused for a moment; it made realize I was hurt pretty badly and he was hiding it from me. "He can only do so much. Lissa was the healer." There was a sigh, almost as though things had been final, but I did not believe that. In my heart, I knew Lissa was alive. I would know if something happened to her.

"She's not dead!" I had to tell him.

Saying it out loud made it more real for me. She wasn't dead. I would know it! I had to do know it. We're shadow-kissed.

"Besides which, I don't care what happens to me…" I swung my legs to the floor, pushing myself up. The pain shot through my whole body, but I didn't care. I had to get Lissa back.

Although if I had to admit how I was feeling…I could use a drink to drown out the pain, but an aspirin would do just fine.

"Let's get going. We got a Queen to get back." I felt myself sway a little, but I grounded myself and pushed on.

"Rose!" Dimitri reached out to steady me. "Stay. You need to rest. The other guardians are on it."

No! I couldn't leave it to the other guardians. I was sure that they would do a good job, but this was on me. If I looked up into his eyes, I knew he would stop me and make me rest. I was in no mood to rest and heal up. There was far too much at stake right now.

Dimitri knew me well. "At least sit down and we can strategize."

I was in no mood for that either.

"That would take to long and you know it. I've got to do something." I paused a moment, then continued on. "Lissa is out there. I have to do something."

"And we will. Let's just…"

I didn't want to hear any more of it. I hurried out of the room and turned corner before running into something hard. I glanced up to see that it was Adrian.

"Adrian?" I said, then noticed there was an elderly man with him.

Was the elderly man a relative perhaps? They shared some of the some facial features and the same green eyes. The only difference was the old man had white hair, but it definitely could be Adrian in forty years or more.

"I'm sorry. Adrian. I've got to go." I gave a quick smile to Adrian and his relative and tried moving past them, but Adrian caught my arm.

"This is my great Uncle Vasily," Adrian stated as if he read my mind.

"Hi Vasily. It's nice to meet you."

Vasily nodded in response.

I needed to go.

"Look Adrian, I've need..."

The look in Adrian's eyes told me that it was serious. "You're gonna want to hear this!"

It was Adrian, so I decided to give him a few minutes, but nothing more. I had to find Lissa. The more time I wasted, the more time it meant that…No, I will not go there. Lissa is not dead.

Stealthily, Dimitri had come up behind me, placing his hand on my arm, and letting me know he was with me in whatever I had decided to do. It was comfort to know that he trusted me so much. His unique sent enveloped me, reassured me as well. I wanted to lean into him, but I did not allow myself to do that.

"Shoot! I motioned with my hand for Adrian to get on with his story.

"Uncle Vasily…" Adrian turned to Vasily to give him a slight nod.

"I was a part of a secret group…" Vasily looked around, then glanced back at me, before whispering his next statement, "A secret group that experimented on a Strogoi."

"What does this have to do with our missing queen?" I couldn't wrap my mind out of that. How could Moroi be so cruel, even to Strogoi? Nothing was making sense.

"Everything…Come on!" Vasily beckoned us to follow him down the hallway.

"Come on!" Adrian followed his uncle so did Dimitri and me.

We weaved our way through court, going around the damage, and then a few minutes later, we were heading up the stairs, then down the stairs, down another large hallway. I was beginning think this was a waist time, not to mention it was making my head hurt.

When Vasily finally stopped, it was in front of a wall. Okay, what was this?

The old man knocked three times; suddenly the wall made some ungodly noise, and then pushed in. He disappeared through it. A moment later, Adrian followed his uncle, and we followed Adrian after him.

"Be careful!" As Vasily glanced over his shoulder, he was making his way down the stairs.

Wouldn't you know it; I slipped down the steps. I would have taken a tumble if Dimitri had not caught me. I was so scared that I would fall down the stairs and take everyone with me. It was like life almost flashed before my eyes.

"Roza." Dimitri held me a few minutes. "I thought…Are you ok?"

I stood there momentarily in his arms, but I knew I couldn't stay there for very long. We had to find Lissa. They come first echoed in my head. I always wanted to tell it to shut the hell up, in fact, I did many times, but this time, I agreed. Lissa definitely came first.

"I'm ok." My voice came shakily, but I continued on my way, Dimitri close behind me. I loved that he was always concerned about me. Just like I would be about him.

We fought tooth and nail to get back to each other, but there were consequences along the way. It took a long time to get passed all those memories, both of us, to get to this place. Dimitri and me, we were connected in every way possible. No one could ever pull us apart. We loved each other. No one would ever change that.

The old Moroi stopped in front of an ancient door. There were so many cobwebs and dust all over it; it did even look like it had ever been opened.

Vasily reached into the pocket of his pristine black slacks, to fish something out; presumably a key to unlock the door. He pulled the key out and slide it into the door, and turning it. The mechanics of the door turned, grunting, till it popped opened. The room was dark, foreboding. I really didn't know if I wanted to go on in.

"Hold on!" The old man had disappeared into the room, leaving us in the hall, as we waited for his return.

Suddenly the room was lit with a glow from a candle. "Okay, come in."

As we walked into the room, I spotted a silver cage at the other end of it. What was this Vampire Diaries? Did the show have Moroi writers who knew about the secret?

The cage was for the Strogoi and the Moroi studied him from there. But who was the Strogoi?

"I've seen this already!" I said flippantly. "Last season on Vampire Diaries."

"Really!" Adrian glanced at me sardonically. "You live in a vampire world yet you watch a show about vampires?" He couldn't help but snort.

Hey? I didn't grip about what he watched. It was just entertainment. I knew the truth: anything can happen.

I could see the note of curiosity in Dimitri's eyes. "What was this room?"

Dimitri didn't have my interest for vampire shows because he lived it; we live it now too as we protect the Moroi.

I moved passed Adrian to a desk that had papers scattered all over it. Some looked as old as some of the scrolls in the Queen's office that were under glass. Those laws were written on parchment paper.

After 100 or more years, the paper becomes brittle.

I made my way to the other side of the room to a lab table. On it had been a stake, silver strands, and other tools for torture. Torture? What the hell?

Vasily began speaking once again and I turned towards him to listen. "Many years ago, we caught a Strogoi, as I have told you." He watched us momentarily to gauge our reaction and then continued on, "We studied him, what he could and couldn't do. We purposely kept him weak, only giving him small amounts each week to keep him weak."

"Wouldn't he have been able to get through the cage," I asked, though somehow I knew the answer.

"The cage is magical," replied the old man.

"But that's not possible," Dimitri said, disbelieving.

We didn't know about spirit until recently, but before that, it had been forgotten.

"Dimitri, you above all people know how anything can happen!" Vasily said pointedly, taking the seat next to the desk. He looked as if he was about the pass out.

That quieted Dimitri. He knew and lived it every day. Spirit had given him a second chance at life, but the memories of what he did to each person, to me, had stayed with him.

I glanced up at the cage and saw something in it. I moved to the cage, though I did not enter. What I had seen was a drawing of a woman had long blonde hair, green eyes, but it eerily looked just like Lissa.

Was the woman a distant relative of Lissa? I reached into the small cage and ripped it off the hook.

"Vasily," I crossed to him. "Who is this?"

The Moroi didn't even need to look at the drawing. He didn't even hesitate either. "This is Anna."

"Anna? Is she related to Lissa?" I wondered as I kept looking at the drawing.

"In a manner speaking…" Vasily said, though it was more cryptic than anything.

"What do you mean, Uncle Vasily?" Adrian wondered, a hint of confusion in his voice. "In a manner of speaking?"

I handed the drawing over to Dimitri; he looked it over, and then glanced back at me. He saw it too. He saw the same features in Lissa. He was coming to the same conclusion that I had. Lissa and Anna must be related somehow.

"Why isn't that in the books?" I asked, no I had demanded to know.

"Because it was redacted," Vasily answered me honestly.

How can history be redacted? I don't understand that, neither had Dimitri or Adrian.

"Uncle, can you be any less cryptic." Adrian was frustrated with his uncle.

Can't say as I blame him, I was getting there myself.

"Lissa is Anna reborn," Vasily finally said.

"What? Did you just say? Lissa is Anna? Adrian was skeptical.

This was definitely getting CRAZY! Then again, I keep learning that anything could happen.

Finally, the old man got up from his seat and moved around the room; his body creaking as he moved along. "As I said, history was redacted, to cover up what we had done. Vladimir, the Moroi had done a great many things for our people, just as history says, except, he and Anna kept their relationship secret, hidden from the public. They couldn't tell anyone."

"Why?" I asked.

I felt like a little kid asking why.

"Before Anna came along, Vladimir took a vow of celibacy. We take these things very serious and very rarely did Moroi of that time go back on things like that. When Vladimir met Anna, he instantly fell in love with her. Just as she had loved him.

"So what?" I put the drawing down. It was a little eerie to look at. "It's not that big of a deal. These relationships happen all the time." Of course, they're usually kept hidden.

Moroi and Dhampir's was becoming a progressive people.

"A relationship like that was taboo then, more so than it is now." Vasily looked over at Dimitri, who looked as though he had a question he wanted to answer.

"What happened to Strogoi Vladimir?" Dimitri asked, the pieces of the puzzle coming together.

"The madness had over taken him. You know what that's like, Rose!" Vasily said as if he knew I was shadow-kissed to Lissa. "He wanted to be rid of it and the only way for that to happen; well you know how that happens. As Anna laid there a sleep, he bit her. He thought that he could take her into the next life, as he said, but instead the blood lust was too much for him, and he killed her."

Anna didn't even see it coming. At least she was in no pain.

"Why did Vlad take Lissa?" I asked as I tried to slip into her mind, but it was like a brick wall. "Why does he want her?"

"Weren't you listening?" Vasily was annoyed. "Because Lissa is the reincarnation of Anna."

Even though Vasily had said it before, I didn't really believe it. I really didn't think that reincarnation was real. But I suppose it was. The other side was a stop off for anyone who has passed.

"At that time, the powers remained when the transformation took place. They were unstoppable. We were continually overtaken, Moroi and Dhampir. It wasn't until a few years after Vladimir's capture that the scientist got themselves ahead of the game when they came up with a vaccine that cured Strogoi of their elemental powers. They still had limited compulsion and strength, but that still was manageable, especially when we had both Moroi and Dhampir's working together to vanquish the enemy."

Wow! I had heard stories about Moroi and Dhampir's working together, but I don't know if I ever really believed it. Hearing this revelation had made it real.

"How did Vladimir survive in the cage?" Adrian was curious.

"The feeders," Dimitri walked into the cage, looking around.

I thought that I saw him shiver a little. No doubt, he was reliving his time as Strogoi. I think we were going to have to rely on that knowledge. I hated it. I hated that I had to remember that part of him. It wasn't right. I knew every ounce of Dimitri hated it too!

"Exactly," Vasily smiled.

I was done hearing any more of this. I had to get out of here and soon. I needed to find Lissa and fast. Her life depended on it.

Dimitri exited the cage and moved over to me, pulling me close to him. "What was the real reason that history was redacted?" He asked.

"The Queen, at that time, and Anna's family did not want any of this to come out, so they concocted the story of her suicide. They did not want any of the history up until that point, disturbed. A suicide was bad enough, but people could move on, and accept that. The queen had ulterior motives though. Factions were trying to overtake the throne. They were close too. They had evidence that she was using compulsion. She'd used it to work her way up to the throne. Then she turned around and made it illegal."

That was too much but I needed to hear it. I just wish I wouldn't have taken so long.

"How did he get out?" Adrian glanced at files on the desk and opened up to a page that logged in all the times Vladimir was tortured and when he had his feeder.

"A group of his followers broke him out last week," replied Vasily.

"Strogoi?" Wondered Dimitri.

"No! Moroi. These Moroi wanted more. They wanted what a Strogoi could get them."

"He turned some of them Strogoi once they got him out." It wasn't so much a question on my part, but a deduction.

Shit! Everything clicked. Vladimir had been the one behind all those killings.

"It was him. He killed all those people." The look on everyone else's faced said that they agreed. "Ole Vlad knew the families were getting together here at court. He knew that Lissa would be here." I shook my head. I knew it was coming. I could feel it.

Vladimir would be the strongest Strogoi I would ever face. Even Strogoi Dimitri was no match for me. We knew each other's moves. Shit! Shit! Shit! We're screwed.

"We'll get Lissa back." Dimitri pulled me even closer to him, reassuring me. "I'll take him on."

The hell you would! I wouldn't let that happen.

"You will not!" I turned in his harms. "I'm not letting you risk your life like that. It has to be me. He's even more dangerous than you were…" I couldn't bring myself to save Strogoi aloud.

I could tell that Dimitri was about to respond to me, but I felt the familiar twinge of my bond with Lissa. "Lissa, I can feel her. She's reaching out to me somehow, but I was blocked out before."

"Is she ok?" Dimitri asked worriedly. His hand fell at his side.

LISSA! Can you hear me?

"I don't know!" I said frantic. "She's not answering me."

Lissa! Lissa! Please! Talk to me! Say something anything!I felt like crying.

Dimitri had reached for my hands, squeezing them, reassuring me, like he always had done. Lissa was screamed; her scream reverberated in my head. She was unbelievably scared, tormented, lost, confused, and a little disoriented.

Lissa, calm down, please, tell me what's going on?

I had protected calmness to her and I felt as though she was feeling that and realized that I was talking to her.

Rose, help me! He's coming!

Where are you? I need to know where you are. Come on Lissa, help me here. Tell me anything. You know I'll be there in a heartbeat.

ROSE! AHHHHHHHHH!

I saw him – Vladimir- kneeling down in front of her. It was like I was looking at him with my own eyes. His smile was even more frightening than anything I've ever seen. So cold, so calculating, so evil. I'd once thought that about Dimitri's smile, but his was different in comparison than Vladimir's smile. It sent shivers up and down my spine.

You can't have her, she's mine. If you try to find her, I will kill you, your lover, her lover, and all your friends!

You try to hurt anyone of them and I hunt you down and I will kill you. Don't underestimate me, you sick son of a bitch! I will be coming for you! I guarantee it!

The only reply was that smile of his.

Till we meet Miss Rosemarie.

The connection was completely gone, but what remained was an intense pain that kept growing until I screamed. My hands flew to my head.

"Dimitri, oh god, the pain. Oh god, make it stop!" I cried out.

My legs buckled underneath me. The only thing I felt for sure was that Dimitri had picked up me up in his arms. Everything then went black.

TBC