The heat wakes me up and I move from the bay window. I find a full length mirror and I see that I'm still in a gorgeous black halter top with a pair of leather pants that has a metal chain mail skirt on my right side. On top of my halter top undershirt is a breastplate over my chest and my hair being held by silver clasps that are made with the same metal as the armor on my chest. I look around and see that I'm back in a beautiful palace with black, red, and silver everywhere. This is the place that I've been dreaming about since middle school and I smile at the room. Nothing has changed in this dreamscape in forever except for the fact that everything feels more solid like I'm actually in this place rather than just being an astral projection. I take a deep breath in with a blissful sigh and it smells of roses which makes me think of my mother. The door opens and I turn around on instinct throwing my arm out to see that I have a sword in it. I see an ethereal type woman wearing a silver and red wrap with her hair up in a braided bun with some silver clasps in different spots in her hair.
She pushes the sword away and I put it back in its sheath with a satisfying hiss. "Our Queen wants to see you in the throne room now." She says as she smiles mischievously and motions me towards the hallway and I tilt my head confused.
While we walk I let my fingers drag along the wall and I spark of electricity shoot through me. "Why does she want to meet me now? How long have I been here?"
"To send you home and you have been here longer than we expected you to be. But don't worry our queen will help you get back." She says as two men with skeleton faces open the doors. The guards bow at their waist to us and I automatically react with a kind smile and a nod of my head.
"I'm glad. As much as I love being here I would love to see my family." I say with a small reminiscent smile on my lips as I think to everyone back in the waking world. We enter the throne room I bow to the queen as she sits on her throne with a mischievous, but kind smile on her lips. Queen Hel, I have only seen her once and that was when I was really young. She doesn't look like she has aged a day with her long flowing red hair with blonde highlights and black lowlights. Her skin is as tan as mine with visibly no wrinkles or anything and she has the same type of youth full turquoise eyes from when I first saw her.
"Well little lightning bolt, it's time for you to go home. Just relax and you'll be home soon. " Her aide says appearing next to her as my hand maiden disappears. Hel stands up and puts her hand on my forehead softly. "Just breathe." He says as a surge of heat from her palm. At first the heat is comforting then within a short time it becomes unbearable I scream out. I look around and I see the whole scene around me shaking before I close my eyes tightly.
"It's time to wake up." I hear a motherly voice say as I start getting out of my dream that I was the only girl in the family. It's so cold, why can't I open my eyes? Where am I? I try moving but for some reason I can't move anything at all. Wait I hear something... it sounds like beeping from some type of machine. I try to listen harder and I hear a slight humming of something... maybe it's the lights? "Don't worry Helena, you'll get used to it since you won't be in this state for one."
Then my ears pick up a door sliding open, "Hey big sis." I hear Jeremy talking and I smell some flowers in his hand. I feel warmth in my left hand and a kiss on my forehead. "I'm sorry that I haven't been by in a while, but I needed to get this out before I explode. And you're the only one that I know that will always listen to me." He says and I smile inwardly. For the next twenty minutes he tells me all about how he thinks that there are vampires because of the journal that he read from our ancestor Johnathan Gilbert from 1864 and he's wondering if the new girl is one from the way that everyone is reacting to him hanging out with her. Once he leaves I try to move and reach out to get his hand back in mine.
"Just breathe my daughter. I'm making sure that your body heals fully after the car accident." I hear a woman's voice say in my head. The heat of my body starts reaching new heights making the machine beep a bit faster. My body twitches hard and my eyes snap open. "Now be careful and when you need me. I'll know." She says and as I feel something in my throat. I see it's like a tube thing and I pull the offending thing out. I sit up and I start coughing up blood. As I do, I look around to see that everything is sharper and clearer while I take a deep breath smiling. My lungs filling up before I let it out slowly before a cough racks my body making me cover my mouth with my arm. I cover it up and I see that I'm still coughing up my blood cause of that stupid tube.
"Oh my god. Doctor Henson!" I look to see a nurse at the door and she runs out as I start ripping out the tubes and needles. I flip my bangs out of my eyes and I see her brown eyes widen even more.
"Damn she screams loud." I say hoarsely as I try to move to the side of the bed and stand up only to fall on my knees. I try to stand and I get pulled back into the damn bed.
"How the hell are you awake?" One doctor says as he starts checking my eyes while more start coming as my body is in overdrive right now.
"Why am I in here? Where are my mom and dad? Just tell me why they aren't here?" I ask hoarsely as doctors try to calm me down while they check my bodily functions. I look around them and they aren't telling me which makes me thrash even more.
After they finally stop the damn tests and sticking me with damn needles, they finally call my family to come by and give me clothes. The nurses help me to the bathroom even though I don't need their help. I get in and I see that I look like crap. So I take a shower with their stuff and I wrap up in a towel before I look over myself. My pixie cut caramel curly hair has grown out to my hips while my dark blue eyes are now a lighter turquoise. I shrug and I towel dry my hair as I walk back into my room.
"Oh my god. You're awake." I look up and I see Aunt Jenna with a bag in her hand. I smile and she drops it to quickly give me a hug which makes me smile even bigger. Our legs buckle as we start crying and we hug each other tighter.
"Aunt Jenna, what happened? No one will tell me. All I remember is the three of us going to pick up the bitch Elena from the party that she had to go to." I say as we help each other up and she closes the curtains over the doors. I look to see that she picked out a very good outfit and she even brought some makeup and underwear.
"Oh. Well on the way back from you guys picking her up, the car slipped on oil when you guys were going over the bridge. Somehow you and your twin were saved and on the bridge, but you were bleeding heavily. You're lucky that you survived." She says as I put on the red thong and matching bra while she pulls the rest of my clothes out and my shoes.
"Oh? And mom and dad?" I ask as I pull on a pair of black shorts that have silver chain like suspenders on my sides. I look over to Jenna who just seems frozen and I tilt my head as I see a dark shadow floating behind her. I blink before it disappears and I pull on the burgundy long sleeved shirt.
"Oh Hel, they didn't make it." She says softly and my eyes widen as tears start gathering in them. My body shakes as the room air around me gets hotter and I shake my head.
"So they died because the little princess had to get saved from the party when she could've been at home for game night." I scoff and I brush through my hair before I let it fall down to my lower back. I grab the burgundy thigh high socks and put them on before sliding my platform spiked ankle boots. I look to see that apparently Jer brought me black roses and I smile as I grab the little bit of make up my aunt brought me.
"No you can't say that it was just her fault Hel." She says as I put on the dark red lipstick and flick on a quick clean cut winged eyeliner with the liquid eyeliner aunt Jenna brought.
"Yes I can Auntie. I was cycling back from the store since we ran out of sodas that night. On the way back, mom and dad picked me up, so we can go to the woods since Elena called buzzed and upset. Because Elena had to go to the party with the girls and Matt if she just stayed at home for game night then they would be alive." I say harshly as I put my makeup back in the bag.
"I'm not going to argue with you on that." She says and we grab everything before finally leaving the hospital. As we drive home I close my eyes and enjoy the nice sun on my skin and the nice cool breeze floating on my skin. As we get to the house I smile and I get out smiling at my childhood home. Nothing's changed except for the fact that my tree doesn't have the steps around it anymore. I see Uncle John's car on the street and I smile even wider. I walk in and see him in the kitchen.
"Hey Jenna did you go to the hospital? Is she okay?" He asks and I smile wide.
"She picked up an unexpected patient." I say as I start walking towards the kitchen and I see him lift his head up. His jaw drops and he stands up in shock. "Hey Uncle John." He smiles and runs over to me giving me a giant hug while lifting me off the ground. He's holding me like I'm going to be taken away from his arms at a moment's notice and I smile hugging him back just as tight.
"I was going to visit you when I got the chance." He says as he sets me down gently and he starts looking over me. "Do you need anything? Do you want any water? Any food? Oh wait should you be standing?" He asks all nervous and I smile patting his arm.
"I'm okay Uncle John. I just want to catch up on everything." I say as we go sit on the couch while Aunt Jenna goes to get medicine that the doctor prescribed.
"Anyways, how are you walking?" He asks confused and I smile.
"Not even being in a coma could keep me down and in a wheelchair." I say teasingly and he chuckles before we start talking about what's happened since I've been under the coma. "Now I hear that today is the kick-off party?" I ask as we move to the kitchen and I grab a soda before taking a sip.
"Yep and I know that the town needs a very warm Helena Gilbert welcome." He says and I smile before heading back up to my room. I try to open my door and I growl as I find it that someone has locked my door. I turn around and go to my hiding spot to grab my key. I quickly unlock it and I smile as I see the very familiar gothic room that my parents tried to get me to redecorate time and time again. I walk in and I put the extra key in my skull shaped holder.
"Beware Mystic Falls, the eldest Gilbert twin is back." I say as I go to my window and open my curtains letting in the light. I go to my bathroom and I start getting ready for everyone to know that I am awake.
A couple hours go by and I hear Elena and Jeremy in the house after they get out of school. As I relax on my bed listening to my music as I look over my past pictures and I hear someone stop at my door. I bite my lip figuring that it's Jer since his bedroom is across from mine. I remember what he said at the hospital, but I decide not to tell him or Elena that I'm back just yet. I smirk happily since mom and dad were able to have me have my floors carpeted and all my walls soundproof. I get dressed silently and I pull out the dress mom gave me from her closet. The dress is a nice deep crimson floral lace cocktail dress that dips into a very tasteful V neck that ends at my knees. After I paint my toe tails the same color and my long fingernails that could cut flesh, if I need be, the same color except for my ring finger being silver. I slip my silver platform pumps that I got from New York and the locket Bonnie's grandma gave to me on my neck. I go into my bathroom and I playing with hairstyles before I decide to straighten my hair. I pin two braids on each side of my head before I clasp the four of them behind my head with a metal clasp that I got from a Viking festival. I move my bangs out of the way and I start working on my makeup. I quickly put on a dark black and grey smoky eye with a winged liner and a nice light pink lipstick that won't come off. I see that my phone is on my charger since I left it that night and I start taking pictures in my full length mirror on my closet door. I smile as I hear everyone leaving except for Uncle John and he walks in looking at me in awe. It's probably because I don't look as frail as I did when I came home 8 hours ago.
"You ready?" He asks before I fix my lipstick in the mirror and make sure that I look like a contradiction.
"Of course." I say with a smile and we spread out before locking up and heading to the kick-off. We walk into up to the hall and I raise an eyebrow at the fact of everyone drinking I feel a shiver run up my spine. I look around and I see that only some or the adults see me walking around.
"I'm going to walk around and mingle. You going to be okay?" He asks and I see that the bartender doesn't have any adults or anyone that can get me in trouble for drinking here.
"I'll be fine uncle. Don't worry about me." I say with a smile as I carefully and skillfully walk towards the office. I accidentally bump into something, "Oh my gods, I'm sorry." I say and I look up to see a man with hazel green eyes and windswept brown hair.
His eyes look shocked and confused before he snaps out of the daze he's in. "Oh no that was my fault. I swear that I've seen you before, I'm Stefan Salvatore." He holds his hand out and I take it as a cool breeze washes over me making me feel safe and protected.
"Helena. Helena Gilbert." I say coolly with a smile as I see his eyes have a glint of disbelief in them. I see no one dancing on the dancefloor and I roll my eyes before I go to the bar. I smile sweetly at the bartender, "Hey good looking, can you make me a double Washington Apple?" I ask batting my eyes and he smirks at me.
"Of course, gorgeous." He says with a wink before trying to impress me with some tricks and I feel a hand on my shoulder, but no one is there. I turn around and smile as I sit against the wall at the bar. The DJ starts playing some more current music and I see Stefan dancing with Mattie's mom. I giggle and wink at the bartender as he hands me the drink.
I take a sip before Kelly comes over bringing Stefan, "Elle, take my place and dance with Stefan while I rest my feet." She says and I smile before he grabs my hand with a smile.
"Thanks for dancing with me." He says and I smile up at him as his touch makes me feel safe.
"No problem. I love dancing." I say as we go out to the dance floor and dance our asses off. I notice everyone staring and I look to see Elena dancing with Mattie.
"Well my daughter your body is getting closer to your full potential." The voice says as I motion to my twin and Matt. He smiles and nods before he twirls me into Matt's arms.
"Hel? I thought you were in the hospital still?" He asks as we start dancing and being carefree like him and I were before he chose Elena.
"I woke up. I can't have my friends running this place without me for too long. You guys will burn the town to the ground." I tease and he laughs. I see Elena glaring at me and I wink at her.
"Hey Mattie." I say with a smile and he wraps his arms around my waist as my arms wrap around his neck. "I heard everything in my coma. Are you okay about your sister and your break-up?" I whisper ask in his ear and he sighs. His warm breath on my neck makes me shiver and we pull away.
"I'm getting there with Vicki's OD since everyone saw it coming and the break up with Elena?" He says with a smile, "I'm over her."
I smile and nod, "That's good. Now excuse me please I need to use the little girls room." I say with a wink and he nods letting me go with a kiss on the top of my head. I walk up the stairs and I look over the rail to see that Elena is at the bar with a raven haired man. I raise my eyebrow before I go into the restroom and I look at myself in the mirror. I see my eyes looking a bit darker than usual and my nose starts to bleed a little bit. "Are you serious?" I growl as I take a napkin and I start cleaning it up.
The door opens and I see my twin standing there, "How are you awake?" she asks and I smile as I throw the napkin away before using the water to cool my neck off.
"That is a very straightforward question with a straightforward answer baby sis." I say as I look at her in the mirror and I smirk before I turn around to look at her. "My body was so bored being stuck in the comatose state, so I decided to wake up."
"I have I ever said that I hate you blunt side." She rolls her eyes and I wink at her.
"Don't really care if you do or not sis. See you at home, by now everyone is hearing the rumors that I'm awake and I have missed the taste of alcohol on my lips." I say before I leave the bathroom and I see Tyler walking in looking a bit ashamed. "My my my, is that little ty-ty?"
"I thought we retired that name?" he asks completely unaware of the fact that I'm there.
"No I never did. You tried to however." I giggle with a small smirk as I lean against the banister and he stops full tilt. Before turning around and his eyes widen his jaw drops like a cartoon guy would look at a hot woman.
"Oh my god. Oh my god." He says as he looks me over and he runs over before twirling me around in a hug. I see everyone staring in awe that Tyler is holding me and I smile embracing in his hug. He sets me down and has my face in his hands, "I thought you weren't going to wake up."
I notice Kelly's lipstick on his lips and I wipe it off his lips with a napkin, "Well no time to worry about that now. Your best friend is back and she wants a drink." I say with a smile and we put our forehead together with our eyes closed. After he and I drink secretly as the kick off goes on we end up in front of the fire happily buzzed. My head on his lap as I have my eyes closed enjoying the warmth of both the fire and my alcohol in my body.
"I'm so happy you're finally up and about, Nyxie." Ty says as he pets my hair and I smile as I sigh happily.
"So am I Ty. I missed feeling everything." I say as I pat his knee and I hear footsteps getting closer.
"Hey you two, you have school tomorrow. Let's get you two home." I hear Uncle John say and I sit up before Ty helps me stand up.
"Thanks John." Ty says as we leave the party noticing that the hall is practically empty.
"Thanks for keeping her company Tyler. You're a good kid, why aren't the two of you dating yet?" He asks as we get to the car and I laugh.
"Because Uncle John, we aren't like Elena and Mattie were in the beginning of their relationship." I say as I slide in the front seat and Ty in the back.
Unknown to Helena since she nodded off as soon as her Uncle John turned on the car, Tyler's face dropped as if he was upset with the words that she said. John checks the mirror and sees his forlorn face reflecting back in it. John shakes his head with a small smirk on his lips before turning back to watch the road. He sees that Tyler cares for Hel, but Helena doesn't see it and he doesn't say anything as he drives in silence. After he drives up Tyler's driveway he locks the doors and turns to face him. Tyler turns and looks at John with a curious look on his face with his eyebrows scrunched up a bit.
"I see the way you look at her. Tell her and tell her soon or she's going to get snatched up by someone else." He says and Tyler nods before getting out of the car.
"Thank you sir, but I don't think she will return what I feel for her." He says as he heads up to his room using the hidden ladder he, Matt, and Helena made for movie nights. (No one knows about them or can find them without careful attention.)
John Gilbert drives away and he peeks at his niece/daughter seeing her completely unaware of how their hometown has changed. He smiles at her innocence and pureness. He changes the radio station and he can tell that the music relaxes Helena. As he drives home his neck starts to hurt and as he rubs it he thinks back to Damon snapping it and killing him. Then his lips turn up into a smirk as he remembers the look of shock and disbelief on his face as he rung the Mystic Falls Bell.
"Beware Damon. You can't stop me." He says as the smirk stays on his face and while he drives he thinks of a plan to talk to Damon. The moons' light hits her face igniting a crimson light that starts glowing deep inside of her heart before it starts weaving its way throughout her body using her veins as a path. The light dies down after a couple of minutes and she pulls her legs underneath her while she shivers. John notices her body shivering and he quickly turns on the heat. The shadows around them ensure that she and her uncle stay safe on their way home. While John carries her up the stairs and into her room, the shadows make sure he doesn't falter. He sets her on her bed before he takes off her heels and he covers her up. "Goodnight and sleep well my little hellion."
As he closes her bedroom door, shadow figures like those of her handmaiden in her dreamland change her into sleepwear. They also wash off her make up before taking her braids out and her metal clips. The shadows then keep watch on her and those in the household as she rests. The crimson aura coming from Helena's heart is revealed through the moonlight slipping through the blinds. One big pulse of the crimson aura leaves Helena and goes to the moon in wisps. All the while it makes the ghosts and grim reapers in the realm shudder at the raw power in the pulse. They all look up at the moon and their eyes turn a slight crimson before going back to their original color.
While in the heart of Niflheim, Hel, the Goddess of Death and the Queen of the realm is on her shadow throne. She stops the reviewing of her guides in the mortal realm as the pulse of Helena's magic floods the realm. She moves her red bangs out of her eyes as she stands up feeling completely revitalized. She raises her arms and plays with the wisps of her daughter power that are lingering around her. She smiles as the power feels relaxed and not in pain which means that the seal on her heart didn't break painfully. When Helena was born her heart was weak because of the raw power that was coursing through it, so Hel snuck into the mortal realm and put a seal on her powers. Now that she is older and stronger it finally broke releasing the power slowly and the shadows around Hel move her cloak off her and move it to the arm of throne. The cloak reveals a black floor length high-neck dress with a silver embellished bodice with a slit up her left leg and it ends at her thigh.
"My daughter this is your power untrained? I can't wait to see you as an expert." The door opens and she looks over to see the handmaiden she assigned to Helena running over to her.
"Your Majesty, your daughter is back in her mortal room and the shadows around her are doing their duties." She reports and Hel nods as she walks over to a locked wardrobe.
"Good. Now please try to calm everyone down Mera." Hel says before opening the doors after pushing a bit of her magic into the lock. She pulls out a medium sized box with metallic black vines as a design with two red and silver roses as a lock. "Garmr, I summon thee to my side." A whirlwind of shadows appear before the throne before they disappear leaving only a large man wearing a long full body black cloak that has silver spider-web lace on it. He kneels down on one knee with on hand on his heart and the other with his palm on the ground. "I have a very special assignment for you." Hel says as she walks over to him and he looks very vulnerable. "Take this box to my daughter in the mortal realm. After you deliver this to her, it needs your blood to activate the thorns on the stems of the roses to unlock it. I need you to make an identity or adopt one so you can protect her."
He looks up at her making the hood fall revealing a man with wolf like features and his eyes like molten gold and his beard and hair as dark as night. "Yes my queen." He says in a deep masculine voice that would have any submissive man or woman quake in their boots.
She kneels down and drops her voice down indicating the gravity of the situation, "She is my last chance at a daughter. By one of Odin's laws, since I am the queen of Niflheim I cannot protect her in the mortal realm. I need you, my most trusted general to do it for me." She hands him the box and stands up before the whirlwind reappears around him as he nods with a soft smile on his face.
"Of course, Hel you have my word." He says informally before he disappears and reappears in the mortal realm in Helena's bedroom. He quickly puts the box on her vanity desk looking around to find anything that he can use to protect her further. He cuts his thumb with his canine tooth and he lets a couple of drops hit the lock. As the sun rises, he sees that the light's bothering her even in her sleep so he closes the blinds. He looks over at Helena and his heart beats faster as his eyes look to see that even in her sleep she's radiating grace. "Wow, the final daughter of death looks as if darkness has never touched her." He says as softly as he can with his deep, rough voice. He kneels down to get closer to her dismissing the shadows around her bedside. As she turns on her side and curls up as her heavy comforter falls off her shoulder. For some reason, his body reacts and before he knows it he moves her bangs out of her eyes and covers her up. He smiles as she nuzzles into the blanket and his body feels all fuzzy as if he were wrapped in wolf fur. He traces her crescent moon birthmark on her collarbone and stands up. "Watch over her as she sleeps at all time." He orders sternly as the shadows slither back to her side and he looks back over at Helena. "I'll keep you safe, little princess." He sees deeply revealing his conviction in this promise before he disappears in a whirlwind of shadows leaving only the smell of an autumn thunderstorm.