11:45 – Mystic Falls High School – Basketball Courts
Vanessa was closing out the practice with a last-minute run through of the changes to the routine, to ensure everyone was on the same page. I was only half listening to her, I was mostly wrestling with the idea of saying something to Tyler after practice.
Tyler was playing one on one with Travis up at the basketball courts; originally, he was beating him with incredible ease, but I watched as he thought better of it and let a few shots slip by him to cover his tracks. Natalie and Elena had filled me in on the Masquerade Ball shit-show; I had a pretty well-rounded view of what the official party line was, and what actually transpired that night. It wasn't simply a tragic case of under-age drinking gone wrong. Katherine had compelled Matt and Sarah to pummel Tyler until his base instincts got the better of him and he killed them. She needed a werewolf, and now…she had one.
Vanessa dismissed the team; I cringed as Natalie passed me the routine she had scribbled down…so my lack of attention wasn't subtle then.
"Are you still hung up on him?" Natalie whispered, as we packed our stuff into our gym bags.
"No. I just haven't seen him in a while." I responded, "I wanted to make sure he's okay, after the whole…Masquerade Ball thing."
"Okay. But, you know he's not your problem anymore, right?" Natalie reminded me, "You're officially off the hook. He doesn't exactly deserve you running to his side at his hour of need."
"Everything aside, he's still my friend." I said, with a shrug.
"Yeah and I'm yours, so…I'm just saying, be careful." Natalie offered, "I'll see you in Bio."
I didn't know what I was going to say, let alone whether I was going to say anything at all. I vividly remembered how much I struggled in the beginning, feeling like I was trapped with no answers and no one to turn to. I was supposed to be stepping back, getting over him; charging straight in to be by his side, yeah, kind of flies in the face of that. Could I put the getting-over-you plan on pause? Just for a minute. It's not going to be a minute though, is it? He's going to flash that stupid grin or say something super charming and it will set back the getting-over like at least another month or two. And hey, I have a whole bunch of new concerns of my own, like my freeze frame friendly-fire tendencies, I should be focusing the help on me. Oh, screw it.
"What are you doing?" Caroline whispered harshly and grabbed my arm to hold me back.
"Ow." I hissed back and pried my arm out of her grasp.
"Sorry." Caroline replied to my wince, genuinely, "But…what are you doing?"
"I was-" I started but was cut off sharply.
"You've been glued to Tyler for the past like…20 minutes." Caroline whispered and folded her arms tightly across her chest, "Don't tell me you're going to spill your guts to the guy?"
"He has no idea what's going on." I explained, "And I'm not saying we've got everything figured out, but it helped me so much just knowing I wasn't alone. I've got a whole circle of people who have my back."
"I have Tyler's back." Caroline explained, "I'm going to help him, okay? I've already suggested inducting Tyler into the Scooby Gang and the answer was a resounding no. It wasn't personal, he's just a completely unknown quantity, so his membership is on pause, until we figure it out."
"And we have all the answers on my thing?" I scoffed.
"You're Elena's sister." Caroline replied, "And you were kept out of the loop until you needed to be in it, same with me! And, same with Tyler."
"Full moon's coming." I noted with sunken shoulders.
"I will handle it, okay?" Caroline declared, "He's not alone, but he is in a very volatile place. And if you can't be sure that you're not going to spill secrets which aren't yours to spill or get into a lover's quarrel that might stir up the big bad wolf, then…it's better if you leave him be."
"Rosie? Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Bonnie asked as she sauntered over to us.
"Nope. I've taken up enough of her time." Caroline beamed and whispered to me as she left, "Let it go."
She wandered over to see Matt, who was now speaking with Tyler. She was right. I knew she was right, but it still didn't sit well to be called out like that.
"What is it?" I asked Bonnie, with a heavy heart.
"I have an idea and I need your help." Bonnie declared and beckoned to follow her.
12:40 – Salvatore House – Drawing Room
"I might be able to lower the tomb spell long enough for you to get in there and grab the moonstone from Katherine." Bonnie declared.
"How?" Jeremy asked, "It took both you and your grams last time and look what happened to her."
"I'm well aware of what happened." Bonnie snapped back, "But I've learned a few new things."
"Bonnie…" Jeremy sighed.
"How will you get it?" Bonnie asked Stefan.
"She hasn't been feeding. She's weaker. We're not." Stefan explained.
"Kind of feels like you're underestimating her." I uttered.
"It's a plan, Little Gilbert." Damon said with a smirk, and a ruffle of my hair, "Is it perfect? What plan is?"
"Let me do it." Jeremy offered, "I've got my ring. I can get in, get out, no spells necessary."
"Gee thanks, you 16-year-old child." Damon scoffed, "Why didn't we think about that? Why are you even here? We're maxed out on kindergarteners."
"Maybe I can help better the plan." Bonnie suggested, "Do you have anything that belongs to Katherine?"
"This belonged to Katherine." Stefan declared, producing an old photograph of Katherine. Of course, the psychotic narcissist would tote around a photograph of herself. He explained, "I found it with her things after I thought she was dead, but it was hers."
Bonnie placed the photograph inside a small bowl, flicked two drops of water on it and waited for the flames to erupt. Her audience flinched at the trick, but Bonnie remained frozen. She inhaled slowly and muttered something in her usual gibberish.
"What will this do?" Damon asked.
"I can turn the metal to ash. Blow the ashes on her, and it'll incapacitate her for a minute or two." Bonnie explained, "Long enough for you to get the stone and get out. Get ready."
"I've got the torches." Stefan declared as he re-emerged with a duffel bag.
"Alaric's stake gun's in my trunk." Damon said and turned his attention to the witch, "Bonnie?"
"Go ahead." Bonnie told them, "I'm almost done. I'll meet you there."
"Okay." I said, and helped Stefan with one of the bags.
"Wait. Why are you going with them?" Jeremy asked me, putting a pause on us leaving.
"Jeremy, let it go." Bonnie asked.
"No. You're not strong enough to do this alone. It's too dangerous for me to get an invite." Jeremy scoffed and turned back, "So, why are you going?"
"She's indestructible, perfect canon fodder." Damon smirked and patted me on the shoulder, as if that were a compliment.
"So am I." Jeremy noted, raising a hand to his ring, "Except if Katherine gets a hold of her, she gets super-juiced, like Stefan did. She could Incredible Hulk her way out of the tomb for all we know."
"I'm not going in." I informed him and turned to leave once more.
"Luka taught me how to channel another witch's power." Bonnie explained to him, "I am stronger if I draw power from nature, from the elements."
The three of us collectively sighed at Bonnie's untimely honesty and turned back to face what we knew was coming; we needed to diffuse it.
"From her?!" Jeremy scoffed, "No, that's too dangerous, not after what it did to your grams!"
"We believe this is different, Jeremy." Stefan said.
"I'll be fine." I said.
"No offence, but after your self-sabotage last time, you can't exactly be trusted." Jeremy scorned.
"Excuse me?!" I scorned back.
"That was probably the house that was spelled." Stefan offered.
"What a weirdly specific spell, that didn't affect either of you two." Jeremy retorted, "It's too risky. You both could get hurt, or worse."
"And Elena could die." I said plainly, "That makes the risk worth it."
"I'll be fine." Bonnie assured him, "Promise. I promise. I can do this."
"Whatever." Jeremy scorned and stormed out of the house.
14:40 - The Tomb
"Sorry I'm late, I had to grab the grimoire from home." Bonnie noted as she followed Stefan down the stone steps.
"Not a good time, Rose." Damon groaned as he answered his cell phone and sauntered away.
I left him to it and followed Bonnie down.
"What the hell?" Stefan rasped.
"Is that the moonstone?!" Bonnie exclaimed.
"I hate to interrupt, but today has just been full of surprises." Katherine sang.
She dragged my brother into view, slamming him against the wall. Her mouth was dripping with blood; his neck was ravaged, clearly the source.
"I'm sorry." Jeremy groaned out, "I took some powder."
I wanted to scream out, you idiot! You unbelievable, stubborn, idiotic idiot!
"Don't worry." Katherine said, sweetly, "I know that he's wearing his ring so no matter how many times I kill him, he'll just keep coming back for more. So, I'm going to be in the back playing with my new little toy. You guys just give me a holler when you've got the tomb open."
Katherine snickered and dragged Jeremy's weak body back into the darkness.
Bonnie was frozen in place, clutching the grimoire to her chest.
"Where the hell is Damon?" Stefan asked.
"We can't wait, we have to get him out of there." I said and took one single step forward.
Stefan flashed in front of me so fast that I almost slammed into his chest with the second step.
"If she's fed, she has her strength back." Stefan reminded me.
"We still have what's left of the ash." Bonnie stuttered, "Do you think you can get close enough?"
"I don't have a choice." Stefan declared.
"It's going to take me some time." Bonnie shrugged.
"How long?" I asked feverishly.
"I don't know, a while." Bonnie said uncertainly.
"Just get me in there as soon as you can." Stefan said.
Bonnie and I were hanging on to each other for dear life as she chanted. The flames of the torches surrounding us billowed and roared. We had to ignore it, ignore our base instinct telling us to jump away from the flames. Our minds had to be clear of anything else. Our thoughts had to be focused; hers on elevating the spell, raising the barrier; mine on Bonnie, feeding her force.
"Ooooh, something's happening." Katherine sang out.
Stop this. A familiar voice whispered into my ear and sent a hot shiver down my spine. I shook my head vehemently, and focused, but the voice did not disperse. You're not real. You haven't appeared since. You're gone. He spoke more firmly. Open your eyes.
I peeked open one eye. Bonnie chanted on; a stream of blood trickled from her nose; she was struggling.
You're going to kill your friend. The voice informed me. It isn't hers to hold.
I felt what I can only describe as a ghostly grasp pulling against my wrist, urging me to let go. Bonnie's grip snatched onto my arm like a vice in response. I winced and gasped, "Ow! Bonnie!"
"Bonnie. No." Jeremy pleaded, "You have to stop her, she's not strong enough!"
"Maybe she is." Stefan rasped.
"Bonnie, listen." I hissed at her, "We need to stop."
"You've got to stop her!" Jeremy shouted.
"Okay, you need to stop!" Stefan implored, "BONNIE!"
Bonnie's grasp on my arm immediately relinquished as she tumbled down to the floor, unconscious. I slammed down a heartbeat later into darkness.
I blinked a few times for my eyes to adjust; my heart sank at the sight of him.
"Your lives are limited." Ignatius declared as he stood over me, "Yet you risk them so flippantly."
"Is this where you live?" I asked as I glanced around at my surroundings; I was back in the blinding white abyss once more.
He rolled his eyes and stated, "This is where we can speak."
"And the creepy whisper thing?" I groaned as I sat up and clutched my torso.
"Drawn from you." Ignatius stated, "It's quite easy to get to you whilst you're doing something stupid."
"Is that why I feel like I've been hit by a tanker truck?"
"No, consider that a small deterrent from nature; to knock you down a peg." He explained, "The witch cannot harness you. She is new. That power is unprecedented."
I groaned, "Where the hell have you been? You just sit in nothingness until you feel like swooping down with a life lesson? I could have used a little insight into what the hell is going on, you know? A little helping hand here and there."
"There's a simple reason that you couldn't hurt him." Ignatius stated, ignoring everything I had said before. Standard.
"Oh and let me guess, here comes a riddle, rather than one simple sentence." I scoffed.
"You created him." He said.
I paused for a beat before releasing a low, "What."
"There was only one witch powerful enough to perform the trick you just tried; and with it, she created monsters, so forgive nature for plugging that loophole. You cannot be channelled; it's yours to protect. Tell your witch to light a candle next time, that's allowed." Ignatius semi-explained with a smirk.
"I-I can hear Stefan." I uttered.
"You're waking up." Ignatius stated plainly, "It's been a pleasure, Rosanna, try not need me in the foreseeable future."
"Oh because it's really popping off in here?" I scoffed, and gestured wildly to the blank space. I felt quite nauseous when I looked down; it was just blank space with no perspective of what you were standing on, just plain white space that made your eyes go all funny.
"This isn't the afterlife." Ignatius declared with a tickled smile, "And you're wasting our last moments."
"Why couldn't I hurt Elijah?" I rattled off quickly.
"Your line of element was broken to create Elijah." Ignatius stated, "It goes against nature to break what you created."
"Oh my god, an actual answer! Is there some kind of nature rule-book I can study, since your appearances are so random and only semi-helpful?" I asked, hearing my own voice warp as I did.
"Common sense?" Ignatius laughed.
"Bonnie, hey! Wake up!" Stefan pleaded, and shook her, "Please."
"Yes please, because I'm still in here." Katherine groaned dramatically.
I groaned and cursed as I rubbed my eyes; it was dirty and dark in here; I was back on the floor of the creepy tomb. I needed Stefan's aid to sit up; I was still feeling the full force of nature's 'deterrent'. Consider me deterred, I thought to myself as I struggled; it felt like every single muscle in my body was experiencing amplified day-two post-workout soreness.
"Are you okay?" Stefan asked, and received a slight nod and grimace in return.
A moment later Bonnie stirred into consciousness and was aided upright by Stefan.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
"It didn't work." Bonnie sobbed, "I'm not strong enough. Even with help, I can't do it."
"Oh, that's too bad." Katherine whined, and turned back on Jeremy, "I'm still hungry."
I would need to see what happened in freeze frame to truly understand it.
Bonnie was thrown into my arms; arms not entirely prepared for such a toss.
Jeremy was thrown across the threshold towards us with a sharp bark from Stefan, "GO!"
Bonnie and I stumbled over ourselves to check Jeremy was alright. He was. He was okay.
Our gaze rose to meet Stefan...stuck on the other side with Katherine.
The reality of what he'd done stifled the air.
Shit.