A/n: Here is part two of the chapter I have been dreading to write for a while now. I really wanna get back to writing the past. DAMMIT! Why is Klaroline the only ship I really like at the moment?! Unfortunately, with the chapter being long (and because of my computer accidently deleting my stuff), the chapter is getting split into a third part. Don't worry, there will be a lot of action going on next time. So hey, let's keep up with the reading and support, y'all. ;) I promise that you will enjoy this chapter. It's been a while since I really wrote anything with this ship. ;) Thank you. Just warning you, this has a mythology in here you might want to pay attention to. What I write in here is canon to the LTT!Universe, and not the canon!TVD or canon!TO.
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Disclaimer: I do not own TVD from the television show or any of the books.
Chapter 33: Light 'Em Up Part II
The Other Side
Present – March 19, 2011
When Bonnie stepped through to the Other Side, she was represented with a different version of the Other Side instead from the sparse glances she'd seen. The previous sight of the lakehouse had faded into oblivion and was replaced with the towering towers of dark trees whose branches seemed to climb to the sky. At night above her, a blanket of stars filled the skies above, practically lighting the way for her. The stars in the sky shined with clarity, and Bonnie couldn't help but appreciate their beauty. She never thought that the Other Side of all places could be beautiful in its own way.
"Bonnie…" a quiet voice whispered, the lilt of it hanging on the end.
Bonnie stopped in her tracks. With her heart almost jumping up to her throat, she didn't dare to release a breath. She was too scared to have everything fall apart because of her. She kept her hands closed tightly as she tried to hold back the urge to shiver.
"Char…" she tried out the name, praying that it would be her.
"No," the whispering answered.
Her answer was wrong. Manifesting in front of her, a small form of white-blue light appeared in front her, floating in the air with no problem. Bonnie was almost curious to touch it, but she kept her arms to her side. Was this really the thing was talking to her?
Before she knew it, the orb of light floated towards a dark path up ahead. Bonnie couldn't see a thing past the pitch black until a moonlit path revealed itself before her eyes, almost alluding her to where her prize could be. She watched the orb of light spin around and float back and forth on the path. Cautiously, she treaded slowly after the orb and heading towards the winding moonlit path, wondering the cause of its existence.
"Did you do this?" Bonnie asked.
"Yes."
Bonnie pressed on. She had to make sure. "Will it lead me to where I want to go?"
"Yes."
"Will you tell me who you are?"
The orb in front of her blared in brightness before dashing quickly around her like too many bright lights. "Who I am matters not, child!" The voice unexpectedly snapped (at least to Bonnie.) "Make haste and be open with your senses. Openness will be your only guide to what you seek."
After that, the bright orb of light evaporated, and silence was Bonnie's only company again. She only spent one more moment listening for the voice again just in case before she realized it was futile. She had to get going before time ran out. Stepping onto the moonlit path, she stared straight ahead her, ready for any consequences that could be waiting for her.
Damned or be damned. She had enough of being scared of her ghosts.
What she didn't realized that there wasn't a ghost trailing after her as she made her way through the Other Side. Hidden among the trees, there was a red-eyed demon whose eyes never left the spot on her back. (And he didn't know about the orb of light watching him as well.)
He might as well be considered as a demon in the eyes of witches. His deeds would probably deem him as such from their point of view. Anyhow, he was adamant on trailing after her. After all, he couldn't resist witches. There was something besides the mutual respect and twisted curiosity that made him drawn to them, especially to Bonnie Bennett.
The aroma of a witch drove him absolutely mad.
The rare taste of powerful witch's blood is about as close to any vampire could get to almost heaven in taste. Witches, particularly ones of the more powerful magic, were practically the forbidden fruit to vampires. It was the hidden reason that witches abhorred them.
However, this demon didn't have anything to lose. After all, he's only dead.
But something told him that he would lose his only chance to make any dent on his situation if he let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He naturally kept close to the shadows as Bonnie followed in the light. From the many times he would watch her from the veil, he knew why she held his interest. It was because no matter how many times his brother, the spirits, or anyone else beat on her, she still remained strong.
Unbowed, unbent, and unbroken.
{Louder Than Thunder}
In their realm, the Gate Keepers have always kept things in control on the Other Side. Through the Anchor, which was the main gateway, everyone who is of a supernatural nature passes through will be escorted according to the state of their soul. The realm they control hold the souls that refuse to move on. They linger in the Keepers' territory. Most of them are wandering aimless and unsure of what to do, which leaves them in the position of where the council would have to sort through them.
The more strong-willed ones remain away from the clusters of lost souls that clung for a sense of guidance or some direction. For the most part, none of the departed souls can have any contact with the spirits unless it was orchestrated by a witch who resided there. Non-witch species don't have that magic link to provide for a tie that could provide communication.
There was a special section of souls reserved for few. On a few occasions, the Gate Keepers will recruit a soul that had done beyond the ordinary in their past life back on Earth. If the soul possessed exceptional powers, it would be the owner's choice to either move on or make a difference. If they say yes, that soul will become part of the Gate Keepers thus transforming into one of them.
A Gate Keeper is specifically a departed soul, who was previously a witch or warlock back on Earth, was raised onto a higher rank of power than they would on Earth. The magic they possessed before would be amplified thanks to being linked through the council. All of them worked in coalescence. It was the best way to maintain peace and control on this side.
But everything comes with a price. Transformed into a Gate Keeper guaranteed that they will never be able to die. The essence of a person is already immortal, but it is in this case that the immortality would be their Achilles' heel. They would not be able to move on. The Gate Keepers were tied to the Other Side. It was mandatory to keep order or else chaos would reign thus seeping leaking into the plane of the living.
The identities of who the Keepers are is a mystery that remains unknown. It was a secret that no one knew; not even some of the smarter souls who came through here. Although some would have to admit, some of them are stubborn and haven't gave up trying. It was one of the reason why the Keepers came up with new names to replace their human ones.
Revealing who you were would leave you to weakness. It wasn't advised. However in this one case, a revealing on an identity would have to be done. In this case, it was hers.
Previously a powerful witch, she had lived many years on Earth before passing on to the Other Side. She had seen her fair share of good and bad. Although it was a shaky choice, the witch was glad that she made the right one in becoming what she was now. She was able to watch from a high point to see how the ones she cared about fared. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't worried sick about them.
The old feelings from a life long ago from her departed loved ones still lingered inside. The instinct to parent them and protect them from harm still reigned somewhere. Some things would never change.
She didn't anticipate the paths that had been taken in route, but she still held her head high. She still had a duty to fulfil.
That was why she was breaking one of the most sacred rules as a Gate Keeper among the others that were also in place.
Never make a move without the knowledge of others.
At this point, she was beyond caring about the consequences.
{Louder Than Thunder}
It was a weird act she was trying to pull. Trying to walk fast yet trying not to be seen at the same time? Yeah, those two things don't really fit well together. Bonnie's frustration was slowly rising as she felt like she was just wasting time with being stealthy. She needed a new game plan.
And she really wished she had her magic right now.
"Dammit," she cursed. Her legs were itching just to break out into a run, but she was too afraid of being caught.
Too bad that was already too late. "Cursing really doesn't suit you, darling."
Bonnie stopped in her tracks and whirled around in an angry shock. "Kol! What the hell?!" she exclaimed.
Adding to her shock, the cause of her dilemma grabbed her with cold hands and brought her into the darkness of the trees, almost gently pinning her against bark of a tree. Gentle was definitely not the word on her mind for when she was going to kick this asshole away from her. He's wasting HER time! If only she had her magic to burn him to high hell!
"Get away from me!" she yelled out before a cold hand clamped over her mouth, only rendering her to muffled yells.
"Shhh!" a familiar British accent hissed in her ear. "Shut up before you let everyone know you're here."
'Kol!' Bonnie answered her own question. Anger ran through her hot and fast before she knew it, and her impulses took over reason. She bite him as hard as she could, but it humiliatingly backfired with Kol not budging an inch to her tried effort.
Shit.
"That's not going to work on me, little witch." He whispered highly annoyed as he pointed ahead towards to the moonlit path. "We've got company."
Holding back her urge to run away, she looked ahead towards the path as well, and the very breath from her lungs was stolen away. A surge of light flashed in front of them yet it was safe distance-wise from being aware. The blue-white light floated down on the path. Bonnie's heart filled with slow dread as the light eventually grew bigger in size, taking more of a humanoid form in Bonnie's view. Shrinking back into the darkness, her back sank more against Kol's chest, seeming even safer in the coldness of the arms wrapped around her. The magicless witch swore she didn't even feel his heartbeat.
The star transformed into a woman of light. Translucent in the blue light, Bonnie could see everything about her yet see nothing. All she saw was the white lines of the woman's physical shape (even though it was most likely that she was dead.) Long gleaming hair cascaded down her lithe form and floated around her as if she were underwater. Her blue and white transparent body treaded on the path like it was walking on air. Bonnie could see the lines of the blue woman's dress as she moved. The woman's face turned directly in Bonnie's direction. The witch's blood ran cold.
All she saw was white eyes of light staring straight her, freezing the inside of her bones.
Like a deer caught in bright headlights, Bonnie remained frozen. She couldn't move. The only way she was able to stop staring at the woman from their hiding place was because of Kol bringing her face and body closer to his chest. There was no need to put his hand on her mouth to keep her quiet. The female spirit had already done its work in doing that.
He watched for her as the woman searched for them as if her eyes were bright beacons. Kol had been around on the Other Side long enough to study on how things were and who were who. It was a lot less tricky than he anticipated, and that was in his favor. He was glad.
It appeared that the spirit had searched for them long enough to move on. He felt the rare effect of relief washing over him when he saw her change back to her original form and went on her way. With Bonnie in his arms, he had held her tight to hide her from the others. Kol wouldn't let them near her. He would literally tear them apart. Bonnie was too important for what was going on.
"She's gone." He reassured her, his arms still wrapped around Bonnie's petite frame. Not hearing her response, he became perplexed. "Bonnie?"
She finally came out of her fear and dread. The witch released the breath that was finally returned to her after what felt like forever. "What the hell was that thing?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"What you saw was a Gate Keeper." Kol said with a mixed tone with annoyance, but a grim taste soon followed. "They are the ones who are in charge around here. They usually pose no danger here unless someone gives them the unfortunate reason to. That's when they get nasty with their magic."
A Gate Keeper? Bonnie's face furrowed in confusion. That's what that woman was? She couldn't figure out on why one of the Keepers would help her out while the rest of them were supposed to be after her. That would be defeating their purpose.
Almost reluctantly, she unwrapped herself from Kol's hold of her, away from the safety of his arms for the moment. "Good to confirm what I already know," Bonnie summed up. "But that doesn't mean I know why you're here trying to protect me."
"We don't have time to converse of my intentions with you, little witch."
Bonnie didn't have time to protest before Kol scooped her up in his arms bridal style. She would have squealed out if it weren't for the look of serious warning on his face. "You're losing precious time here, and I refuse to be responsible for an unfortunate fate."
"You don't have to do anything." Bonnie argued as he tightened his hold of her. "This is something I have to do. I didn't ask for your help."
Stubborn as always. Kol wasn't surprised about that. He would always contend with that when it came to her.
His signature smirk was coming back to him. "I've been known to throw a wrench into a lot of people's plans. It's more interesting that way." He never lost his sense of humor (at least in his eyes.) The dark-haired Mikaelson brought Bonnie close to his chest before whispering again to her. "Close your eyes and hold onto to me. Don't open them until I tell you to."
"What are you going to do with me?" the witch couldn't help, but ask. How can she leave her life in the hands of…him of all people? She must have lost her mind.
He smirked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm going to take you to where you want to go. Think of this as a little speed boost."
Bonnie had no choice, but to obey. Reluctantly relaxing her body close against Kol's, she was comfortably snug in his arms. Kol took off in the dark, following the path, but staying in the shrouded darkness where they would be safe from any intrusive eyes for the moment. He had to hurry. There was too much at stake.
{Louder Than Thunder}
They were already beginning to suspect. She could feel it in the air. She could hear the whispers among them through the link between all of them. She even saw the beginning of the search herself. They were beginning the search. It was only a matter of time, and she knew that from the beginning.
She knew of the Gate Keeper who came upon. Archana. She was always had a penchant for following the rules. No matter what the cost, Archana always did her duty no matter what the cost. Her actions were always done for honor; she lived to her chosen name well. Zariya was a witness to that more than once.
On another note, Zariyah was the youngest and the last one of the Gate Keepers in the past 200 years to be recruited. She had not been around on the Other Side as much as the other keepers had.
Some had been here for as long the Other Side existed. For almost two-thousand years, the council always kept nine members in their council. On occasion, a few members come and go, but they would always be replaced. Nine members must be there to keep the balance of the council at all times. To keep the Other Side in check was their responsibility. Their utmost duty.
Through the Gate Keepers, all that needed to be done was categorized into three categories. The three categories were of the specific species of supernatural creatures' souls that roamed on the spiritual plane. Witches, vampires, werewolves. Two keepers were assigned to each group depending on their specialty from their previous life or in some cases their choice. There was also an exceptional category that was exclusive only to only three of the keepers.
In the last category, it consisted of three Gate Keepers. While all nine of the keepers worked in harmony, it was usually the oldest and wisest (or exceptionally talented in rare cases) that occupied the final grouping. Their specialties include rare cases in nature among the species, special crises, and The Last Court.
The Last Court is a convening of all the Gate Keepers on the decisions they make, but it's the main three who have the final say. In most cases, court is held when it comes to the case of the fate of a supernatural soul. They deem whether that soul was ready to pass on or to remain here. Or if that soul is immersed in their inner darkness to the point of beyond saving, they would be sent into oblivion.
Zariyah was one of the three because of her magic and her dealings with witches and werewolves. Although young, she gave a more open insight needed for the council. She was the one who vouched for Kol Mikaelson and made the case to let him remain on the Other Side. He would be useful. She knew that her move was a good one.
Now as she watched Kol speed through the dark forest of trees, she could also see that he would get close to what Bonnie was searching for.
She only had a few minutes before the more of them would find out.
{Louder Than Thunder}
When they arrived to their destination, they didn't expect to be only met with silence at the location. However, they weren't stupid to let relief come to them just yet. They were just glad they made it without any hitches despite knowing that the keepers were looking for them.
"We're here," Kol announced quietly. The vampire let Bonnie down from his arms, turning his head side to side making sure that no one else was around. The paranoia was slowly creeping back in, but he said no word of it. "Are you alright, Bonnie?"
Alright? Probably not. Most likely barely staying together at the seams, but everyone she knew had been operating like that for months. As Bonnie observed her surroundings, she breathed slowly in and out, trying to make sense of all the sensations. The dormant part of her that had been off for months was starting to hum inside. She could feel it. It was very close.
"I'm okay. I just really don't know what to say at this point, but…thank you." She didn't expect those words to come out, especially for him.
Her eyes barely missed caught it, but she saw that surprised but happy expression in his face before he brought it back to his cheeky and arrogant look. "At least one of you can appreciate an Original vampire from time to time. I hardly get any credit for the things I do around here."
Bonnie just rolled her eyes at him and kept treading forward towards the stone steps before her, which led to an altar hold what she sought out. Before she made it to the last few steps, a brief flash of pain prodded against her skull.
"Bonnie, you need to hurry back." Charlene's calm words rang clear in her head. "You only have five minutes left before the gate closes. Please hurry."
Bonnie accepted them and quickly took note of it. She was so close. The humming inside of her increased as she made her way closer to it.
But not close enough.
"Bonnie, run!" Kol shouted before he was brought to the ground.
Millions of alarms blared in her head as she briefly turned around, gasping at the sight of two more keepers, both males, holding Kol back from trying to help her. With her heart racing, she scrambled to get to the top of the stone stairs, but she was thwarted by an unseen force. She cried out in pain and desperation as she felt an invisible hand wrap itself around one of her ankles and dragged her down to the bottom of the stair.
Gasping for breath, she looked up to see who had a hold on her. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she saw who it was. It was the same woman from before.
"You are not supposed to here, Bonnie Bennett. This is not your natural domain." The translucent woman spoke, her voice sounding old like time. Her pupiless white eyes burned into Bonnie before shifting to the Kol being held by the other two keepers. "We will deal with your fate when the time comes. Both of you will be dealt with accordingly."
Bonnie remained silent while she struggled in the dirt. No. The restraint around her ankle was too great.
"That sounds fun. The more, the merrier I'd say since only dealing with one of you only entertains me for so long." Kol said cheekily, struggling against his restraints. Even now, he wasn't afraid of playing games with the holders of his fate.
"Then so be it."
Bonnie watched in fear and with familiarity as the female keeper raised her unoccupied hand into the air. She saw those burning white eyes narrow at Kol who began moaning in pain. The aneurism was amplified due to the woman's strength. It shook Bonnie to the core on how gut-wrenching she felt inside by watching Kol's pain. All of this was so blindingly confusing.
Tears burned in the witch's eyes. Everything Bonnie worked hard so for was going up in smoke. It can't be like this. Dammit, it can't end like this.
Without warning, the world was blown around them.
Storm clouds had gathered in the starry sky and over-wheeled ahead. The thunder rumbled with loud booms. The air grew thick and muggy with the ozone and magic crackling everywhere. Everyone around looked in surprise at the sudden change of atmosphere. Weather wasn't something anyone would see on the Other Side. From Kol, to Bonnie, and to the other keepers, they knew what usually came after the loud thunder was the most dangerous part. It came down with a huge bang.
Lightning struck down both of Kol's guards, cries of momentary anguish broke out as they were thrown back from the blast, landing about fifteen feet away from the group. Bonnie's current jailer had her face changed from collected calm to angry shock in a flash.
"You!" she hissed, a bit of her voice becoming distorted with anger.
The traitor stepped forth towards them. It was one of their own kind. A Gate Keeper. All of the recognizable features matched with the other keepers. From the blue translucence, to the ghost-like grace, and the burning eyes of white. "Archana," a female voice spoke out. "Let the girl go."
"Do you honestly expect me to disobey our laws, Zariyah?" Archana exclaimed, the void of emotion on her face vanishing. "Are you truly that naïve to believe that I would let you change the plans at work?"
"There has to be a change, Archana, or otherwise none of it will work. I do not have the time to explain to you. And for that, I am truly sorry. I am sorry now too." Zariyah knew that Archana would not understand, at least not in the beginning. But she will soon.
Bonnie watched the exchange and was utterly dumbfounded on what she saw next. The other Gate Keeper…was bleeding.
What supposed to appear as blood dripped down Zariyah's arm, but instead of crimson there was silvery-white.
Archana's eyes widened. "No…"
There was white blood on the tree. She saw it. The sigil. No…
"You wouldn't..."
"I would…and I'm sorry." Zariyah answered solemnly, exhaling heavily before the inevitable. "Kol! Bonnie! Cover your eyes!"
That was all she said before Zariyah slammed her bloody hand into the tree.
The bloody sigil flashed in white, and more explosions of white light followed. Both Kol and Bonnie could feel the earth underneath them as they shielded their faces. They heard the yells of pain from Archana and her fellow keepers. It wasn't until the shaking stilled that both the vampire and witch slowly opened their eyes to the aftermath. Standing near the bottom of the stairs was Zariyah, on her way floating towards the altar.
Bonnie didn't think before jumping back on her feet. "Wait! Stop!"
However, Zariyah only ignored her. She brought her hand slowly into the air, beckoning them to stay. "Please wait a moment, Bonnie."
The plea in the keeper's voice stopped Bonnie in her place. More than anything, it confused the heck out of her. In her voice, Bonnie sensed an unsettling combination of…weariness and small hope. And comparing Zariyah (assuming that was her name) to Archana, the unusual keeper sounded more…humane.
"Patience, darling." Kol chastised her, showing a bit of his vampire smile while rubbing her bare arm. "You'll get your prize soon enough."
"Don't touch me." Bonnie snapped irritably, anxious and impatient for the damn keeper to finish what she had to do.
"You didn't complain of the last time I touched you. Remember?"
The magicless witch whipped around facing him, her eyes burning with more irritated anger that would have been dangerous if she just had her damn magic. Of course, Bonnie remembered. She just wanted to remember it as a dream and nothing more. However, that didn't work out too well. Mikaelsons should be considered a curse and have a taboo warning pinned to them. They left nasty effects on people, and they had a tendency to drag them into worse aftermaths of their affairs.
"Last I checked, I remembered that as a dream." Bonnie's voice was dripping with more dangerous aggravation by the second. "Now, do me a favor and just shut your mouth!"
"That's a little harder than you think, child."
It was at that moment that Zariyah had finally stole their attention. She grabbed Kol and Bonnie's hand, and they vanished into thin air, leaving the altar desolate before any of the other keepers could detect them. Zariyah would make sure of that.
{Louder Than Thunder}
What seemed like on a few seconds for the Gate Keeper seemed like a century to the vampire and the witch. Teleportation wasn't a skill known among with vampires or witches. It was exclusively for the Keepers on the Other Side to make it easier to travel through the vast domain. While Zariyah was used to that mode of traveling, anyone not from her exception would feel temporary side effects. She was sure the effects of dizziness and nausea was accompanying them, probably more so for Bonnie than Kol.
Without even thinking, she laid a single hand on both of their backs, and muttered a simple healing spell to counteract with the symptoms. From that act itself, she couldn't help the small wave of nostalgia and familiar feelings from the past. It didn't seem long ago from when she felt human feelings. They still existed inside of her heart. It was taking her longer to let those feelings dissolve as a keeper. The transition from what she was before to the being she was now still had a few fixes left.
Nevertheless, she couldn't doubt her actions now. They were necessary.
"I am using spell to where I can extend your time limit of how long you can be here before you would have to return to the gate." Zariyah explained, waving her hand in a slow motion of an arc. A gate of white light slowly appeared and manifested itself in front of them, glowing brightly against the dark environment.
"What will happen to you?" Bonnie asked.
The Gate Keeper chuckled bitterly. "I have a feeling of what they will do with me, but it doesn't matter. My feelings don't matter compared to what needs to be done; especially regarding the situation with Klaus."
Kol remained silent on his part, which threw Bonnie off guard. All she could see was an unreadable expression. She wouldn't be able to get through to him. "Can I have my magic please?" she asked carefully.
Long moments later, Zariyah reached out from behind her back, and in her hands appeared Bonnie's salvation. Inside of the small glass vial, there was something that resembled to be a swirling blueish-white mist. "This is what is containing your power. You have come far and wide to take back, which is yours…" The keeper handed the vial to her. "…but…"
Bonnie flinched at the last word. "But what?"
The expression on her translucent face turned serious. "Returning your magic will come at a price."
"I don't know what I can give you." Bonnie answered unsure. She looked back towards Kol to see if he knew what she was talking about, but he only merely shrugged.
"Is it anything from the Other Side I could possibly find for you?" Kol inquired, leaving Bonnie surprised by his urge to help. Since when did he even do that besides with something in for him in the end?
Zariyah shook her head. "It's nothing on the Other Side that you could provide. It would be where Bonnie would return to that I would get it."
Kol nodded, finally accepting her answer. There was only so much he could do at the moment, and there was the harsh reality of how he royally screwed himself in any chance of getting back to the land of the living.
Sensing his silence, Zariyah raised his hopes as best as she could. "I will deal with them. I won't let them bring you to The Last Court."
He was too important to her for that. She would fight against all of them if she had to. Damn her human feelings. She's grown too attached to him while he had been here.
Bonnie observed the vial in her hands, confused as heck as to why she hadn't done anything now. Her palms had grown clammy and slippery. Her heart kept pounding in her ears. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Before now, she had been so determined to get back what was taken from her. The hollow part of her soul had screamed to be whole once again, and now here it was. It was waiting for her to set it free and regain who she was.
Not before she could ask this question that's been burning in her head for months.
"I need to ask something, and I need you to be honest with me." Bonnie explained, taking a deep breath before the plunge. "Have you seen someone coming through here? A vampire named Caroline Forbes. She…died a few months back. Back in January."
That question had been in her head for so long ever since Caroline died. Since she was a vampire, she would have to come through here before moving on to having peace. However, Bonnie never uttered that question out loud because of the ramifications. And she didn't want to give herself false help. There was no way to bring a dead vampire back. It was impossible, even with the capabilities magic had.
The pregnant pause between her question and what could be Zariyah's answer put Bonnie slight on edge. Why the silence? What was she hiding?
"Caroline isn't here, Bonnie." Zariyah finally answered. "She's in another place right now where even your magic can't reach her. She is safe."
That answer shouldn't have surprised Bonnie one bit, but it didn't soften the blow to her heart. An unexpected tear slip from her eye, falling down her cheek before Bonnie hastily wiped it away before everyone mentioned it. The effect of Caroline's death still lingered and stung. It stung deep. She missed her best friend more than she could ever admit. Regret rose up in her chest, not letting her push it back for so long. Bonnie should have been a better friend, sister, and family to her. Not treat her like she was vermin.
But despite the bitterness of the answer, Bonnie could feel the hopefulness in that answer. Caroline is safe now. She would be safe from the troubles of Mystic Falls. She wouldn't have to deal with anything again.
For that, Bonnie was grateful.
"Did you help her? Did she make it through alright?" Bonnie asked urgently, hoping with all her heart that Caroline didn't suffer.
Zariyah held an ironic smile towards them. "The Gate Keepers worked together to bring Caroline to where she was supposed to go, but I oversaw that personally. And you can actually thank Kol for helping her out."
Now, Bonnie was really confused. "Excuse me?"
"Do we really have to mention this?" Kol complained, crossing his arms over his chest.
Zariyah shot him a look and only chuckled at him. "Kol, it's not like you were being a Samaritan. Caroline had a hard time with the transition so I sent Kol to help her out. Believe it or not, he can be someone of help...sometimes."
"I still find that hard to believe."
"Oh, darling. You'll never give me credit for anything, will you? My heart is broken." Kol placed a hand over his heart, pretending to be in pain while his smile portrayed the real story. It would take a lot more than that to knock him down.
"Probably just this once…" Bonnie replied honestly. "But this doesn't change much of anything."
She still hated his brother. She preferred to not to be around his family at all. It was better for all of them to be dead. Not to be around at all.
But this time, she couldn't deny him. Denying him would still be her secret.
Before she could leave, she felt Kol's cold touch wrap around her wrist. "You know my views on this already. I am not going to pretend that I don't like what you're doing, but I just want to say this before you go back. Be careful."
Taken back by his words, all of her words were stuck in her throat. She didn't know what to say to him.
Zariyah broke her from her reverie. "You need to go, child. Your time is running out."
With that, Bonnie nodded firmly. With Kol and Zariyah being the last thing Bonnie saw, she threw the vial on the ground, the glass breaking on contact. Bonnie watched in awe as the blueish-white mist wrapped around her and entered her body. Inside white fire flowed through her veins and the hollow part of her soul was roaring back to life like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Eventually, she was overcome with white as she struggled through the gateway to the land of the living.
Despite the fire burning inside her anew, Bonnie felt at peace again. Her magic back with her again felt like she had come home.
To be continued…