It was quiet for a moment with only the occasional growl from the wolf's frothing mouth.

"No sudden movements Jenna…"

She whispered with a side mouth and Jenna let out a small noise at the back of her throat even as she shakily held up her crossbow at the vibrating animal.

Cherith wondered in her head how to go with it.

She should try to reason with Tyler the wolf.

Maybe even try to show she had nothing against him.

She cleared her throat.

"Okay Dante. It'll be in both our best interests if you turned on your tails and scram or I'll unleash shit on you."

She probably should practice peaceful agreement speeches more in her spare time.

The wolf growled out loud again and blurred towards the two and as Jenna let out a shriek, Cherith raised a shield around them both and the wolf bounced on the shield, shaking his head and ignoring the slight sizzle as some fur burnt from the magic.

He trotted slightly, eyes murderous and Cherith huffed.

"We really don't have the time now you stupid teen wolf!"

She snarled impatiently.

"I have places to be, higher beings to throw my middle finger at as I save MY SISTER!!"

She ended her sentence, looking up at the sky with an accusatory look.

"Um, Cherry? We have an important situation here… you can make me concerned with your mental health later on but… wolf??"

Cherith turned back to Tyler just in time for him to smash his head against the shield again and bounce back, more head fur sizzling.

With some vindictiveness, she idly hoped Tyler suffered baldness for this… the bastard.

"We have to find a way out of here… I just need the right opening…"

But first… she needed him to—

Aha!

Just in time, he hit his head against the shield again and as he tried to regain himself again, Cherith put down the shield and immediately fired her energy at him and it hit him dangerously as he landed against a tree, falling to the floor with a pained whine.

Cherith wasted no time running behind Jenna.

"What??!"

Jenna's betrayed squawk ended though as he niece place her hands under her armpit and lifted both in the air much to the strawberry blonde's startled surprise as the rose into the dark skies before the wolf could take a bite at them.

Jenna sighed in relief.

"Thank God. That was certainly not the way I want to die. Was that a werewolf?"

"Hm… Tyler Dante Lockwood."

"Oh… Cherry, I don't think that's his middle name."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Now… where do we go? Do you by chance know where the ritual is taking place?"

Jenna shook her head.

"Maybe call Jeremy? Haven't seen him since I got back. Something about being in some witch building… or that's what Damon had said."

Cherith's eyes brightened at that.

"Perfect! Let's head there then. Clench up aunt!"

"Hm? Why—Aarghhhhh!!!!!"

Cherith cackled as they flew faster than necessary in the night sky.

Niece and Aunt, reunited once more.


Meanwhile…

Timmy Turner groaned as he sat up, holding his head slightly.

It hurt a bit to think at the moment, but… what the hell had happened to him!!

Last he remembered… he had been heading back to the Grill to grab his wallet when…

There was this girl and—

"Timmy?"

A soft voice sounded a few feet from him and he snapped his head to the sound, wincing a bit.

"You're um… Timmy Turner, right?"

He nods.

"And you're Gilbert… Cherith's sister? Where am I?"

He looked around.

He was in a large opening in a forest.

What the hell?

He turned back to the girl.

"What's going on? How did I get here??"

He stumbled to his feet and Elena watched him cautiously.

"Um… you should calm down."

Timmy scoffed.

"Calm down? Calm down when I don't know how the fuck I got here??"

Elena stood straight from her crouch.

"Um… she brought you here? Don't you remember?"

He frowned.

"I remember… a girl. She was pretty."

Elena stifled a snort.

Of course. That was how they got him.

Even she knew about Timmy Turner and how he was some sort of skirt chaser.

"Why the fuck do I feel like this?"

He grunts as he holds his head.

"Ugh! My head hurts like shit… I didn't take anything… and my gums…"

"You're in transition."

Another voice came from behind and he turned to see her.

The last face he could remember.

"You."

"Me."

Greta smiled prettily as she walked forward.

"Why did you take him??"

Elena demanded.

"He's an innocent. He doesn't deserve to be here."

She shook her head as if pleading with her to release him and Timmy looked creeped out.

"Whoa! What? Innocent?? What's going on??"

Greta ignored his question, walking over to them.

"Well… the first choice has actually been your aunt… Jenna?"

Elena gasps, her heartbeat quickening as fear clouded her mind.

"Jenna?? What have you—Is she okay??"

"We couldn't get to her… wherever she is, she isn't picking her phone. Good for her. Him though…"

She walked towards Timmy who was still watching confused.

"He must be someone special to your sister…"

"Wait, what?"

Timmy and Elena blurted out.

"Klaus wants it to be poetic. So why not people important to you?"

Elena blinked.

"Why… who told you he was important to Cherry?"

Greta smiled as she got in front of Timmy.

"Katherine Pierce has been a great help."

With that, she sliced her wrist with a smile.

"What the fuck?!"

Timmy stumbled back, accidentally landing on his ass.

"Why would you do that?! Crazy bitch!!"

Greta grinned sweetly as she held his shoulder and brought her bleeding wrist to his line of sight.

"Come on… doesn't it look appealing?"

"Wha…"

He paused as the night air blew the scent of the blood into his nose and in that moment, it smelt like the sweetest thing he'd ever smelt in his entire life.

Like what the mythical ambrosia would be like.

But… why…

"Don't do it Timmy!!"

Elena urged him with a shake of her head but Timmy wasn't listening, as his eyes changed for a moment and he inhaled the smell again, his mouth watering.

"Why—"

"Does it smell so enticing?"

Greta cut in.

"Easy. Because it's what you need. Why don't you taste it? I won't mind."

He licked his lips, ignoring Elena's protests and slowly but surely, brought his mouth over the slit wound.

And as his tongue tasted the blood, he couldn't stop drinking it, for this indeed, was the fabled ambrosia.

Elena though watched… a sad look on her face.

Someone who wasn't supposed to be involved in this… had ended up here.

How many more people had to die for this all to be over???

She turned slightly, not wanting to watch and Greta looked up at her with a smile even as Timmy drank from her.

"Now I just need to go grab the werewolf. She must be in a lot of pain, what with me slowing down her transformation process. And then… it begins…"

Elena shivered a bit.


Old Witch's House.

"There we go…"

Cherith placed her aunt daintily on the ground only for her to slump to the ground in shock as he legs were like jelly.

"What the—Jens, you okay??"

Jenna let out a harsh breath from where she lay on the floor, cross bow a few feet away and she turned to glare.

"Am I okay?? What sort of a stupid question is that??"

She ranted and Cherith rolled her eyes, walking around her and looking at the building.

"I guess you're good then."

"I'm good?? No I'm not!!! Everything's gone to craziness!!"

"Here we go…"

"And—"

"Jenna??"

Alaric's voice sounded and the two turned to see him at the open entrance of the building as he stared at the previously missing Gilbert in shock.

Cherith looked at herself.

Oh yeah… she still looked like a swamp monster.

"Cherith! You're okay!!"

Cherith waved him off even as Jenna got up.

"How did you find her?"

"I used my brain."

Jenna sarcastically answered and the history teacher winced.

"Where is everybody?"

Cherith questioned and Alaric sighed.

"Stefan's gone to the scene of the ritual… Damon, Elijah and Bonnie just behind him too…"

Cherith sat on the ground with a small flop, exhaustion suddenly going through her.

Her mother had been right at the end… Fate really was a cruel bitch.

There was nothing she could do… her sister was going to—

"Cherry?? Jenna??"

Her neck snapped towards the voice of her uncle.

"John?? What the fuck are you doing here??"

"Language!"

Jenna droned out, her legs still shaking a bit.

John stood behind Alaric and the redhead

"What's with the gathering by the door?"

Alaric frowned.

"Bonnie… she did some type of a spell so we can't go out as of the moment…she knows her spell might kill her."

Cherith sighed again, feeling even more morose.

She could go searching for everyone but… as she looked up at the skies… the full moon had been out for more than an hour now.

The ritual… it was probably almost over now.

"So… Krampus actually won?"

She drily acknowledged.

"Wait, Krampus?? Krampus is real??"

Jenna let out a small sound at the back of her throat as she looked at the dark bushes, expecting Santa's horrid bastard twin to burst out of the bushes.

"Uhhh…"

Was all Alaric said and Cherith stood up, waving her hand.

"No. I mean that guy… the guy… the evil one."

John raised an eyebrow.

"You mean… Klaus?"

"Not Santa ! The evil one in town!"

"Yes, Cherith… his name is Klaus."

Cherith blinked, startled for a moment.

Wait…

Had she known this?

Did she know this?

Or rather yet…

"His mother named him Klaus?... Ah! He's lucky he isn't an American teenager. He's have been bullied like the stringy fucker he is. This is a sad world after all..."

"Cherry!"

John shouted out.

"Language! And you're grounded."

Cherith turned a smug look to her aunt.

"You can't ground me. I'm emancipated."

"…Dammit! I-I mean… darn…"

Jenna stuttered a bit embarrassed before she shook her head.

"We can't let Elena die, can we??"

A look of panic appearing on her face.

"Right John??"

Alaric spoke up.

"Maybe you should head in first Jenna… it's not safe out there."

Jenna opened her mouth to argue but John beat her to it.

"Alaric's right. This house… it's fortified with witch's magic…"

"And their ire…"

Cherith idly mumbled as she walked in, ignoring the small hundreds of whispers that entered her head from said dead witches.

"It'll keep any unwanted beings from entering."

John assured Jenna who slowly walked in.

"Now Cherry… what happened to you?"

John walked over to his niece who was looking around.

"Where's Jeremy?"

John pointed towards a room and she walked in to see him on a couch, unconscious.

"Is he asleep or dead?"

"Bonnie placed a spell on him so he wouldn't try to stop her. He should wake after a while."

Cherith frowned for a moment before choosing to ignore it.

She'd have done the same anyways.

"So care to tell me where you've been and why you look like a vagabond?"

Cherith glared at the man, glad that at least Alaric was with Jenna at the moment.

Let them settle whatever it was between them, though she suspected it wouldn't be good news for Alaric.

Jenna seemed done with this town.

Heck, Cherith was done!

Apparently this wasn't even supposed to be her home town so like… fuck you Mystic Falls! You can kiss my sexy pale a—

"Cherry??"

Cherith snapped out of it, looking at her uncle.

"It's kind of a uh… long… story. But wait… what are you doing here??"

John waved his hand.

"Trying to save Elena."

"But you can't do that from here… wait… can you actually…"

A feeling of hope bloomed in her heart and John smiled.

"Something I came up with, along with Bonnie Bennett. It should work… but what about you, Cherry?... I feel like I should as what's going on with you…"

Cherith snorted as she sat down.

"What's the rush John? It's not like you're not going to be here in the morning."

A sad look appeared in John's eyes but Cherith didn't see it as he playfully nudged her shoulder with his.

"Just humor me."

Cherith sighed.

"Fine. Well… there's a lot going on with me, John. Even more than you know. More than this whole vampire and werewolf thing. As you know… I'm a witch from mum's side."

She lit her hand as he nodded and the crimson glow light emanated around the room, encapsulating them in a sort of glow that made even the dead witches quieten up.

"I know witches, Cherry… but I've never seen one with this… believe me… I am quite the historian."

Cherith sighed.

"Yeah, well… I'm not normal. Let's leave it at that."

John frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

Cherith's eyes sharpened.

"Are you being threatened?"

"How very sharp of you uncle. But now's not the time to discuss that."

John sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You're not exactly the uncle of the year, John. But I'm fine. Yes, I was missing for a while but… I did… I met someone."

A small smile filtered across her face at the thought of her mother.

Her mother whom she'd hugged.

She had felt so real… and she had felt warm and she'd felt love…

She had felt… everything.

"I think I'll be okay John… even if it'll be hard. So don't bother. I like to take care of things on my own."

"Don't we all know."

John snorted and Cherith ignored him.

"Keep protecting Elena. I'm not as weak as she is. Besides… I think it might be time people realized who and what I am."

She idly added as she stood up with a small smile.

"What you are?"

He questioned with a frown from where he sat.

"Hm. Tell me, uncle… have you heard of a myth of the Scarlet Witch, perhaps?"

It took a moment and then he was staring at her, jaw dropped.


It ended up being a quiet night/morning.

Cherith had idly wondered going after the rest, but even the dead witches had been so sure there would be nothing she could do, especially since Bonnie would kill the 'abomination'.

Jeremy had woken up though and they'd had a small heartfelt reunion…

That was of course… before Damon had arrived with Elena in his arms… unconscious.

As he laid her on the couch, Cherith had immediately lit up her hand, healing the bite on her neck.

It was a slightly rough night.

After explaining a few things to John, they had a conversation which ended up with him looking sad as he left the room.

Maybe it was the look…

Like something was wrong, but it definitely concerned Cherith as she went to search for her brother who had then handed her a grimoire to read.

At first, she'd been grumpy about it… and then he'd told her the chapter contained a particular spell… a spell that had to do with John and Elena.

And as the morning brightened, with everyone in the house, occasionally stealing glances at Elena who was still and unmoving, a realization appeared on Cherith's face.

Bonnie had done a ritual with John.

A ritual… where a mother had begged for her child to live in exchange for hers…

At first she'd thought nothing of it… jokingly remembering her Harry Potter books… and then, she realized just why John was so confident Elena would wake up.

Her eyes widened as she closed the book, her heart banging in her chest as it fell from her hands, startling Jenna who sat in a sit not too far away.

"Where's John??"

Cherith stood up, looking at her aunt who was a bit too slow.

She ignored her, walking out of the room in time to see a morose Jeremy and Alaric.

"Jer, where's John?"

Her voice shook a bit and Jeremy's eyes watered for a moment.

"Cherry…"

He struggled out, and in that moment, she turned to see said man outside the house, his eyes lingering on his family.

As his eyes caught Cherith's… Elena let out a loud gasp.

She was alive.

"Elena!"

Jenna's relieved sigh sounded as Jeremy and Alaric leaned over to look at her.

Cherith's jaw dropped though, as she knew what was to come.

She didn't look back at Elena, instead, she ran towards John as if there was something she could do, but the man slumped to the ground just before she could reach him.

But as John fell to the ground… everything seemed hollow to his ears, even as he heard the echoes of his niece's calls… and as he finally hit the ground, the world turned black.

He had saved his daughter.

But the cost… the cost, was his life.


April 29th.

Gilbert Residence.

Cherith watched her reflection in the mirror in her room even as she combed through her hair with a brush, ready to pack in an high ponytail, for the burial.

A burial.

It hadn't been that long since they last had one, right?

When she had been 14, burying her adoptive parents.

And now she was 16.

If it wasn't clear to the eye, it was definitely clear to her.

When you were important to higher beings, anyone connected to you was guaranteed a death.

Take Elena for example.

First, in a weird twist of faith, her adoptive parents died, then she met her fucked up mother who then exposed herself to the sun and died.

Then her father…

Take Cherith.

Her father and mother died when she was but a mere babe.

In fact, her father had died the day she was to be born if she understood.

She knew there was a lot connected to the day she was born as well as how her father had died, but she didn't have the full story yet.

As she finally packed her hair, she patted herself.

She was dressed in all black.

A net black bralette crop top, black loose suit pants and black blazers to complete it as well as black suede shoes with double soles.

Come to think of it, in a weirdly confusing way, she and Elena did have some similar characteristics.

They had two sets of parents… granted Cherith's birth parents were badass and better than Elena's… John was still a good one… no matter how much of an asshole he could be.

And when she'd told him about her being the Scarlet Witch… it did tell her that the man cared for his family, no matter how he tried to show it.


Flashback.

"So it's real?!"

John questioned his niece who nodded.

"As real as you and I, uncle. You know about it?"

John scoffed as he stood up.

"Why wouldn't I?? Cherith this is huge! Who else knows??"

He had an odd look on his face as he turned to her and she frowned.

"Just me… some dead people… another Bennett, Stefan Salvatore and just a hand full of others…"

John ran his hand through his head.

He had tried to protect Elena however he could.

He should have known, just by looking at her… that Cherith would also be someone special. Heck, she exuded such an aura.

"Cherry, do you know what being the Scarlet Witch entails?"

She nodded.

"Um, yeah… I'm some sort of a nexus being who can control chaos magic."

John nodded his head as if that wasn't important.

"Yes, there's that, but do you know you're important to some people?? People that you should be wary of?"

Cherith frowned.

"You know about the Harkness family?"

John frowned.

"Harkness? No… I'm talking about The Cult of The Darkhold."

Cherith felt shivers in her spine just at the name.

"What? What's that?"

John looked at her with a disturbed frown.

"Cherry… I don't k ow of I'll be able to talk to you by morning, but… I have heard about groups who are believers of the Scarlet Witch. Most importantly, they're fanatics. Some might see you as a messiah… but this cult… they refer to a Scarlet Witch as Chaosborn… they're twisted and even supernaturals as well as hunters tend to avoid them. They are despicable. Killers and murderers for their Chaos god from what I've heard from whispers. Cherith… you telling me you're the Scarlet Witch hasn't impressed me… it has scarred me for the rest of my days…"


Cherith always knew the title of the Scarlet Witch brought good and bad.

John had been mad she hadn't told him the full extent of her powers months back.

He ranted about how he could have protected her… how he could have searched for help on her behalf, but Cherith had told him there was no way she would have told him.

She had told no one and John had mostly been an asshole, of course she wouldn't have told him!

After he calmed down…

He had told her just how unsafe it was for her, because the cult… or brotherhood as they were known… were vile but patient.

They might know about her existence or they might not… but they were a patient lot.

'You're not safe, Cherry… if only I had more time, I could—I could have helped you! To honor my brother… both of them…'

It certainly seemed like a lot of things were happening.

She felt naked to the world, as if her identity itself was now only that of the Scarlet Witch.

She hadn't felt that way much before, but with John saying what he said… it definitely put her at high alert…

They must know of her… and even if they don't… they WILL soon find out.

Her family was still getting over their losses… the Gilbert family was lessening in number every year… what's to say with her around it wouldn't get worse?

Elena probably would be out of trouble, now that that fucktard had done the ritual… but with Cherith around… it's like inviting the baddest of the bad to have at her family.

Chaos god?

Cult?

Chaosborn??

This was past the realm of what they could take.


Cherith walked out of her room, moving towards her sister's when she paused at the brunette's shaky voice.

"I'm sorry Jeremy… so sorry, that we keep loosing people…"

It was quiet but she heard footsteps and then her brother's voice.

"I still have Jenna… Cherry… I still have you…"

A small smile grew across Cherith's face.

She might not have been able to talk to her siblings about where she'd been, or what she was yet… but it didn't change the fact that Gilbert's bounced back strongly.

And as much as Jeremy and Elena have been getting on her nerved for months now, it didn't change the fact that they were family.

Even if the ended up despising each other or not agreeing with one another's decisions… this wasn't the time to glare and hiss and point fingers…

She walked into the room, a hand in a pocket as Jeremy and Elena stopped hugging, Elena's eyes slightly watering.

Oh she knew how guilty Elena had been ever since she woke up and realized her sister was well…

She might have thrown a quip here and there like usual, but now wasn't the time.

"He's right you know…"

She said as she walked over to them.

"No matter how annoying you guys can be… we still have each other."

Elena and Jeremy snort, even as a tear falls from Elena's eyes and she quickly cleaned it off, the trio wrapped each other in a fierce hug.

They stayed that way for a moment, until Cherith felt someone hug her too, in a way, pushing her into the middle of the hug.

Jenna.

Her strong and fiercely loyal aunt.

The aunt she was convincing to finish from college and move far away from Mystic Falls.

Of all the Gilbert-Sommers, Jenna was the weakest of them…

And she didn't like the supernatural world either.

Her mother's words played in her head.

There were other ways to make her leave…

Besides…

It didn't look like she and Alaric were getting back together.

"Come on… let's get this done with, okay?"

Jenna softly spoke up at her nieces and nephew.

It was time for John Gilbert's burial.


Cemetery.

They were all there.

Stefan, Elena, Damon, Bonnie, Caroline, Alaric, Jeremy, Jenna.

And Cherith.

They stood in the Gilbert family plot where all Gilberts were buried.

Times like this, she remembered her father was one of the very few Gilberts that hadn't been buried here.

Christian Gilbert had been buried along with Iola in the Cadwallader mausoleum.

Yes.

They had a mausoleum.

She had never visited it before, mind you… but she definitely hoped to one day, and that was also where she was determined to be laid to rest when her own time came.

Everyone was somber.

All dressed in black, with the occasional red eyes here and there.

The Gilbert-Sommers had single red roses in their hands except for Cherith, and then also Elena who had three.

Understandable that she was feeling hurt… she lost another parent again.

It was grieving, just like 2 years ago.

To Jeremy and Cherith, he was their uncle… their asshole, occasionally absent uncle, but their uncle regardless.

To Elena though… he was a father… an absent one who tried his best to protect his daughter even to the cost of killing those he thought were dangerous to her.

He was her protector… to the very end.

Elena sniffled as she placed a single rose on his grave plot shakily, a few years rolling down her face as she moved to place the other two on their adoptive parent's plot as well.

She couldn't control herself as she burst into loud sobs and a teary eyed Jenna dropped a rose on John's grave and quickly moved to hug the brunette.

Next was Jeremy who looked sad and a bit melancholic…

And then Cherith moved towards the grave, crouching…

Staring for a moment…

And then as her right hand lit up, she twisted it and on the ground, a beautiful white rose wreath was created.

It had three white roses together, and then the rest were beautiful healthy greens.

"See you around John."

Was all she said as she stood up and then walked off.

There was no need to stay any longer.

The more she stayed, the more depressed it made her.

Heck, she was thinking of skipping her prom night which was the next day.

It honestly seemed so surreal to her that a ritual concerning her sister had been the previous day, her uncle had died, and then her prom was the next day.

She walked past Stefan and Damon, both looking grim but Cherith was not interested in them.

She stopped for a moment, as a number of feet away, was another family.

Small in number, dressed in black, as a woman cried into the shoulders of her husband, while two males in their early twenties or so looked grim at the new burial plot.

Timmy Turner's family.

Cherith grimaced a bit.

In a way, she felt guilty.

Elena had told her Klaus thought he meant something to her… no thanks to that bitch, Katherine.

Another life perished… all for an asshole that deserved a painful and torturous death.

Oh Cherith might have moved on from the fact that it was his destiny to become what he was meant to be… but it didn't change the fact that she wanted him to feel pain… wanted him to feel hopelessness… and one way or the other, she would find a way to make him feel that.

But not now.

Now, she had her life to look forward to… a life that was currently on the line with not just one after her… but apparently two groups.

And with that, it wasn't safe for her around her family.

If these people… these… cult… or even Harknesses, were led here… it would surely be a blood bath.

For now it was only this bastard… in fact, what if they already knew of her?

What if they were already here??

What was stopping the rest of her family from dying soon… maybe even because of her??

"I'm definitely leaving here…"

There was nothing changing her mind.

And she wasn't sure she ever wanted to return.

It would certainly be better, if she walked her path alone.

The cold morning breeze blew in the air and she turned as something seemed to catch her eye.

And for a moment… looking into the woods… she thought she saw someone watching her.

The silhouette of a pale woman with wild curly black hair in something that seemed to be a black cloak billowing in the wind…

And when she blinked, it was gone.

Her mind was definitely playing tricks on her.

Cherith Gilbert walked through the paths of the cemetery, looking like a lost but determined old soul…

Chaosborn, they would soon call her.

But that day, as they mourned for the death of someone who became a hero to them in their time of need… a hero to his daughter…

Stefan feared he would mourn for his brother soon… a brother bitten by a werewolf…

But they had no idea…

They would mourn for the Chaosborn before the year was out…


Finally done with the ritual.

I had to speed it up as I was already tired of it… I really want to focus on Cherith's side of things and start getting her to know more about her future and what lies in it.

Mystic Falls characters can definitely be stressful and we need chaos now… lol.

Next chapter, a little bit of Cherith's Prom night. She obviously won't be having too much fun, what with everything that has happened, so I won't spend too much writing it, rather Cherith will start focusing on just what the so-called cult was...

The Black cloaks are coming...(Lol, see what I did there? Twilight reference!)

Love you guys as always!

Keep spreading Chaos!!