Note: This is in celebration of this fic's three month anniversary! Hollaaaaaaa.
"Death is a shadow that always follows the body"
- English Proverb
Seekers: Witches trained in the arts of research, hunting, acquisition and killing. Are renowned for their dabbling in Voodoo, Expression, Sacrificial Magic, the Puritan approach to the supernatural species and above all – ruthlessness. They rule under the hand of the legend of The Superior. Their coven controls the majority of upper Africa but they also reside in Southern Africa.
The Superior: According to legend: excessive use of Expression magic usually results in the death of the Caster, but if one was to survive the death they'd be 'blessed' by turning into a higher being – the Superior. This 'deity' is the embodiment of Black Magic and has remained a legend but those in African covens have recorded siting's and have since been propositioned by many the Superior's Seekers to join their forces. It is said that the Superior's army has slowly spread over the continent and many witches fear that the world is no longer safe.
Bonnie had read the definitions countless times but she still couldn't wrap her head around it. Sure, she wasn't surprised that the Supernatural world extended beyond Mystic Falls and New Orleans but she hadn't acknowledged what could come with that – evidently what had come with that. Puritan Witches that saw Hybrids as a slight against Mother Earth? Where were they when Klaus was running around making vampire-wolf babies? But Fahada had pointed out that they served their own agenda; and they were exceptionally territorial, which was why when they spotted Damon and Bonnie at the beach they saw it as a Divine onus to right the obvious wrong that was the couple's existence. Broad daylight putting a damper on the chances of immediate execution they 'tagged' Imran who they'd assumed to be the leader in order to follow him later. Amelia had unbound him from the dark magic almost immediately, slapping a charmed necklace on him, with a spelled protection ring for good measure. He said nothing as she faffed over him; his eyes vacant and unfocused. Fahada was sure he was thinking about her and his wife – which was why she was more determined than ever to uproot and end whatever was surely headed their way. According to the ways of the Seekers, and since the Hunters had already drawn first-blood she was sure they had a week at most to ready for the second onslaught.
"Seekers are smart," she was saying to Damon and Bonnie the next morning while the rest of the gang were gathered behind them, "The arrows were but a cursory sniff at our defences, it wasn't a warning shot or a drawing of lines between us and them. They drew the line when they marked my brother and they won't stop until the balance is restored."
"The balance?" Bonnie echoed, aware of how she had harped on so much about that word herself when she had still been only a witch. "How is killing me and Damon going to restore a balance?"
"See, these witches have a certain…" Fahada's eyes travelled upward as she sought out the most accurate word, "Disdain for their existence and for that of other Supernaturals and in light of that they have dedicated themselves to an ascetic existence; only using their powers when absolutely necessary. The problem is that they see any deviation from standard supernatural make-up as a slight against the very essence of who they are. They've put us all in a very small, very tight box and one that is different, stronger or in any way a threat to their way…must be annihilated."
"But we've come across a hybrid before…Klaus; he mixed werewolf and vampire magic –" Caroline said a streak of apprehension in her voice as she said his name. Fahada nodded.
"I have no doubt hybrids have been attempted before but these Seekers operate primarily on territory; whichever seekers were assigned to Klaus were obviously defeated." Caroline frowned but nodded. "Besides, for them this is personal, Bonnie and Damon are part witch – it's never been done before and this spurs them on to put an end to what they surely deem as the utmost sacrilege."
"Doesn't matter," Bonnie spoke up, "I won't let them come near him, or any of you." Fahada gave her a fond smile before looking around at all of their faces. Pushing down her aversion to so many eyes on her at once she looked up again, this time at Stefan and then Lucy before her eyes travelled back to Bonnie.
"It's not your fight alone Bonnie," Fahada said, "I doubt you realise the lengths everyone in this room is about to go to to keep you alive." Bonnie reigned in the snort that was almost automatic as a reaction to people sacrificing themselves for her. That was her thing…was being the operative word for it, she knew. Since she'd come back she'd seen the change, felt it from all of them, her and Damon dying had changed everything. Them coming back had blasted what was left of 'Mystic Falls' normality to shreds, leaving them all dangling mid-air…like pretty little wind-chimes waiting for the winds of change to move them once more. And it had blown them right into the line of fire. "I myself have a score to settle with them for targeting my brother. This fight, and there will be one, will not have you standing alone, or only with Damon or only with your friends, you will have me, Amelia, Imran and your own strength beside you and believe me when I say this…We will win."
Once the group dispersed; Stefan and Lucy heading straight to the archives to dig up anything they could that could help, Fahada, Caroline and Elena heading to the basement to do the same as well as an inventory on the weapons while Amelia, Imran and Enzo fleshed out on the supposed strategy. Bonnie watched and felt the movement around her; the proactive buzz around them all but it wasn't enough. She wanted to do something now; she wanted so badly to put an end to this amicably but the more they spoke about the Seekers, about their Superior, their hard-core belief systems that drew a fat target on Bonnie's forehead the more she knew it would only end in bloodshed. Bonnie flinched at the thought, the very idea as so much as a threat against one of her loved one's … a snarl ripped its way passed her lips, surprising her.
"Easy." She spun around at the sound of his voice, "You heard what Fahada said." She nodded as Damon pulled her gently out of the office they'd all been assembled in, walking her down the quiet hallway and up to the balcony where he'd been shot not a day ago.
Meanwhile
"Master the Hunters have not returned to us." Kiera said, her head dipped down so she didn't look him in the eye, a show of respect. She had stepped into his Throne Room; lit with a thousand candles, as it was underground at the heart of the city he had built. He turned then, his robe, lagging behind him, a pool of velvet material covered in golden scrawls of demonic scripture.
"Then they are dead to us." His hollow voice quipped. Kiera nodded quickly. "As dead as those Hybrids will be."
"Yes sir."
"When are we due to send the note?" The Superior inquired.
"Whenever you wish it to be sent it shall be sent." Kiera tried to rein in her repulsion when she felt the creature before her begin to smile.
"You always were my favourite."
"Thank you sir." She pressed her mouth shut to stop from screaming when she felt the talons curl around her face, from her cheek to her chin – a cold affection.
"Now go," was the command, "We must be ready for The Cleanse."
Meanwhile
"… The way Fahada described them, their ways and their borderline religious approach to witchcraft…" Bonnie's voice trailed off as she looked out to the water, "This isn't going to be easy and someone's going to get hurt." And knowing her luck it would be him. She knew she was reverting to old habits but she'd much rather it be her if it came down to it… and that would hurt him…and the knowledge of him being hurt whether they struck at him or her was what made her insides ache…she didn't want him hurting, she didn't want those Seekers or their Superior or whatever stealing moments they were yet to have, peace they'd yet to attain. How was any of that even fair?
"None of us will. I won't allow it, you won't, and I'm pretty sure Fahada's been jonesing for a decent fight for the last eon," a smile came and went on his face, "Bonnie look at me," she didn't, "Bonnie." His tone was heavier, more demanding the second time but she didn't respond. If she turned to him now, if she allowed a small shred of her fear show in her eyes she knew what it would do to him. She knew him; the knowledge having piled up and processed through her mind in such a short time yet with such efficiency that the truths came easily to her. And the truth was that she and Damon were exactly alike. They would both drop everything for the people they loved; themselves included and now…with the way they felt about one another…who knew what they were capable of? What was making Bonnie sick however, right down to her undead stomach was the intrinsic awareness that also like her, Damon would put himself in front of her every single time now – and he wouldn't hesitate or regret it even if he ended up dying to save her. And did she have a right to be mad? Did she have a right to deny him that when she herself was so prone to martyrdom that it was all but expected of her now? "Bonnie, stop." He said, turning her body to face him, his face lined with her frazzled thoughts as if he could hear them, as if they were his own. "It comes and goes," he said softly, "I get glimpses of you, in there," he swept a finger gently past her hairline and her temple, "Flickers of you, doubts, love, blood, all of it…and Bonnie I promise you nothing will happen to us, any of us." She tried to pull away from him but he was stronger in the vampire department so it was in vain.
"You can't promise me that." She argued. Her voice was soft but her words were hard as stone. Sharp too. Damon blinked slowly and nodded once, still not letting her out of his hold.
"In a way you're right, I have no way of guaranteeing the outcome of whatever is coming for us but I know me and I know you. I know my brother. Caroline and Elena, despite whatever they did or didn't do in the past, they're ready to throw down the gauntlet for you, like you always did for them. Same goes for Lucy; it's like she's been waiting her whole life to be there for someone the way she's been fighting for you since I've seen her again. And Enzo? He's wanted to kill stuff since he came back into my life, we all know this." Bonnie searched his face, ran the trail of her gaze over every facet of his features. Had he always been this beautiful? This insanely passionate? He'd always had fire in him, a fire she'd had too when she managed to have a better hold on her magic as a human. He'd always been determined to a point of recklessness when it came to the things and people he cared for. But this, this slow assertion, this warmth that fell from him with every word…it was breath-taking and inspiring and she believed every second of it. She believed him and she believed in him. And she loved him. Despite the odds and with a velocity she would have never predicted she'd fallen in love with a madman; in time to discover that she too, had gone and lost her mind in the most perfect of ways. Being separated by a dimension could do that to you.
She wasn't human anymore – and she never had been human. She was always different. She'd done more than hallucinated Damon when she was without him. She'd absorbed him, his memory, his essence, like he'd done with her. Where he'd been plagued with guilt she'd been nudged into salvation. And they'd found one another and the rest of the world had fallen away. Her residual love for Jeremy had passed, and somehow, Damon had managed to see past him and Elena…something he'd done out of his own, and with an almost impatience, like the words couldn't come soon enough as he ended it all with her. He ended years of a relationship he'd invested himself in, almost lost his brother over and for what? For her. It was as impossible as it was true. And here they stood, having kissed all of three times – in love with one another.
"I love you, you know." Bonnie said after the longest moment, her eyes falling closed as his thumbs moved over her cheeks, sweeping under her eyes as if to draw the pain up and out of her. To fend off the tears they both knew would come if she carried on thinking about everything. "I don't know how long it's been but it feels like I always have…" she opened her eyes then, "It sounds terribly cliché when I say it like that." Damon smiled and shook his head as he moved his hands to pull her closer to him by her waist. She wrapped her arms up and around his neck.
"I've always cared about you, in my own idiotic way, in ways that didn't really count to anyone but me…" he said, thoughtfully, "And then we died, and I cared about you more and then…then Kai forced your hand and you made a choice. You did the Bonnie Bennett thing. And then I missed you, and I mourned you and although the majority of myself was hysterical and incoherent, another part, in equal measure, was writhing in its own misery – quietly, without you…without you to goad me the way I did everyone else. Without you to snap at me, lecture me, love me, make me stronger without pestering me into a better version of myself through guilt or vulnerability…the most incredible thing about it all is that when I realised I loved you it made sense. It made sense for me to love someone as incredibly reckless as I am, as fierce, as vulnerable and sad…It made sense because you make sense Bonnie. Every word that you say has reason, everything you do has a pure motive, has sturdy intent – purpose. You're this incredible creature and you've been there this whole time and I'm not sure now how I could suddenly be deemed worthy of you… but I thank whichever gods have yet to denounce me for the way you're looking at me right now." Blinking a few times while she absorbed his words she was only vaguely aware of her grip tightening around him, pulling him down to her.
"I don't think I could say anything nearly as profound or if I'm even able to articulate myself beyond this sentence… but you Damon Salvatore, your biggest secret is that you're a blessing in disguise…a horrible disguise at that – I can see right through you," she said with a smile, "I can almost feel your heart beating right now, with every word you've just said and trust me when I say – no one is more deserving of my love than you. And I want you to have it."
"I want it all." He whispered against her mouth, faint trails of his insecurities surfacing as a habitual reaction to the context of love. Bonnie ran her hands over his shoulders, digging her fingers into the skin and bone there, finding anchorage as she ghosted her mouth over his.
"Take it all." She replied, her breath fanning over his bottom lip where his tongue had darted across in anticipation. "Take it, it's yours." Damon's breath came out in a sharp exhale and he seemed to be readying himself for the kiss; psyching himself up for it, because it meant so much more now. Bonnie loved him. Him and no one else. They'd both loved before but it didn't matter – they'd never love another again. And somewhere deep in Damon's chest the fact that Bonnie was part vampire made him dizzy with gratitude at whatever had caused this supernatural channel between them…Whatever thing had decided that they were worthy of the magic and that they deserved to unearth and expand on their love and their relationship with one another. Because although the magic was incredible and the vampirism was fantastic as always and their bond had never been stronger – it was their love that made all the difference. They went hand in hand, the love and the bond but they weren't the same and Damon understood that now. Sure, the love was no doubt given a speedy shove but it didn't debase its origin and it most certainly didn't devalue an ounce of their feelings for one another. And who needed to wait longer when they could have their true love sooner? Damon couldn't think of a single reason to delay something as perfect and true as this…because now, he could have her, and he could have her for all of eternity.
Heaven help whatever stood in the way.
Stay excellent.