Elena was training in the woods with Alaric. "So the pressure of your punch ejects the stakes." He was telling her.
"Easy enough." Elena went to punch the practice dummy they were using, but the stake was stuck in the sleeve. "That's weird." She tried a couple more times but it didn't work. "Must be jammed or something."
"You're not strong enough." Alaric told her. "Better start lifting some weights, put some meat on your bones."
"Thanks for not sugar-coating it." Elena said. He pulled something out of his bag.
"You know what this is?" He asked.
"A vervain grenade. I've used one before."
"Then you know the element of surprise is your only advantage when it comes to a vampire." He pulled the pin out and tossed it to her. She quickly tossed it into the air, where it exploded.
"This isn't a joke to me, Ric." Elena said.
"You think I'm joking? Vampires will take whatever they want. They will hurt whoever they want." Alaric pointed out. "And they'll do it without remorse. It's their nature."
"You don't have to use pronouns. You can say Stefan." Elena said. She'd covered the mark where she'd been hurt, but it didn't take away the pain.
"Look, I get why you're here. Stefan hurt you. You don't want it to happen again."
"But you think that I'm crazy. To believe that I can protect myself from a vampire who's flipped the switch on his humanity." Elena said.
"Of course we don't think that." A strong, female voice said to her. They immediately knew it was their ghost friend, the one who couldn't seem to show herself. "I saw the way you defended yourself in Chicago. If you could handle that, you can get through this."
"She's right." Alaric told Elena. "Whoever she is, anyway. You found a way to get out of bed this morning. And that makes you the strongest person I know. I think that you can do pretty much anything." He handed her the sleeve weapon again. She looked at it for a moment, then put it back on.
"You're doing a great job with them, Ric." The voice said.
"Thank you." Alaric said. Then he seemed surprised as he realized where he'd heard the woman's voice before. "Wait, are you…"
"Don't let the others know yet. It's too soon." She told him.
"Got it."
At school, the girls were outside. "Here we are. Senior year." Caroline said.
"Anyone else think it should feel slightly more empowering?" Bonnie asked.
"Okay, So prank night was a bust. But we are accepting it, and we are moving on." Caroline said.
"You're right. I mean, why should I let the fact that there's a shadow spirit running around here get this down?" Bonnie asked. Anna explained everything to her the previous night.
"And why should I let the fact that my boyfriend was turned into a hybrid put a damper on an otherwise fabulous day." Caroline said.
"Today's our anniversary." Elena said sadly. "Technically, Stefan and I met on the first day of school last year."
"Yeah. You win."
"Are you sure you want to be here?" Bonnie asked.
"I have to be here. I have to put it behind me. New year. New life." Elena said, heading inside. The girls followed her in, looking concerned.
Elena was closing her locker when Anna appeared. "Hey." Elena glanced around the hall to make sure no one was looking.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered.
"Lexi told me everything. I wanted you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." Anna said.
"Thanks, Anna." Elena said. She started walking toward her next class.
Matt was sitting in his truck in the parking lot. "You always fit in better here than I did." He nearly jumped out of his seat. Vicki was in the next seat over.
"You can't just keep appearing like this. Freaks me out."
"I'm a ghost." She pointed out. "Besides, I couldn't appear if you weren't thinking about me."
"I thought you guys could appear to anyone at anytime." Matt said.
"Well, that hasn't been the case with me." Vicki explained. "So far, I can only appear to you and Bonnie. Something blocks me when I try to talk to the others." He looked at her. "Something's bothering you, I can tell."
"I was just thinking about our first day last year." Matt told her. "I was worried about running into Elena and you said..."
"Suck it up. Be a man. And show her what she's missing." Vicki finished.
"Yeah. Instead, she met a vampire." Matt said.
"One who would do anything to keep you guys safe." She pointed out.
"Well, I know that now. I didn't then." Matt said. "Then again, with his humanity off…"
"I get it, Matt. It's a lot to take in." Vicki said.
"It's hard to deal with it alone." Matt said. "I'm glad I get to talk to you, though. I miss you."
"What if I told you there was a way that you could help me come back?" Vicki asked.
"What do you mean?" Matt asked. There was a knock at the window. When Matt turned to talk to Vicki, she was gone.
"Matt?" Tyler showed up. "Come on, we're gonna be late!"
In the school, Elena bumped into Stefan. Literally. "Hello, Elena."
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"What do you mean? I'm going back to school. Go Timberwolves!"
"What?! Why?" Elena asked.
"Klaus wants me to keep an eye on you. I'm just doing what I'm told." Stefan said.
"I'm going to be late for class." Elena said. She started to walk away, when he grabbed her.
"class is this way."
"Let go of me, Stefan." Elena said, trying to sound calm. She focused as hard as she could, drowning him out. The next thing she knew, something had forced him off of her. "I said let go of me." At that moment, Alaric showed up.
"Let her go." Stefan grabbed him, when whatever force had helped Elena before pushed him away again.
"I'll see you guys in history." He said, leaving. Elena and Alaric looked at each other. Alaric headed for his classroom, while Elena was still too stunned by what happened.
"You're okay, Elena." She heard a voice say. "Go to class, we're all keeping watch."
"We? There's more than one of you that's invisible?" Elena asked.
"At the moment, I'm the only one here with you. You haven't exactly called the others yet, even though you have been thinking of them." She said. "Come on, I'll be with you during your classes."
"Thanks." Elena headed to class.
A couple hours later, Elena met with Alaric before history started. "What the hell is he doing here?" He asked her.
"Klaus compelled him to watch over me. Apparently I'm one of Klaus's assets now that my blood is the only way he can create a hybrid." Elena said.
"Now he's a bodyguard?" Alaric asked.
"I don't know what he is. But he's definitely not Stefan." Elena told him.
"At least you're both okay." The ghost from before spoke.
"Yeah, thank goodness for that." Anna said, appearing behind Elena.
"Anna?"
"She sent me to keep an eye on you during history." Anna explained. "She'll take over after school. I've got something to talk about with Jeremy." The bell rang.
"Look, his being here is not good for any of us. We have to do something." Elena said.
"We will, Elena." Anna told her. "We've got you're back." The rest of the class entered the room, so she turned invisible.
"Welcome back, seniors." Alaric said, trying to get on with class like normal. "Let's turn our brains back on, starting with this country's original founders... Native Americans."
"What about the Vikings?" Everyone turned and saw a tall, blonde girl at the door. She took an empty seat.
"There's no evidence that Viking explorers actually settled in the United States." Alaric explained. "Who are you?"
"My name's Rebekah. I'm new. And history's my favorite subject." Anna saw Elena text something under the desk. She got slightly closer to read the message.
Klaus' sister-an Original.
"Another one?" Anna whispered. "Sheesh, someone should make a show about those guys." Elena was trying to not to laugh when her phone vibrated.
What's going on?-C
Elena looked up and saw Caroline looking at her as if to say, what the hell is this bitch still doing here? Elena shrugged and texted her back.
No idea, but if she's here, it's not good-E
After school, Matt ran to the stoner pit. Vicki appeared there. "What are you doing in the stoner pit?"
"Figured you'd feel comfortable here." Matt told her. "what did you mean that I can help you come back?"
"Right now, I can only come back when you're thinking of me. But there is a way that I can be free of that." Vicki said.
"How?"
"I met someone who could help me."
"You mean another spirit?" Matt asked. Just then, Jeremy showed up.
"What are you doing over here?" He asked. Then he saw who he was talking to. "Vicki?"
"You can see me?" She asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I'm a mediator." Jeremy told her.
"So you've been avoiding me." Vicki said. "Whenever I tried to talk to you before, something pushed me out."
"Well, maybe you're the only one with someone looking out for them." Jeremy said.
"So, what brings you out here?" Matt asked him. "You're not smoking again are you?"
"No, I came out here to find my lab partner." Jeremy explained. "I'll see you around." He headed back into the school to find Anna. If there was anyone who could help him with this ghost mess, it was her.
Matt turned to Vicki. "So, tell me what's going on with you. Who's helping you?"
"The witch I've been talking to says that there's a ritual. She can do magic from my side to push me over to yours." Vicki explained. "if she were to get a stronger foothold... I'll be able to come and go as I please... When I want, where I want. I won't have to rely on you."
"But you'll still be a ghost, Vicki." Matt pointed out. "Why wouldn't you be able to come back to life?"
"Because that spell requires a witch on your side of the veil, too." Vicki pointed out. "And I don't think Bonnie trusts me. Besides, it's not like anyone else will be able to see me if this one works."
In the bathrooms, Anna showed up to talk with Jeremy, taking him completely by surprise. "I thought you said you'd stop doing that!" He pointed out.
"I'm ghost, it's going to happen sometimes." Anna said. "I think I just saw Vicki outside."
"Yeah, she was talking with Matt when I saw her." Jeremy said.
"This still isn't good. I'm picking up a lot of darkness around her."
"She's not a bad person, Anna." Jeremy said.
"It doesn't matter if she's good or bad, something's influencing her-otherwise there wouldn't be a shadow-y glow around her when I look at her." Anna told him. "I overheard her say something about a spell to bring her back."
"That doesn't sound good." Jeremy said.
"I hate to sound like a witch, but if it's one thing I've observed from them, it's you can't upset the balance of nature without paying a price." Anna explained.
"Is there anything we can do to stop her?" Jeremy asked.
"There's only one thing I can think of. No doubt she's going to persuade her brother to help her with that spell. We have to let Bonnie know what's happening." Anna told him.
"Wait." Jeremy said before she could disappear on him. "I'm going with you. We'll find her faster if we're together."
Outside, Elena was running on the track. Stefan showed up. "Look at you being all fit. Hey, you going to the bonfire tonight? Sounds like fun, right?"
"Seriously, Stefan, leave me alone." Elena said, turning around and running the other way. She wasn't surprised when he followed her.
"You think I'm annoying now? Wait till homecoming." He said. "Hey, who you bringing, by the way? Don't want to be weird."
"I don't know what's worse, he's attitude or his insults." Elena heard her friend saying. She had the feeling that she was right next to her, even though she couldn't see her. She was so lost in thought, she didn't notice when someone bumped into her.
"I'm sorry." She looked up confused, but couldn't say anything, because Stefan pushed him to the ground.
"Watch it, dick!"
"Who are you?!" Elena asked, slightly surprised he did that.
"I'm the guy who's been assigned to protect a human blood bag." He told her. "I mean, no offense or anything."
"Come on, Elena. Walk with me." Elena followed the voice's advice and walked off the track, away from Stefan. "You can talk to me about anything. I was there for you guys when I was…well, alive."
"I'm sorry, do you have a name?" Elena asked. "Or is there anything we can call you until we figure out who you are?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Right now the important thing is how you're doing with all this."
"Well, that last comment kind of hurt." Elena admitted. "Not like he'd care, now that his emotions are off. I want to do something about this, but right now I'm not sure what to do."
"You'll figure this out, sweetie. You always do."
"Thanks. If you're going to keep shadowing me, I'm headed to the weight room." Elena said. "I hope I know what I'm getting into."
"Elena, that's the fear talking. You are the brightest, strongest girl that I know. I've seen what you're capable over the summer. If you could get through all that, you'll get through this."
"Thanks." Elena said. "Wait a minute, didn't we have this conversation before?" She asked, figuring out who their mystery ghost was.
"I knew you'd figure it out." The voice told her, gently. "Still wish I were visible, though."
"Hey, you'll get there one day. Right now, I'm just glad to have someone to talk to, invisible or not." Elena said to her.
"You're going to need more than a young spirit's help with this, you know." She pointed out. "Call Damon. As much as I don't like him, I know he'll help you with whatever you're planning."
"Yeah, guess you're right." Elena said. She headed into the weight room and took out her phone.
A/N: So, any guesses as to the mystery ghost that's been following Elena and the others? In the next chapter, it's identity is finally revealed to the group. And it looks like Vicki is still out to cause trouble. Please let me know your thoughts on this story so far.