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Chapter 31 – An All Consuming Darkness

"Sakura..." A voice echoed through her head. "Sakura..." It said her name again and she felt her ears burning. She slowly opened her eyes, she started to get up and her body felt heavy. Struggling, she pressed forward on her leg, getting up. In front of her was a familiar figure, with its shiny, dark fur and red glowing eyes Sakura looked at the tattoo on her arm and then up at the wolf.

"Why are you calling to me?" Sakura glared at it, a harsh tone in her voice. She fiddled with her ring with her thumb as she waited for a response.

"There is no point in fighting me. We are now one, and as such, you will grow stronger till you are ready," he explained.

Sakura looked into his red eyes, trying to read him. There was a fierceness in his eyes, ready to strike, yet calm. It was... predatory. "Ready for what?" she finally asked.

The wolf smiled, baring his fangs. "To fully fuse with me. Essentially, be my vessel," his eye's narrowed in on her.

Sakura shook her head frantically, "I would never let that happen."

"You will, and you will do it willingly," he drew out the last word, making it stick in her mind.

"I wouldn't", Sakura said assertively.

"Your powers will drive you to destroy the ones you love, I know you've seen what previous shadow users have done. It is inevitable. Once you have, there is no turning back, it will consume you till you can't handle it. That, my dear, is when I come in," he said with such certainty that it sent a shiver down her spine. "It's been a long time since there was one who would be strong enough. Just know I'll be watching and waiting," he laughed.

Sakura woke up with a jolt and cringed from the sun beaming through the window blinding her. The tattoo was still burning and she could feel pressure in her head. She put her arm over her eyes to shield them from the light. Then she noticed she was in her room at the boarding house, and it wasn't just her in the room there were two other people. Her eye's hadn't adjusted yet, but she could sense them.

"So that's all you know?" she heard a familiar voice, strong but filled with worry.

"Well, well, look who's finally awake," Damon put down the paper and pencil he was drawing with on his seat and got up.

"Sister?" he sat on the bottom of the bed and rested his hand on her foot comfortingly.

"What's going on?" Sakura groaned. A picture of the wolf flashed in her head and she rolled onto her side, shaking her head a little.

"That's what we'd like to know," Damon knelt down beside the bed. Damon moved a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Sakura twitched slightly, as the wolf's voice echoed Destroy in her head. He drew his hand back and eyed her slightly.

"Where have you been?" Sakura turned to Darien, not wanting to focus on Damon.

"I've had business to attend to. I'm sorry I haven't been keeping a better eye on you," Darien sighed and pat her legs lightly.

"I'm not a little kid. You don't need to keep an eye on me," Sakura sighed. She just missed him, it was nothing more than that. Having thought he was dead for so long was bad enough, but now that she knew he was around, she wanted to make up for lost time. Not that she's really had much of a chance yet.

"Well I have had to bring you home quite a few times," Damon smirked. Sakura glared at him, but he just smiled back at her. "I don't really mind having to," he winked at her.

"And I thank you for that. We might not be friends Damon, but I do appreciate when you help her out," Darien stated, seriousness in his voice.

"So," Damon started to get serious, "What really happened?"

They both looked at her and she could feel their focus on her. Sakura looked down, not sure what to say. "The shadows were… Consuming me," Sakura tried to explain. Thinking about it made her shiver, goosebumps appeared on her arms. By the alarmed look on Darien's face, they knew it couldn't be good.

"I wish I could help, but you're so much stronger than I ever was," Darien stated. Darien used his vampire speed and picked up Damon's drawing. "I'll see what I can find out," he gave Sakura a glance at the paper, it was a picture of her tattoo. "Take care, little sister," Darien sped up to her, kissed her forehead lightly and vanished.

"Well," Damon stood up, "He's an interesting guy."

Sakura laughed half-heartedly and rolled onto her back. The bed was so soft and comfortable that she felt like she was going to fall back asleep already. "Does it still hurt?" he asked snapping her out of it. She looked at him and he was staring at her tattoo, a curious expression on his face.

"Still burns, but I'll be fine," Sakura smiled weakly.

"Well, barbeque at Jenna's tonight. I have some peach cobbler to pick up, you should probably stay here and get some rest," Damon's suggestion sounded more like a command, but he obviously noticed how tired she was. "Need you up and running to get some silver into Mason Lockwood," he kissed her on the cheek and vanished.

Sakura groaned as she sat up. Then she noticed something, another presence in the house. Stefan was home, but there was someone else and it wasn't friendly. Katherine? Sakura thought and flashes of Damon kissing her passed through her head. Everything in her was telling her to rip Katherine to threads, for messing with the people she cared about. Sakura got out of bed trying not to make any noise. She crept around and saw Stefan talking to her in the parlour, it looked like they were going to kiss when he stabbed her in the back with a needle. Probably vervain, Sakura thought as she moved to the top of the stairs. Stefan glanced up, noticing her, as he picked Katherine up to moved her into the cellar downstairs. Sakura was about to take a step down the stairs when Stefan shook his head no. She sighed and sat down, watching as he took her limp body away. Sakura sat there for a while, leaning her head against the railing.

The doorbell rang startling her, she had apparently slipped from consciousness while she was sitting there. Sakura made her way downstairs and answered it. "Leilani?" Sakura said surprised.

"Sakura!" she pulled her into a hug, happy to see her, "You need to tell me when you're not feeling well, or when something weird happens."

"I take it Damon filled you in?" Sakura asked, pulling away from the hug. Leilani and Damon seemed to be closer than anyone noticed, but their closeness spawned from their care for Sakura.

"Yes, now I hope you had time to rest, it's time for the barbeque. Elena and Caroline are going to be there," Leilani dragged her outside. Sakura hadn't even noticed much time had passed. With everything going on, Sakura's mind was constantly elsewhere.

Leilani drove them there and they found Elena and Caroline outside on the porch talking. Caroline was also eating potato chips constantly. "Hey guys," they greeted each other as they stepped up the stairs.

"Foods ready," Alaric said popping outside briefly, greeting Sakura and Leilani with a nod while he was at it.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked coming up beside Sakura, noticing the distance look in her eyes.

"I'm okay," Sakura sighed.

"Hey have you heard from Stefan, he's not answering his phone?" Elena asked as she linked arms with Sakura.

"He was at home last I knew, maybe his phone was off," Sakura said thinking about him putting Katherine in the cellar.

While the others were in the next room playing a game, Sakura and Elena were in the kitchen. You could hear a ruckus in the next room, but there was more laugher than anything. Damon came into the kitchen while Elena was pulling out a pie. "Aunt Jenna is getting tipsy," he smiled as he walked up to them. Elena glared at him disapprovingly.

"Will you stop supplying her with alcohol?" Elena asked.

"I want her to like me," he replied.

"How's operation Lockwood?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.

"He's my new BFF," Damon whispered.

"There you are!" Jenna came into the kitchen, "Isn't this fun?"

"Yes, thank you so much for inviting me," Damon smiled coyly.

"Did I have a choice?" Jenna frowned.

Sakura smirked and held back a laugh. Couldn't help but start to thing of him like one of those sour gummies, first they're sour then their sweet. Do bad things, then try to make up for it.

"I know what you must think about me…" Damon was cut off by Jenna.

"No, you don't!" Jenna almost growled at him, "You've never dated you. I have dated many you's."

"Well, I'm a work in progress," Damon glanced at Sakura. "Oh," Damon walked over to a set of silver looking cutlery, "These are fancy."

"Thanks, my mother's silver set," Jenna said, alarming them all. Damon opened one of the drawers and pulled out a silver knife.

Part of them were seated at the table while the others finished setting up. "Mason," Damon set down the pie with a silver lifter, "Why don't you start us off."

"Sure," Mason spun the pie around and grabbed a piece with his bare hands and set it on the plate. He ate a piece then noticed the look he was getting from Alaric, "What am I? I apologize, I'm an animal," he licked his fingers.

"So Mason, you and Jenna never dated?" Alaric asked, striking up a conversation.

Sakura took two pieces of pie with her into the next room, with the other teenagers, just in time to see Elena and Caroline leaving. "Where are they off to?" Sakura sat on the couch and handed Leilani a plate.

"Thanks. Elena was worrying about Stefan and Caroline offered to drive her there. She's acting kinda weird though," Leilani started to stuff her face. Leilani always did lover her sweets.

Jenna came in a few minutes later wanting to pull out guitar hero. "Hope you girls know how to play!" Jenna seemed excited.

"I'm not so good," Leilani admitted, "Well, I'm pretty good with drums, Sakura is more the guitar person."

After a while Sakura decided it was time to go, "Thank you for having us Jenna," she gave her a hug.

"Yes, we should hang out more often!" Leilani gave her a hug before they headed to the front door.

"Bye guys," Sakura gave the guys a nod and opened the door.

"Goodnight Sakura!" Damon smirked.

They walked outside and got into the car when Leilani checked her phone. "So apparently my phone has been off and Elena has been trying to call me…" Leilani trailed off. Leilani dialed Elena's number, "Hey Elena, sorry my phone was off. What? Caroline is acting weird, projecting her relationship issues onto you. A flat tire? Be careful walking the rest of the way." Leilani hung up. "Well…" she started.

"Yeah I got the jest of it," Sakura sighed and looked out the window as Leilani started to drive. "By the way, why didn't you just drop the car off home, we live so close," Sakura sighed.

"Cause we aren't going home yet," Leilani giggled.

They arrived at their destination, a place they were all too familiar with. "The Mystic Grill?" Sakura complained, having thought Leilani had something different planned.

"Yeah, why not?" Leilani smiled at her. Sakura groaned as she got out and slammed the car door shut. Leilani glared at her and she just rolled her eyes. She didn't purposely slam it, it just happened. They headed inside and saw Caroline already there. "Figured you'd be out there still," Leilani looked at her curiously.

'Yeah…" Caroline was sitting in a booth, fiddling with her thumbs, not paying them much attention to them.

"Care, is something wrong?" Leilani and Sakura sat down across from her. Sakura looked around to see who all was there. One person she noticed specifically though, Damon was sitting at the bar.

"I'm fine, everything is fine," she said with spite in her voice. She shook her head and sighed.

"If you say so," Leilani replied. Leilani ordered some food for her and Sakura.

"So why did you want to come here?" Sakura asked as a plate of fries and chicken strips was placed in front of her.

"No real reason," Leilani started to eat and Sakura just stared down at her food.

It didn't seem like it was too long before Stefan and Elena walked in. "Elena!" Caroline spotted her.

"Hey," Elena seemed grumpy.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry about earlier today. I don't know what came over me!" Caroline seemed desperate.

"It's okay," Elena stated, "Caroline, everything that you were saying was right. It's just hard for me to hear, you know?"

"So, you're not mad at me?" Caroline asked her, slightly surprised.

"You're just being a good friend," Elena stated, "In your own way."

While they continued Sakura got up and walked up to Stefan, "Everything okay?" She looked down at him, trying to figure out what was going on. It seemed like it could be a good distraction from her own problems.

"Not really," Stefan sat back in his chair, glancing at Elena, "I think she's mad at me."

"She'll get over it," Sakura smirked.

"Things are complicated, I'll fill you in another time," Stefan gestured towards Caroline.

"Okay," Sakura looked at them and then over at Damon at the bar. "We'll talk later," Sakura pat his arm and walked up beside Damon and sat down.

"So silver doesn't work," Damon took a sip of his drink.

"Really?" Sakura really thought it would have. "The other way I know of is pretty gruesome, not that I think you'd mind. But is this really the best idea?" Sakura sighed.

"You know something don't you? And since I've failed, he'll be gunning for me anyways," he glanced at her.

"Well from what I know, ripping their heart out will kill them..." Sakura trailed off.

"I would assume that would kill most things, but how do you know that?" he turned to her.

Sakura looked away from him, "I've killed a lot of things." Damon noticed her averting her eyes, but also the sadness when she said what she had done. Destroy... It echoed through her mind again. Sakura jumped back a little and frowned. "I think I need some rest," Sakura sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I'll talk to you later," Sakura rushed away, not letting him get a word in. Damon watched as she went up to Leilani and then darted out the front door of the Grill.

After bursting out the door Sakura leant against the wall to the side. Destroy... It persisted. "Shut up," Sakura whispered as she knocked her head into the wall behind her and cringed.

"Sakura?" She turned to see that Damon had followed her out. "What are you doing?" he walked right up to her, very close, concern in his eyes. She frowned and looked away, not really sure what to say. She felt a tug on her belt and was surprised when she was pulled into him. She put her hands on his chest as if to keep some distance from him, but his hands now linked in each other around her waist were stopping her from pushing away. She gulped as she felt the heat rising in her face, knowing that she was blushing. Destroy... Sakura cringe and unconsciously gripped his shirt. He could hear her heartbeat increase, from what seemed like fear. "What's wrong?" he looked down at her.

She finally looked up at him and was shaking her head. "I can't, I'm sorry." She blasted him away from her, not enough force to hurt him, but enough for her to get away. She dashed into the shadows and disappeared, leaving him stunned. She could her the wolf laughing as she made her getaway.

Breathing heavily she finally stopped running, she was now by the park. She sat down at a nearby bench and looked up into the sky. She needed help, but who could help her with this? She pulled out her phone and found herself automatically dialing. "Hello," she could hear his voice on the other side.

"Hey Stef..." she trailed off, not sure why she had really called him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Can we talk, you said you wanted to tell me something anyways?" she gulped.

"Yeah sure," he seemed to be worried.

"The park," Sakura said and hung up. It didn't seem like much time had passed when Stefan came up to her, his hands in his jacket pockets and sat beside her.

"Kinda late to be in the park, don't you think?" he asked.

"The park is good at all times," she replied, but still seemed to be zoned out, not even glancing at him. They sat in silence for a few minutes before she finally turned to him, "Thanks for coming."

Stefan nodded and gave her a half smile. He decided to start things off, "I'm pretending to break up with Elena, to fool Katherine."

"Careful, that can go wrong in so many ways," Sakura looked into the sky.

"Yeah, it's going to be hard... So, what's up with you?" he rested back on the bench.

Not wanting to start with the voice in her head she thought about Damon. "I don't want to want him," Sakura sighed and got up. She started pacing back and forth in front of him, holding her arms behind her back.

Stefan knew who she was talking about. He sighed and leaned forward on his knees. "Is that true?" he asked, with a hunched.

Sakura stopped walking and stared at him, deep in thought. "Oh my god," Sakura growled and started to pace again, angrily. "It doesn't make any sense, he's crazy and murderous... You know what he's like? But I can't help it, can't shake this feeling. It's like I don't want to want anyone but him!" she turned back around to keep pacing but hadn't noticed that Stefan stood up, and bumped into him. She stumbled back a little, but Stefan caught her, stopping her from falling.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but I think that you're"

"No! Don't you dare finish that sentence," she growled.

"In love with him, but I'm guessing you didn't really need me to say it. Deny it if you want, you know I'm right," Stefan got her to sit down on the bench.

"I can't..." she trailed off.

Stefan put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her, "I know what he's like, but I'm guessing it's his good side you like."

"No, you don't get it. I can't... I can't fall in love, I can't be close to people.." she was starting to get hysteric. "I'll end up killing them," she practically cried out.

Stefan pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair comfortingly. "Calm down," he whispered. When her breathing went back to normal, he released her.

"The wolf," she said, having realized that he would need more of an explanation, "It said I would destroy the ones I love, and wouldn't be able to hand it. My powers would grow till he took over."

Stefan sat down beside her, not sure what to say. After a few minutes of silence he spoke again, "You won't."

"I won't?" she looked at him confused.

"You won't destroy those close to you. You're strong enough to control your powers, and you have help," he rested his right hand on her leg reassuringly. He smiled at her, "I'll make sure of it."

She pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Hopefully my writing has improved a little, was trying extra with this one!

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