Immortal Diaries
Chapter 14
AN: Hello all and welcome back. First and foremost as always thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter and everyone who sent messages regarding the stories update over the last few months. The chapter when I finally got down to writing took a fair bit of time to to lack of motivation and lack of available time. That said I dedicated today to finishing the chapter and I think it came out rather well. With that said here is the next chapter.
Start Now:
As the light of the sun shone over the town of Mystic Falls Elijah Mikaelson could be found seated within the driver's seat of a metallic silver BMW 750Li. The car was currently parked and turned off as his attention was turned instead to the moonstone which he was currently studying in his hand. A translucent, milky-colored, flat ovoid gemstone about the size of a hockey puck or a bar of soap. It was virtually worthless if looked at from a monetary standard yet it was priceless to those who knew its true value. As he held it he couldn't help but to think back to all the time they'd spent trying to track the thing down and all the effort that had gone into the search. Finally after a few more moments he shook the thought away and after ensuring no other car was coming opened the door and stepped out. Slipping the stone into the inner pocket of his blazer he proceeded to button his coat and once secure in the thought that he was now presentable stepped closed the door and stepped away from the car.
In no time at all he found himself standing outside of the door to the apartment he was heading towards. As it opened he was greeted to the sight of a young man in his twenties, with dark hair and a pale face set in a rather stern expression. Almost immediately the man stepped aside allowing him entrance to the place. Inside he was soon greeted to the sight of a young African American female with curly black hair, oval shaped brown eyes and prominent lips. She has strong facial features with high cheek bones, slimmed nose and trimmed eyebrows. This one however he actually knew by sight as Greta Martin, she had headphones on and appeared to be doing homework. He found a rather bored looking Katherine seated within an armchair in the living room and the body of Alaric Saltzman could be seen lying on the couch.
"Ah, Elijah to what do I owe the pleasure?" came the voice of Niklaus causing him to turn.
Elijah said nothing simply removing the moonstone from his pocket and holding it for all to see. Upon seeing the stone Klaus frowned.
"Oh it's finished." Said Katherine causing the frown to deepen.
"The one you had…" started Klaus looking at Katherine.
"Was a fake. The real one has been in my possession for some time."
"What did you do?" questioned Klaus his eyes narrowed.
"I made a deal, two in fact. Sit, please." Said Elijah causing his brother to do just that, pulling out a bar stool.
"Naruto introduced me to a witch, a rather powerful one who agreed to alter the magic on the moonstone." Said the vampire walking over to him.
"In exchange for what?" questioned Klaus.
"I gave up the Strix." Said Elijah.
"Ah that club of entitled snobs you founded." Said Klaus.
"Indeed. They'll be eliminated and you get released from your curse a lot easier than if left alone." Stated Elijah.
"How so?"
"The Salvatore brothers were never going to sit back and just let this happen. This way they'll do nothing as if they interfere the repercussions will be their fault." Said Elijah.
"So how exactly did this witch alter the magic?" asked Klaus.
Meanwhile at the Salvatore Boarding House another meeting had been called. Not only were Naruto, Stefan and Damon present but many others beside them. Elena, Jeremy, Matt, Bonnie and Caroline were not surprising, but the presence of Elijah was definitely a surprise to the gathered group. Naruto had called the meeting which had only barely started before Damon had interrupted.
"You want to run that by me again." Said Damon
"As I said none of you will interfere in tonight's ritual. Now let me explain why." Said the blond pausing before looking around the room making sure to look each person in the eye as he did so.
"The ritual at its core requires several pieces. A vampire, a werewolf, the moonstone and a Doppelganger. Now as far as ingredients go the moonstone and Doppelganger are two key ones and the only ones we need to focus on. Now I've had Bonnie's teacher Willow alter the magic on the moonstone and she did so very specifically. The magic on the moonstone calls for the blood of the Doppelganger but how much wasn't specified as such what she did was alter it so that if the blood was willingly given only seven drops of blood would be needed to break the curse in its entirety." Explained the blond
"Seven drops, why so specific?" questioned Stefan frowning.
"Because seven is a magical number, the most powerful of them." Said Bonnie.
"Exactly. Esther Mikaelson for all of her power was almost entirely self-taught. With that in mind there are several things that passed right by her knowledge such as magical numerology and the magical properties of blood. Willow however is the most powerful and knowledgeable witch in this world and many others and has a natural affinity to it that Esther lacks." Explained Naruto.
"So what happens if Elena isn't willing?" questioned Caroline?
"Then the spell fails. If it fails he'll do it again and this time Elena will die and anyone who caused it to fail will die. Of course everyone who would and actually could interfere is here in this room and as such wouldn't dare do something so stupid." Said Naruto his eyes hardening for a few long moments as he focused on all of them again.
"So we're just going to let this go and trust it will work?" questioned Damon.
"Yes you are and if Elena so happens to get injured and has to be fed vampire blood then someone will spend the next five centuries as a desiccated corpse." Said the blond focusing on Damon specifically.
"See the problem Damon is that you talk a very good game, but you don't actually know anything. That and your impulsiveness is what keeps getting you into trouble." Said Naruto causing the vampire to scowl and look away.
"What about the other ingredients, specifically the vampire and the werewolf parts." Questioned Matt
"Those are being taken care of as we speak, so no need for any of you to stress or get involved whatsoever." Said Naruto
A bit later in the day within a room of the Mystic Falls Hospital a figure could be seen staring out of the window as a woman lied sleeping in the bed behind him. The sleeping occupant was Carol Lockwood whose face was marked with a large bruise on her forehead and her left arm had been broken and was resting in an elevated sling. The standing figure was none-other than her son Tyler who'd returned to Mystic Falls as soon as he'd heard about her accident. He hadn't changed all that much in the short time he'd been away and as such it was easy to tell that it was him. Turning away from the window he spared his mother a long glance before leaving the room. Almost immediately upon exiting the room he came across Jules who was making her way towards him.
"What are you doing here?" questioned the teen.
"I should be asking you that. I told you not to come." Said Jules.
"She's my mother, I had to." Said Tyler frowning when she linked their arms together.
"Well now we have to get out of here and lock ourselves up before tonight."
Following Jules out of the hospital and into the parking lot the duo made a quick pace to their respective cars before pulling off. In a different car Caroline narrowed her eyes upon spotting the two having had to double back to her car as she had forgotten her phone. She was actually thankful for that as she wasn't sure she could really be civil with Tyler at the moment. Following Jules with her eyes she made quick work of taking a picture of the woman before sending it with a quick text to Naruto. That done she tucked her phone into her purse before getting out of the car, she still had to visit Mrs. Lockwood after all.
In Las Vegas, Nevada a pair of figures could by seen relaxing poolside. The figures were women one of whom was a blonde with blue eyes and slim figured wearing a blue and white bikini. The other was a brunette with hazel eyes and while also slim figured was clearly the taller of the two who wore a yellow bikini. The two were none other than Rebekah Mikaelson and the elder vampire Amelia, who had over the last few months become rather close friends. Over the last few months the two had lost the paleness of their respective skins and while not tanned no longer looked as if they'd spent lifetimes hidden in the shade. For Amelia it was a time of utter relaxation, she was now semi-retired and while she still wielded the same level of power as before her duties where nowhere near as numerous.
Of course that isn't to say that all the two did was lye around. They'd also done much studying up on the times they now lived in. Granted while Rebekah had been in a forced slumber since the 1920's Amelia had been awake for the last three hundred years. Unfortunately for Amelia the life she had led was a rather isolated one and she did not socialize with anyone outside of the vampire race. That said both of them had needed to learn much about the modern world from fashion and popular culture, sports and even courting and things of a sexual nature.
Because of all the things that they needed to learn about before they could venture out into the world properly Niklaus and Elijah had provided some tutors to the two of them. They were a pair of young vampires barely out of their first century but knowledgeable in all the things the two of them needed to know. At least those were the ones provided by Klaus. The ones provided by Elijah had been older and were more well versed in modern politics and the social circles of the world. As an elder vampire Amelia was an old hand at politics, at least among vampires. The tutors provided by Elijah however would prepare them for humans, demons and any other kind of creature they came across.
At night the two of them were joined by Finn and Kol as they went about their more physical lessons. They had all experienced increases in strength, speed, agility and senses. This was due to the energy their bodies now created called Yoki. The presence of this demonic energy had changed all of them down to the genetic level so that they were no longer two different and distinct breeds of vampire and had instead become one. Yoki they had learned was unique and would differ from person to person like a fingerprint. The Yoki also came with a plethora of ways to use it that was called conversion. Not only did it enhance their bodies and senses but could also be channeled to further enhance those attributes, channeled to enhance a weapon and fired off in a concentrated blast of power. The power could also be channeled and converted into an element or used to power magic spells.
Then as if that wasn't enough there was the second form that they'd gained. The last time she'd taken the form her hair had changed to a silver shade, her eyes became deep purple and she'd gained large sweeping wings. The form also came with an enhancement of her features such as an increased bust size, a slight swell to her hips and butt. Thankfully she didn't take on the grey skin and animalistic features Marcus had gained, though that may be due to her being a pure vampire rather than a hybrid as he was. The form also came with a substantial increase in power, or rather greater usage of what they had. From what she could understand their base states could only handle so much power and when transformed those limitations were removed.
"Lady Amelia" called a voice breaking her from her thoughts.
Turning towards it she was greeted to the sight of a young-looking woman with long curly blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a pair of blue shorts and a white t-shirt that was cut at the middle. While she looked to be a child in her late teens, she was around two hundred years old and had been sent to her from the Eastern Coven to act as her handmaiden.
"Lady Selene has arrived." Stated the girl once she had her attention without further prompting.
"How does she look Gwen?" questioned Amelia.
"Like a Death Dealer." Answered the girl causing Amelia to grimace slightly.
"Very well. Direct her to my quarters please." Said Amelia getting the girl to bow slightly before she turned to see to her assignment.
"She's so eager." Said Rebekah.
"She's from the Eastern Coven and a pureblood. She's likely grown up hearing stories about me her entire life." Said Amelia as she stood to her feet and moved to don her robe which Rebekah was soon moving to do as well.
"Well let's meet the famous Selene." Said Rebekah seeing the question in her eyes.
After making sure her robe was secure the two ladies moved to enter the building with Amelia preparing herself for what was sure to be an interesting meeting.
After the meeting had broken up Naruto and Bonnie had retreated back to the Bennett house for a movie day. As such they had gone through all three Back to the Future films. Following that they had gone out to the Grill for a late lunch before Bonnie left for a lesson with Willow. Following that he'd had a few hours to himself, time he'd used to meditate slowly weaving his power into the air beneath him and the skies above. It was a little trick he had picked up a few thousand years back, a secret technique that he'd only shown to a select few in all of that time. Eventually his internal clock brought him out of his meditation well rested with his mind clear and unburdened. His sense of peace lasted all of a minute before a barrage of memories hit him from a dispersed clone.
Rose who had been returning to town today had never arrived and had not even called or sent a message. As if that wasn't bad enough Alaric had been released from his captivity and made his way to the boarding house. From there Damon had cleverly put two and two together and after a visit to Alaric's apartment had made haste to Alaric's apartment where Katherine had informed him of a few particular's such as where the sacrifices were being kept, which to no surprise at least for him had been the tomb beneath the ruins of Fell's Church. In the woods outside of town Damon had managed to locate the place where Rose was being kept only to immediately be confronted by Maddox. It seemed that the vampire had done at least a bit of growing as he'd used his enhanced speed to cover the distance and immediately ripped his heart out.
That done Damon had entered the tomb only to emerge minutes later with not just Rose but Tyler Lockwood as well. Of course by the time they emerged from the tomb the full moon had begun rising to take its place in the sky much to the horror of the group. With Lockwood trying to hold back to the transformation Damon had ordered him to make haste to the Lockwood Cellar and lock himself in before he ran off in a blur carrying Rose in his arms. Deciding to lend a helping hand more out of necessity than anything else the clone knocking the werewolf out from behind while at the same time applying a seal to his neck that halted his transformation. A quick trip by way of orbs had the brat deposited in the cellar and making sure the place was locked up tight and adding a boundary seal for good measure it dispelled itself bursting into smoke just as the seal on Lockwood failed.
Shaking the newfound knowledge away from the forefront of his mind Naruto took a quick glance at the time to find that it was just about time. Disappearing in a flurry of golden orbs he appeared deep in the woods outside of town only to find Elena hovering over the fallen form of someone and Greta standing not too far away.
"He killed him! Why?! I did everything he asked?!" cried out Elena turning to face Greta and as she shifted revealing the still form of John Gilbert.
"He's not dead, he's in transition." Said Greta calmly.
"WHY!" cried Elena again
"He volunteered." Said Naruto shocking both girls with his presence and causing them to turn to face him.
"From what I understand Klaus initially went after Jenna. John offered himself up freely in exchange that he leave Jenna and Jeremy out of it." Explained the blond somberly.
Before anything else could be said the sound of groaning hit their ears and they all shifted focus to see John slowly begin to come to. Before long he was sitting on the ground holding his head in his hands while Elena sat before him. In no time the man was confirming his story on what had happened explaining how they'd gotten a call from who they had thought was Elena while they had been taking care of other business. Upon the discovery that he was now a vampire, or at least in transition to become one John had gone silent becoming pensive and withdrawing in to himself as he held Elena's hands silently. Greta had moved to interrupt but Naruto had stopped her allowing the two to have their final time together.
The faint sound of twigs snapping underfoot soon caught his attention causing Naruto to turn his head only to see Klaus approaching with a body hanging over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Before long the body was dumped on the ground revealing the form of Jules who was clutching her stomach and groaning in pain.
"Well now that everyone is here let's get started shall we." Said Klaus lightly
As Greta and Klaus began setting up for the ritual Naruto made his way over to Elena and John. By this point they had been separated each of them trapped in a circled barrier which while invisible to the naked eye its boundaries could be easily seen. They were the lucky ones though as Jules was trapped in a ring of fire to insure she would be going nowhere. As he approached the two Gilberts looked up from the conversation they'd been having and looked up at him at least until he took a knee.
"You know John I never liked you. Doing thing however, you've got my respect." Said the blond
"Elena and Jeremy…" started the man only to be cut off.
"Will be well taken care of." Said Naruto putting the man at ease as seen when he relaxed.
"Why are you talking like that, you'll be fine." Said Elena angrily.
"Your father is prideful. He will not allow himself to live as a vampire. Either the ritual kills him or he'll wait for the sun to come up and go that way." Explained Naruto causing her to deflate.
"Allow me to put your mind at ease. The ritual will kill you, but it will be quick and you'll be gone before you realize it. When you next gain awareness you will be in a place called The Other Side, you would know it as limbo. While you won't be able to interact with anyone you will be able to look in on the physical world."
"So I have nothing to fear, no judgement awaiting me?" questioned John.
"Not for a while. The Other Side is like the ultimate waiting room and where the souls of the supernatural go. It was created by a witch to trap the man who spurned her, only it was more powerful than she realized. Figuring out how to safely deconstruct the dimension and release its inhabitants to their ultimate resting places is one of the reasons I returned."
Naruto had only barely finished speaking before the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. Standing to his feet he turned to find Klaus approaching them. Turning back to Elena he found that she had tensed up though she relaxed after a quick look from him. Turning back towards Klaus he saw he held a chalice in his hand, it was dark grey, almost black in color and had nothing fancy or elaborate in its design at all. As he settled in front of them he held out a knife, which Naruto recognized as an athame. After a moment of hesitation Elena sighed and accepted the blade with her right hand before quickly slashing the palm of her right. As the chalice was held out to her she turned her hand sideways making a fist and allowed seven drops of blood to fall into it before withdrawing her hand.
"Thank you, Elena." Said Klaus softly before moving away from them.
Turning towards the girl he motioned for her to present her hand which she did. Holding his own hand over hers it began to glow green with healing chakra before her skin proceeded to knit itself back together. Before either of them could speak they heard Jules stop groaning for a moment before the sound of something slamming into the ground was heard. Turning they found she was now planted on the ground with Klaus pinning her in place before one of his hands ripped her heart out. As Elena cringed and looked away Naruto decided she'd done enough and a moment later she vanished in a whirl of orbs. Turning back to Klaus he was just in time to see him drain the last of the heart's blood into the chalice before tossing the organ over his shoulder.
Placing the chalice back down on the alter Klaus finally turned his attention to John. Seeing him coming John stood to his feet and was calm even as Klaus stopped in front of him with a stake in hand. There was no struggle of any kind, in fact John even looked relieved at the sight of the stake and seemed to relax a bit. Moving with speed that John wasn't expecting Klaus rammed the stake into John's heart causing him to lurch forward only to be caught by Klaus even as his body began to desiccate. Picking up the body Klaus carried him over to the alter just beside Jules before removing the stake followed quickly by John's heart. Taking the heart with him he made his way back over to the cauldron and proceeded to add the blood from the heart to what was gathered in the chalice before discarding the organ.
Without the slightest hesitation Klaus placed the chalice to his lips and drunk down its contents in one go tilting his head back and not wasting a single drop. As he finished the flame beneath the cauldron went out just as Klaus stumbled forward a few steps. Recovering from his stumble he looked up just in time to catch the sight of the full moon hanging above them. Immediately he jerked as several of his bones cracked at once while his eyes turned yellow and veins appeared surrounding them. Suddenly Naruto appeared in front of him and flicked him on the forehead, a seal immediately appearing causing him to freeze just before he fell unconscious to the floor.
When he awoke he did so in more pain than he'd ever felt before. There was a pounding in his skull, which was made minor by the sheer agony that his bones forced upon him. Yet even as the thought came to him the feelings began to fade until he was numb.
"You can open your eyes now." Came a somewhat muffled voice.
Turning his head to the right he could see Naruto standing with his back to a tree, only he had changed. He wore a golden yellow sleeveless kimono top with a red spiral crest marking his collar over which he wore a long white haori with golden flames rising upon it along with a pair of black hakuma style pants that were taped at the ankles causing them to have a ballooning effect that led to a pair of black boots. At his left side was a sheathed sword, a katana judging by its length and shaping.
"In case you're wondering the ritual was successful. The reason you were in so much pain however is I stopped your transformation. The magic that forces it tried to force it throughout the night resulting in your current condition." Explained Naruto calmly
That actually explained quite a lot. He knew that while the transformation was painful it was not supposed to result in his current condition. Eventually feeling returned to his body and he found he was able to move.
"Where are we?" questioned Klaus as he stood to his feet.
"The home of some old friends of mine. There are things you need to know and this is the best place for you to learn." Said the blond
With that said Naruto pushed off from the tree and began walking with Klaus quick to follow. As they walked Klaus found his healing factor had improved massively as he soon went from feeling like a giant bruise to his regular self. During the journey Naruto saw fit to update him on what had happened. As previously stated the ritual had worked and his curse had been lifted. Following the ritual and after he'd fallen unconscious Naruto had sent Elijah and Greta back to Las Vegas. Elena whom he had sent home earlier though had been a bit of a wreck.
"What about Maddox?" questioned Klaus
"He's dead. Damon killed him when he got between him and Rose."
At this Klaus could only sigh and shrug, while the man was no big lose he had been loyal if nothing else. Eventually the duo came to a stop upon a hill. In the distance a huge castle complex could be seen spanning several acres and protected by massive walls while a town could e seen not far outside of the walls.
"Are your ready to really move now?" questioned the blond turning to face his old student.
Klaus said nothing merely taking off in a blur of speed. Seeing him go Naruto smirked before following after managing to catch up and overtake him with ease. Coming out of their super-speed run the two began to walk through the rather bustling town with many stopping what they were doing in order to greet Naruto as they passed. Once through the town it didn't take long for them to make it to the gates of the castle which were already open allowing them entrance.
Inside of the courtyard they were greeted by five people, three of them men and two women. At the head of the group stood a man who appeared to be in his thirties with short curly red hair and blue eyes. He was of a stockier build though not overly so and wore a pair of black pants and a brown leather jacket over which he wore a thick fur cloak. It was the way he carried himself that caught the most attention however as the man was quite obviously a warrior.
To his immediate right was a slim figured woman that appeared to be in her late twenties with long red hair that disappeared behind her back and blue eyes. She wore a dress that was a dark green in color and was covered by the fur cloak she wore and held herself with the air of a noble. To her right was a man who appeared to be in his early twenties at the latest who looked almost exactly like the first man with longer hair and the addition of a scar that went over his left eye that had miraculously not affected the eye itself. He wore all brown that he could see except for the fur cloak.
Back to the center his eyes soon moved to the left this time to look upon the sight of another woman, younger than the first but not too much younger. This one however was thicker with more pronounced curves to her figure and an obviously bigger swell to her chest. Unlike the rest she had brown hair and grey eyes. She wore a pair of black pants and a brown leather coat over which was her own fur cloak and at her side the hilt of a sword could be seen. Finally to her left was another man with long red hair and a full beard with blue eyes. He wore a pair of grey pants and a black coat over which was his own fur cloak.
Of course he could understand the need for the cloaks as the weather here was much colder and possessed a greater bite than he had ever felt. Honestly he didn't know how Naruto could handle it in what he was wearing but figured it had something to do with his powers.
"Lord Naruto." Greeted the man in the center bowing his head slightly.
The formal greeting was rather strange with the cheeky smile the man sported. The greeting however was quickly repeated by all of the others with the exception of the brown haired woman who merely cocked her head to the side and winked.
"Niklaus I'd like you to meet Robb Stark, the Wolf King."
The title caused Klaus's eyes to widen in surprise. The Wolf King had been a figure of legend even when he had been a child, a legendary warrior who was said to have reclaimed his kingdom from the brink of destruction and led it to heights never seen before or since.
"To his right are his sister Sansa and his youngest brother Rickon." Both of them greeted him with nods of the head before his attention was pulled away.
"To the left are his other Bran and the cheeky one is his youngest sister Arya." Bran gave a nod while Arya simply winked.
"This is the Original Pack."
"Thank you for this my friend." Said Robb reaching his hand out which Naruto soon clasped at the forearm.
"None are necessary." Said Naruto before the two broke and Naruto turned his attention back to Klaus.
"You've got a lot to learn brat. As such you'll be staying here until they feel you are ready. Mind your teachers." Said the blond with a smirk before vanishing in orbs of light.
For Naruto if there was any method of travel that he could honestly say he loved it was flying. It wasn't the fastest method at his disposal as he knew several types of teleportation. As Thor he had lightning teleportation and Poseidon had water teleportation, he could orb and then he could still use the Hiraishin no Jutsu. He knew even to this day that his father still preferred the Hiraishin no Jutsu while he used orbing mostly as it was something Hinata had created and taught him. Teleportation for him though was something to use as it was economical, taking less time to move from place to place. However flight was something that he had earned, learning in the time period between the Fourth Shinobi War and the time he had become Hokage.
Unlike other forms of travel however flying gave him a sense of freedom and pleasure that nothing could match. In the air there was no struggle, no scheming, plotting or distraction of any kind. It was just him in his element with none of the excess baggage that even an immoral life placed on him. Eventually his mind cleared and after lapping the planet a few times he found himself settling down behind the Boarding House.
"Naruto! Thank god your back!" came an exclamation from the house. Turning towards it he saw a frantic looking Rose approaching and just like that he felt his sense of peace abandon him.
Not long later he found himself standing at Damon's bedside. Looking upon him revealed a sorry sight as Damon was pale, and seemingly covered in sweat. Apparently while rescuing Rose he had been bitten by a partially transformed Tyler. While he seemed fine initially over time he had steadily gotten worse until he had reached his current condition. Still for all of that Damon was incredibly lucky as he would have only lasted a handful of hours at most if an older werewolf had bitten him. Tyler by contrast was not only extremely young, having not even experienced five full moons yet, but had once again only been partially transformed.
"Where's Stefan?" questioned Naruto frowning.
"He went to see Bonnie, to see if there's a cure." Said Rose
"The witches won't help. Damon hasn't made any friends among that community and his actions of the last century wouldn't help his case." Said Naruto in return.
"But you could help him." Said the woman.
"I am. I've slowed time around him, or rather slowed his bodies perception of it. Unfortunately I can only slow down the speed that the venom spreads, there is only one cure for this." Said Naruto frowning.
Stefan Salvatore was a rather complex person. At 145 years old, still rather young for a vampire, he was something of a tragic character. He had initially had no desire to become a vampire, in fact he'd planned to let himself die during his transition period only finding his father lying prone in the study with blood weeping from his neck had been something his newly enhanced senses had been unable to handle. He had fed on the man and drained him dry before returning to Damon and convincing him to feed on her. This led to him becoming a Ripper, a vampire unable to control his blood lust and a bender that had resulted in Damon leaving him despite his pleas to stay. Eventually during the haze of memory that time entailed he'd come across Lexi and she'd helped him gain control and restored the remaining humanity in him. Unfortunately it had been a run in with Damon nearly fifty years later that had caused him to fall off the rails once more and revert to his Ripper ways. This eventually led to the massacre of Monterrey in 1917 and his moniker of Ripper of Monterrey
His weekly sessions with Cordy over the last few months had helped him come to terms with his guilt from that night. While that wasn't to say he was over it by any means just that he'd come to terms with what was at the root of all of his issues. At the same time he'd come to terms with the fact that over the years Damon had made his own choices and truthfully he could have simply removed his ring and welcomed the sunlight at any time and had chosen not to. With that in mind he could no longer allow Damon's baggage to weigh him down, especially when he had his own mental and emotional hang-ups to deal with. Even with that acknowledged however he had still found himself running around all day trying to find a cure and save Damon's life.
His self-imposed mission had already seen him visit the witch burning sight where he had found Bonnie in the midst of a red haired witch that had introduced herself as Willow. While the meeting had gone well and they'd hit it off pretty good he hadn't been able to get what he wanted. Apparently the Bennett witches tended to hang around for Bonnie's magic lessons and hadn't hesitated to inform him through her that there was no magical remedy to cure werewolf bites. However they had rather grudgingly pointed him in a helpful direction simply due to the fact they knew what he was trying to do to help himself mentally and they didn't want him to experience any setbacks at this point in his treatment. That all led him to now where he found Elena, Jeremy, Jenna and Caroline all laid out on blankets in the town square which was getting ready to play a movie on the projector screen.
"Well look who couldn't resist an epic romance!" exclaimed Elena upon seeing him only for the smile to soon fade from her face.
"Can you come walk with me for a bit." Said the vampire getting her to sigh before getting to her feet.
"'This is breaking the rules, you know. Movie night's supposed to be a distraction. Tomorrow we can return to our regularly scheduled drama." Said the girl as they began to walk
"I know. I wish this could wait, but it can't." started Stefan getting her to frown.
"Listen, um, the other night when Damon was helping Tyler, something happened. Tyler was starting to transform, and Damon was bitten.
"What! I-is he…" started Elena before trailing off not even able to finish the statement.
"Right now, it looks like it."
"Oh, my God. And he came to the house this morning and...and tried to apologize. I practically slammed the door in his face." Said Elena guilt creeping into her tone.
"He asked us not to tell anyone. As it is Ric and I haven't been able to find anything yet. I figured if you wanted to talk to him, I...I wouldn't wait."
"Stefan…" started the girl before pulling him into a hug.
"It's not over. There might be a cure, but I have to find Klaus to get it." Muttered the vampire causing her to pull back.
"You can't! He'll kill you." Said Elena.
"I don't think so, he had the chance to kill me, but he didn't. Besides whatever Damon's done, whatever has led him here, I'm the one that made him become a vampire in the first place, so if there's a chance for a cure, I owe it to him to find it."
The return to Las Vegas had been unremarkable. After the ritual he had wasted no time in leaving Mystic Falls and headed directly to New York. He'd stayed very briefly in New York and was on a plane to Vegas the next morning. The flight was almost 5 and a half hours yet it was only nearing 10 in the morning when they landed thanks in part to the three hour time difference. Exiting the Airport with his belongings a driver was already waiting on him. The trip to the house was unremarkable and took only around half an hour, less time than he had initially expected. Calling it a house was a bit of a misnomer as it was in all actuality a mansion, one that Klaus had built for the family some time ago showing the preparation that had been made. The property was surrounded by white stone that was connected by a black double bar gate.
Inside the first thing to be seen was the 6-hole chip and putting green with a Tiki-bar located in the midst of it. There was a stream with a waterfall that led to a water-slide attached to a 50-foot infinity edge swimming pool and a 10-person infinity edge spa with a swim-up bar. There was a covered sunken outdoor dining area and lounge deck along with an outdoor kitchen with Wolf grill and all of this was just the outside in front of the place. Inside he knew were five separate suite style rooms each with an attached bathroom. The place also included an exercise room with equipment; a breakfast room; a family room with an additional kitchen and wet bar; a lower level entertainment room and a conference room with an outdoor sitting room.
Then there was the Chef's kitchen with Wolf, Bosch, and Sub-Zero appliances as well as double convection ovens, a convection microwave, a warming drawer; 5-burner down-draft cook-top; 2 refrigerators and dishwashers and Wenge thermofoil cabinets. The place boasted floor to ceiling windows; a color-changing linear fireplace along with Color-changing light effects for interior walls, Sleek light fixtures and tile floors. Finally, there was the 100-bottle wine refrigerator; custom Italian furniture, an interior elevator; original commissioned artworks; there was a security system which included a PTZ camera system and infrared perimeter sensors, the whole home automation system and a ten-car garage.
He had only barely stepped out of the limo and cleared the driveway when he spotted people seated in the outdoor dining area. Of the figures all of them were women only one of which was his sister, another was Amelia and another was soon introduced as Selene. The three were all in sundresses and it was rather obvious that Selene was rather uncomfortable with it. As they were speaking both Finn and Kol emerged from the house each looking decidedly more comfortable than he felt and thus he decided he was in desperate need of a change of clothing. A change of cloths found him returning now wearing a pair of white pants and a light blue dress shirt with the top buttons remaining undone.
"So Elijah I take it things worked out well in Mystic Falls." Said Finn almost as soon as he was seated.
"Indeed, the curse has been broken and loss of life was minimized." Said Elijah
"So where is Nik?" questioned Rebekah.
"Naruto had an errand for him that should have been completed this morning. He should be along in the next few days." Said Elijah.
"Good, I think its time we speak on the finalization of the merger." Said Amelia catching the groups attention.
"All that remains undone is the ceremony correct?" questioned Elijah.
"Yes. We were waiting for the curse to be broken before holding it." Said Amelia.
"Do you have a date in mind?" questioned Finn.
"Not particularly. However the merge would not be considered complete until it is done." Said Amelia after a few moments.
"Perhaps the night of the Summer Solstice." Stated Rebekah.
"Is that enough time, it is only a month and a half away." Said Elijah.
"I'll run it by Markus, but I'm agreeable." Said Amelia.
"Then it is agreed. On the night of the Summer Solstice Amelia and I will wed and thus merge our bloodlines." Said Elijah to the agreement of the group.
Back in Mystic Falls Stefan found himself walking through the door of Alaric's apartment quickly finding a rather bored looking Katherine on the bed watching TV.
"Hello Katherine." Spoke the vampire catching her attention before stepping into the room.
"Two days, I've been waiting. I'm supposed to be free of Klaus' compulsion by now! What the hell is going on?!"
"There were a few complications." Said Stefan before he found himself pushed out of the room and pinned to the hallway wall with a hand to his chest
"Complications?" questioned the woman anger beginning to leak into her voice
"Doesn't really matter. I just need to find Klaus. Do you have any idea where he might be?"
"You can try looking behind you." Came a voice causing them to turn to find Klaus standing just inside the door, causing Katherine to release Stefan.
"Well you certainly took your time coming back. Can I go now?" spoke Katherine her impatience starting to show, only to be ignored as his attention was on Stefan.
"So now that you've found me, what is it you want." Said Klaus.
"I need your help...For my brother." Said Stefan giving Katherine a slight pause.
"You mean the one who killed my witch and made off with one of my vampires and a werewolf? Why would I do anything to help him?" questioned Klaus moving into the room and into the closet.
"Still whatever it is it's going to have to wait a tick. I have other matters to attend to." Said Klaus.
"Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time left." Said Stefan before he found himself pinned to the wall by a hand to his throat just before a dagger was driven into him causing him to buckle forward with a groan only to be caught by Klaus.
"Do you feel that? It's scraping against your heart. The slightest little movement and you're dead." Said Klaus his speech slow and soft adding a bit of menace to the words.
"Klaus, he's just trying to help his brother." Said Katherine slowly.
"The witches said you had a cure for werewolf venom. Make me a deal, for old times' sake." Said Stefan causing Klaus to withdraw the dagger allowing him to fall to the floor.
"How long have you remembered?" questioned Klaus.
"A few months. Naruto unlocked my memories, said I needed to come to terms with everything if I was going to ever overcome my issues." Said Stefan.
"And you've said nothing?" questioned Klaus.
"About the two of you, no." said Stefan standing to his feet.
While he was doing this Klaus had moved over to the kitchen counter-top, placed down the dagger and poured himself a glass of blood.
"Trouble is I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now. As things stand in your current state you're just shy of useless."
The mood inside of the Boarding House was a somber one. Over time many had appeared as word of Damon's affliction had spread. Bonnie had been the first to arrive, followed by Caroline, Elena and Jeremy. Matt was currently off on a training expedition and thus couldn't make it while Alaric was in the room with Rose. There was also a subtle tenseness in the air which Naruto understood as Damon had not had the most pleasant effect on the people in the room. In truth the only one he hadn't been harmful to in any way was Bonnie. He'd killed Jeremy, turned Alaric's wife, abused and fed on Caroline and nearly turned Elena. Despite all of the havoc he'd played on their lives the group had still come rushing over upon learning he was dying.
Unfortunately he had been forced to release the time spell as it was one that could only be used for a few hours at a time safely.
"You okay?" questioned Bonnie as she came to sit beside him.
"I'll be fine. Simply impressed with the solidarity of your friends." Said Naruto
"They're your friends too." Said Bonnie.
"Perhaps. Still Damon put all of them through so much in less than a year, yet all of them turned up." Said Naruto
Before Bonnie could comment however the door opened and Katherine walked in, her face grave. Ignoring the room Katherine made her way up the stairs and to Damon's room
"This is more pitiful than I thought." Said Damon weakly.
"There's still hope." Said Alaric nursing a bottle of brandy.
"I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die." Said Damon.
"We all make mistakes, it's part of life. What matters is if you learn from them." Said Alaric.
"You should've met me in 1864. You'd have liked that version of me." Said Damon.
"You've grown on us, somehow." Said Alaric
"Thank you." Said Damon.
"Hey now it's me you should be thanking. I mean, I am the one who brought you the cure." Came a new voice which was revealed to be Katherine leaning against the door frame holding a vial in her hand.
"You got free." Said Damon upon spotting her.
"Yup, finally."
"And you still came here?" questioned Damon.
"Well I owed you one." Said the woman approaching the bed before sitting down next to him before pressing the vial to his lips and allowing him to drink some of it before getting to her feet.
"Where's Stefan?" questioned Alaric just as Naruto, Bonnie and Elena entered the room.
"You sure you want to know?" returned the woman.
"Where is he?" questioned Elena.
"Paying for this." Said Katherine holding up the vial.
"He gave himself over to Klaus. You shouldn't wait for him to return." Said Katherine.
"What do you mean 'gave himself over'?" questioned Elena.
"He just sacrificed everything to save his brother, including you and all the progress he's made. It won't be long now until the other Stefan makes a return." Said Katherine.
At the same time a black truck could be seen pulling away from a warehouse leaving nothing behind but the cooling corpse of a young woman. Inside the truck itself Klaus could be seen sitting within the back seat beside Stefan whose face was covered in blood that he was busy cleaning.
"You held yourself together rather well. Let's see how long that lasts" said Klaus with a wicked grin crossing his face as he turned to watch the scenery pass them by.
AN: That's it the chapter is done and that also brings an end to season 2 of TVD. I don't know when the next update will be as there is something else I want to get to on my story list. Thanks for reading and please review. Til next time, LATER.