I do not own Vampire Diaries
Her eyes fluttered slightly before peeling open, a groan slipped past her lips as she clenched her eyes shut against the bright light sending shooting pains through her head. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few long minutes before opening them slightly in apprehension. Blinking slightly at her blurred version, she shook her head in an effort to clear the fog from her mind before rubbing her eyes.
She opened them again and her vision became clearer as she gradually became accustomed to the light. She looked around her in utter confusion as she painstakingly lifted herself up. It...Well honestly it looked like limbo, like in Harry Potter, Why was she here? How was she here? She only remembered that...
Oh my God, she thought as her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. her hands frantically searching for the non-existent stab wound in her abdomen, but there was no trace of any injury, no pain nor any blood staining her clothes. It was as if it had never happened. She knew it did though, the memory of the pain that she had felt was too real to deny.
Her eyes widened as she realised that her baby was all alone with him and she was... oh my god.
She couldn't believe it. She was...She was actually dead.
There was no other explanation. She was dead. He had killed her. She was actually, honest to God, dead. And now her baby was left all alone in the hands of that monster.
In a state of surreal disbelief, Anastasia shook her head, unable to comprehend the gravity of her current situation. The shock of her own death paled in comparison to her overwhelming concern for her little baby, Lilliana. The thought of leaving her all alone with the abusive monster she used to call her boyfriend tore at her heart.
Throughout the years, she had selflessly placed herself between Lilliana and her abuser, taking the brunt of his rage to shield her daughter from harm. The scars she bore, both physical and emotional, were a testament to her unwavering love and sacrifice. But today was different - his drunken stupor had unleashed an uncontrollable fury, and he had lost all restraint.
Her mind raced with fear and guilt, knowing she couldn't protect Lilliana from beyond the grave. The monster was now with her baby, and for the first time in four years, Anastasia was unable to shield her. Tears welled in her eyes, her heart pounding frantically as she imagined her child's terror.
An overwhelming sense of powerlessness consumed her as she faced the harsh reality of her death. All she wanted was to say goodbye to her precious daughter, to reassure her that everything would be alright, but fate had cruelly denied her that chance. In her current ethereal state, she felt a sense of helplessness that tore at her very soul. All she could do right now was hope that her little baby would be ok, that someone would save her and that she could live her life and be free like she hadn't been for most of hers.
Her life had been a series of unfortunate events, trapped first under the control of her overbearing father and then ensnared in the clutches of a controlling and abusive boyfriend. The dreams of a carefree life had been shattered, and she now found herself in a place of darkness and despair, unable to protect the one person who mattered the most.
Her thoughts spiraled into despair as she imagined the horrors that could befall Lilliana behind that locked door. Whether her abuser chose to open it or not, she knew her daughter's safety was in grave danger. The mere thought brought forth gut-wrenching sobs, echoing her cries of agony for the unfairness of the situation.
James Axel Whitlock, the handsome sophomore she had once naively admired, now embodied all her regrets. Her heart ached with remorse for not seeing past his charm to the sinister reality beneath. Now, her daughter would pay the price for her poor judgment, and Anastasia was left grappling with the unbearable weight of guilt.
She cried for a solid five minutes before she managed to pull herself together and figure out what the hell she was going to do now. Would there be a benevolent entity, the physical embodiment of light, here to escort her to the gates of heaven, or will she be dragged by the gnarled hands of a disfigured entity framed by a black cloak comprised of shadows, to the towering gates of hell? In her vulnerable state, a childish thought even crept in, envisioning the Grim Reaper leading her to the depths of hell.
A low eerie chuckle echoed around her, and she span around wildly, her heart beating in her ears, her breathing becoming more rapid and her form starting to tremble slightly as the fear of an unknown fate gripped her.
What was that? Joking about going to hell now seemed like an ill-advised taunt, as the possibility weighed heavily on her mind. She couldn't possibly have done something that disastrous could she have? Memories surfaced - a playful prank on her late brother, a rebellious act against her father's wishes an numerous other things that could potentially have her sent to hell.
Yet, amidst her anxieties, she couldn't help but feel a bittersweet nostalgia for her late brother. Despite their squabbles, he had been the one who knew how to cheer her up and make her smile. His absence left an irreplaceable void in her life, one she still mourned.
The tragedy that befell her family was an event that forever changed her father. She had realized that her father's bitterness and blame towards her were misplaced, and had gradually come to understand that she couldn't have controlled the circumstances of their deaths. Time had allowed her to find some semblance of peace, but now, in this enigmatic limbo, old wounds resurfaced.
In the midst of contemplating her past actions, she was interrupted by another unsettling chuckle, an ominous cacophony of multiple sounds that only deepened her fear. She started to sweat slightly in fear of what was to come as a shiver ran down her spine. Was she actually going to hell?
"Why would you think such a thing Anastasia?" The voice asked in a low voice.
Anastasia's heart raced as she tried to gather her thoughts, stumbling over her words, "Well, I mean... I... uh... How do you even know my name? And did you just read my mind?" "Because, well, I mean, wait, how do you know my name and how the hell do you know what I was thinking. Did you just read my mind?" She demanded indignantly before she widened her eyes in horror and fear. What if she had just spoken recklessly in the presence of a divine being? He could easily be God, the Devil or an angel for all she knew.
She imagined a cosmic ledger tallying her transgressions, each word she uttered amplifying her impending fate and her anxiety festered further. She was going to hell. Yep. It was sorted she had officially signed her death warrant, well she was already dead, so more like she signed a warrant for her eternal torment and suffering. Wonderful. What an absolutely joyous occasion. Her luck just kept getting better and better. The surreal circumstances of her death, her baby left defenseless with her abusive ex-boyfriend, and now finding herself stuck in limbo with a disembodied that could potentially have her thrown in hell before she could even apologise, all seemed like an endless downward spiral.
The chuckle she was beginning to grow accustomed to, echoed around the beautiful place again and whilst she shivered slightly in fear, she also became curious about his or her identity, though it sounded more like a male.
Her brother always said that her curiosity was going to get her in a lot of trouble one day, and she remembered his words vividly as she built up the courage to tentatively ask, "Who are you?"
"I am who I am, I am who I was and I am who I will always be." The deity answered with amusement lacing his tone.
"Did you just... Did you actually just quote Merlin?" She giggled slightly as she remembered one of the funniest moments in Merlin and she suddenly had the crazy thought that Dragoon was the entity that would choose her fate. It was utterly ludicrous, but she couldn't help it.
"I see you find this amusing. I must say that your brain is quite a delightful place though tragically conflicted," he said and she did not know what to say to that so she just kept silent. "I have lived far longer than you could comprehend Anastasia, I have read many many different minds over the centuries and amongst the monotony of human thoughts, I find that there's something about you that is different," The voice said with a curious undertone.
His words left her both flattered and puzzled. What could be so special about her thoughts? She couldn't comprehend why a deity, or whatever this entity was, would find interest in her mind, especially given her troubled circumstances. . In an attempt to regain her composure, she decided to change the subject, as she asked, "Could you answer my previous question please? I apologise for my tone, I should not have spoken like that, it was utterly rude, I was just shocked that you could do something like that and that you knew who I was and..." She was cut off by the chuckle of the entity.
"No matter Anastasia, I assure you it is fine. I completely understand your emotions. After all I would be rather surprised if you weren't," the entity reassured her, its voice calm and soothing.
Feeling a wave of relief wash over her, Anastasia let out a heavy sigh before she said, "Thank you... um... what do I call you?"
"You may call me whatever you wish," the entity replied.
Caught between apprehension and amusement, Anastasia couldn't resist a touch of humor amidst the surreal encounter. "Alright, so you won't mind if I call you Mr. Creepy Voice?" she asked, her tone laced with both amusement and trepidation.
A full-blown laugh erupted from the voice and it was a mix of growls and hisses and it was just plain creepy, hence the name.
"Considering your thoughts, I suppose it is fitting." The voice said.
Anastasia's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as she realized that her thoughts were not as private as she had hoped. However, the entity's amusement seemed to bode well for her, at least for the time being. She remembered her brother's warnings about her knack for unintentionally provoking others and made a silent vow to maintain utmost politeness in this peculiar situation. After all, she had no idea what lay ahead and how her interactions with this entity could shape her fate.
10 mins later...
"Are you crazy! What the bloody hell were you thinking? This is not only utterly barbaric but utterly impossible. It goes against every law ever made and could potentially have disastrous consequences like me dying again, or a time loop, or..."
She was cut out of her rambling thoughts as Mr Creepy Voice said, "Well if you don't want to do it, I could just send you to where you're supposed to go."
She scoffed, he knew she wasn't going to do that, but he just fueled her curiosity even more, she wanted to do it. She knew the risks but it was an opportunity that could never come again so she took a deep breath and made her decision, "I'll do it but on one condition." She refused to leave her daughter behind, she couldn't do that not after all the effort she had put in to keep her safe.
"Hmm. I suppose I will grant you your wish, Anastasia." She jerked at this before she rolled her eyes as she realised he had obviously read her mind, though despite the annoying invasion of her privacy, she couldn't stop the ecstatic smile from spreading on her face as her eyes lit up with gratitude, her little angel was going to be safe.
"Yes she will Anastasia. So now do you agree?" Death asked her with an eager lilt to his voice.
Upon revealing his identity, Anastasia had been initially shocked, but she managed to regain her composure. Speaking to Death himself was beyond surreal, and while she should have felt some fear, she saw no point in it since she was already dead. Besides, Death had offered her an unprecedented ultimatum, allowing her daughter to accompany her. The immense gratitude she felt for this opportunity overshadowed any fear.
"Brilliant. I haven't had so much excitement in eons. Best day of my life, well, death," Mr. Creepy Voice stated, sounding strangely like an excited child. Anastasia heard the muttered 'do not' under his breath, and she couldn't help but snort in amusement.
"So, where exactly are you going to send me?" Anastasia asked curiously. While Death had hinted at sending her into a random TV show, he had purposefully kept the specifics hidden. Anastasia's concern for her daughter's safety drove her need for clarity. She couldn't risk exposing her child to another perilous situation without proper safeguards.
"Taking your thoughts into consideration I will grant you three wishes and in these wishes you may choose whatever you wish to protect your child," Death said with a long-suffering sigh.
"Really? As in anything I want? So like can I have Merlin's powers, or, oh what about Harry Potter's powers, like apparating and, oh my god, being an animagus? What about Wanda's telekinesis powers or maybe Pietro's super speed? Wait! Does that mean I can have premonitions like Phoebe does in Charmed, what about..." She was cut off from her excited rambling by Death.
"You may choose three of any," he said amusedly
"Right. What about Pietro's super speed, a combined version of Merlin, Wanda and Harry Potter's powers because they are mostly alike and then Phoebe's premonition powers?" She asked hopefully and he sighed.
"Very well. I will grant you each one but the gift of premonitions only on the one condition that you'll lose all the memory of everything that you know about the show that I will send you to," he said.
Anastasia pondered Death's condition for a moment. Losing her memory of the show he would send her to meant that she wouldn't have any preconceived knowledge or expectations about the world she was entering. While it might be frustrating not to know the ins and outs of the show, it could also be an advantage. If she knew everything, she might be tempted to change events and disrupt the show's storyline, potentially endangering her daughter's safety.
"Wait, does that mean you're sending me to a show I know?" Anastasia asked curiously, eager to uncover any hints about her destination.
"Perhaps," Death replied with an enigmatic grin. He had been closely observing her, growing increasingly fond of her resilience and unwavering love for her child. It had taken considerable effort to bend the rules in her favor, but he couldn't bear to see her suffer any longer. He wanted to give her a chance at happiness, even if it was within the confines of a fictional world.
His main job is to direct souls to their destination, so he was not permitted to interfere in the living world's events, so despite how much he wanted to, he couldn't take the life of that animal that he was going to have a hell of a lot of fun throwing in hell. No, that was his sister's job. What he was doing now was a breach in her sadistic little plans but he didn't care for her approval, all he cared for was to see Anastasia free from pain and suffering, and if this gift of powers and a fresh start in an unfamiliar world could bring her happiness, then it was worth the deviation from the usual course of events.
He had already briefly glimpsed the path that Anastasia's life would now take, and he knew that she would find happiness in this new world. A small smile graced his lips as he imagined the genuine joy she would experience, smiling not just for appearances but from the depths of her heart. The man she would meet would cherish her, treat her with kindness, and become a father figure her daughter had longed for.
Of course, there were still elements that lay beyond his control. Life, his elder sister with her unpredictable ways, had a say in the matter as well. The road ahead might be rocky at first, but he was confident that they would find their way to a brighter future together. He couldn't manipulate every detail, but he had faith that everything would work out eventually.
He couldn't help but anticipate Anastasia's reaction when she'd wake up in the world he'd sent her to. Life had decided the location, and she would undoubtedly be displeased, but he knew it was only the beginning of her remarkable journey. A journey of love, strength, and the unconditional bond between mother and daughter.
Anastasia and Lilliana, were about to embark on a new chapter, one filled with hope, love, and the promise of a better ending than their previous life had held. As he observed the two purest souls he'd come across, he couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment, knowing that he had played a part in bringing them closer to the happiness they both deserved.