I came back to the house to
see the gang and harper and Henry in there.
They both are dressed in Ezno clothes.
Cassandra took a deep breath before addressing the room. "Good, you're all here. This will be easy."
The girls, however, were still visibly shaken, and they began barraging Cassandra with questions.
"Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"Why did you not tell us?"
"And why are you still in your witch mood?"
The barrage of questions was met with a look of fear and worry from the girls.
Cassandra tried to calm them down. "First, let me just say I'm sorry for not telling you guys about it. Second, I had to do this."
Elena, relieved that Cassandra was home safe, hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you're home, but please, just let us know next time, okay? I swear Caroline was almost about to call the SWAT team."
Caroline, playfully defensive, interjected, "Hey, I'm right here, and I plead the fifth!"
The girls laughed at Caroline's joke, and then one of them spoke up. "Now, can you please tell us where you went and who those two hot guys are?"
Cassandra proceeded to explain her ordeal with the tomb and her deal with Emily and Katherine. The girls listened intently, their eyes wide with shock and concern.
"Wow, holy shit," one of them exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Yeah, so I have a lot going on now," Cassandra admitted, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
She then turned to introduce Harper and Henry to the group. "Girls, this is Harper and Henry."
"Thank you again, Ms. Gilbert, for getting us out of there," Harper expressed his gratitude.
Henry, still somewhat confused, asked, "Yes, but not to sound ungrateful, but now what?"
Before Cassandra could answer, the doorbell rang once more. "Ah, they're here," she said, a hint of relief in her voice.
"Now we wait for..." Cassandra started, but the ringing doorbell cut her off. "Ah, they're here," she said, her voice filled with relief.
Cassandra opened the door to find the Zhu family standing on the porch. "Come in," she told them, stepping aside to let them enter.
Pearl, one of the Zhu family members, couldn't help but comment on Cassandra's striking resemblance to Katherine. "Wow, I didn't get to see very well, but Anna was right. You do look like her."
Cassandra let out a small laugh. "Wait until you see my sister," she thought.
As they entered the living room, Pearl's eyes fell upon Cassandra's twin sister. Instinctively, she lunged towards her, but Cassandra swiftly intervened, throwing Pearl against the wall.
"I know how it seems, but she's not Katherine either. She's my twin sister," Cassandra explained, hoping to defuse the situation.
Pearl, nursing her broken hand, asked incredulously, "How is this possible?"
Cassandra sighed. "Long story, and we don't have time for it. Now, did you bring it?"
Cassandra chuckled, "Yes, your instincts were right on the money, Pearl."
Pearl looked perplexed. "You mean we didn't steal the wrong invention after all? We stole the right one?"
Cassandra nodded. "That's correct. I don't think Emily herself was fully aware of what she had created."
Pearl's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, wait, wait—you're telling me that Emily created this?"
Cassandra confirmed with another nod. "Yes, Emily created the watch, the rings—all of it."
"But why?" Pearl asked, struggling to wrap her head around the revelation.
Cassandra took a moment to think before replying, "I believe in her mind, she thought she was helping. She didn't realize the magnitude of what she had made."
Annabelle chimed in, "So Johnathan didn't create anything at all?"
"No, he didn't," Cassandra confirmed.
"Okay, so what does it do?" Annabelle pressed, eager to know more.
"Oh, it's an identifier," Cassandra answered matter-of-factly.
The girls repeated in unison, "An identifier?"
"Yes," Cassandra continued, "It exposes anything with heightened senses."
Jeremy stepped forward. "Like vampires?"
Cassandra nodded. "Exactly, but remember, vampires aren't the only creatures in our world with sensitive ears."
As if suddenly remembering the existence of werewolves, the group murmured in agreement. "Right, yes."
Cassandra nodded. "Yes, so you can see why I need that device."
Pearl, understanding the gravity of the situation, retrieved the device and handed it to Cassandra.
"Thank you," Cassandra said sincerely.
She then turned to address the Zhu family. "And for the other thing, would it be okay if both Henry and Harper came with you?"
Annabelle, speaking on behalf of the Zhu family, replied, "Yes, of course. We'll take good care of them."
Cassandra handed each of them a bracelet. "Here, this will not only let me know if you're okay, but also cloak you from any unwanted attention and disguise you magically. No one will know it's you until you're ready to reveal yourself."
Pearl expressed her gratitude. "Thank you for everything you've done."
Cassandra brushed it off. "It's the least I can do after what my ancestors did."
Turning to Enzo, Cassandra instructed, "Enzo, please make sure they get to the airport safely."
As Enzo left with the Zhu family and Harper and Henry, Cassandra turned to her friends, exhaustion etched on her face. "Girls, I need to take a shower and crash. And Bonnie, my promise still stands."
With that, she left them to retreat to her room in the house, calling out, "Genesis!"
The girls watched her go, concern still lingering in their eyes.
Genesis, ever-present and ever-ready, responded without hesitation. "Yes, Cassandra? How may I be of assistance?"
Cassandra extended the device towards Genesis, stating her request with urgency. "I need you to analyze this for me and then amplify the sound to ten thousand times its current strength."
"Your wish is my command, Cassandra," Genesis replied, its voice cool and confident. "I will commence the analysis immediately and inform you when the amplification is complete."
Satisfied with Genesis's swift response, Cassandra offered her thanks. "Thank you, Genesis. I trust you to handle this with the utmost precision."
With that, Cassandra allowed Genesis to work its technological magic, knowing that the AI would not rest until the task was flawlessly executed.
The Salvatore boarding house was in disarray, with remnants of a wild party strewn across the living room. Empty alcohol bottles littered the floor, and sorority girls with fresh bite marks lay unconscious amidst the chaos.
Stefan Salvatore walked into the room, surveying the aftermath with a disapproving gaze. He spotted his brother, Damon, sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by the lingering scent of alcohol and blood.
Arms crossed, Stefan questioned his brother's decision-making skills. "So, how long are you going to lie there on the floor?"
Damon, his voice monotone, responded without lifting his head. "Until I no longer feel like I just got trampled by a bunch of bulls."
Stefan, fed up with the scene, decided to take matters into his own hands. He began to wake the girls, hoping to restore some semblance of order to the house. "Okay, girls, party's over. Go take a shower, and we'll heal you after."
The girls, groggy and disoriented, groaned in frustration. "Mmm, god, go away," one of them mumbled.
Unfazed, Stefan persisted. "No, get up. You're staining the carpet."
Slowly but surely, the girls began to stir, their movements sluggish as they attempted to piece together the events of the night before. As the chaos gradually subsided, Stefan couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for the Salvatore boarding house to return to its former state of tranquility.
The girls reluctantly obeyed Stefan's instructions, stumbling to the shower in a daze. As they left the room, Damon remained on the floor, his words dripping with sarcasm. "Oh no, it's Saint Buzz Kill here to ruin my fun."
Stefan, his patience wearing thin, responded with a sigh. "Damon, really?"
Damon, still sprawled on the floor, mumbled miserably, "What? I thought you'd be gloating at the fact that you were right."
"Yeah, that'll come later," Stefan retorted, unable to conceal his frustration.
"Now get up and take a shower," Stefan ordered. "Cassandra will be coming here soon."
Damon struggled to stand, using the couch for support as he attempted to regain his composure. "Matilda is coming here? Why?" he slurred, his inebriated state still evident.
Stefan shrugged his shoulders, equally uncertain. "I don't know, she wouldn't tell me. But she said it was important."
Damon, momentarily bemused by the doorbell, muttered a simple "Huh." He was about to ask another question when the sudden sound of the doorbell interrupted him.
"We have a doorbell?" Damon asked, his confusion evident in his voice.
Stefan, unfazed, replied, "Yes, we do."
Still perplexed, Damon continued his line of questioning. "Since when?"
Stefan, growing slightly irritated, explained, "Since everyone feels the need to just try and barge into the house. I had it installed."
Damon managed a small, amused huff. "Responsible Stefan, nice."
As the banter subsided, Stefan opened the door to find Elena standing on the other side. "Elena? What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised by her unexpected arrival.
Elena smiled apologetically. "Hey Stefan, I'm so sorry to just show up like this, but I really wanted to talk to you."
Stefan looks around, deciding whether to stay or go with Elena.
" You know what, that sounds like a good idea. Let go.
Celestial realms
As Cassandra walked through the Celestial Realms, she marveled at the beauty and wonder surrounding her. This was a place where primordial gods and powerful beings dwelled, a realm she had never expected to visit in her current form.
She made her way along a path, picturing an outfit for herself as she went. Suddenly, she found herself in her father's garden, a testament to his creative powers. "Well, this is a surprise," a chorus of musical voices sang out.
Cassandra turned to see one of her fathers, Time, standing there with a youthful appearance. She ran into his arms, overwhelmed with emotion. "Hello, child," they said.
"Baba," she cried, tears streaming down her face. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed them.
Time cooed at her like she was an infant, despite her being a 30-year-old woman. But to a primordial being like Time, she might as well have been a baby.
"What's wrong, little one?" they asked gently. "Why the tears?"
Cassandra tried to compose herself, explaining, "Sorry, I forgot what it's like being in soul form.
Cassandra's conversation with Time continued:
"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why am I here? It's not time for me to be here. I'm very confused," Cassandra asked.
Time pouted, "Forgive me, little one. I got a bit jealous when both Death and Destruction got to meet you."
Cassandra placed her hand on Time's face and questioned, "Why would you need to be jealous over such a trivial thing?"
Time's expression brightened as they revealed the true reason for Cassandra's visit, "I brought you here because I wanted to show you something." They pointed to the sky, and Cassandra's gaze followed. There, soaring majestically through the celestial skies, were the breathtaking Star Dragons.
In disbelief, Cassandra watched the Star Dragons soaring through the sky. "I can't believe it," she whispered. "Even when I saw them, I couldn't believe it."
Time smiled, "I wanted to show them to you."
"Which one of you made them?" Cassandra asked, still amazed by the sight.
"Oh, Creation did," Time answered. "We wanted to cheer you up."
Cassandra looked at them, confused. "What do you mean?"
Time chuckled, "Child, you may have taken your emotions out of yourself, but we can still feel them. Or did you forget that you're tethered to us?"
Cassandra smiled sheepishly, "Forgive me."
Time nodded, "It's alright. But I must let you go now."
"Aww, really?" Cassandra whined, not wanting to leave the magical Celestial Realms.
Time nodded again, "Yes, little one."
"I'm not going to remember this, right?" Cassandra asked, unsure of the rules surrounding her visit.
Time explained, "Unfortunately, yes, you have to forget this time.
Time walked back into the room where their other selves, Death, Creation, and Destruction, were gathered. They had been playing a game together, a tradition they had kept since becoming aware of themselves.
Death looked up from the game, a sly smile on their face. "Are you proud of yourself?" they asked Time.
Time grinned, "Of course I am. I've missed her, and I wanted to see her."
Death's smile widened, "Besides, admit it, you wanted to see if you approved of what she's planning."
Time turned to face the others, "And do we approve?"
"Yes," Destruction chimed in, "it's rather bold of her, and quite surprising."
Creation nodded proudly, "Of course it's bold. She's our daughter."
Destruction chuckled, "I'm looking forward to all the delicious chaos she's about to unleash."
In unison, the four primordial beings agreed, "Yes, we are."
Mystic cafe
Stefan and Elena sat outside the Mystic Café, sipping their drinks. Stefan broke the silence, asking, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Elena hesitated, "Okay, I know it's a bit awkward, but please bear with me on this. And you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Stefan raised an eyebrow, "Alright."
Elena continued, "Okay, I know who and what you are."
Stefan cleared his throat, looking at Elena with trepidation. "What are... what are you talking about?"
"Look, I don't want to expose you or anything like that. It's just that I want to know about the guy who seems interested in my sister," she said earnestly.
Stefan huffed a laugh, "Okay, so what do you wanna know?"
"Everything," Elena told him.
So Stefan began his tale, going into detail about how he and his brother used to live in Mystic Falls and even took Elena to their old house. He then recounted the story of how he and Damon became vampires.
Elena listened, her eyes wide with fascination. When Stefan finished, she exhaled, "Wow... that's... wow."
"First, thank you for telling me," Elena said sincerely. "And second, don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret."
Stefan smiled, grateful for Elena's understanding. He knew it was a risk sharing his true nature with her, but something about Elena made him feel he could trust her. As they sat together in the café, a sense of relief washed over Stefan, knowing that his secret was safe with Elena.
Elena leaned in, her voice turning dark, "And about my sister, if you're really serious about her, go for it. But warning, if you hurt her in any way, I will kill you. Do you understand?"
Stefan gulped, feeling a slight fear, "Yes, crystal clear."
Elena's voice returned to its cheerful tone, "Good. Now, can we order something?"
Just as they were about to order, both their phones rang. Elena received a call from her mom, who needed her at home. Stefan received a text from Cassandra, telling him to bring Damon to the abandoned old mill.
"Oh, sorry, Stefan, we have to cut this short, but thank you for telling me," Elena apologized.
They both shook hands and went their separate ways, each with a new understanding of one another. As Stefan made his way to find Damon, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief knowing that Elena had his back, as well as a twinge of excitement at the possibility of pursuing a relationship with Cassandra.
Cassandra felt a gentle shaking, rousing her from her sleep. A worried voice called her name, "Cas... Cassie, wake up."
Slowly, Cassandra opened her eyes, the world still a little blurry until her vision adjusted. She saw her brother, Jeremy, looking down at her with concern.
"Hey, bear, what's wrong?" Cassandra asked, her voice warm and steady.
"Oh, thank God!" Jeremy exclaimed anxiously. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Cassandra chuckled softly, "Bear, relax. I was just sleeping."
Jeremy scoffed, "You were floating, Cass! Who floats in their sleep?"
Cassandra teased him, "I do, bear. You know I can levitate."
She turned to see the clock and cursed under her breath, realizing it was already the afternoon. Rushing to the bathroom, Cassandra took a quick shower to prepare for the day ahead.
Cassandra noticed the worry on Jeremy's face and gently touched his arm, "Hey bear, why did you look scared waking me up?"
Jeremy, still visibly shaken, replied sarcastically, "Why? Let's see. First, I was training, and then BAM! I was hit with a shit ton of emotions that aren't even mine. I thought you were in danger, so I ran in here to find you floating. So excuse me if I'm acting scared."
Cassandra was taken aback by Jeremy's agitation, something she had never seen in him before. She grabbed his arm, trying to reassure him, "Hey, I'm here, and I'm sorry for panicking you."
Suddenly, something Jeremy had said caught her attention, "Wait, what do you mean you felt it?"
Jeremy looked at her, still a little shaken, "As I said, I just felt it. I mean, it's not as loud as it was before, but I can still feel it."
Cassandra couldn't help but feel confused. She couldn't remember that, when she was in her soul form, all her suppressed emotions would come back to her.
As Jeremy was Cassandra's protector, he experienced some of the emotional blowback.
Feeling remorseful, Cassandra hugged him, "I am so sorry, bear, honestly. I don't know why you felt that. I was just sleeping."
Jeremy hugged her back, his voice filled with anger and a hint of fear, "Please don't scare me like that again. And what the hell were you dreaming about?"
Cassandra pulled away from him, her brow furrowed in confusion, "You know, now that you mention it, I don't remember."
Bear raised his eyebrows at her, "You don't remember what you were dreaming about that could have triggered your emotions?"
Cassandra shook her head, concern growing within her. It was strange that she couldn't recall any details of her dream, especially if it had caused such an intense emotional response.
"Yes, but I don't. I think it's bad," Cassandra tried to explain, her concern growing.
Jeremy looked at her quizzically, "What do you mean?"
Cassandra struggled to find the right words, "I don't know how to explain it, other than bliss. Yes, I think that's the right word."
Jeremy seemed unconvinced, "Okay, that didn't make any sense at all, but let's go before..."
Before he could finish, they heard a car horn blaring outside, followed by Caroline's voice, "Cassie, get your lazy ass out here!"
Cassandra laughed, "And her royal dictator has spoken."
She quickly grabbed her bag, making sure she had everything she needed for their training session. Together, Cassandra and Jeremy headed out to meet Caroline, ready to face whatever challenges the day had in store.
Since the car couldn't reach the old mill, the group had to walk the remaining distance. As they approached, Cassandra saw both Damon and Bonnie walking ahead.
"So hey, how are you doing?" Bonnie asked Damon, her voice filled with genuine concern.
"Oh, you know, peachy," Damon replied sarcastically.
"I know nothing I say will make you feel better, but I understand the feeling of having someone you love abandon you. So, if you ever need to talk to someone who gets it, I'm here," Bonnie offered.
Damon looked at the young Bennett witch oddly, as every witch he had ever met was just a judgmental bitch. "Shouldn't you be saying something like, 'Vampire, I'll kill you'?" he asked, confused.
Bonnie just laughed, "I suppose I could. Hmm, perhaps there is some truth in that. And maybe there will come a time when I'm like that, but if I am, it will be my choice, not because a bunch of dead bitches who didn't have the courage to live their lives feel the need to live through me."
Damon was taken aback, mainly because the young Bennett sounded almost like Matilda. "You know you sound like her, right?" he asked.
Bonnie grinned, "Well duh, she's awesome, and I take that as a compliment."
They reached the old mill, and Cassandra called out, "Bonnie, sweetie, come here." She arranged candles in a circle and had Bonnie sit in the middle. "Okay, what do you know about witchcraft?"
"Just a little of what Grams told me," Bonnie replied.
"Which is?" Cassandra inquired.
"That we are the servants of nature, and we must use our power wisely," Bonnie answered.
Cassandra chuckled, "Well, she's not wrong, but she's not entirely right either."
The group looked puzzled, and Damon uttered, "Huh?"
Cassandra elaborated, "I don't have time to go into all the details today, but the gist of it is that your brand of witches aren't really servants of nature, you're more like conduits."
Damon's interest piqued as he realized that, despite his experience with witches, they had always been rather secretive about their craft. This new insight was intriguing.
Bonnie leaned in, paying close attention, and asked, "What do you mean?"
Cassandra explained, "Well, normally, your type of witches are meant to channel power directly from the Mother. But instead, you guys practice Spirit magic, which has its limitations."
Sitting up straight, Bonnie admitted, "Okay, I'm still feeling a bit lost here."
Cassandra reassured her, "Don't worry, that's why we're here in the forest. I'm going to teach you another way to practice magic without depending on the spirits."
Jeremy chimed in, confused, "What do you mean? I thought spirit magic is what you practice."
Cassandra shook her head, "No, my brand of magic is more complicated. I'll explain when we're all together. For now, let's focus on Bonnie, okay?"
Ignoring Damon's complaints, Cassandra focused on Bonnie, "Okay, now I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing."
Damon groaned, "Oh God, if I knew this was going to be so boring, I would have stayed in the manor with the girls. And why did you need us to be here anyway?"
Cassandra, through gritted teeth, responded, "We're doing this because Bonnie just discovered her element by accident, and I want her to be able to control it before she hurts herself again, you jackass!"
Damon continued to complain, "Well, I'm sorry, Glenda, but that still doesn't answer why we're here."
Cassandra, feeling increasingly frustrated, explained, "You're here because this lesson also affects you."
Stefan chimed in, "Wait, what do you mean?"
Damon, still not satisfied, added, "Yes, Matilda, not all of us speak witchy."
Cassandra couldn't help but laugh at Damon's comment. "Oh God, if only you knew how ironic that sentence is!"
Damon grew impatient, "Again, what does that mean?"
With a smug expression, Cassandra replied, "Fun fact: did you know that you and Stefan were born witches?"
Both Damon and Stefan exclaimed in disbelief, "WHAT? Matilda, say what now?"
Cassandra nodded, "Yes, you heard me correctly."
Damon remained skeptical, "Okay, so far some of the stuff you've said has had some truth to it, but now you're telling me we have juju? That's a stretch."
Cassandra challenged him, "Alright then, please kindly explain how you're able to control fog."
Damon stammered, "Ah...okay, yeah, I don't have an answer for that, but don't you think if we had magic, don't you think the dead Bennetts would have sensed it?"
Cassandra replied, "First, rude. Second, I don't think Giuseppe the Terrible would have allowed you to practice magic.
"Wait, what do you mean 'sense it'?" Stefan asked, still reeling from the revelation.
Cassandra replied, "Stefan, honey, you may be a vampire, but I can feel both yours and Damon's magic."
Shocked, Stefan muttered, "Oh my God, how is this possible?"
Damon, despite his skepticism, couldn't deny the possibility. "Okay, let's say for my own sanity that this is real and not an hallucination brought on by my drunkenness. How did we trigger it?"
Cassandra, playfully mocking him, said in a fake sweet voice, "You don't, sweetheart. I do. So for now, shut up and watch."
She turned her attention to Bonnie, who was still trying to process all the bizarre events happening around her. Meanwhile, Caroline, ever the multitasker, was texting on her phone.
"Okay, as I was saying before I was interrupted," Cassandra resumed, regaining her composure.
"Bonnie, I want you to close your eyes and breathe."
Bonnie obeyed, "Okay."
Cassandra continued, "Breathe in, feel the air in your lungs."
She could feel the energy in the air shifting. "Good, she's getting it," Cassandra thought to herself.
"Now, take all you're feeling and concentrate on the candles."
Bonnie took a deep breath and, in an instant, lit all the candles placed in the circle.
"Bonnie," Cassandra called out gently, "open your eyes."
Bonnie's eyes fluttered open, and she saw the candles, giggling with excitement. "Oh my god, I did it! I did it without setting anything on fire!"
"Great job!" Cassandra praised her. "Now blow it out and start again. But this time, use your mind."
Confused at first, Bonnie listened and tried it. To her amazement, it worked.
"Keep practicing," Cassandra encouraged her.
Damon couldn't help but interrupt again. "Lovely, the little Bennett can make fireworks, but can we get back to the part about me having magical juju?"
Losing her patience, Cassandra screamed, "Damon fucking Salvatore! I will fucking strangle you!"
Before Damon could retort, Cassandra's phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Aunt Liz calling.
Ignoring the call for the moment, Damon continued his interrogation. "So hey, what did you and that girl talk about, Damon asked his brother?"
Stefan looked at Damon like he had grown two heads, "Are you sure you weren't dreaming it?"
The brothers were not losing their minds
it was just that Cassandra had cast a spell that made anyone who talked to Elena forget that they had talked to her.
Realizing she needed to leave, Cassandra told the group, "Guys, I have to go for a bit. Jeremy, you are to anchor Bonnie. After that, go straight home. I'll tell you guys everything later."
Cassandra addressed the group, "Guys, I have to leave for a bit. Jeremy, you are to anchor Bonnie. After that, go straight home. I'll tell you guys everything later."