At the Salvatore boarding house, a ghost Mason Lockwood had tied Damon to a chair, stuck a fireplace stoker into his chest and taken his daylight ring. Isabella walks out to see Damon, by himself in this situation but no Mason.
"Whoa, kinky Damon" The brunette vampire raises her eyebrows before chuckling. The other Salvatore walks out, looking at his brother with a frown. "What the hell happened to you?".
"Whatever twisted ripper game this is, leave me out of it".
"I didn't do this".
"Quit screwing around!".
"I didn't" Stefan looks over the chains that hold his brother to the chair "It's pretty messed up though, isn't it?".
"Yep"
Stefan takes the iron stick out, making his brother scream in pain and then he starts to remove the chains but he stops, walking away. "Yeah, not to worry. I'll just untangle myself".
"Yeah, I have to meet Caroline and Bonnie at the town square" The brunette smiles before vamp speeding away. The two girls look thankful, once she arrives, that they have help to place lanterns among the trees.
"Hello, my favourite Mystic Falls people" Isabella greets, helping them as they continue to discuss after saying hello.
"So when you did the spell to send Vicki away, did that get rid of Anna, too?".
"I wish. All I did was block the magic that was helping Vicki get a physical foothold here. Jeremy's still got a direct line to the other side, and as long as he wants to see Anna and she wants to see him, she's still here".
"Okay, you don't think I can actually resist commenting on that".
"There. You commented".
"Bonnie...".
"What do you want me to say, Caroline? I went against the balance of nature when I brought Jeremy back to life, and now I'm paying the consequences".
"Aw Bon Bon" The brunette vampire says softly, patting her on the shoulder.
"Well, I want you to say you're not okay with it".
"I'm a thousand times not okay with it. I just don't know what to do about it".
A car drives up beside them, a 1969 Chevy Camaro Convertible which belongs to the eldest Salvatore.
"Ah, so you got out of the chains?" Bella smirks, earning weird looks from the others girls.
"Yes I did anyway. Greetings blondie, witchy. I think you got your voodoo wires all crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan".
"What do you mean why?".
"Because I'm pretty sure I just got spit-roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost".
"What?".
"And why would you think that?".
"Maybe because he chained me to a chair and shoved a hot poker in my chest. Let's just say I'm having déjà vu".
Caroline frowns, looking at her best friend "I thought you said that ghosts couldn't physically interact with people".
"They can't".
"Yeah, well I don't have time for a vengeful Lockwood. When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead. Whatever you screwed up, fix it"
After leaving the Bennett witch and the blonde vampire, Isabella heads to the Grill where she sees Damon walking towards the door and he motions for her to come with him, she raises her eyebrows but follows.
"So what are we doing?".
"Going to the old Lockwood cellar" Damon replies, hopping into his car and waiting for her to do the same before driving off to the location where they meet up with Mason Lockwood
"Who are you?" Mason blurts out, looking at the brunette vampire.
"Isabella Willoughby" She replies simply, walking into the cellar.
"What are we looking for?".
"There's an old Lockwood family legend about a weapon that can kill an Original vampire. Like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried".
The Lockwood man tries to break a wall with a shovel but nothing happens, making the Salvatore sigh "Oh come on, give me the thing. Move".
After a couple of goes, Damon creates a hole that they can go through "Go for it".
"You first".
"What, you think I'm leading you into a trap?".
"The thought crossed my mind".
"I'll go first" Isabella lets out a sigh, walking through, followed by Mason and then Damon.
"I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Your motives are deceptively pure".
"You talk the talk, but I know you'll do anything for your brother. You won't screw me over as long as we have the same agenda".
"I'm supposed to believe you're not going to screw me over?".
"All right. Which way?".
"I don't know. Flip a coin".
"Just choose a way" The brunette snaps, glaring at them both.
"Aren't you supposed to be all-knowing?".
"I'm a ghost. I'm not God. Go left". Damon hesitates before going but the lights shines on the way, showing that there is only one way.
"Or not. You have trust issues. Anyone ever tell you that?".
The eldest Salvatore continue before being struck with wood poles that shoot from the walls. He groans in pain, they have vervain on the couch. Mason shakes his head, turning away "Yo. Help a brother out? Mason?". Isabella huffs, moving forward and using her strength to take the poles out, the vervain causes her to wince but she struggles through it to get him out.
Mason comes back down with a shovel which is not needed.
"Sorry. Thought you might need this".
"Nope" Isabella says, taking the shovel and throwing it onto the ground. "But there are some stakes left in him so you can do that". The Lockwood man nods, pulling out the rest.
"What's your game, man? I killed you. I jammed my fist into your chest. I ripped your heart out. There's no way this whole buddy-trust act is real".
"You know what the other side is like? We're all alone. We watch the people we left behind and we regret our decisions. That's it. Look, I can't change what happened to me. But maybe I can change what happens to Tyler. I don't need revenge, Damon. I need redemption".
They all continue to walk through the tunnels, silently until Damon and Isabella are held back by an invisible barrier. Mason continues to walk through, unfazed.
"God! This is not happening" The Salvatore exclaims while the woman next to him just glares ahead.
"What now?".
"We can't get through. It's like we're not invited in. Wait!".
"I'm not stopping just because you're stuck. I'll let you know what I find".
"Excuse me?" The brunette crosses her arms, staring at the man with a cold glare but he brushes it off "Looks like you're gonna have to trust me. After a while of waiting, Mason looking around and saying 'Wow', Damon speaks up "So? What'd you find?".
"It's in..." Mason starts but then he disappears.
"No no no no. No, where'd you go? Mason, Mason!".
"Looks like Bonnie found a way to send them back" Isabella comments.
-
Alaric comes down into the caverns, making his way through the tunnels until he finds the two vampires who look bored and annoyed.
"You're here. It's about time".
"I should've gone home" The brunette pouts as Ric walks closer.
"Didn't have anyone else to call?".
"No actually, I don't. Because I need a non vampire to get in the cave, and other than Elena, you're pretty much the only one I trust".
"Well you have a crappy way of showing that".
"Look if Mason Lockwood can get over the fact that I killed him, can't you cut me a little slack Ric?".
"I shouldn't have to get over it. I was your friend, Damon. You shouldn't have done it in the first place".
"Well! Sometime I do things I don't have to do".
"You're going to recycle that same crap ass apology you gave Mason Lockwood?".
"Yeah, well I didn't mean it with him".
"Enough with the bonding, can we just go down to the place where Mason was".