Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Athena stands in a room staring at a point on the wall in front of her as she waits for Diana who enters the room behind her. Athena moves and takes Ezra from Diana as she struggles to hold both babies at once, they both squirm and move too much to be safe. Athena nods to the wall, Diana takes a breath.

"Back during Ares' uprising, when he sought to dominate the world of Man, Zeus turned to the Fates for a way of stopping him, a way of preventing a similar event..." Athena explains as she touches a wall hanging, three monoliths displayed on it along with the symbols of Zeus and Ares. "Created were three monoliths. These were then given to Zeus' children to protect.....Perseus, Hercules.....and myself. Each of these monoliths remained under our protection until our offspring came of age...When Angel turned 21, it passed to him, when Penelope turned 21, it went to her, and when she died...It fell to you" Diana frowns a little staring at the wall hanging. "Eva is dead...." Athena adds and turns to Diana. "The Monolith is yours" Diana looks at her.

"Where is it now?" Diana asks.

"Angel transported it to Mystic Fall" Diana groans.

"Of course he did" She complains. "Of course, that is the exact place he took it. It couldn't be like the Bahamas?" Athena gives her a soft look.

"The monoliths are what is important it keeping the veil stable" Athena offers as she looks down at Ezra in her arms. "The veil is what separates the spirits from the living..." She explains for the baby who just stares up at her, Athena then looks at Diana. "Only with a few exceptions..." Diana nods a little. "Though because of the white monolith's location, Mystic Falls has a very....thin veil, that is why you and Jeremy were able to witness and communicate with spirits only within the boundary of the town....the boundary is where the monolith's powers cut out...Angel's way of trying to limit it's reach...."

"Why did Zeus create the monoliths in the first place?" Diana asks.

"Zeus saw that one day Ares would return" Athena answers. "He put in place a plan, the monoliths.....so when Ares returned, the monoliths would..." Athena tries to find the right phrasing. "Pull individuals, specifically those with Zeus' blood, from the timeline, from any point in the timeline to fight against Ares and save the world.....but over the years, magic has seeped into the stones, the White Monolith has become a focal point for the veil in Mystic Falls, it needs to be protected....." Diana lets out a breath. "You are the only one of Zeus' bloodline that is old enough to defend it....between that....and Silas...." Diana lets out a breath.

"You think Silas might go for the Monolith?" she asks, Athena shrugs a little.

"Even if he doesn't know it is there" Athena offers. "He will the second he arrives in the town...."

"I don't want to go back" She whispers as she sits on the floor with the twins. "Why does it always have to be me?"

"Because you are the only one left that can do this" Athena answers. "But things must be put into place...." Athena moves to the table. "Your training must continue for now...."

............

Diana sits at the desk in her chambers as she writes out a letter, a couple of letters. She knows that both Athena and Artemis are concerned about her fate when she returns to Mystic Falls, and Diana knows that the Gods always know more than they share, even with their own blood. So Diana is putting things into place, should anything happen to her. Just in case. She worries the charm of her necklace between her lips as she writes down what she needs to. Instructions. Goodbyes. Just in case. She will do what needs to be done.

.............

One Month and 21 Days Later:

Outside of Mystic Falls, a car approaches the town boundary at a steady speed. As soon as it passes across the boundary, Alaric's ghost appears in the passenger seat. He frowns and looks around before turning to the driver. His features softening when he sees Diana.

"Diana" he whispers, she glances at him and sighs.

"Was it too much to think that you would have moved on by now?" she asks him.

"I'm not going anywhere" he assures her, she tightens her hands on her steering wheel.

"Where are the twins?" Jeremy voices, Diana looks back over her shoulder to find his ghost in the back.

"Jeez, now there's two of you?" She asks as she turns forward again, Jeremy shrugs a little. "Sorry you died, Jer" Diana offers, he nods a little. "Sorry I wasn't here for you"

"Yeah, me too, Di" He agrees, she hums a little. "But it's okay" He adds and nods. "Where are the twins?" he repeats.

"Oh, they're in Greece" She admits. "With Athena...." Alaric then seems to realise what that means. 

"You're not staying" Alaric points out, she hums and shakes her head.

"No" She agrees. "I have a few loose ends to deal with and then I will be going back" She admits as she glances at Alaric who gives her a sad look. He's missed her. And she really has missed him too.

"How are they?" he asks her. She nods.

"They're okay" she assures him. "Getting good and fat..." Alaric smiles a little. "Veronica's actually started pulling herself to her feet" She adds and smiles. "Ezra's still comfortable on his backside" Alaric looks down and takes a breath. "I'm sorry" Diana whispers. "I didn't think, I should have brought them with me...."

"No" he stops her. "No, going back and forth would have just unsettled them...." he looks out the window and lets out a breath. He knows that pulling them back and forth across the world isn't good for them when they are so young, but he still wishes that he had the chance to see them again.