My observations continued as the week wore on. I blended in with the crowds at the school, at the Grill and even at the Mystic Falls High School. No one noticed me, not even the Salvatore brothers, who were usually so vigilant. I was a shadow. A presence on the periphery, watching wand waiting.
It was during one such observation that I decided to make my move. The Mystic Falls High School fundraise was in full swing. The gymnasium filled with students, parents and teachers all gathered for a night of food, music and charity. I slipped into the gym, blending in with the crowd as I scanned the room for Elena.
It didn't take long to find her. She was standing near the refreshment table, talking to Caroline and Bonnie. She looked tired, the stress of the past few days weighing heavily on her, but she still managed to smile and laugh with her friends, trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy.
As I watched her, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. She was so young, so fragile, yet she was at the center of something far greater than herself. It was a burden that no one her age should have to bear, yet she carried it with a strength that was both admirable and heartbreaking.
My attention was drawn back to Elena as she excused herself from her friends and made her way towards the exit. I moved quickly, slipping through the crowd until I was just a few steps behind her. As she reached the door, I timed it perfectly, brushing past her shoulder as I stepped into her path.
"Oh, I am sorry." She said, startled as she looked up at me.
"No harm done." I replied smoothly. My voice betraying none of the turmoil within me. I met her gaze. Those familiar brown eyes searching mine for some kind of recognition. I forced a small smile.
For a moment, we stood there, staring at each other. I could see the curiosity in her eyes. The way she was trying to place me, to figure out if she had seen me before. But of course, she hadn't. I was a stranger to her. Just another face in a sea of familiar faces.
"My name is Elena." She offered, extending her hand. I hesitated for only a fraction of a second before taking it.
"Natalia." I said. The name rolling of my tongue like a long forgotten melody.
"Nice to meet you." We both said almost at the same time, and we let out a small giggle.
"Are you new in town?" Elena smiled as she asked. I can sense a hint of caution in her expression.
"Just passing through." I replied, keeping my tone casual.
"I was visiting an old friend, and I saw this place. Thought I'd check out the fundraiser. Seems like a nice community." I added as I gesture to the whole place that is bustling with people.
"It is." Elena said and I can sense a hint of sadness in her voice. My eyes stays on her, waiting for her to say more.
"It's...it's home." She added.
I could sense that there was more she wanted to say, but she held back. The weight of everything she had been through pressing down on her. I could see it in the way she carried herself. The way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She was tired, worn down by the constant danger, threats and uncertainty that had become her new life.
"Do I know you?" She asked as she studied me for a moment. Her brow furrowing slightly as if she was trying to figure out where she knew me from.
"I feel like I have met you before." She added and I shook my head with a small laugh.
"No, I don't think so."
"I am sorry. It's been a very long day." Elena saida she rub her temple.
"I can imagine." I said, my tone sympathetic.
"These school events can be a lot to handle, especially with everything else that is going on with our life." I added and my heart skip a beat when I realize what I just said, but thankfully I manage to hide my flustration.
"Our life?" Elena ask and I can sense that she became cautious with my statement.
"Yeah. I assume you have a life outside of school? It will be terrible if you don't. Family drama. Friends drama. Lovers quarrel. I have been through your age Elena. I know how high school works." I said, lying through my teeth.
"Oh that." Elena said as she let out a relief sigh. All of her cautious wash away when she hear my explanation.
"Yeah. Those are a never ending drama. There's always something new everyday and it never fail to surprise you." I smiled at her words. We then decided to continue our conversation as we walk around the field where the rest of the fundraiser is. Eventhough the field is as crowd as the hallway, and not an ideal place for us to have a talk, we still manage to have a short and nice conversation.
"Mystic Falls is an interesting place. I have heard a lot about it, but this is my first time here." I lied.
"It's definitely an interesting town. Small, but there's a lot of history here." Elena nodded, her expression becoming more thoughtful.
"I am a bit of history buff myself. I have been travelling around, visiting different town and learning their pasts. Its always gives this satisfaction of finding or learning something new." I said.
"Mystic Falls seemed like a good place to stop for a while.:" I added, playing the part of the curious traveler.
"There is definitely a lot to learn here. The history of this place is...well, it's complicated. But its interesting." A smile appear on my face when I hear her words as I nodded, pretending to take her words at face value.
"I have noticed that. There is a certain...energy here, you know? Like the past is still very much alive." I said as I my eyes stays on her, waiting to see her reaction. Elena seemed to consider this for a moment, then she sighed.
"Yeah, that's one way to put it. Sometimes it feels like the past is always trying to catch up with us." Elena words resonated with me more than she could have known. I could see the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her, and I felt a pang of sympathy. I was about to say something to Elena when I see Stefan walking towards us from the corner of my eye.
"By my years of living, one thing that I know for sure. If you mean well, everything will turn out fine at the end." I said and as if in que, the moment I utter the last word, Stefan stands next to us.
"Hi." Stefan said as he move to stand closer to Elena, cautiously watching me.
"Hi." I said with a polite smile.
"I'm Stefan." He offer his hand for a shake and I take it.
"Natalia." Our eyes locked for a while. He look into my eyes with wary while I look at him with curiosity.
"I should go. There are still a lot of Mystic Falls that I haven't yet discover." I said as I break our handshake.
"It is nice meeting you both." I said with a smile as I nod my head. With that, I walked away, blending into the crowd once more. But even as I left, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
As the evening wore on, I found myself blending back into the crowd. My mind racingf with the implications of what I had learned.
Elena was different, yes, but she was still a doppelganger, still tied to the same fate that had befallen Katherine all those centuries ago. If she continued down this path, she would bring nothing but disaster to everyone around her. But killing her...killing her felt wrong in way that I couldn't quite explain.
Later that night, as the fundraise was winding down, I watched from a distance as Elena rejoined her friends after she is done with her tasks. Her smile faltering only slightly as they laughed and chatted about the evening's events. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. The way she seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
It was in that moment that I made my decision. I slipped through the crowd once more, moving closer to where Elena stood. I waited until she was distracted. Her attention focused on one of her friends, before I stepped up behind her.
"Elena." I said softly. My voice just loud enough for her to hear. She turned, surprised to see me again.
"Natalia." She greeted. There is a hint of a smile on her lips.
"I dont think I did see you again tonight."
"I was just about to leave town. Something urgent came up at work." I said, glancing around the room, and smile at her friend, Bonnie, who stands behind Elena.
"But I wanted to say goodbye." I told her and Elena nodded.
"I am glad you did. It was nice meeting you." I can sense sincerity in her voice.
"Likewise." I replied. My gaze locking with hers and my mind were running at full speed, trying to come up with a sentence that would not arouse suspicion.
"Elena...I..." I couldn't finish my sentence. I was contemplating whether I should come clean to her of who I am, or should I just let her remember me as someone normal, a human that she came across with in her life.
"Take care of yourself." I said, after quickly deciding that it is in her best interest to not know who I am.
"This town...it's more dangerous than you think. Everything is not always what it seemed, and things might not go the way we have want. And stay away from things that you don't know." I said and for a moment, both Elena and her friend Bonnie just stared at me. Their expression is a mix of confusion and concern.
"What do you mean?" Elena asked. Her voice tinged with unease. I hesitated again, weighing my words carefully.
"Just...be careful. There are people out there who want to hurt you. Don't let your guard down." With those words, Elena's and Bonnie's eyes widened slightly, but before she could respond, I takes off my bracelet that I am wearing.
"Here. Wear this." I said as I hand over the bracelet to her.
"This will hide your scent from those who mean you harm. As long as you wear this, they will never be able to find you." I said when she didn't take the bracelet and look at with wary. I grab her hand and put on the bracelet on her wrist.
"If you don't trust me, you can ask your friend here. She can check the bracelet, and I guarantee you, she wont find anything harmful or dark on it." I said with a smile as I look at Bonnie before I turn to look at Elena again.
"Take care Elena. I hope one day we will meet again. Perhaps in a better circumstances." With that, I turned around and walked away. I disappeared into the crowd once more, ignoring Elena's voice calling my name.
As I stepped out into the cold night air, I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind. The decision I had made was not an easy one, but it was the right one. I would keep an eye on Elena, watch over her from the shadows, and protect her from the dangers that would inevitably come her way. But I would also keep my distance, as I don't want to draw too much attention on her. I don't want a certain someone to track me here and found Elena, but I will always be ready in the shadows to do what needed to be done if the time came.
I walked away from the school and my thoughts were a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. I had lived for over a thousand years and had seen countless lives come and go, but something about this girl, about Elena that was different. She was at the centerf of something much larger than herself, and I couldn't shake the feeling that her fate was somehow intertwined with mine.
The decision to protect her, to keep her safe from the dangers that lurked in the shadows, was one that I had not made lightly. But as I walked through the darkened streets of Mystic Falls, I couldn't help but wonder if I had made the right choice.
Would protecting Elena only lead to more pain and suffering?
Would it bring about the very disaster I feared?
Will it blow my hiding from the one that I ran from?
These thoughts haunted me as I made my way back to the motel where I had been staying. The room was dark and empty. A stark contrast to the warmth and light of the school fundraiser. I stood at the window, staring out at the quiet street. My mind still racing with the events of these past few days.
But there is one thing that I know for sure.
Elena Gilbert was not Katherine Pierce.
But she will still be at the center of something far greater than either of us could imagine. It could bring the new era of the world or the end of the world.
And I, Natalia Andrea Petrova,would have to decide on what role I would play in her story.
Will I just be her guardian angel in the dark?
Or...
Will I become more then just a guardian angel?