For Elena/Closest to Heaven

Standing on the Earth again felt bizarre to him for some reason. He’d been back to Mystic Falls to watch as his friends had rebuilt the town after the failed attempt by Katherine Pierce to destroy it. Once everything seemed to be in order, he turned and walked off into the nether. After all, he was dead right? Damon had seen fit to kill him on the whim of a Siren right even though the two had become somewhat less enemies after all this time. Damon had only killed his Uncle Mason. It wasn’t like he was Klaus and killed Tyler’s own mother. Bitterness still lingered as he moved in to cross into peace.

The way to find peace had been blocked. He tried to step forward, but something kept him from going toward the light. “HEY! What gives? I’m dead right? Can’t a guy go off into the great beyond after all this crap?” He tossed his hands up and back down to his sides as he kept trying to move forward.

“It’s not going to work.” A deep voice came from off to his right. Tyler whipped his head in the direction of that voice. The man that was standing there was way taller than he was. Tyler put him at nearly seven feet tall. “Peace is not an option for you Tyler Lockwood.” The man had a head full of dark hair just like Tyler’s own and a full beard. His rich brown eyes flashed gold the instant that he’d made contact with Tyler’s. “You’re coming with me.”

There was something about the guy that had been vaguely familiar. He looked a lot like both Mason and Tyler themselves. It was something that he couldn’t ignore. The young werewolf who was trying to find peace held up his hands. “Not a chance big man. Until I know what’s going on, I’m not going anywhere.”

The man laughed deeply while looking at him. “Oh Tyler. This is why you’re not done yet. You still have so much to do and I’m going to give you the key to do it. All you have to do is believe me.” He inhaled sharply and exhaled almost like a dog did when it was getting bored with what was happening around him. “Just come with me and you’ll get all the answers you need, okay?”

He couldn’t explain why he trusted the man, but he did. Tyler nodded slowly and started to follow this man. What could it hurt right? He was already dead. What more could they do to him? He’d been in a holding place when all hell literally broke loose with the ringing of the Founder’s Day Bell. Then before he knew it, he was wandering around Mystic Falls watching his friends carry on without him. He was going to miss Matt and Jeremy, but he shrugged and moved on to what he’d thought was a chance at peace for him.

The path ahead that this man took Tyler was like the deepest forest overgrowth like when they were all kids and played together in the forest behind the Old Lockwood Estate. It really was a shame that he was the last Lockwood. That was the end of the line for his family. It was a dog’s life or well, maybe not. There was a door just ahead that the man opened. “You need to go in there. I’ll be right behind you.”

The smells of brimstone and fire were all around him. The trees that they’d walked through had gradually turned dark and looked as though they were death incarnate. “What is this place?” He muttered to the man. Tyler’s hair stood up on the back of his neck. Every fight or flight instinct he had was beginning to manifest. His muscles were tensed. It was like his primal wolf side was coming out rapidly to protect him. Tyler turned around to see the man who had brought him here, but the man was gone. His own eyes turned golden as he let his wolf instincts kick in once more. He started to run.

The door that was opened emitted a dark whirlwind that overcame Tyler. He tried to run from it’s grasp to no avail. His fangs were extended and he desperately clawed at the ground as he fell. He was pulled in even as the young werewolf kept fighting as hard as he could. Once Tyler was inside, the door shut with a loud thud with no hope of it opening again.

~*~

Tyler found himself pulled into a dark room with only a solitary light upon him. “Tyler Lockwood. You are of a rare blood line.” This time the man’s voice was quite different from the man that had brought him here. He sounded a bit proper in comparison to what he’d heard from the other man. “This bloodline is why you are here.”

The young man finally found his ability to stand to his two feet once more with all his canine features returning to more human ones. He was here now, but where was here? “That’s just great. Now how about seeing fit to let this all go so I can go off into bliss or whatever it is you do when you’re dead.” He brushed off his clothes trying to hold back the look of annoyance on his face.

The man simply laughed. A light shone upon him as he sat on this throne that resembled about a dozen giant skeletons. “Oh if it were only that simple.” The man smiled at him as he awaited for his beloved friend to join him.

Sensing the signal that he was given, the huff of the beast’s nostrils filled the air. Soft pads and nails struck the ground as he walked. Tyler watched closer. It was the biggest dog, wolf or whatever he’d ever seen. Looking closer, he realized that the four legged beast had three heads that were all looking gentle in terms of sitting at his master’s feet. “That… that’s Cerberus. And you…” He pointed at the man on the throne. “Oh shiiittt…. You’re Hades.”

Amused, Hades nodded in response to the young man’s observation. “Quite astute Mr. Lockwood. Now you see the reason why you’re here is because a petition was presented to me by Cerberus on your behalf. He had bargained for your return to the land of the living.” Hades stroked behind the ears of one of the infamous hellhound’s three heads.

Tyler began to laugh. “Cerberus wanted me back to life? Seriously? Me?” He pointed to the hound and then back to Hades. “You’re joking right?”

“On the contrary, Mr. Lockwood. Over the years, I have allowed Cerberus to take human form. He’s gone out and about to frolic shall we say with mortal females. Those frolics with women have resulted in quite a few little happy accidents along the way.” Hades was grinning as he watched the whole thing start to make sense in Tyler’s mind. “The light of recognition is quite splendid. You do have the same look he does when he gets does finally understand what’s been told him.” He smirked back at the young man who was Cerberus very own direct descendant.

“So I’m descended from Cerberus.” Tyler mused aloud. That he found particularly amusing for some reason but he believed it completely. It did make things abundantly more clear in all his life as he came rushing back to him. “So.. Why am I hear again?”

“The werewolf bloodline known as Apisi are all descendants of Cerberus. There have been some who have not activated the curse living their lives as mortals and dying as mortals do. Others of your ancestors were quite magnificent werewolves in their time, much like your Uncle Mason was.” One head of Cerberus was fast asleep. One was enjoying the pets from Hades while the other locked eyes with Tyler.

“But I’m different.” Tyler finished with this assumption pointing at himself in the process.

Hades nodded at Tyler. “Indeed you are. Cerberus petitioned me to have you returned to life because you are the last of his blood line. Yes, he could go out again and make more children, but he’s has no desire to do that. The times are different you understand. And why should he do that, when you can do that just fine.”

This was almost too much to comprehend for him. “What’s the catch? I got to go back and make more babies or something?” He asked in a half teasing manner.

“On the contrary.” Hades extended his hand toward Tyler. A black tendril of energy wrapped around him. As Hades spoke, he could feel his body changing. Tyler’s eyes went golden again with a hint of blood red behind them. His nostrils were flared as he tried to drink in breaths in a rapid pace. “You’re a Hellhound Prince now Tyler, my boy. When the time is right, you will know what to do.”

Tyler’s body contorted with the agony of what change was occurring in his physical being. He could hear a heartbeat once more. He could feel his blood pumping through his body. He felt actual air filling his lungs again. The darkness soon overwhelmed him removing all his field of vision.

~*~

The world began to form around him once more. The tendrils of dark magic from one of the Olympian Gods had began to dissipate. Exhaustion overcame him. The world was spinning all around him. Finally it was just too much for him. Tyler Lockwood was alive once more. He collapsed onto a field of luscious green grass. The name on the mailbox next to where he collapsed was in big bold black letters. SALVATORE
 

Tyler Lockwood/Cerberus