The Trial Of Penance

After it is eventually decided to revive Ramona, purified, the crew brings it up to death. Death mulls it over for awhile before deciding that there is a possibility that it could happen but it is dependent on Ramona, not him. Death retrieves the piece of her soul that Ramona left in Derrick and rejoins it with the rest of her soul that had been wandering the white void of purgatory. Freed of the Demon's influence and her vampire instincts, although debatably her madness, Ramona screams in horror as her soul comes back together and she relives all of the horrible things she did throughout the centuries. Death allows her to get it all out before speaking to Ramona.



In summary, Death tells Ramona that it was voted by the Coven to give her another chance at life, but Death is not so easy. If she wishes to rejoin the world of the living, she will have to pay a price. Ramona initially doesn't think she deserves to come back and she should probably just go to Hell for what she did. However, there is some grey area due to the centuries of demonic influence in her head. Death tells her that, if she is truly repentant, then there is a way for her to receive it and earn her life again.

Ramona asks Death to show her and Death takes her on a tour through Hell until it finally leads her to a cave leading to a twisted tower seemingly infinite in height. The Cavern Of Contrition to the Tower Of Mortification. A private Hell infinite in scope that can welcome and hold any number of sinners hoping to atone for their sins and find penance and forgiveness. You cannot die within it, the tower will not allow that, but you cannot leave either unless you are truly willing to atone for your sins you have committed in life. Death warns Ramona that every step she takes forward from here will be frought with agony while the darkness of Hell whispers and tempts her at every turn. But if she is truly repentant and willing to atone for her sins and accept penance, then the exit will reveal itself to her.

Ramona takes a few steps forward but once she steps onto the cave grounds, the instant she does so, she is struck with the agony of every life she has taken in her years as a vampire and she falls on her knees which only makes things worse as a disembodied voice whispers to her, trying to convince her that they all deserved to die anyway, etc.

Death watches silently as she slowly rises to her feet again and stays standing in place gasping in pain. The first steps and she's already in agony but she stands again. Ramona advances into the cave to being her trials, the pain increasing with every step.

Death returns to Carmella and Derrick and informs them that Ramona is undergoing penance and whether or not she ever returns to the mortal world is up to her.


Inspired by both Blasphemous and Spike's quest for his soul from Buffy, this is the Trial Of Penance.



If done, this story would be one of the darkest arcs, with Ramona going through absolute Hell every step of the way, being confronted by her inner demons and twisted representations of her former atrocities and sins, being tempted at every step to just give up already and give up on her quest, to take the easy way out, to embrace what she is, etc.

But she still soldiered on regardless. While within that tower, she undergoes this trial for centuries for every year of evil as a vampire, before she finally reaches the equivalent of the top and confronts herself as a monstrous abomination, the physical embodiment of her inner darkness and battles against it. Ramona eventually defeats it after a grueling battle but instead of destroying it, she accepts that it would always be a part of her, equally good and evil, and willingly takes it back in to never forget what she was and who she was. She locks it away and ascends the stairway that reveals itself.

From there, Ramona is confronted with an empty vacant world and by a spirit that she sees when closing her eyes. As the final step of her path, she is taken apart.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAVTmIyA2L4

After showing that she is willing to embrace the cessation of existence despite everything she's fought for, Ramona fades away....

She awakens later whole once more and she is greeted by Death who quizzes her on what she's learned.

Ultimately, she has learned her lessons and Death deems her fit to return to the mortal world and be reborn. Not necessarily as a Vampire however. That chapter of her story has ended. Death taps her head and she vanishes in a flash of light.

Back in the mortal world, only 3 years have passed since her death (Gives us Plenty of time to give the cast their own adventures in the intervening time! )

Carmella is having a day out when she senses a presence down on a beach and she rushes over to check it out. She arrives at the beach to find Ramona in the flesh once more, naked and reborn and looking out at the sea with a sense of complete calmness. When she notices Carmella she turns to face her with a serene smile on her face. She approaches her as clothes form on her body and then she bows to her Princess once more as white bat wings unfold from her back.

No long a Vampire. Not a human either. Something else entirely.



And that's the best I've got!

Bottom line? She's not necessarily a Malcolm Merlyn or a Vegeta. She knowingly and willingly puts herself through absolute HELL to EARN her ticket back to the world of the living and comes out changed from it in many many ways.