It's been so long that I can't remember the last time I updated. I apologize if it seems if I have been neglecting these stories, and truth be told, I haven't been able to find time to write these last few weeks. I graduated high school last Sunday with a 4.0 my senior year :) When I went to write my bitch of a school decided to bombard me with homework. Lame. Thank the angel I am done, and soon, off to college! I promise to still write then.
This story is originally named "Little Blue Eyes" but changed to "Until Death Do Us Part" for obvious reasons listed later on. An important note to all my reader.
This chapter was by far the hardest to write, and I have put it off as long as I can. I questioned breaking this into two parts, but it only seemed to fit into one long chapter. My historic accuracy may be off, and if that is so, I apologize. Certain changes were made from the Original's past, and this was planned. This chapter was a real bitch to write, and I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Very important to the plot, and this will allow the story to move on from their simple times. Time jump to the 1300s!
Reviews are always loved!
Disclaim: L.J. Smith, and Julie, producer of Vampire Diaries, owns all characters.
~Witch
Chapter Four: For My Family
The cobwebbed stone was layered with a fine layer of blood as Elijah rapidly shut and locked the door. He glances at the sealed windows and lets out a held sigh before turning to the fire holder, and starting a fire. He hopes that the soft coating of evergreen smoke will fade away the smell of decay and death.
"How tragic was it out in the town, Elijah?" Esther questions walking out in her night wear, and cupping her son's cheek in the palm of her hand.
Elijah stares at the fire in a trance as he finds his will to speak. He could barely make out what he had heard let alone even see. "It was like the rumors say, Mother. The Black Death has come to Venice."
"What did it look like, Elijah?" Esther says with more tone than she previously used to get what she wants.
"It looked as if someone had come and murdered all of Venice. The smoke from recent building and remodeling has worsened. We thought that breathing before was hard because of the smoke, but this, you can hardly breath without the stench of decomposed bodies and rats burning your throat and nose. The smoke, so thick, I could hardly see in front of me, and I had to walk into the woods not to catch the deadly disease. The horses that once allowed for families to travel all over the plains now only come to collect the deceased. I watched a young girl cry over her fallen brother because he had tied a rope around his neck so he would not get the disease. I had to step over rotting babies, wrapped in their nursery blankets from their mother's blossom, which were left on the corner of Agna. I thought of Rebekah and Henrik, and I could not stop myself from-"
Elijah breaks down and lets the tears, that have been fighting to be let out, free and wipes his eyes.
"It's alright, Elijah. You had to do what you had to do. Continue on." Esther pushes as she takes a seat next to the fire, and crosses her legs.
Elijah takes a calming breath, and closes his eyes. "The rats that are still living were swarming the empty streets. I could hear them eating on the dead bodies that were left in the corners of the alleys. They could even be heard in the abandoned houses, their paws scrapping on the floors, and they have even come out of bodies. Remember that sweet, old man that enjoyed telling dear Rebekah of the world, and how it came to be? He was cutting off the heads of the rats that were alive, and he looked as if he was on a murderous rampage. "
"What about other villagers? What of Ayana?" Esther questions, taking a sip of a small bowl of water that was next to her feet when she had come out of her room.
"There were no other villagers that I saw, Mother. They have either left our beloved town, joined the deceased, or are hiding very well."
"What of Ayana, Elijah?" Esther says with a snap to her voice. She has gotten a real temper and a dire need to raise her hand to anyone who would not answer her question.
"She is still alive that I know of. I had watched out for her special signs like you told me too." He finishes and rubs his hand against his chin. The long day has worn Elijah out to where he is ready to let sleep take him away from this nightmare.
"You have done well my son. Go and rest." Esther orders, while Elijah just nods and heads off to his room.
Elijah loosens the shirt around his neck and rubs his neck. He glances over at Kol who was busy at work trying to recreate the stake Niklaus had made earlier in the days. His muscles twitch at the sound of Finn's crackled and groggy coughs.
"You should use your morals to make him shut his loud mouth." Kol says lifting up the piece of wood, and examining it carefully.
"You would be wise to shut your mouth Kol before you injure yet another dear sibling of mine." Niklaus comments walking into the room, and going into his chamber to get his outerwear since his bath had left him shirtless.
"Still going to hang that over my head eh, Niklaus?" Kol says putting his feet on the stone desk that kept their hunting tools.
Niklaus doesn't waste a second before putting Kol off the stone he was sitting on, and hold him by the collar, and pins him to the wall.
"I will hold it over your head until the day you die. I will make your life a living hell if you do not treat this family with the respect it deserves." Niklaus threatens darkly at the thought of someone splitting up his family because of selfish reasons.
"We will see about that brother." Kol says pushing Niklaus back, and landing lightly on his feet. He gives him one last look down before leaving the room, and disappearing down the hall.
Minutes pass before the two brothers hear soft footsteps. Rebekah and Finn come into view, and Elijah wraps his baby sister in a tight hug. "Kol left in rage again. What was this cause?" Rebekah asks placing her hands on Elijah's arms, and leaning back into the hug. She loves being able to bring out her brothers' soft sides.
"Your dear brother did that, Rebekah." Elijah says with a laugh as Rebekah rolls her eyes.
"Nik, can you not terrorize our family for one night?" Rebekah says taking a seat where Kol previously was, and pulls her legs to her chest.
"Now where would the fun be in that? Not giving our family a little spice? You know me well enough baby sister." Niklaus says grinning and flips Kol's piece of wood in the air.
"I do wish by the angel I did not know all of your tricks and plots." She replies with a small smile of her own.
The four siblings share a laugh before a knock interrupts them. Kol walks in giving his sister a wink before lying next to Niklaus. "Don't stop on my account."
"I do believe it is getting late, and we should all turn in. Mother says that our bodies need to be prepared for any catastrophe that comes in our way." Elijah concludes standing up, but Rebekah pulls his down. Elijah wonders how she got so strong, but does not ask.
"Let's all stay in together like we used to when we were smaller." Rebekah speaks up clapping her hands once.
No one will object to Rebekah and they all gather the animal skinned covers and huddle together. Niklaus closes his eyes with a smile at the thought of his siblings finally becoming one as a family. Esther watches all her children breathe in near perfect sync racy before walking away. The dawn rises on another blackened day, and a scream awakens any living neighbors. Esther has just swept Rebekah to the other room, she was clear of the disease spreading Europe, and shakes lightly at Elijah's skin. Under his armpit is a swelling about the size of an egg.
"Niklaus, go get your father." Esther rushes before going into her room, and coming out with a bunch of unknown items.
"Mother, what is that?"
"Niklaus do what I say at once! Get your father now!" Esther screams shaking the other siblings into fear. Their mother has never raised her voice to any one of the like that before.
Niklaus wastes no more time with ineffective and futile questions, and runs out the door. Holding his breath, he makes his way to the new wood shop where his father is employed even though he is a wealthy landowner. He explains what has happened to his brother, and Mikael sprints off to their home. Days pass and Elijah does not improve. Black and purple spots have appeared on his arms, and his breathing becomes weaker and weaker. His mother has tried everything in her room to heal her son, but even her powers are failing to the disease known as the Black Death. Niklaus and Rebekah are devastated. Niklaus holds his sister every night as she cries for her brother.
"He will live, sweetheart. You must trust me." Niklaus whispers as he strokes her hair as they lay beside each other on the bed.
"How do you know, Nik?" Rebekah asks looking up to him. Her blue eyes filled with hope, anticipation, and worry.
Niklaus tightens his grip and takes a deep breath. He is unsure if Elijah will live, but he will fight to the end of the world to make sure his brother lives. "I will make sure he lives." Niklaus says in a grave voice.
Esther is furious at the lack of improvement in her son's health. She was so sure she could protect her family from anything, but Elijah's nightly walk served him to the disease like a wooden plate to a ravenous bear. Pouring herself a small drink of crushed berries, she lets the calming feeling wash over her body. She weighs the options in her head about going to the area that caused her son's sickness, but a mother has no choice when it comes to family. She grabs her fur coat that Mikael had gotten her for her yearly kill, and walks into the frigid night. Elijah was not fibbing when the smell of death loomed in the cold, windy night, and the nightly watchmen search for any living bodies. She quickens her pace, and creeps closer to the forest so she is not seen. She walks around the pit that holds the deceased before they are burned. Peeking down, Esther sees that some of the bodies are still burning, and flames lick the sides of the pit. Soft moans are heard and Esther shakes her head. These townsmen are lacking in the mind where they need to be. If they are going to burn a person, they should be fully alive or fully dead. It did not matter in the eyes of a witch. A rat crawls over the top of her show, and she kicks it into a wall feeling satisfied when she sees the life fading away from the sickening creature.
Her journey continues into a swampy lake filled with small sounds of the night creatures. Esther sighs in relief and hugs the cloaked figure.
"Ayana, I'm pleased you have been safe in the dark times." Esther says releasing the older woman.
"As am I: Esther Mikaelson. I did not think I would see you after you left being my apprentice." Ayana whispers, pulling out bones from her small basket, and her Grimware.
"My family is in danger, and I alone cannot cure the death that is threatening the life on my son." Esther says watching her mentor light white sticks of wood, and creates the magic needed for life in spells.
"I know of the stakes that hang in your children's' lives. The question is, are you prepared to risk everything to save them?" Ayana questions while raising her perfect eyebrow.
"I will do anything." Esther says firmly before placing her hand in the center of the circle.
"You must call upon the brightest part of Heaven, and the darkest part of hell. The two must meet when the sun and moon are in perfect alignment. They must drink the blood of a special human, and die within the night. From then, they are in the part of transition, and must complete it. They must feed on another breathing life force that is human to fully become immune to any illness that may strike. This must happen two days from this evening, and your children will not be what they once were." Ayana explains throwing ingredients into a small wooden bowl.
"What will they become?" Esther says unsure of the possibility and credibility of this answer.
"Children of the night, Night walkers, the Moons Shadows, but many people know them as vampires." Ayana replies back slicing her hand, and letting the blood drop into the bowl.
Esther nearly laughs at this answer. She believes in the supernatural, but vampires she could not see happening. Rumors has surfaced that werewolves were apart of the supernatural world, but Esther has not seen the two species at all.
"Like us, they hide themselves among the mundanes." Ayana utters with a smirk and laugh to her voice. Esther has always been jealous that she could always know what is going on in her mind, but Esther was always wrong when it came to Ayana.
"My children will be safe from this death that surrounds us?" Esther inquires leaning back on a tree.
"Yes, child your children will be safe. Although they will have urges that you must know of. They will feed off blood, and crave them at any time. They must never expose themselves or we all know what will happen. Are you certain you want them to go down this road?" Ayana asks one last time dusting off her hands once she has finished the spell.
"I will do whatever it takes to save my family." Esther declares before waving her mentor goodbye, and heads into the safety of her home.
Esther does not have to do much persuading to get Mikael onboard with the plan. They both give each other a passionate kiss before retreating to their chambers for the rest of the night. Two days pass and Niklaus is ready to tear the walls down. He has not left the house unless it was to take out the trash each week, and to hunt only when necessary. He rubs his backside once more when standing to his feet and swears under his breath. His father gave him quite the punishment when he found him trying to go off with Rebekah into the woods late at night. From then on, Rebekah tries to distract him by playing small games again, and allowing them to pull pranks normally she would never go for it in fear for getting striked. Mikael has never laid a hand on Rebekah though while he was present. Mikael enjoys picking fights with his sons, but Esther will not allow him to beat their youngest daughter. Women are such fragile and dense creatures he always says. It still is not enough to keep Niklaus's mind off the possibility of starting fights and death. Regret courses through his veins as he watches his brother breath and turn his head slowly to Niklaus. He watches with hate as his father goes into Rebekah's room for talk, and loves to put the blame their sorrow on him. He should be a excellent father, and worry more of his family, and not the money he consumes.
"I am not dead yet, brother, you can come in. This strange thing in me does not bite" Elijah whispers, and Niklaus looks down the house to see if anyone was watching.
When no one was looking, he rushes into where Elijah is staying and holds his hand. "I'm so sorry brother. If I had known-"
"You would not have been such a horrid back talker to everyone?" Elijah says with as much of a laugh as he can gather.
The biggest smile appears on Niklaus's face at the slight of his brother talking and laughing again. "Yes, yes I do believe that is my weakness. Elijah, you will always be my brother right?" Niklaus asks with a vulnerable voice that he can not stand, but he needs to know.
Elijah struggles to sit up, but Niklaus goes to his older brother, and Elijah wraps his arms around Niklaus. "You will always be my stubborn, loveable brother." Elijah promises and the two continue talking until Esther smiles and give them both a tea that puts them to sleep in a short time.
Mikael places Rebekah across from Niklaus and Elijah in the shape of the Wiccan Pentagram, and snaps the young girl's neck that was at his feet. He pours the last bit of the young girl into small wooden cups. "Take care of the body, Esther." Mikael states with no room for argument, and awakens the children in front of him.
One by one they awake rubbing their faces, and yawning with the drugged sleep still in their systems. Finn is the first one to try and move, but when he can not, he looks to his other siblings to see if they can move their joints and bones.
"Father what is going on?" Rebekah asks and her eyes glow at seeing Elijah. She can only give a small smile, forcing her muscles to do what she wants, and he smiles meekly at her.
"Hello to you as well, dear sister." Elijah smiles at her, moving his eyes from his beloved sister to his brothers.
"Let's get on with this." Esther says coming into the room, and kissing each of her children's foreheads, and sprinkles a white crystallized salt into their hair.
"On with what, Mother?" Finn asks.
"We celebrate our family with a drink." Mikael says before giving everyone a glass.
"In a star made of some strange substance?" Kol challenges and Niklaus actually is thankful his brother had come up with that saying to antagonism their parents.
"Hush now, Kol. Everything will soon be better, and we will be a family once more." Esther says grabbing a cup of her own.
"We are not a family now?" Rebekah mutters quietly with words of betrayal tied in them.
"We will be a better family." Esther reassures her and Mikael pretend to slip, and throw the cups away quickly so they do not see the wine.
Mikael and Esther go around and force the drinks down each children's throats, and smirk when it's done. Once they are finished, Mikael grabs the sword, and stabs Elijah through the heart, and the rest of them scream. Niklaus, seeing his darling brother bleeding, shuts off his mind, and allows only hate and rage. He is stronger than Esther he realizes, and pushes his muscles to escape the trap. He spots Esther, and runs to her, but he is down on the ground before he has time to blink. Is his mother possessed by some wicked being? He doesn't take the time to ask her, and bites down hard on her ankle under her dress. Her screams pierce the night, and whatever spell his brothers and sister were on disappears. They all waste no time, and run as Niklaus rips Rebekah off the earth, and runs into their room. Mikael is pissed. How could Niklaus break the Fes Matos Sal Vis Nas Ex Malon spell Esther has used to trap her children? He curses at Esther for being weak, and grabs the sword from Elijah's chest. Finn was easy to grab, and fight because Finn did not fight along with his brothers. After breaking his son's arm, Mikael wastes no time in stabbing him and watching him fall. He walks from their room, and into the main house where Niklaus and Rebekah are sure to hide in. He finds them trying to crawl through a hole in Rebekah's room, and he throws Niklaus onto the floor. He ignores Rebekah's pleas to stop, and easily throws her off of him when she tries to rescue her brother. Niklaus would have been in much shape, but his mind is off from breaking the spell, and he still feels groggy. Niklaus gains the upper hand when he hits Mikael in the groin area, and puts Mikael on his back.
"This is for my family and my family only." Niklaus says punching his father over and over until his face is red with blood.
He wrestles Niklaus even with blood and his eyes, and hits his neck. Niklaus cannot move after he hits a pressure point, and stabs him through the heart watching the light fade from his eyes.
"We will be the family I want us to be." He moves to his youngest and only daughter who cries at the loss of her family. He tells her it's okay, that he loves her and finally stabs her through the heart.
Rebekah can't feel anything but is in the state of a blackened prison. She is numb, and sick with worry. She tries to reach out to Niklaus, Elijah, or Finn and Kol, but she can't feel anything. Days seem to pass by in a deaden state until she opens her eyes to the bright light of the world, and feels a warm material pressed against her mouth. Liquid is poured into her mouth, over her skin and dress, she tries to fight, but pressure is pushed on her head causing her mouth to open. The essence finally reaches into her throat and body.
"That's a good girl, Rebekah. Keep it up, and join your brothers in your new life." She hears and gasps for breath when the thing is pulled away from her mouth, but can no longer hear her pulse.
"What talk of new life?" She questions, and frowns at the sound of her voice. She should be dead. All of them murdered by their father, and yet, here they are, all awake.
"Your immortal life." Esther says coming into the house after cleaning her wound, and goes over to Mikael and hold his hand. She is pleased at the sight of her work.
Rebekah's eyes lock onto her siblings, and they huddle together in the same, but strange world.
The Black Death, The Bubonic Plague, was around the European countries in the 1300s. Caused my small rodents and flees that killed a person in about four days. I used facts from different sites to learn about the epidemic, and the rest is my imagination on what the world faced. The Original siblings never experienced the plague because Esther and Mikael took the to the New World when their child died in the plague. (Thank you for the Vampire Diaries Wiki to allow be to brush on their history in the old times). I, of course, changed their history to allow some family love to be shown when one faces the possibility of death. How will our favorite siblings survive their new lives as vampires? We shall see. :)
Enjoy your morning and summer readers!
~Witch