By the light of the moon
Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.
Chapter 7: On a night like this
Elena didn't ask a thing—there wasn't any time for it. All she knew was that one second she was secure in Damon's arms and now he held her behind him, forcing her back in an attempt to shield her from the violence that tore through the night. She strained forward, trying to gain even just an inch and see what was going on but Damon was determined to keep her out of sight for as long as he could.
But Elena saw enough. She saw the bared fangs, dripping with blood and Damon was powerless to keep her from hearing the low, menacing growls from the monsters before them. The earth trembled as shafts of light broke through the ground, power shooting up in bursts as Klaus called upon it with ancient words as Tyler could only snap his teeth in protest. Klaus eyes glowed red as the beams of light filtered through his skin and imbued him with added strength, while Tyler relied on the continuous chanting of the shaman and the witch to bring him close to barely a fighting chance. It was just like that night the king left, the night she lost everything—husband, son and hope. The night Klaus first attacked centuries ago and here they were once more.
The two creatures circled each other, orbiting the moon above them in perfect circles, holding steady as the floor beneath them shuddered right before the collision. In reality it was only a matter of seconds but Elena watched in a horrified daze the suspended animation of flesh being torn from bone, blood trickling out before gushing in torrents in the midst of anguished howls, the echo of pain carrying through every fiber of her being.
Elena buried her face in Damon's back, wishing the horror away but reality set in when she felt Damon's muscles tense as he whispered to her, "When I tell you to run, you run and you don't look back….even if you hear me call out, dying, begging and pleading, you don't turn around. Understand?"
She shook her head, protesting mutely, unable to even feel the tears that flowed down her face as Tyler slammed against a tree, whimpering as he slid down towards a frantic Caroline. Elena watched as Bonnie faltered, nose bleeding as she continued to chant, renewing Tyler's energy even as he bled profusely.
"Elena, on my count, one…" Damon said slowly pulling Elena to his right, away from Klaus, shifting so her movement would be shielded from notice, "two…"
"No, I'm not leaving, you need me," Elena said fighting him but was obviously no match for his strength.
"I know. I need you—alive. And that's exactly why you need to run," Damon hissed, deciding to turn around to face her, "We don't have time to argue about this, Elena. Just, please, ru—"
"Three." Klaus said, his arm already on Elena's neck, holding her hostage, "Save the world or save her life? What will it be, your majesty? Or will you run like the last time and leave her to die?"
"She won't die by your hands, Klaus," Katherine called out casually, leaning against a tree, watching them with a bored air, "I've always wondered why you only chased, threatened and instilled fear in me. But I was never in any danger, was I? At least not from you. Never. Not really. And I think that applies to Elena as well."
Klaus ignored her and kept his eyes on Damon, choking Elena as his grip tightened on her neck, "The parchment, give it to me."
"Don't give it, Damon," Stefan called out from behind Katherine, walking slowly towards them, the waves of power that Klaus controlled pushing him back, "Without it he can't summon the power. He can only hold on to fragments at a time…never enough and not for more than a few seconds."
"I couldn't even if I wanted to, "Damon said his jaw tight, fists clenched at his sides, "I tore it into pieces. You might as well let her go because you're not getting anything from me, Klaus. "
"Then say the words," Stefan said with urgency ignoring everyone else, "Take the power now, Damon."
"In a minute, Stefan," Damon said impatiently, "Kinda busy trying to save Elena, in case you haven't noticed."
Klaus' shock quickly turned into fury before choosing denial, "You lie." He muttered a few words and suddenly a flash of light whipped around them, blinding them as it surged up and formed a cage, keeping everyone away, "The words, Damon. Give them to me now or you're going to watch me drain every single drop of blood from her body."
"Oh, I think he's telling the truth, Klaus, "Katherine said malevolently, "Damon's not that brand of manipulative. I have no doubt that he's destroyed it beyond repair, Klaus. Annoying, isn't it?"
"Shut up, Katerina, or—" Klaus said but Katherine cut him off.
"Or what? Nothing, Klaus. You won't hurt me or Elena. You never could," Katherine said rolling her eyes as she sauntered forward, "And I finally figured out why."
Flames burst into life around her, a warning which Katherine did not heed as she plowed on with her narration. "Look up, Klaus. Look at the moon. It is quite the same like that night. Don't you remember?"
Klaus only growled louder in response, his patience wearing thin but he made no move to stop Katherine this time, "Perfect timing to stage an assault—the king had just abandoned Aztlan and the palace was yours to turn upside down in search of the words that would make you greater than any creature that ever walked this earth. Of course, the wolves tried to beat you to it and they got as far as the royal chambers before you killed the great wolf. Do you recall why you did? It wasn't for the power, I'm sure. Come on, Klaus, say it."
Klaus shook in obvious anger and opened his mouth but nothing came out. It was Elena who answered instead, "You saved me."
"Of course he did," Katherine said inching her way towards Klaus, "How can he let the one woman who ever showed him compassion and mercy to die? How can he let her be killed by his greatest enemy?"
Katherine sighed dramatically before continuing, "See the ironic thing is that you should have killed the queen, Klaus. Wasn't she the keeper of the key? The last obstacle to your neverending quest for the ultimate power? And yet you spared her and even showed remorse when you realized that you weren't able to save her unborn son?"
"Do not take a step further," Klaus said evenly, "It was a moment of weakness that will not be repeated, Katerina."
"Of course not," Katherine said mockingly, "It was a long time ago. Your feelings, surely, would have changed since then. Surely…you don't still love her?"
Katherine allowed her voice to trail off as she walked through the barrier that separated them, piercing the veil of magic as if it were nothing, "Can you still smell it? I'm sure you haven't forgotten the scent of the blood of a child who died in the womb of his mother—the blood you never wanted to spill. Do you remember the sound of her silence as she mourned the loss of her son? Oh, you wanted to save him but you only succeeded in sparing the life of the mother—the queen, the keeper of the key. You had your chance to kill the last person who stood in your way and yet you stopped to keep her from harm."
Katherine stopped squarely in front of them and took a deep breath, "You're not holding her tight enough for it to hurt, Klaus. You still love me. You still love her."
Silence fell, the magic around them stilled for just one endless second that Katherine smiled, a real and anguished emotion playing off her face as she spoke to the one she resembled, "Elena, the queen can only hold power when she is whole. It's your only hope for survival. And it's my only chance for redemption. Make it count."
With a deep breath, Katherine spoke unfamiliar words that only Elena understood, the last she would ever say, "I return unto myself, one spirit, one body…one life."
Katherine was suddenly surrounded by a halo of light, illuminating her as if from within, before she hit the ground—motionless...dead.
In the same moment, Elena fell limp in Klaus arms, shocking him that his defenses flickered in the slightest, something that didn't escape the notice of Tyler who had barely just recovered and charged straight for the vampire.
"Damon! Now!" Stefan yelled as he saw what was happening, his voice almost lost in the cacophony of sound that erupted when Klaus realized his mistake. Chanting, howling and power crackling around them with such great intensity filled their ears until it was almost unbearable.
"Trust me, brother," Stefan pleaded, "It has to be done. It's the only way to kill Klaus. Do it. Now."
Damon shook his head, his lips in a thin line as he looked on, torn between just writing it all down for the monster to doing right by the world. He watched as Klaus used one hand to block Tyler's attack while keeping Elena even closer with the other. Damon shook his head, finally making his decision, "I know. Just…just save her Stefan and leave the rest to me."
Damon opened his mouth and the ancient language poured out naturally, rolling off his tongue like the words were meant only for him to say. His voice was commanding as he continued to speak, strengthening until everything went still under his spell. Damon could feel the power rushing towards him, consuming him that he almost lost consciousness but then he felt the unexpected sensation of the flow ebbing until it stopped completely. And then he heard it—Stefan chanting along with him, one hand on his arm and the other palm extended towards the lifeless body of Katherine. Tyler howled in chorus with them like a haunting accompaniment.
"Don't do this Stefan," Damon said, momentarily surprised by the unnatural clarity of his voice, the sheer power each word carried now as the power settled in him, "Your body won't be able to handle even just a portion of the power. Stop it, Stefan. You'll die."
"But Elena won't," Stefan countered, "And that's the only thing that counts. I've got this all figured out, Damon. If I'm right then it's all going to be okay. She's going to live."
"And if you're wrong?" Damon asked pointedly, gripping his brother's arm, "We'll all be dead. Stop it, Stefan."
The younger Salvatore merely smiled and continued. When the last word left Stefan's lips, when the power of Aztlan was completely released and transferred to them, all hell broke loose.
Klaus cried out, his wrath palpable as he bared his fangs, directing his anger towards the woman in his arms. He was blinded by his anger that he could no longer distinguish love from hate, desire and rage. He only understood the bloodlust and the need to kill. His head reared back, fully intent on draining her of blood in revenge but he never even made contact. Elena's eyes flew open, bright with power, her own strength freeing her from Klaus' clutches.
The Original staggered but was still standing, facing off with the ones who now held the power of Aztlan in all its glory. "The power was never meant to be shared. You're violating the laws of nature, you will never win this way," Klaus seethed angrily, sensing the odds have turned against him, but ignoring it as he charged forward to meet them head on.
Tyler was first to attack, bounding on all fours before leaping into the air to pounce. His aim was sure and he pushed Klaus to ground, biting off a chunk of his shoulder before the vampire locked his own fangs on whatever part he could latch onto. But the power inside Tyler rebounded on Klaus, causing the vampire unimaginable pain. Klaus howled and writhed in pain, in the process somehow throwing off Tyler. Klaus stood unsteadily, his legs shaking, his chest heaving as he made a move to attack again, this time targeting the seemingly weakest of them all, the one who faltered under the weight of the power—Stefan.
But he wasn't even able to take a single step.
"Enough," Damon's voice boomed, rippling through everyone and everything with such intensity that commanded them to do as he said.
Klaus resisted but Elena held him in place, her mind powerful enough to compel him to follow with just one look. He returned the look with one of a man who was tortured by the loss of a love that was never his to begin with. With herculean effort he turned to Damon, facing the inevitable fate that awaited him at the hands of the king of Aztlan, the one who has the power to destroy the monsters that never should have been brought to life.
Damon strode to him with a single purpose—to kill. Unable to move or speak, Klaus could only watch as the king's hand burned white-hot through him, clutching his heart and pulling it out and crushing it in his grip. Barely a second later had the wolf ripped off his head as if he were merely a rag doll.
The Original ceased to exist. The First was no more.
But there was no time to celebrate. The power was slowly burning through those who carried it. Caroline ran towards Tyler, breaking free of Bonnie's hold on her, not listening to the witch's pleas to run knowing what will come next. Caroline fell on her knees unsure how to hold Tyler, who slowly and painfully transformed and reformed into a wolf, the instability of the power manifesting in his form. He screamed, cried and clutched at whatever he could but it didn't help. Nothing could.
Stefan fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain, his body disintegrating by the second, light shooting out through his skin, burning through it as the power fought to be free of its human cage. Every single thought escaped his mind as agony filled every single part of his body. But as he neared the end, he no longer had reason to resist what he knew for a while now. He found enough will to reach out to hold the hand of the woman he should have learned to love without hesitation—Katherine.
Damon held out his hand to Elena, motioning for her to come closer. "Die in my arms?" he asked with a forced smile on his face.
Elena stepped into his waiting arms, trying to quell the overwhelming surge of power through her veins, an agonizing reminder that it wasn't over just yet. "Just in case we don't have tomorrow…I thought you should know that I love you."
"Is that why you kept trying to save me all this time? I never would have imagined you falling for the psychopathic vampire," Damon said trying to keep the mood light as he held her close, his eyes sealed shut as he tried to block out the burning sensation that wanted to claim every part of him. He fought to keep talking, "Don't tell anyone but I love you too. Take the secret to the grave?"
"I promise." Elena whispered, her voice faltering with the effort of blocking out the imminent explosion within her. Damon smiled, lifted her chin with his finger and kissed her softly as tears fell unwillingly from his eyes before he gave in to the emptiness.
And then there was only silence.
A/N: Just one chapter to go :) Hope you enjoyed this updated and that you'll read on to the end . Thanks for reading!