Klaroline AU Week Day 6. Myths/Legend Day.

Direction comes in a small package…with wings.

Setting: After Klaus has broken his curse. Caroline is NOT a part of the Mystic Falls gang. Caroline is a…well you'll see ;)

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Klaus tilted his head to the side, his grayish-blue tinted eyes surveying the landscape around him with a critical eye before turning back to his portable table to pick up the tub of burnt sienna finding his original attempt to match the colors of the leaves a touch too light. Adding the color to his palette he used his painting knife to carefully smooth and blend the colors together. Turning back to the easel he had placed in the center of a small glade deep with the forest of the Andes Mountains and not too far away from the small secluded log cabin he had built here years ago he went back to making his smooth strokes with his brush as he let his mind drift.

Klaus had hoped that by coming out here, alone in the middle of the vast mountain rage, he would be able to find a sense of direction once more.

Mikael was dead. His curse was broken. He and his family were finally free to live their lives without fear. He held at the ready an army of hybrids to protect them and do his bidding. He was the most power creature on the planet and yet he felt…Klaus frowned deep in thought as his brush continued swiping methodically over the canvas.

For the first time in a thousand years he felt lost.

He had no plots. No deranged Father chasing after him. He had his hybrids, though he found they were not as fulfilling as he had once thought and hoped them to be. His family, now un-daggered, were off gallivanting across the globe. Anywhere that was away from him. Klaus thought with a grim frown. His siblings had all spoke of their want and need to live their own lives for the first time in a thousand years. Then the entire thankless lot of them agreed that he should go out and find a life of his own as well.

Klaus snarled as he pressed the brush a little too harshly against the canvas.

He had stormed out of their home in Mystic Falls yelling back at them that they could all burn in Hell for all he cared and not to come crawling back to him when things went inevitably wrong.

What was there left for him to find now that the war was over? Now that he has gained the few things he has wanted for so long; Mikael dead, his curse broken, his family safe and hybrids by his side? What was he to do now when there is nothing new left in this retched world? He had traveled the world a hundred times over, he had seen it change and grow. For the first time in forever he can finally relax and do something for himself. As his sister had said, "Find yourself a life outside of all the running, the doppelgangers, and the power plays just to stay two steps ahead of everyone else."

His hand was poised inches away from the nearly finished landscape; hesitation filled him as thoughts ran rampant through his mind.

Klaus let his arm fall to his side with a low sigh that sounded borderline depressed even to his own ears.

He wanted something new, something he had never done before. He wanted that spark back, that indescribable yearning for the unknown that he had not felt in so long.

Klaus could vividly recall every time he had come across something new, whether it was man made or formed by the laws of nature its self. He had felt a sudden zest for life, a thrill unlike any other. He remembered the exhilaration that he felt rush over him upon every new discovery.

He wanted to feel like that again.

But how or where he would find it he had no idea. So that's what led him here. The one place in the entire world where he could allow his guard to fall, to drop the ever tiring façade of the Original Hybrid and search down deep into the soul of the man he was in hopes to find what he was looking for and where to go next.

Klaus began packing up his art supplies, a heavy melancholy hung around him nearly suffocating his very breath. Tears welled in his eyes, emotions clogging his throat as he could taste on his tongue just how much he wanted these things in his life again. He slammed the lid of his case closed after placing the last brush in its velvet home with a scathing scoff as he mentally named himself a fool for his fanciful thoughts.

He paused for a moment after packing everything up besides the still wet painting, stopping to take in the view hoping to gather his thoughts and find his center once more.

His eyes calmly traced around the small glade. He had chosen this particular area for his cabin not only for the seclusion and privacy it offered but because this was the where of one of those life-affirming thrilling moments had occurred. In the very spot he now stood, many years ago he had encountered a hummingbird. It had fluttered straight up to his face, he had assumed it would see him as the predator he was and quickly fly away.

Only it didn't.

It stayed, turning its long beak to the side and hovered there staring at him and rendering him speechless. Having listened to its tiny heart pattering away like a machine gun Klaus remembered thinking in awe at the time, of how hard this little creature worked every day just to survive, and how satisfying everyday must be.

It was a profound moment for him and Klaus hoped that maybe this glade, with its spectacular view of the other side of the mountain range off in the distance, would offer him yet another moment of the same. That is why he came here, why he built his cabin here, this place held a sort of mystery to it that he had found nowhere else in the world.

Klaus leaned his body back against a tree, folding his arms across his chest taking in the surroundings while holding onto a small sliver of hope that something would guide him. After a few minutes had passed Klaus huffed at his actions, running a hand over his tired face mocking himself for his whimsical thoughts, as if some spark was just going to magically flutter up to him and give him a new direction.

A sudden soft tinkling sound of high pitched bells came out of nowhere.

Klaus dropped his hand from his face looking around in puzzlement when he could find nothing in the area that would make such a sound and heard no other heartbeats other than the tiny fast paces of the smaller animals. A flashing simmer of golden light buzzed around the area followed along quickly by a simmering green light. Furrowing his forehead Klaus tracked their movements; finding two separate balls of light looking to be caught in a game of chase flying around so fast that if it wasn't for his enhanced senses he wouldn't have even noticed them.

The just bigger than a fist sized golden light ducked behind a tree and seemed to be peeking out from around the truck as the green light stopped and floated in the air with a twisting motion as if it was searching for the other.

Klaus began to wonder if it were possible for a creature such as himself to lose his mind.

Everything that happened next did so so quickly that it took him, even with his superior senses, a few moments for his mind to catch up with the fast moving events that transpired right before his eyes.

The golden light soared out from behind the tree tackling the green one in midair, their lights glowing brighter and brighter, nearly blinding him for the split second it occurred, before in a sudden burst both lights were thrown back from each other a few feet before crashing to the ground.

Klaus darted his eyes back and forth between the two fading lights. His curiosity raging he flashed over to see what had become of, whatever they were. It happened in the quickness it took him to flash the length of the glade, the green light continued fading before it disappeared completely leaving behind no trace that it was ever there.

Klaus squinted his eyes as he bent down shuffling the leaves and dirt around but finding nothing. He turned his head towards the spot he had saw the golden light crash to the ground expecting to find similar results but was shocked when that was not the case.

Kneel down to the ground slowly; Klaus studied the slowly fading golden light only to reel back in shock at what he found beneath it.

His heart pounded in his chest as he regained his bearings and shuffled closer squatting down over the tiny little creature.

His eyes widened in awe as the golden light turned into a sparkling dust over the nearly translucent skin of a tiny winged woman. A very beautiful tiny winged woman. She had long locks of sun kissed golden hair; shimmering pearlescent wings grew out of her back, her tiny heart pattering away as she lay unconscious on her side.

Gently Klaus lowered his hands and carefully cradled her in his palms, her delicate head rested in the nook his thumb provided, her long legs stretching across his palms with her dainty feet hanging over his other thumb.

Her head lulled to the side as she expelled a ragged sigh. Her tiny heart began to slow; the golden dust covering her body began fading to a dull shimmer with her skin growing so translucent that he could see her blue veins begin to show beneath it.

Klaus tilted his head to the side, musing that it was much like when a vampire began to desiccate, but in place of the graying skin hers was slowly fading away.

Here he was, searching for the thrill, that zest for life and mocking himself over fanciful thoughts of a spark just magically appearing before his eyes.

The irony was not lost on him.

He made a choice within an instant.

Cradling the small wing woman, a bloody fairy his mind yelled, close to his chest he flashed towards his cabin leaving his art supplies behind forgotten.

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Caroline woke slowly with a groan, lifting her hand to her head hoping to rub the ache away that still buzzed inside her skull as she tried to remember what had happened and where she was.

It all came rushing back in an instant. She sat up quickly, frantically searching for the Guard that had been right on her tail only to have her forehead drop to a furrow in confusion.

Where the hell was she?

She looked down as her felt her fingers sink into the softest thing she had ever touched finding a giant blue pillow underneath her, bigger than even her bed back home in the…

What was she covered with?

Her blue eyes rounded as her shaking hand ran across the soft fluffy white cloth draped over her body. She picked up the end pulling it closer to her face as she studied it; this had to have been made from the softest silk and fur ever known in any of the lands, she thought in awe as she rubbed the piece in her hand over her cheek.

It wasn't lost on her that someone had found her and helped her, just as it wasn't lost on her the sheer size of everything in the warm room that was surprisingly cozy in its simplistic décor.

She had heard tales in her lifetime of wayward Fairies being discovered by small human children. While most were told only to scare the younger Fairies into steering clear of human all together; Caroline still awoke from night terrors of sticky pudgy hands ripping her wings off, some she heard were not as terrifying at all. She had met a few Fairies, who called themselves Outlanders, which her parents would have locked her in her room for even thinking if talking to them. The Outlanders had told her tales of adventure and of the many amazing things humans had come up with. She even heard stories of other supposed mythical creatures such as herself, creatures that humans sometimes called supernatural while others called them demons or monsters.

While she had come across a few humans here and there, not too close though, she had yet to see any existence of these supernatural creatures at all.

Regardless of anything, no matter what or who had saved her, she needed to get out of here.

Caroline glanced around the large open room cataloguing everything around her. She was happy that she was able to read the entire book one of the Outlander's had gave her before her Mother found it and destroyed it. It was a virtual catalog of every human made item he had come across and that knowledge had come in handy a time or two during her journey.

A large lamp was lit behind her, casting her in a warm false light. The fire glowing brightly in the fireplace casts dancing shadows over the walls of the large open room, lighting up some areas while plunging others into pure darkness.

Caroline didn't notice anyone around so she hoped that meant whoever had helped her was asleep.

She carefully crawled to the edge of the plush velvety blue pillow and hopped down to the tall desktop it rested on. She fluttered her wings, happy to find that they weren't damaged from the hard fall. Stretching her arms over her head; sighing as her back cracked and released the pressure that was building there she glanced over her body in relief finding her knapsack still hung from its straps that wound around her waist and over her shoulder.

Looking at her outfit Caroline frowned when she noticed the small tear in her knee length tan leggings right at the side of her thigh and the dirt smudges on her form fitting cerulean dress. She only had one other outfit and if she could get her hands around that Guard's neck for costing her this one, well needless to say it wouldn't be pretty. She brushed as much of the dirt off her dress and skin as she could before giving up and continued her inspection of the room. Looking for a way out, her eyes landed on a bowl sitting out on the countertop across the room.

Her stomach rumbled as she saw the fruit sitting in the bowl, licking her lips she tested her wings one last time before flying across the space and landing on the bowls edge.

Caroline sat down and unsnapped the latch on her knapsack quickly pulling out her knife before settling in as she cut pieces off a juicy looking golden apple.

Glancing around the room as she ate she spied an easel with a large painting resting on its ledge. Taking one more slice out of the apple, figuring it wouldn't hurt to sneak a quick peek, she slid her knife back in its sheath before flying over to take a look.

It was beautiful; she thought with her head tilted slightly to the side as she stared in awe fluttering a little ways away from the painting. The colors of the paints made the painting come to life. It looked as though she could continue flying straight into the glade that was painted there with such skilled hands.

Pulling herself out of her admiring musings, reality set in as she remembered that human hands created this work of art and as warm and cozy as this place was, she needed to leave before that human woke.

Turning around in circles where she hovered a few feet from the ground Caroline grinned widely as she found the moonlight filter in through an open window.

Flying her way to it she landed on the windowsill and ducked under the opening only to find it blocked by…well what it was she didn't know but even her knife wouldn't cut through the strong metal grating. Huffing and stomping her foot she flew back out from under the window hoping to find another way out. Her eyes lit up as she found a much larger window type door.

She could feel the gentle night breeze that meant her freedom blowing through it as she soared closer. Caroline smiled widely as she flew through the doorway before her body crashed into yet another barrier just like at the window.

She angled and spun her body before she hit the ground swooping back up to glared at the offending material with her arms across over her chest, "Stupid humans with their stupid uncut-able junk!"

A husky male's laughter coming from behind her made her gasp and spin around with her arms falling to her side.

"It's called a screen, Love. Reinforced screen to be precise," His nose crinkled as he added cheekily, "keeps the critters from clawing their way in in the middle of the night."

Caroline scoffed, "Well I don't give a flying rat's ass what it's called! It's blocking my way out!"

Klaus grinned broadly, his dimples on full display as he leaned against the counter by the fruit bowl, his legs casually crossed and stretched out in front of him, "Such a temper you have on you, Love." He kept grinning as he cocked he head to the side, "Is that any way to thank your rescuer?"

Caroline flew quickly up to his face, pointing at him with one hand as she gestured wildly with the other, "Listen here buddy…"

"Klaus."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "I don't care what your name is! I want out…of here." Her blue eyes widened as she gasped in shock. "You can understand me?"

Klaus scoffed feeling slightly offended, "I do have ears Sweetheart and I am quite capable of using my intelligence to comprehend words."

Caroline began shaking her head, "No, no, no! That's not what I mean. Humans can't hear Fairies. All you should hear is tinkling little bells."

"Now that I heard when you were beginning chased," He nodded before adding with a hit of smugness, "but to be fair Love, I'm not a human."

Her eyebrows furrowed adorably, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Klaus smirked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "Well I could tell you but I feel we should be properly introduced before we start sharing our secrets Love."

"Ugh! Fine! Anything to stop you and all your stupid pet names." She drifted closer to him, her back straight and tall as she announced primly with an air of sophistication, "My name is Caroline."

Klaus bent at the hip giving her a small courtly bow, "Niklaus, but you may call me Klaus."

Caroline cross an arm over her middle, resting the elbow of her other on her open palm as she waved her hand, "Okay we're introduced, now explain what you meant by you are not human."

That mischievous smirk grew over his face again and Caroline had a feeling that he held that expression a lot, "It would be simpler just to show you."

She pursed her lips unamused with his antics before her mouth fell open in shock as dark veins grew underneath his eyes, eyes that turned a golden shade of yellow as fangs dropped inside his mouth.

"Vampire." She breathed. So they were real! She thought in excitement before frowning, "Wait! That doesn't explain why you can hear me. A vampire is just like a human only, well undead. They still can't hear Fairies talk."

"I'm no ordinary vampire Love, I happen to be the Original Hybrid." Klaus's proud voice carried a slight hiss as he spoke through his fangs.

"What's an Original Hybrid? I've never heard of those."

Klaus let his veins recede as he pulled his fangs back into his gums, "It is not a what but a who. Me. I was born a werewolf but turned by my Mother, along with my siblings, turning us into the first vampires that the world ever had."

Caroline smiled brightly snapping her tiny fingers, "So that explains it! It's your wolf that can hear me!"

Klaus looked at her, fascinated by her charms and the wealth of knowledge she held in that tiny little package that he longed to understand, "Just how does my being part wolf explain my understanding you?"

"Because I'm part…I mean, because animals can understand certain fairies."

Klaus narrowed his eyes fractionally; he heard the hesitation in her voice. There was a story there and judging by her quickly closed over demeanor it wasn't a happy story to tell.

"Well let's be thankful for small favors, or well in your case huge favors." Caroline's attempt to joke fell flat as he tried to figure her out, "So, since you can understand me, could you please open this, this thing blocking the door and let me be on my way?"

Klaus felt a strange panic rush through his body, something deep inside him was pleading with him not to let her go. He felt that spark he had longer for, never imagining he would find it in a tiny shimmering, and beautiful, package. He had to find a way to make her want to stay, the idea struck him like lightening, "What's your rush Sweetheart? Surely after what I witnessed earlier today, you should be in no hurry to go back out there and face more of those who are after you." He tilted his head, interjecting just the right amount of sympathy into his voice, realizing as he did that it wasn't exactly an act as he had originally planned. He truly felt the emotion coursing through him at the thought of her being out there, alone, with other's chasing after her.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me Love."

Her foot stomped down as she fluttered in the air making Klaus smirk at this tiny little creature's fire. "I told you my name is Caroline. But if this is what it will take to appease your curiosity and let me leave then fine!" She huffed, "Not that it's any of your business but I stole something of his and he was only trying to steal it back."

The nonchalant way she spoke gave her lie away. She had no idea how many years he had roamed this Earth and all the tells he had picked up along the way, "Hmm, no try again Sweetheart."

"Ugh! Has anyone ever told you how insufferable you are?!" Her vivid blue eyes sparked an angry flame that only made him smile larger.

"Nearly every day of my very long life, Love." He cockily announced with pride. "Now quit stalling and answer my question before I decide I'd rather go to sleep. It is rather late after all. Then how will you get that door open I wonder?" He tapped his chin with his eyes pointed to the ceiling as if deep in thought before smirking back at her once more with that devilish gleam back in his blue-gray eyes.

His smug smirk was what pushed her over the edge, "My Father is sending the Guards after me to kill me. Oh no wait! I'm sorry," Her voice crackled in her ire, her tiny hand touching her chest for a moment before it fell to her side with clenched fists, "the man I thought to be my Father my whole life, who it turns out is not my real Father at all, is sending others after me to end my life. And my very own Mother is just quietly standing by allowing it to happen. It's her messed up way of making it up to him since I was a product of her illicit affair. There are you happy!" Caroline threw her arms out wide beside her angrily trembling body, "I'm a half-bred abomination! And my own parents have gathered a group of Fairies together to kill the abomination known as me! I am so sure you can understand the hell that is my life! That you have loads of expertise in this type of situation." Righteous fire burned in her tear filled glistening eyes as she fluttered inches in front of his face.

Klaus felt the air rush out of his lungs; at her fury, at her story, at the sheer agony in her voice. He couldn't believe the parallels between him and this small magnificent creature. "Actually I do Caroline."

The soft tone in his voice and the honest gaze in his eyes along with the actual use of her name, spoken in a way she had not heard in so long, almost tenderly, made her retort die before it even graced her lips.

Her fury flooded out of her with the force of a waterfall, "What do you mean?"

Klaus swiped his tongue over his lips as he contemplated what to say before making his second out of character decision of the day, "I'll tell you all about my very long life, filled with massive amounts of strife, if you stay here and let me help you."

She looked at him with her lower lip caught between her teeth, "Why? Why do you want to help me Klaus?"

Hearing his name fall from her delicate rose tinted lips brought a peculiar ache to his chest, "Let's just say life has lost its shine for me and you dear Caroline have enough light about you to brighten even an old monster's darkened den."

"So this is about you wanting to learn about Fairies then." She huffed not sure why she felt disappointed over that.

"Partly," He conceded, "But we seem to have quite a few similarities, a comradery of sorts. And even though you don't realize the unusual significance of this, I genuinely want to help you survive Caroline." Klaus sighed knowing he could not force this; it had to be her choice. Walking over to the door he pulled the screen open and stepped off to the side waving his hand for her to pass, "But if you want to leave I will not stop you."

She gazed at him in confusion and a little bit of distrust before she cautiously flew over to the door, eyeing him as she passed.

It was the quiet resigned sigh that fell from his full lips that gave her pause.

She hovered there, straddling the line to her freedom and the cabin where Klaus stood. He had this feeling, this look of loneliness about him, this air of mystery and danger. She could feel his wolf crying out, wanting her to stay but the man would not let him ask. Something told her Klaus didn't have many people in his life that trusted him, who stayed only because they wanted to. People who fully and honestly put their faith in him and who were as loyal to him as she knew his wolf craved.

Ugh! She thought to herself, why do you have to be such a sap?!

"Alright fine! I'll stay."

Klaus's head flew up to look at her in astonishment, "What?"

Caroline flew gracefully past him, "But I want a better spot for my bed. I am not sleeping on a desk no matter how soft that pillow is."

Klaus watched in amazement as Caroline landed on the countertop next to the fruit bowl he had strategically left out for her. She began removing the large knapsack from around her body placing it down next to her. The way she stretched her little body eight inch tall body after being relieved of its weight told him it held quite a bit more than he had originally thought.

He closed the screen door behind him before walking his way over to her with a grin, "So, where would a more proper place for her majesty's bed be then?"

Caroline tilted her head up to look at him as he sat on the stool in front of her, grace and poise screaming in the way she carried herself, "You know, you aren't too far off with that her majesty bit."

"Oh," Klaus chuckled, "I'm in the presence of Fairy Royalty am I?"

"As a matter of fact you are." She giggled with her nose pointed high as his eyes widened just a bit. She cheekily added with a wink, "Seems we both have quite the stories to tell, don't we?"

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Klaroline AU Week Day 6. Myths/Legends.

YES a part two is in the works as you read this! I was just short on time and wanted to get this posted. So since I already have Day 7 done and ready, I will be working to get the next part for this out ASAP…along with many other stories to come!

See you tomorrow for the final day of Klaroline AU Week!