Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or the Originals. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show.
A/N: I've been stuck on this chapter for a while now. Partly because of writer's block, but also because life has been getting difficult for me the last couple weeks. But I found a way to work around the writer's block by changing something in the storyline. It was stated a couple chapters ago that if Auria willingly gives up her magic to Samuel, she'd live but lose a year of memories. I've decided to make it that even if she did give up her magic willingly, she would still die. So, this means that she has to die in order to save Elena and Kai. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please read the Authors Note at the end.
Acceptance
Blood.
It was everywhere. On the walls. On the floor. On the pews. Everywhere.
The church was covered in blood.
Auria saw the people sitting in the front row, but they weren't moving. She didn't think they were breathing.
It wasn't until Auria reached the front of the church that she saw what had happened.
They were all dead.
The coven.
Samuel.
Auria's family and friends.
Everyone was dead.
Everyone was gone.
She was alone. Truly and completely alone
Auria woke with a start, panting as she clutched her chest. She was still in her room, not in the church. She was safe. But what about her family?
She shot out of the bed and pulled her robe on over her pajama shirt and shorts and sprinted down the stairs. Auria skidded to a halt when she reached the living room and let out a sigh of relief. Damon was sitting on the couch with Caroline and Bonnie. Matt and Tyler were standing by the fireplace. Stefan, Alaric, and Jo were sitting on the opposite couch. Her family was safe and alive.
They were all looking at her.
"Where's the fire, speedy?" Alaric asked as he stood from the couch and walked towards her.
Auria met him halfway and hugged him tightly. She remembered seeing his face, serene and lifeless and covered in blood, at the church. After a moment of confusion she felt him hug her back.
"That ritual really took a toll on you, didn't it?" He asked as they held onto each other. Alaric leaned his head down on top of hers. "Are you okay, Auria?"
"I am now," she said as she let go and stepped back, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Are you sure, Baby Gilbert?" Damon asked. There was a touch of concern in his blue eyes.
"Yeah," Auria said as an idea popped into her head. "I'm sure."
"Do you remember anything from while you were under?" Matt asked from his spot by the fireplace.
"No," She lied. Auria remembered the nightmares, or rather the nightmare. The last one was the only time she was able to wake up.
"You were pretty restless the entire time," Jo said. She smiled sadly. "Your heart rate was three times the normal rate. You should have died, Auria, but you didn't. You're a medical phenomenon."
"I don't remember that," Auria said believably.
"We took turns watching over you," Caroline told her.
"You gave us a couple good scares," Bonnie said with a sad smile.
"I had you hooked up to some monitors until you stabilized yesterday," Jo explained.
"Thank you, all of you," Auria said. "But we can't go at Samuel together."
"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.
"Are you planning to fight him on your own?" Caroline asked, "Because you are not strong enough for that."
"You'll get yourself killed," Damon said with a scornful look on his face.
Auria pursed her lips. "I appreciate everything you've done for me over the past few days—over the past couple of years really, but I can't have any of you die for me."
"We're not going to," Tyler said, determined.
"I can't risk it," She told them and raised a hand to them. Auria twisted her wrist and whispered the word somnus under her breath and a second later they were all asleep on the floor or on the couches.
She quickly arranged them into comfortable positions and went to get dressed. She threw on a simple t-shirt and skinny jeans and paired it with converse and one of Stefan's old jackets. Auria wanted to be comfortable when she died.
Auria grabbed her car keys, gave her family one last glance, and left out the front door. All she could see when she looked at them was blood—the blood that they would become. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen.
She sped down the streets as fast as she could and made it to the church in record time. Auria got out of the car and took a deep breath before walking into the church.
There was no blood. There were no bodies, but there was also no Samuel or Elena or Kai or Grand Coven.
"Hello?" Auria called out, hoping for some type of response.
"Hello," a man's voice answered.
Auria spun around to face an average man in his thirties. He was dressed in a pair of dress shoes, a black suit, a buttoned white-striped dress shirt, and a loosened blue necktie accentuated by a big beige trench coat. He was handsome and naturally calm, and behind him stood two men and one woman dressed in suits.
"Who are you?" She asked cautiously.
"I am Castiel, and I am an angel of the Lord," the man said. "We are all angels of the Lord."
Auria was at a loss for words.
"Be calm, child. We are not here to harm you," the woman said from behind Castiel. "We're here to protect you."
With a wave of Castiel's hand, nine bodies appeared on the floor in between them.
"Oh my god," Auria breathed when she recognized the Grand Coven members and Samuel. "Are they—are they dead?"
"Samuel is, yes, but the others are not. They are unconscious, just like your family members back at the Salvatore house. Elena and Kai are with them now. None of them will be harmed as long as you do what we say," Castiel explained.
"Now, sit, please," the female angel said.
Auria obeyed after giving the coven members one last glance. These people—or angels had known about her family being asleep at the Salvatore house. And then they threatened them.
"Who are you again?" Auria raised an eyebrow as she stared at them.
"We are angels of the Lord," Castiel repeated calmly.
"Yeah, I got that," Auria said. "But what are you doing here?"
"We're here to finish what was started 17 years ago when you were born," Castiel explained.
"What are you talking about?"
"You are the daughter of the human, Grayson Gilbert, and a chosen guardian, Miranda Sommers. And because of that, you are the rarest kind of hybrid that exists. You are part angel, part human," Castiel told her.
"My mother was not a guardian," Auria argued. "She was a human."
"We are not here to argue with you, child," one of the men behind Castiel said. Auria shot him a look.
"I am not a child," she told him. "I have experienced more grief than most people three times my age and have died more than three times. That does not make me a child."
"We cannot lie to you, Auria," Castiel said, moving the conversation along. "We are telling the truth. Your mother was a guardian to you and your siblings."
"What about Jeremy? And Elena? If I'm a human-angel hybrid then aren't they hybrids too?" Auria asked.
"Jeremy was born to be a Hunter. Elena on the other hand… well, fate had other things planned for her. She lost her grace when she died and chose to become a vampire. Didn't you see a change in her?"
"Yes, but I thought that was because of her heightened emotions and bloodlust," Auria answered.
"Partly, but the change in her heart was due to her loss of her grace," Castiel explained.
"Grace?"
"It's this pure energy that exists in all angels. You have it too, but it is in a sort of dormant state."
"If I'm supernatural, then why did the Gilbert ring work on me?" Auria asked.
"You were not supernatural because you have yet to die and be reborn as an angel. We were supposed to wait until your 18th birthday, but we decided to show up early when the Grand Coven tried to claim you as one of their own," Castiel answered.
"Did you just say that I have to die in order to become an angel?"
"Of course," Castiel said.
"And you knew about the Grand Coven?" Auria questioned.
"Of course," Castiel answered. "The only reason they've been able to play judge all this time is because God allowed it. It was amusing. That was, until they decided to involve one of our own. Samuel wanted you dead. We had no choice but to intervene," Castiel explained.
"You're here to kill me, aren't you?" Auria asked calmly.
"Yes," Castiel said. "You must decide whether or not you are willing to give up your life for those you love. If you do, they will all continue to live. If not, they will all die."
"How can you do that? Kill innocent people?" Auria gaped.
"Your family and friends are far from innocent," one of the angels answered. "And even if they were, they are only a few grains of sand in a very, very large sandbox. We've sacrificed many more than this."
"You have the day to decide and then we will—" Castiel began.
Auria held up a hand as she looked at the Grand Coven members. She knew if she died then they would too. But if she chose to go against the angels then her entire family would die. Auria looked back at Castiel. "I'll do it. I'll let you kill me to become an angel."
"Good," Castiel said. "Your family and friends are waiting for you back at the Salvatore house. You have two weeks to put your affairs in order and then we will return for you."
Auria blinked and they're gone.
A/N: I apologize for any mistakes! And thank you so much for reading. I realized pretty early on that the Grand Coven was a mistake so I'm rectifying it now. Auria has agreed to die which means no more Grand Coven. And yes, this Castiel is based off the supernatural Castiel, but nothing else is being carried over, just his beautiful face and name. For the readers who might not like the angel storyline, just stop reading. I appreciate constructive criticism, but not hate messages.
Now, for the bad news: I am ending this story. I want to thank all the readers who have stuck with this story through the ups and downs. There are going to be probably five more chapters or so to finish out season six and then that will be it. And hopefully I can do this story justice.
Please review with some constructive feedback and favorite or follow if you have not already. And please check out some of my other fanfictions and my new vampire diaries fanfic on my profile. It does feature a Parker sibling and Kai *wink, wink* Thanks for reading!