A/n: Edited on 9/7/2014.
Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.
Chapter 25: Hymn For The Missing
It was done. The first sacrifice had commenced just like planned. Although a tragedy, it was a necessary one. There was never a time where desperate measures were called for until now. Everyone failed to see what was coming despite how much they watched, but it had to be done. To repay for such a cost, the young woman who passed on was rewarded to rest in peace. She would be with her family once again. The sacrifice she made would be one step closer towards the hope for change, but all of them knew the harsh realization.
Freedom wasn't free without blood spilled.
The Gate Keepers had watched from beyond with the events unfolding in both the past and the present.
There was hope back in the past. The girl they called upon, Caroline Forbes, managed to survive and flourish in her new state. The hybrid attributes clicked and fitted her naturally as her armor. They chose well for this task. She was stronger than many beings realized.
The present loomed with dangerous reckoning. The Original Hybrid was already beginning to take action in his plans, faster than they predetermined. Lives were already taken, and it was only the beginning. He had to be stopped before it was too late.
If he is not stopped, red would be the only color left on the Earth because the world would be drowning in blood.
It was time for Caroline to rise up to the challenge.
{Louder Than Thunder}
When Caroline was younger, she always had a fear of the dark. She was constantly afraid of what could be lurking in the darkness with its sharp claws. She always found herself in her parents' bed, clinging to her teddy bear tightly, crying out to her parents how the monsters were trying to get her. She was always afraid of them hiding underneath her bed, ready to grab her ankle and drag her away from below. Then there were the ones waiting in the closest to snatch her away. Caroline didn't dare to peek from hiding underneath the blankets unless something spooked her to death. These nights lasted for a while until her father provided a solution.
One night, he came home a little later than usual. Curious about why, Caroline stubbornly stayed up until 10:15 to meet up with her dad. Her mom was sleeping off from working a double shift from the sheriff's department, which left Caroline alone to her own devices. She could see her dad going through the front door carrying plastic bags in his hands.
"Daddy?" she called his name, making her presence known.
Bill smiled at his daughter. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed? It's a little late for you to be up."
"It's not a school night, and I was staying up watching cartoons. Besides, I'm not a baby. I'm eight years old." His little girl pointed out, crossing her arms and sending him a stubborn look that mirrored her mother's.
"Oh, I know you're not a baby anymore, but you're always going to be my baby." Bill said proudly. He loved playing along with his daughter, but even he enjoyed a few jesters now and then. "Now, tell me the real reason you were up."
Caroline sheepishly looked down her bare feet with her hands behind her back. Biting her lip, she tried to come up with an answer. "I don't want to go to sleep. Too dark in my room."
Her father laughed. "And that's why I'm home late. I got you something, Caroline."
Caroline's eyes widened in excitement at the possibility of what her father brought home. She practically jumped in glee when her father's hand ventured into the plastic bag and taking something out. What he brought out of the bag surprised Caroline to say the least, but she loved it nonetheless. In her dad's hand was a nightlight.
"Eeeeppp!" Caroline squealed, but she stopped in just thinking of her mother sleeping. A sheepish smile appeared on her face as she tried to show her excitement again to her father. "Eeepp..."
Her father smiled down at her. "Here you go, sweetheart."
He handed her the packaged nightlight to Caroline, and his little girl couldn't stop looking at this in wonder. It wasn't a regular one she saw in the stores while going shopping with her mother. It was a special one. The nightlight was in a butterfly shape with bright colors of pink and yellow.
"Can I plug it into my room?" Caroline asked with an excited grin.
"I bought it for you, didn't I?" Bill responded with a joke. Watching Caroline beam, he followed her down the hallway into her bedroom. Walking into that room always had a certain air about it. Ever since Caroline was born, little of the room was changed. The same warm-colored walls remained, and the safe feeling still existed. He wanted that feeling to always stay.
Caroline didn't waste any time plugging the nightlight into the electrical outlet and watched in amazement as the nightlight came to life. (At least in Caroline's eyes.) A brilliant golden light radiated from the nightlight, forcing back the darkness of her room that dominated before. "Thank you so much, Daddy." She said as she rushed to hug her father. "I love it."
"I'm glad you love it, sweetheart." He eagerly returned the affection. "You know why I got you that?"
"Why, Daddy?"
"Because there's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to the dark, Care. No matter how long things maybe dark, there will always be a light shining brightly somewhere. One cannot exist without the other. When you seem to be lost in it, always look for the light. It will always be there as a guide, but that won't be hard for you."
Caroline shot her father a look. "What does that suppose to mean?"
"It means you're already bright. No matter what happens, that will never change about you."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Daddy."
The glow of the nightlight still radiated with a warm glow. Caroline was still memorized, more interested in that than her father's words of wisdom. Bill just shook his head. One day, he knew. It wouldn't be now, but later when she could understand. She'd understand what he meant.
Light can always be dimmed, but it can't be put out all the way. All it needed was time. Time would be oxygen. Light was like fire. Fire needs oxygen to grow. The more oxygen it received, the more the fire would develop into something greater. Before anyone would realize, that little ember turned into a fiery inferno. Light was the same way. Time was its oxygen. The more time was extended towards light, it would glow brighter with more strength. Every light begins the same as a flame. Small and just existing. With time, that light will turn into something bright and brilliant.
However. what happens when the light is starved of what it needs to survive on? When starved for so long, what hope is there to replenish a hunger so neglected upon? Is there any solution? Any hope to rejuvenation?
Is there any hope at all for anything?
All the hope in the world rested on a certain blonde's shoulders. It's a wonder if she never fully realized how much was riding on her.
The familiar numbness weighted on Caroline's body. Her limbs were too heavy to lift and her eyes remained closed. The preparation made her sleep. She dreamed of clearer things. Although a few things were blurred, it was easier to make out what she saw. Her thoughts swam with the images of those closest to her. Her parents. Her friends. Tyler. Then him.
All there was him. Caroline breathed him everywhere with his presence overwhelming her. Everything she saw in her dreams turned gray and blinded her except Klaus. He remained the colored constant. She felt his hands all over her, searching for something long lost from him. His taste still lingered in her mouth and was burned into her brain. It left something insatiable in its wake. Klaus Mikaelson consumed her and left her no mercy. Only making her crave for more.
But the guilt would always settle in. She was supposed to belong to Tyler as his one true love. She wasn't supposed to be playing the other woman. Caroline wasn't the two-timer! Elena always did that crap.
Caroline should be used to the routine to everything, but there will always be a twist. Curveballs will always be guaranteed in this journey she was treading.
After what seemed forever, the numbness began to lift and the dreams stopped. Caroline opened her eyes again to see the familiar outline of trees above her. She blinked twice in clearing the blurriness. Could she be home? It sure felt familiar like home.
Caroline just enjoyed the silent moment to herself, fisting the dirt with her fingers. It broke into wet and damp pieces of mud with the coolness seeping into her skin. Instead of being disgusted, she actually smiled. All of this nostalgia got to her. Her mind always found something that would bring her back to a memory of Mystic Falls. She never thought something simple as a piece of dirt would remind her of home. She missed Mystic Falls and the simplicity that came with it. Her home was far from her reach, and the chances of heading back slipped away with the distance.
Sighing heavily, Caroline pushed herself to stand, testing out the reliance in her limbs. Only feeling slightly sore, she stretched out her body using the old cheerleading exercises. She lifted her arms into the air, bending them back to loosen her muscles. The hybrid walked forward until a familiar face popped up and made his presence known.
"Hello, darling!"
Caroline screamed out of fright, punching the crazy psychopath in the tree right in his nose. She backed away from him with an angry look as he fell to the ground, trying to regain his senses after the impact. "Seriously, Kol?!" she snapped. "Haven't you learned at all from the last time you scared me?"
Kol only gave her a childish grin. "I'm good at my trade, darling. I don't see myself changing careers any time soon."
"Well, I'm not the one who looks like a chocolate Original." Caroline returned the retort.
The mud caked him mostly on his backside and sticking to his face and hair. Even if it only affected one side, he still looked liked a chocolate mess. That gave Caroline a bit of satisfaction. She'd killed to at least have a camera to get a picture of this to show her friends. It would have been a good laugh. Still, there were other plans at work with the supernatural forces behind them.
Kol wouldn't let her victory live long. He brushed himself off from the mud and leaned against the tree, providing the knowledge to Caroline that he was still in control. "Don't forget so easily, Caroline. I am an Original."
"I don't think anyone can."
"Touche."
With as many Originals she'd met, Caroline would've volunteered to get her memories wiped clean a long time ago. The trouble they leave behind them is catastrophic. Just one big huge mess and it's almost impossible to clean up. Wiping her memories clean of them would have helped her in the long run. It seemed to be the most logical solution in the world.
"Let me you show proof then." Concentrating, the world around them began to shift and change instead of the forest to a village. Caroline and Kol stood in the middle of all the action while the world continued to move forward without them. Caroline stood in awe as she drank everything in.
Everything was older. All of the structures were made from wood and stone, and they appeared to be built by hand with hard work. There was no sign of anything modern nearby. The people here didn't wear jeans, t-shirts, or any of the clothes Caroline remembered. The men wore breeches, leather, and tunics while the women had handsewn dresses clinging to their frames. She could hear the clashing of metal from whether it was from the locksmith working on his skills or the friendly bout of swordplay. The smell of herbs and brew also hung in the air. Caroline also smelled vervain in the midst of it.
All of this was so surreal.
"I hate to burst your bubble, darling, but you're far from home." Kol pointed out to her.
Caroline frowned. Leave it up to him to ruin a perfect moment. "Figures since there is always a stupid catch."
"Tell me about it. You're lucky that you have an exit instead of being stuck on the Other Side. Being in bloody limbo isn't really living, but then again what do I know? I'm only dead." Kol's dark eyes roamed around the village, a familiarity filling the dark depths. Everything around him was the same.
"Please tell me I didn't go back in time again." She secretly hoped that she didn't go further back in time. One step forward then a million steps back wasn't on Caroline's list of plans. God help her if that happened.
"No, darling. Not yet." He reassured her patting her back. "I can't imagine that much of a cruel hand being dealt towards you." Kol maybe a questionable person with even more questionable motives, but he wasn't so heartless like most of his family had portrayed in the past. All of them began at the same point Caroline did. Humanity began. "This is a memory. My memory."
Caroline spun around. "You're telling me that we're in your memory?"
Kol really didn't tolerate the newbie vampires (hybrid in this case). They had the attention span of flies. Repeating himself wasn't an action he took so lightly. In this moment, he had to make an exception. "It's like I said before you made your grand start. In this place, I can control what you see. I dug into your memory and showed you the lake to make the transition more bearable. Now that you've been practically dancing with the idea of time-travel, I decided to pull something from my roots. I can't be charitable all the time."
"Kol, I never asked to be put on some pedestal as a savior. I'm hardly any hero material. I barely kept up with the crazy stuff going on when I was a vampire. I'm just Caroline. Nothing more, nothing less." Caroline explained, still trying to wrap her brain around the fact of strolling down Kol's Memory Lane. "Which memory are you showing me?"
"You'll see. Follow me." Kol's vague answer left no little room for argument as he made long strides away from Caroline.
Sighing and rolling her eyes, she had no choice but to keep up with him. She had no idea of what he was doing or what his motives were. The Originals always were sketchy at best when it came to their plans. People, including the ones she knew, always made judgments that suited their own need. She remembered those nights meeting up at the boarding house with the gang. They conjured up plots that made up of two main points: protect Elena at all costs and taking out Klaus.
Those days really flew by in a blur. Caroline just functioned on automatic with their primary duty to keep Elena safe from the Big Bad. It became integrated in her system so deeply that her loyalty to the gang became unshakable. There was no question. No doubt in what she needed to do.
Then Caroline and the gang were reminded that there was more to the dysfunctional band of lunatics. The Mikaelsons were a group of feeling lunatics. Somewhere in them was some shred of humanity. The doubt began to worm its way into Caroline's brain, making her question why were they doing this. What made she and her friends so different from the Original family?
They all began the same, right?
Breaking away from her reverie, she felt Kol grab her arm and usher her to the front.
"Where are we?" she asked, looking at the bustle of people busily working like bees, satisfied with their lifestyle.
"We're at a pivotal moment in time." That's all Kol gave her, much to Caroline's disappointment. It was really strange for Kol to say so little, and actually be serious about an answer. The answer also didn't help when it sounded like vague riddles. He's always tried to defy any rules and change the standards. He always looked through eyes of a child with a never-ending playground. There was amusement in everything to him.
Caroline kept silent as she watched everything unfold. The tranquility was shattered when a blood-curling scream of pain reached Caroline's ears.
"MOTHER!"
She trembled at the sight of a very different man from the one she knew ran desperately into the center of the village, holding the lifeless body of a young dark-haired boy. He couldn't be no more than twelve or thirteen.
"Who-who is he?" she stuttered over her words, backing into Kol's chest in fear.
Kol knew exactly who she was referring to. He kept her still, forcing her to watch the memory play out. It had to be done. She needed to see. "My little brother."
"Henrik!" The familiar voice of Rebekah called out. Caroline watched as the only sister to their family run out to meet Klaus who still held his dead brother in his arms.
"Mother!" Caroline heard the agonizing cry for Klaus' mother again.
Caroline watched with frightened and saddened eyes as Esther came out to the scene with shock and despair marring her features. The reality of losing her child was upon her, but she couldn't take it. It couldn't be true. Not to her. "No! No!" she screamed in agony, dropping to the ground to see her son still and not breathing. "What happened?"
A pang of pain hit Caroline's heart as she saw Klaus' grief. "The wolves! I am so sorry! I am so sorry!" That's all he kept repeating. Apology after apology for any effort to ease the pain. He was begging. It unnerved Caroline. This wouldn't be something that could be easily remedied no matter how hard Klaus tried.
"We must save him!" Esther declared with a mother's desperation. Despite all the blood and the open wounds, she was willing to use any measure to save her son. Henrik's death wasn't acceptable.
With the memory almost coming to a close, Kol just closed his eyes, bringing Caroline closer to him as she watched the ending to the tragedy. He didn't bother to see what was playing. He'd seen it too many times to count. Who wants to relive a bad memory that brings you nothing, but sorrow?
Caroline didn't fight him as Kol's arms wrapped around her. She forced herself to push through to the end. There's no way she was going to coward. Not with Kol showing her this. That's when a familiar woman walked closer to the distraught group. Dark-skinned with a magical air, the woman reminded her of Bonnie. She had to be a Bennett ancestor.
The next two sentences would change everything for the Mikaelsons forever.
"The spirits will not give us a way. Your boy is gone."
Caroline hid her face into Kol's chest, wishing she was deaf to the woman's agonizing cries of grief. Why this? Hadn't one experience of seeing something like this enough? How much can a person take of death and loss? Witnessing someone else's pain didn't make anything easier.
It was then her heart broke again. Multiple times her heart broke for others. Never before had she thought she'd be able to survive these many heartbreaks. Forcing herself to be brave, she gently pushed Kol away from her. Her steps were heavy as she made her way closer to him. The image of a grieving Klaus flashed into her mind for a second before returning to the one she was seeing now. This wasn't the man who built the Klaus character. This was someone beneath all the glamour. Niklaus.
He sat on the ground with his Rebekah comforting him. His little sister had brought him to the comfort of her family embrace. That in of itself was something helpful, even if it was just to help him bear the pain. The want to ease his agony reached the surface.
She came closer, kneeling in front of him. Slowly, she found her hands reaching the broken man's shoulders. He was solid. He felt real. This version of him seemed real enough to believe. She couldn't see his eyes since they were somewhere else, but she knew what she would find. Those stormy eyes filling with tears of regret and unimaginable hurt. Now, Caroline understood his fierce attachment to family. Losing a brother, one after another in a domino effect. There was never a stopping point.
"Klaus..." Caroline breathed his name. She let herself cross another line and let her left hand caress his cheek.
Everything around them faded until the scene was the forest again. Kol and Caroline were the only ones left. Kol remained standing while Caroline was still on her knees, her hands falling back to her sides with nothing but air to grab. The broken man from before faded to nothingness.
Caroline usually hated silence. Silence was a battle she didn't want to lose. Silence always meant void of life. There was only death. Nothing. This time was different. She didn't long for Kol's annoying comments to ease the awkwardness. She wasn't going into one of her ramblings she generally did out of habit. The silence was fine. She welcomed it.
"Darling..." Kol called out, but there was no answer.
He tried again. "Caroline..."
"I heard you!" she snapped. Control over her body was lost as she trembled with tears leaking out. Hugging herself seemed to be the only way to hold everything who she was together before she broke.
Comforting someone wasn't in Kol's territory of expertise. He wreaked havoc. Not being a girl's white knight for a living. He knew it would be polite to at least try, but what could he do? The truth hurt, and he knew why he did it. Kol wasn't going to apologize for his reasons. In the end, she would understand. It would help her for what was going to happen next.
"Caroline, it had to be done," The Original explained, figuring it would be better not to delay any longer.
Her emotions went haywire. "Why? What was the whole point in showing me that?"
"You needed to understand."
Caroline whipped around, her eyes turning into hateful slits. "You think this was something new for me? I've seen people die before, Kol. I've seen other people's pain. It's nothing new from the old routine when I was a vampire."
"I was not trying to mock your pain, Caroline. I showed you that memory for a reason." Kol tried to explain as best he could. As easy as it would have been to just hand the answer to her, Caroline needed to come to her own senses in all of this.
More vague answers were all she heard. Nothing was clear and to the point anymore. There were always secrets lurking around, there was no end. Being kept in the dark about some grand master plan in trying to change reality did nothing to help her. Caroline didn't sign up to be Buffy. She wasn't always golden in everyone's eyes. Being good wasn't as easy as people imagined.
"Reasons. Everyone has a freaking reason for everything!" Caroline spat out the words in hatred. "Does anyone fail to realize my reasons or does nothing I say or do count anymore?!"
"Everything about you counts, darling. You were chosen for a reason," Kol replied.
"I swear if you call me 'darling' again, I'm going to go hybrid all over your Original ass!" she snapped at him.
Caroline didn't have time to deal with her back on him, she paraded away from Kol, walking in no sense of direction but not giving a damn about it.
Damn the Originals. Damn the spirits. Damn fate. Damn the world. Damn all of it to hell. She'd had enough in this saving the world crap. She's not the next vampire slayer for fuck's sake.
Kol intervened, growing tired of women and their drama. Their failure to understand with what's happening around them really grated his nerves. There was only so little time before it ran out. Caroline needed to get the picture. Usually loving the chase of cat and mouse, it didn't feel so fun this time. Nothing was as fun once he became dead. The Other Side was truly a lonely place for his kind.
He grabbed Caroline by the shoulders and forced her into a tree. "Is it so difficult to ask for some cooperation?"
"Why can't any of you just leave me alone?!" Caroline yelled.
Kol wasn't like his enamored brother when it came to Caroline. He wasn't afraid of taking necessary action.
"Because you're the center of it all or have you forgotten?" Kol questioned. "Now, calm down and stay still," he compelled her with his dark eyes dilating. She wasn't going to run off from him, not if he had anything to say about it
His command dug deep into her bones, bringing her down back to Earth as much as she fought him. Though more at peace, there was still residual anger in those blue-green orbs of hers. Having not one, but two of the brothers treating her like a child was enough.
"You're lucky I don't wring your neck, little bird," he said as he finally let her go.
She remained stone still with the compulsion as her chains and shackles. Too bad her mouth wasn't silenced. "What's stopping you? My quirk and charm?"
He nodded to that and agreed with her. "You wish. If my brother wasn't so smitten and you weren't so valuable, I'd be rid of you ages ago. A true shame it'd be, though: you are a pretty little thing, darling."
"That's the thing, Kol. You said I'm valuable. For what?!" Caroline interjected. "From the beginning, none of you have given me straight answers. Everyone is keeping me in the dark, and I'm sick of it!"
"Do you really think you're the only one having these frustrations?" Kol asked rhetorically. "I'm the one who has to relay what little information those blasted spirits - or Gate Keepers or whatever they want to call themselves - send to me!" Kol turned his face up to the cloudy sky, a venomous glare and a not so subtle note sent to them. Oh, they were hearing this. Watching them two interact like gods. "Besides, as to the significance of my actions earlier, answers aren't going to be freely handed to you like an entitlement. You're going to have to figure it out on your own."
"I have tried to figure everything out! Ever since the beginning I have been so don't treat like I'm some dumb blonde because I'm not!"
Seeing his words affecting her, a grin upturned his lips. With an idea brewing, he continued in his taunting act. "Then enlighten me, darling." He used the petname again knowing the full effect. "Do you really know?"
If it weren't for the compulsion, she'd lunge right for his face to claw his eyes out. "All of this started because I was a kind idiot. Somehow, he's always involved with me. They think I'm the magic solution, but I'm not. I'm not invincible, Kol! I'm only me, and it would take more than just me to - I just don't know!"
He watched her, taking in her answer. Although it wasn't perfect, it was what he'd expect from her in this situation. At least she was on the right track if she continued to keep on her toes. Although their meetings were limited, he'd gotten the chance to see the drive and tenacity others lacked. She would survive this, and he knew because that's who she was. A survivor. She'll do whatever it was required to get the job done. Maybe that's what kept Kol going in trying to guide her. Even in this big master plan the Spirits cooked up, he was willing to keep her going if she did her part.
"I'll give you credit, Caroline," Kol said with a small chuckle. "You show there's more to you besides a pretty blonde face."
"Is that supposed to help me?" she asked irritably.
"It will have to help you if you want to make out of this alive. Trust me, darling, you can't afford to lose. Then again, you've proven to hold your own," Kol teased with a grin, striding to Caroline, staring into her blue-green eyes with his darker ones dilating. "You can move now, darling."
The invisible chains were lifted and Caroline could move her body freely again. "Why the sudden trust? I could've ran away from you, and left you here in the dust."
"This isn't trust, Sweet Caroline. What you mistake for trust is something else entirely," he said with a smirk.
Caroline arched a thin eyebrow. "What would that be?"
The answer was simple.
"Faith."
Yet the answer threw Caroline off guard. Was that it? "Faith?" she repeated his answer in confusion, skepticism in her tone. "That's your answer to everything."
The Original rolled his eyes. Always asking more questions instead of accepting the answers. That was Caroline alright. In all honesty, Kol was a bit envious of Niklaus to have a woman like this attracted to him. She wasn't going to put the subject down until she heard a full explanation, no matter what. Those were of the little reminders that kept Kol going; he knew where his faith was and where he bet his money that'd she conquer this. She'd prove it to the others.
Putting his hand on the small of her back, he gently guided her in a slow stroll. "It's necessary in this case. In the end, that's all you have to hang onto. Hope is fragile, and you need to hold onto something stronger than just a whim. But let me tell you what a Frenchman said to me many years ago: Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe."
"I'm gonna need more than just faith, Kol." Caroline quipped, but her voice came out softer than she intended. She wasn't the perfect warrior everyone wanted her to be. There were doubts that always plagued her mind that she never tried to show.
"Trust me, I know that more than you think, but you're not going to be reach the end of the journey with the path done for you," Kol glanced at her, knowing the negative doubts would do her more harm than good. It was out of his character to do this, but he figured honesty was the best policy. Bringing her to a certain point in the forest, he stopped at a huge oak tree. He stepped in front of Caroline, squeezing her shoulders slightly to reinforce his point. "You were picked for a reason, Caroline. Believe it or not, you were the best choice out of everyone to do this. While you may not have faith in yourself, you can suffice in knowing that others have faith in you. Including yours truly."
Caroline met up to Kol's face, the words slowly registering in her head, unaware of the silent tears that were falling from her eyes. Even as a vampire, her insecurities still loved to mess with her and tear her to the ground. At least as a vampire, she was able to fight it more. However, being placed on this high mantle, everyone expecting her to go above and beyond without fallacies was an impossible feat. At least to her it was.
Before Caroline became a hybrid, she saw the raw doubled strength displayed from Tyler and even more so from Klaus. They were on top of the food chain, making newborn vampires just prey compared to the real predators they were. Older vampires had a challenge in trying to beat them. They made it look so easy.
She was wrong. Stepping into their shoes, she dealt with the difficulties of dealing with the double amount of power imprinted in her bones. Keeping it all in balanced out as she teetered and tottered to not fall was more than anything she took on.
Yet she was still standing here undefeated.
Enough was enough. Caroline Forbes wasn't a quitter, and it was like Kol said: even if she didn't have faith in herself at the moment, she could always rely on the faith of others. Kol Mikaelson had faith that she could do this, and he meant those words wholeheartedly. There was no hint of lies or treachery in those dark depths.
The corners of Kol's smile upturned into a grin of victory as he saw the spark that only belonged to Caroline Forbes shine back again. There's no denying it, much to his chagrin sometimes with them. The Gate Keepers chose her, and they made a wise choice. It better be the best choice because Kol wasn't going to be pleased if all his efforts were all the waste of nothing.
"Now, are you ready? Do you understand the significance of this?" he inquired of her.
Caroline nodded. "I'm putting the pieces together somehow so that's progress, wouldn't you agree?"
"More than what I imagined."
"What is that supposed to mean, Kol?" Caroline exasperated. "I thought you had faith in me."
"I do, darling, don't get your panties in a bunch," Kol cackled with a tease. "I just wanted to get under your skin; I thought you would have a sense a humor. Most girls find me quite funny ."
"Well, I'm not most girls," Caroline retorted crossing her arms over her chest.
Kol came undone with wicked laughter. " You're going to just love this, darling!"
Caroline frowned. "Kol…"
"I hope you like Alice in Wonderland!"
With those words, Kol pushed Caroline into the hollow part of the oak tree where the ground gave away and Caroline fell into the black expanse. All he could hear was her scream from falling below, the sound fading away as he backed off from the tree before him. The original white oak tree that was used to make them vampires in the first place. What changed them to start their beginning.
He could hear indiscernible whispers along the wind in his ear. Kol turned around, looking up to the sky with a glare. "It was your idea to send her through this! Don't go barking ancient orders at me."
He knew one thing. When all of this was over, whenever it will be, Caroline would go hybrid all over his ass.
{Louder Than Thunder}
Sweet little Caroline leaned against a tree that was tall. Sweet little Caroline was pushed into the darkness and had a great fall. All of the magic in the land wouldn't be able to make Caroline come back again.
So she fell and fell with no hint of an end coming her way. The darkness swallowed her up whole, and there was nothing to latch onto for support. Caroline just kept grabbing empty air. At first she screamed, but her voice was stolen somehow. The darkness stole her voice away too. Undoubtedly, she was scared to pieces about where this would take her. Would she remain alive? Is she going to go back home this? Would she get the chance to kill Kol after this?
So many questions, so little answers, so little time. Time had no meaning, and her perception of it was screwy. She didn't know how long she'd fallen in this dark expanse.
But as she fell, something warm fell over her. Time felt slower as she continued down in the darkness, the pace not so bad as she once experienced before. Like falling asleep in a dream, the ending impact of the fall wasn't as hard as she thought of it to be. Caroline had her eyes closed as her body curled up into a ball, trying to catch more of the warmth wrapping around her like a blanket. She kept yearning for more of the warmth, and she finally got a hold of it.
But it was slipping through her fingers. It was becoming cold again. Too cold. And icy again. Everything was slipping from her fingers.
No. An determined anger bubbled and brewed as her yearning for the warmth came hurling back with a vengeance. Caroline didn't care what it costed her to get it. She only wanted all of that warmth to herself. With the anger coursing through her, Caroline felt a giant snap and a rejuvenating change. She was under control with nothing else to hinder her way. The warmth came back to her with open arms and she welcomed it.
For a while, the warmth was all that Caroline needed. Nothing else satisfied her...until it became too warm. Odd.
Underneath her body, she could feeling something moist and damp cushioning her as a bed. Breathing became harder with the thick and humid air around her, sticking to her as a second coat. Since when was she this hot? Light began to peek into her eyes, forcing her to open to the world in front of her.
She could hear waves lapping nearby. Was she near the beach somehow? Gathering strength back into her legs, Caroline stretched her back legs, a canine-like whine escaping her throat.
Whoa! Wait a minute!
CANINE?!
Breaking into a run, Caroline ran on all fours towards the water, leaving confused witnesses behind her. The smell of the fresh water filled Caroline's nose more as she came closer to the water's edge. Looking into the water, her refection wasn't the human face and blonde hair she'd expect. It was her wolf form. Blonde fur and all.
SERIOUSLY?! Caroline screamed in her head, but it came out as a piercing howl. The sound escaping her didn't help her any as she scrambled back in fear. It only left a sandy heap with the grains of sand coating her golden, blonde fur. Her mind was in overdrive with her heart racing a hundred miles a minute. She looked left and right to figure where in the hell she was, but it did little to no good. How could she recognize anything when she never stepped out of Mystic Falls in the first place?!
"What in the world?" she could hear someone say among all the noise. Cars, people, machines, everything was too much. It was too loud!
Make it stop! Caroline cried out with a whine for the world to hear. Caroline's legs buckled leaving her body to sink into the sand. Her paws covered her face as she hid away from the world. All she wanted to do was hide and never be found until it was silent again.
But when a hand grazed the top of her back, animalistic instincts took control and all of her humanity took a backseat. She sprung up with her fur bristling and her ears and lips pulled back, not wanting to be touched. The blonde wolf snarled at the humans closing in around her. Her sharp white teeth glistened with the low growl emitting from her throat.
Get away from me. Her voice echoed with warning mentally. The only thing they could hear were her barks of warning to back away. She could still hear them. The panicked voices of a wild animal in their midst.
"What are we going to do?"
"Mommy!"
"Someone needs to get that beast out of here!"
"Someone call the cops!"
"No, call the dogcatcher!"
"That's not a dog, you fool! It's a damn wolf. A wild animal for God's sake!"
Definitely got the point, people! Caroline continued to growl at the people close by, getting them to back away from her. There was too much of everything here. It kept cornering her into a rock and a hard place and the last the thing she need was - the cops! Her sharp hearing caught the sound of blaring sirens nearby, heading in her direction. The yells and screams hurt her ears, and all she wanted was to get out. Panicked, the sound of the growling grew in volume as she backed away closer to the waters.
"Is that the animal?" one of the officers asked.
"Just get it out of here, you fools!" a madwoman cried out.
Water splashed around her back legs as more men closed in on her. Her blue eyes narrowed at the gun held by one of the police officers while another held a long device with a loop on the end. They were going to catch her.
Scanning for any sign of escape, she couldn't find any. With nothing to lose, she gave into her animal instincts, and the mindset took over her. She didn't care any of the consequences. Caroline only had one command on her mind.
Run.
The golden wolf snapped at the man with the gun's feet, her sharp teeth glistening and sharp towards her target. Caroline sunk her teeth into the one of the men's ankles, briefly tasting blood from breaking the skin. The men scurried against the wolf's moves, shots firing and scrambled yells mixing in with all the chaos. One of the officers fell to the ground tripping over Caroline, which left her the hole in their group that she needed to escape. She made a break for it with her supernatural speed kicking into high gear.
She ignored everything else around her. All of her vision narrowed to one single point, and nothing else mattered. All she did was run. Caroline made a beeline through the park, not caring of anyone seeing. She was too fast for them to see, and they would never catch her. It was impossible.
Well, for an ordinary human that is.
Caroline finally stopped after the volume of noise behind her decreased. The blonde wolf sidetracked into an alley, effectively evading from the people chasing her. Everything catching up to her, her legs burned from the soreness in her muscles, which made her lie down on the cement to rest. Satisfied in her attempt to escape, she gave into her need and laid against the brick wall. Finally. Caroline heaved with her lungs on fire. What confused her was how she could feel so tired just after just one run; it shouldn't have sapped her energy that quickly.
All that mattered was no one chasing her and no more having to run.
I'm okay now, Caroline mentally spoke as she slumped to her side using the brick wall for support. Her body gave out, leaving her too tired to keep awake any longer. She slowly lost to the fight in keep her eyes open, both of her eyes becoming heavy like lead. Before she went out, she saw a flash of blonde and heard a loud thud a few feet away. The blonde blur stepped closer, becoming clear in Caroline's peripheral vision at the last second before darkness covered everything.
Rebekah.
Where are you now?
Are you lost?
Will I find you again?
Are you alone?
Are you afraid?
Are you searching for me?
Why did you go? I had to stay
Now I'm reaching for you
Will you wait? will you wait?
Will I see you again?
- "Hymn For The Missing," by Red