No One's POV
"I warned you, Niklaus, that Brooklyn would not take your deception lightly." Elijah finally speaks, his voice echoing gravely in the lifeless mansion as his brother picks himself up out of the rubble, Brooklyn having run off with Aaron, too angry and unable to remain near Niklaus or Elijah at the moment, and leaving to correct her now unjustified justice against members of the Scooby gang, healing them of her lethal bite even if there was a part of her that still wanted them to suffer.
"Oh save me, from your incessant moral bound lectures, dear brother." Niklaus spats out, whether he was angrier at himself or Elijah he honestly wasn't sure at this point.
"Did you know?" Niklaus suddenly demands, turning to face Elijah, a maniac sort of look in his eyes along with his anger, as he stands in the remains of what had previously been his living room coffee table.
"How could I not? Brooklyn is my mate, Niklaus." Elijah answers dryly, watching as Niklaus begins to pace like some caged animal.
"And you didn't think to tell me?" Niklaus asks incredulously.
"It was not my secret to tell, Niklaus. It was shared in confidence. I respected her wishes and understood it was not a topic she wished to speak of."
"Or, perhaps it was because you did not wish to jeopardize your own chances with her, dear brother." Niklaus sneers, halting to suddenly glare at his elder brother.
"Think what you will. I do not have to defend my actions to you. I respected her wishes. As should you." Elijah answers coolly.
"You should have told me!" Niklaus snarls viciously, his eyes tinting with anger.
"And what would you have done if I had, Niklaus?" Elijah challenges.
"She is supposed to be my mate, Elijah! Mine!" Niklaus growls fiercely, pointing at himself as if that would further prove a point.
"She is not a possession to be won, Niklaus. She is a woman, furthermore she was your best friend." Elijah growls protectively, suddenly rushing his brother, pinning him to the wall aggressively with a forearm.
"But if you insist on seeing it that way, let me make it quite clear to you, brother. Brooklyn is mine." Elijah growls warningly, baring his teeth for emphasis. "And you will not take her from me."
"You would choose her, over family. What about always and forever? Or does family mean nothing to you now?" Niklaus asks, looking stunned as Elijah drops him from the wall, Elijah stepping back and once more composing himself into his typical formal façade.
"You are my brother, Niklaus. We will always be family. I have stood by you for centuries. And I have watched you make mistake after mistake. I have cleaned up after more of your messes I have cared to remember and I have watched you tear this family apart. I can no longer do so..." Elijah answers, holding Niklaus' gaze evenly, expression unflinching.
A tense silence fell between the two Mikaelson brothers as Elijah and Niklaus face each other; centuries of hurt, betrayal, mistakes, unsaid words, broken promises, unhealed wounds and grievances only growing bigger.
"I care for you deeply, Niklaus. I do not wish to fight you, brother." Elijah finally breaks the tension.
"So this is how it is to be then?" Niklaus states bitterly, turning to brush past Elijah.
"Brooklyn is my mate. I love her more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire existence. And I find there is little I would not do for her." Elijah admits to his brother, Niklaus pausing at the doorway leading towards the entry from the living room. "She is justifiably angry and hurt. But she values your friendship... Your love. Do not allow your pride to prevent you from seeking reconciliation. Perhaps, given some time… We may see each other again, Niklaus. But until then, I wish you well."
"Until then I suppose." Niklaus sighs heavily, and in a rush of wind is gone.
Heading to the old witch house where Caroline and the Bennett Witch wait to rendezvous, Niklaus storms in a whirlwind of bitter anger of how things had gone.
He was angry that Elijah was proven correct (yet again). He was angry at Elijah's presence in general (he always just seemed to be in his way, a hindrance and annoyance Niklaus had to suffer through). And, he was angry that Elijah knew the truth about Brooklyn being his mate and yet had not told him.
But in the end, while Niklaus could try and blame much of his anger on his brother, most of his anger towards his brother was an excuse.
If he was truly being honest, if he faced the facts he long since ran from and tried to ignore indefinitely or bury, he was only really angry at himself; because he had hurt the one woman he would ever admit to ever loving in the centuries of his existence.
"What are you doing?" Caroline cries suddenly, taken very much by surprise, watching as Niklaus rips Tyler's shirt, nails extending into claws on his right hand, digging into Tyler's chest cavity.
"Ripping Tyler's heart out. I'll jump into someone else." Niklaus explains. "Maybe Jeremy."
"Oh my god!" Bonnie screams as Niklaus continues.
"You're hurting him! Stop! Stop!" Caroline cries weakly, though she is really in no state to protest and nearly falls over herself trying to get up, far too weak from Brooklyn's fatal bite.
"Stop, please! You're killing him!" Caroline begs weakly.
"But, I can't- I can't!" Bonnie cries.
"Then fine someone else!"
Later that evening, as the sun is setting and sending streaks of orange and red across the sky, Niklaus, in his Original Hybrid body, returned to an empty, desolate mansion, an ivory castle fit for a lonely king; Brooklyn, Elijah, and Finn, along with her pack long since gone, making their way to New York, leaving Niklaus alone and his thoughts morose and tangled.
On the table, a single note:
Good bye, brother. Until we see each other again. – Elijah