Hello loves!
As usual, thank you all so much for the favs and follows, I'm blown away by the amount every time I check in. On another note, I might just do a double update this weekend considering it's my birthday this Monday. Kinda sucks 'cause it'll be in Quarantine but hopefully it'll still be awesome. I'm also genuinely curious whether or not any of my friends will message me considering it's my half term and everything now... Hm, guess I'll see.
But as always, let's get on with it! I own nothing.
~*•°•*~
Aria remembered walking into the crypt forcefully after Kol had told her not to look back. She remembered seeing Davina on the floor, candles lit up in every corner of the room making the cold crypt seem almost inviting as she recited a spell that did God knew what. Then she saw, well, her body.
Her body was lying under a tarp on the floor but she could still see her face, it was frozen. Unmoving. And it was decidedly creepy considering that she was staring at her own dead body. In all honesty, if she hadn't had complete faith in Davina, she might've tried stopping the witch from doing the spell. She'd only recognised a few of the ingredients hastily strewn around the crypt but it was already enough to make her sick.
Then again, she thought, Dahlia probably used incredibly dark magic to 'save me'. The reversal would have to be just as dark, right? Suppose it makes sense.
Her thoughts proved futile because as soon as Davina began chanting, she felt it. A tug. It was almost like she was physically being pulled in one direction and then the other before up, down, left right all over again and damn it all to hell, it hurt. But she knew it was tugging her towards her body and she knew that Davina – brilliant, brilliant Davina – had managed to do the spell correctly.
This was it.
She was going to be alive again!
If she was able, if she wasn't frozen out of pure shock that she'd actually be alive again after months of being trapped with Dahlia, she would have sobbed in relief. Well, realistically, she would've sobbed anyway considering the blinding fear that spiked through her body whenever the name Dahlia rang through her head. For the second time, she was literally shaken out of her thoughts as she felt another tug, this one infinitely more severe than the last one, pull her closer to the corpse on the ground.
Supressing a scream, she suddenly went silent. Her thoughts were cut short and her movement ceased because the next thing she knew, everything was silent. She couldn't hear anything, she couldn't see anything, she couldn't smell anything and she couldn't feel anything.
Well, for a time. As her senses slowly returned to her, the first thing she noticed was that her neck hurt like hell again, almost as if it had just been slit. The blinding pain told her that for sure. The second thing she noticed, was that she couldn't actually see if it even was slit. She couldn't open her eyes. Why couldn't she open her eyes?
"Aria?"
Davina. Davina was talking to her. Her voice was scratchy and tired. It sounded like she'd been crying. Why would she have been crying? What had happened?
For a long moment, Aria struggled to figure out which muscle did what, flexing one after the other, hoping that one of them might do what she needed, let her see and speak to her best friend to find out what was wrong. I swear… if Thierry stole any of Davina's things again… Her thoughts trailed off. Thierry was always doing that, stealing Davina's things. But why would Davina have been crying about it? She tried to open her eyes again but her brain couldn't process where the body parts she needed were. With each shift, she became more aware of herself, how itchy the tarp felt against her skin and how hard the ground was. With each shift, all of her memories slowly came flooding back to her until they stopped.
Now she knew why Davina had been crying, Freya Mikaelson had given the teenager a spell – God knew how – that would resurrect Aria. That was why she was crying. She was afraid it might not have worked.
"Aria! Please tell me you can hear me." Davina's breath caught in her throat, "Come on, 'Ari. Just open your eyes. Open your eyes for me. Please."
Eyes! Eyelids. That was the body part Aria needed! But where were they? She twitched a few muscles in her face before she remembered which ones she needed. There. She finally found them and blinked against the dim light that the countless candles dotted around the crypt provided.
"Davina?" She croaked before a large smile spread across her face.
"Aria!" Davina murmured, grinning wider than Aria had ever seen before she embraced her tightly, "Oh my God, I did it, I did it! I didn't think it would work, I thought it was a cruel trick but you're here!"
It took her a minute to find the muscles she needed to hug her friend back but when she did, she was grasping the witch like her life depended on it, "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Aria murmured before pulling away.
Tears were falling down Davina's face but she was still smiling. Aria was smiling too. But then it hit her; Freya and Kol. Her eyes widened and she turned around so quickly it almost gave her whiplash, "Kol? Freya? Kol!" She called out.
No answer.
They wouldn't have left. No. No they wouldn't. But why couldn't she see them? It took her a moment or two for all the memories to come back but when they did, when she remembered how unlikely it was that she'd be able to see either of them, she felt numb. Absolutely, unequivocally and undeniably numb.
Davina shook her gently, "Aria?" She asked softly.
She hadn't even realised that tears had started leaking out of her eyes until Davina turned her away from the entrance and she found her vision suddenly blurry, "What is it?"
Aria stared ahead blankly, tears slowly trickling down her face from the corners of her eyes. She'd known it wasn't likely she'd see them again but now that it was her reality… She didn't want this to be the end. Anyone who knew her knew how much she despised change. Her past few months, all the banter and friendship, not even just with Kol but with Freya too… What had come to be her life would never be her reality again. How had she managed to become so reliant on them both in mere months?
And how awful of a person was she?
That thought hit her like a ton of bricks and the numbness disappeared, being replaced with the awful feeling of shame. Guilt. How awful was she, feeling sad that she'd never see Kol and Freya again even though she was alive? This was what Aria had wanted. Life. But she was being ungrateful, focusing on what she wouldn't and couldn't have rather than what she did have.
"Aria? What is it?"
She found herself choking back a sob.
"They're gone." Was the only thing she managed to murmur before she felt herself collapsing down to the ground, barely avoiding grazing herself against a sharp rock on the floor, guilt eating away at her for grieving the wrong thing until eventually, the tears stopped.
Across the room, unknown to both the Harvest witches, a lone tear fell down each of the Mikaelsons' faces, "Goodbye, little witch." Kol murmured.
~*•°•*~
Surprisingly enough to Aria, the world continued to spin even after Kol and Freya's disappearances. The sun still shone, the wind still blew and the lives of everyone in New Orleans continued to go on.
And she wasn't quite sure what to think of it.
In a matter of months, these two had managed to singlehandedly become two of the most important parts of her life and now they were just… gone. That was the first thought she'd had after waking back up in the crypt, both her and Davina having fallen asleep. She'd momentarily worried about Dahlia before reminding herself that she already had limited power in the living world, just as Aria had. Just as Freya probably had. She wouldn't dare risk her precious power by pushing it too far.
Would she?
She was shaken out of her thoughts when Davina woke next to her, the adrenalin now having left her feeling as she had the previous day or two since she'd been woken up, "Davina?"
She smiled tiredly at her, "You're here. You're here, it wasn't just a dream!"
Aria let out a small laugh before looking around them, "I think we should get out of here, don't you? Before the sun comes up?"
Davina nodded and the duo carefully left the crypt and then the graveyard, Aria leading Davina down the backroads until they reached the back of the church again. Aria sighed and looked up to the window. It wouldn't be the best plan to just walk through the front doors considering no one knew she was alive. No, definitely not, "I'll be able to get us up there." She murmured before spinning around to face Davina with a small grin, "Just be careful alright? Can't have you fainting on me."
Davina rolled her eyes slightly and, with Aria's help, she managed to climb up to the window by gripping onto the piping that ran down the back of the Church and some of the window ledges, Aria following suit. Reaching over to the window, Aria grunted as she pushed it open for both her and Davina to climb in. She took a deep breath and collapsed against the wall after climbing into the small corridor only to be greeted by a slightly smiling Davina, "I am never doing that again." She stated as Aria grinned tiredly.
"Too bad. I was doing it when I was ten. You know, Diego was the worst babysitter I have ever had." She said as the duo walked into the attic. Davina moved straight to the bed and sat down on it as Aria suddenly frowned and walked closer, placing a single hand on her forehead, "You look pale. And you're flushed. I know it wasn't because we just climbed a building."
"Not feeling too good." She murmured quietly in reply. Aria looked up when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs and Davina quickly pushed her behind a corner to hide as the door opened. Her eyes widened when she heard Marcel's voice,
"Hey, D, how you feelin'? Got you some stuff. Organic soap, and scented candles, some incense. Just trying to help you get back to feeling, you know, yourself." He waited a beat, "Word on the street is the witches are celebrating. Three out of the five girls sacrificed in the Harvest have come back. First, it was your friend, Monique, and then another girl, now you. What I hear, the others are saying that the Ancestors were with them while they were, uh, dead. You know, talking to them, teaching them. They say they're stronger than ever… Was it like that for you?"
Davina shook her head, "There was nothing. It was cold, empty, and dark. And it went on forever."
Aria felt horrible.
"I'm sorry, D."
"I don't want to talk about it. Please, Marcel, don't make me."
"Alright. I-I won't." He paused, "Did uh, have you heard about anything about Aria?" He asked after another moment.
Aria's heart broke again at the desperation in her father's voice, "Look, D, I-I know I'm not the best dad in the world, but I… I need to know if you've heard something. Anything."
He wasn't the best father and he knew that, he wouldn't pretend like he was. He had a tendency to put others at the back of his mind because he always focused on the moment and whoever was important in that second. Besides, he didn't have much to go on. First, his biological father disowned him, practically threw him away and second, Klaus Mikaelson took him in, raising him in a family of vampires and then abandoning him in 1919. But he wouldn't blame his bad parenting skills on them.
Despite everything, he did love Aria. And yeah, he had some weird ways of showing it sometimes, but it was the truth. And he only prayed that she knew that. That she'd known that when she… when she had…
Davina ignored his question as she risked a glance over to Aria before sighing, "Marcel… I did something last night."
Marcel looked at her in confusion and Davina waved Aria over to them. Aria sighed and took a deep breath before walking out from behind the wall.
Marcel's eyes widened and he let out a sudden breath as Aria smiled, "Hi dad."
Before she could say anything else, she was bundled in Marcel's arms, his chin resting on her head as he let out a shaky breath before pulling away, "You're here. You're alive." He said with a soft and utterly relieved smile as he cupped her chin gently. He sounded like he was reassuring himself.
"I'm here."
He bundled her closer again before looking at Davina over Aria's head, "Thank you, Davina."
"I didn't do it for you. Or for me. I did it for 'Ari."
Marcel turned back to Aria, "Was it-was it like what happened to Davina for you? Or…"
Aria flinched, "Marcel, stop. No it wasn't. Don't talk about it."
"I won't. I won't." Marcel said quickly, "But… God, I'm so glad you're okay."
Aria smiled but it felt forced, "So am I."
Almost an hour later, the door opened again and the two girls looked up as Cami walked in, practically running towards the duo with relief,
"Davina? Aria?" She asked as she sat down on the bed and hugged them both tightly, "Marcel told me you two were up here. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Davina looked at Cami blankly before, after slight hesitation, she sighed, "I died." She shrugged quietly, "And at first, I was alone, but then I heard them. Voices, whispering to me."
"Who?"
"The Ancestors." Davina whispered, fear flashing in her eyes, "They're so angry with me. I used my power against my own, and they said they'd do horrible things to me if I misuse my magic again. They said that Aria was somewhere worse. That she was in danger. And they said that only I would be able to resurrect her. But only if she didn't die again first."
Cami froze for a moment before turning to an uncomfortable Aria, "Aria?"
"I don't want to talk about it." She looked up to Cami, "Please." She begged as Cami nodded.
"Of course." She stood up, "I've studied the effects of trauma and abuse. The witches that forced you two into that ritual, they've lied to you two. They hurt you two-"
"Cami There is nothing you've studied in some book that can help us." Davina murmured darkly, an edge to her voice as she looked up at her friend.
"Okay, forget the books. Let me tell you two what I know from experience. When my brother died, I never thought I'd be okay again. I cried for weeks. I blamed myself. I blamed him, and then I realized all that… sadness was swallowing me up. And I made a choice. I wasn't going to let it. You two can make that choice, girls."
Aria scoffed, "You say that like it's so simple, but the witches aren't just gonna let us go. They're not done with Davina. Not yet. And the Ancestors sure as hell aren't done with me."
"No one can control you unless you let them."
Davina stood up, anger suddenly overtaking her, "How do we even know who to trust? Should we trust Marcel? The first thing he did when I came back was try to use me again to help Rebekah. Be honest, Cami. Isn't there something you want, too?"
Cami frowned guiltily, "Yeah. My uncle is sick. I thought you could help him." She admitted. Davina's eyes widened as she sucked in a harsh breath before letting out a bitter laugh. Cami quickly backtracked and rushed over to her, cupping her hands gently, "But that's not why I'm here. I care about you both. I want to help you both. And I know Aria would want me to help you." She said, looking over her shoulder to Aria.
"What can you do?" Davina demanded, "When I came back, the voices I heard, they said the only ones who could help me are the witches. But, after what I did to them, they hate me. So, how can I go back and ask for their help now? Aria is the only one who understands what I went through." She said shakily as Aria jumped off of the bed and ran over to her, the trio each going down onto their knees as they comforted one another alike.
That was how they all stayed, until both the teenagers had drifted off into fitful sleeps, each with their own dreams and nightmares about the horrors that the Ancestors and Dahlia had forced upon them when Marcel walked in.
"How are they?" He asked gently as Cami sighed.
"Davina's depressed. Aria's absolutely terrified of… something. They need real help. Maybe a stay in an institution where they can get round-the-clock care and medication."
Marcel shook his head immediately, "No, no, no. They stay in a place like that, they are never getting out." He denied.
"You have a better idea?"
"I could take Davina back to her people. And Aria can go with her."
"What?" Cami questioned incredulously.
Marcel sighed, "There are bigger things going on here, Cami. It's the only chance that they have."
"We have to talk about this. Aria hates the witches, she has her whole life-"
"And now, she's a Harvest girl. They'll treat her right. It's too dangerous for her to be around the vampires right now. My guys are too weak, we're not what we used to be. We can't protect her anymore. Besides, she'd never leave Davina."
"Marcel-"
Marcel sighed and looked at Cami, at a loss for any other option, "I'm not asking for permission."
~*•°•*~
Hours later at the Lycée, Marcel walked in and stopped in front of Genevieve,
"So we have a deal?" She asked as Marcel sighed.
"Aria and Davina are asleep. When they wake up, I'll explain everything. Then I'll bring them here. Meantime, we need to lower that barrier."
Genevieve sighed, "Celeste cast a powerful spell. Fortunately for you, she's gone. Her power bled back into the earth." She lit a candle in front of her, "Now, I can channel it, manipulate it. It'll take some doing, but then, I'm pretty good at what I do."
"One more thing, I need you to fix the priest." He said as Genevieve laughed,
"Sorry. A hex like that, if it's had time to take root, there's no undoing it."
Marcel gritted his teeth as his fists clenched dangerously, "Fine. Just get Rebekah out."
"I'll have to undo the entire spell. Can't let one Original out without letting them all out."
"It doesn't matter. And just so you know, even if Klaus is free, if you hurt Aria or Davina in any way-"
Genevieve smirked, "Marcel, it's over. You lost. Try and have a little dignity."
~*•°•*~
"Is there a reason why you lot are loitering in my home?" Klaus questioned, walking into the Compound hours later as Marcel made himself known.
"I asked them to be here. You and I need to settle this out in the open."
"I thought you would've run off by now." Klaus taunted.
"Yeah, well, this is my town. You may want me to beg forgiveness, but I'm not sorry. I may not be able to beat you, but I came here to face you, to end this in front of my people. If you're gonna kill me for that, get on with it." Marcel announced, moving to stand in front of Klaus. The Hybrid looked at him and for a moment, he looked as though he was about to say something before deciding to remain silent and walking away. Confused, Marcel watched after him until Elijah appeared in the Courtyard, pushing Marcel up against the wall so suddenly that none of the vampires could even attempt to stop him.
"Good evening. I trust I need no introduction. After all, this was once my family home. Tonight I'm taking it back." He announced, turning to the crowd, "Your privileges here have been revoked." He said before turning back to Marcel, "Marcellus, out of respect for my sister, I will grant you this one mercy. I will allow you to keep your life. However, you're hereby exiled. If I so much as find a trace of you in the French Quarter, it will not end well for you. Do you understand? Your daughter may still reside here, she will not be punished for your grievances." He said as Marcel closed his eyes in relief. Elijah waited a beat before turning back to the crowd, "That is all. Run along." He said.
Most of the vampires did as he said and filed out whilst the remaining ones were shooed out by the others.
A voice began to speak from the floor above, "Nicely done, brother. You're beginning to sound like me. I'm impressed." Klaus murmured, smirking as Elijah looked up at him, expression blank.
~*•°•*~
"Rebekah?" Aria questioned curiously. Rebekah smiled slightly and walked further into the Cemetery she'd been trapped in mere hours ago, "What're you doing here?"
"I know we never had much time together to… bond or anything, but I came to say goodbye."
"Goodbye?"
"Nik and I came to a sort of… all or nothing arrangement. I leave town for good and he allows me to." She shrugged, "Can't pass that up."
Aria smiled sadly, "A thousand years with Klaus… I don't think I'd be able to handle it either. You deserve some time off. Although I would've liked to get to know you better. I wasn't lying when I said it was a pleasure to meet my namesake. Dad might not be the best with emotions, but he sure as hell talked about you. Like a lot." Aria said, an amused smile playing around her lips as Rebekah smiled softly before turning serious.
"Listen, about Nik… he is a monster. Do not ever cross him. But, understand that he does want more from life than to just be feared. Even if he may be a monster towards you. Hayley's baby is hope for him. Truly, it is. Just, be careful, please."
"I will. And, you know, you'll always be able to visit. I've been known to keep a secret or two from Klaus."
Rebekah smiled, "I'll try best I can." She murmured before walking away, Aria's eyes trailing her as she left the grounds.
This city would be getting a hell of a lot more boring now that it was down three Mikaelsons.
~*•°•*~
As Always, SecretMidnightRose
