Alrighty then, here is the final chapter rated T before I change the rating of this story! I know it's a little short, but I didn't want to put too much information in this chapter, and besides I wanted an entire chapter full of Klaroline! I hope you approve!
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!
Please remember to review at the end! :)
She dressed in a simple tan dress with long flowing sleeves with gold embellished design on the bodice. Her hair was curled all the way down her back, but that was not what Elizabeth saw in her daughter when she stepped out of her room after Elijah left. She saw her daughter's light shining brighter than it had ever shown before.
"Where are you off to?" She asked when Caroline stopped in front of her to gain her appraisal.
Caroline smiled, and covered her mouth. "I can have both, mother." She stated, gleefully.
Liz smiled, and lowered her head. "I see." She whispered, sitting down in a wooden chair.
Caroline sighed, kneeling in front of her mother. "Mother, I'm not abandoning you. You must know that…" She began, but trailed off when Liz shook her head.
"I do know that, my dear." Liz whispered, touching her daughter's face gently. "You need him, just as much as he needs you." She added, tears filling her eyes. "Go to him, Caroline." She finished, with a small smile.
Caroline's vision became blurred at her mother's words. "I love you, mother." She whispered, leaning forward to wrap her arms around her mother.
"I love you too, Caroline." Liz whispered, in her daughter's ear, holding her tightly for a moment longer.
Caroline pulled back after that moment, and sighed. "I'll come visit, when I can." She whispered, smiling through her tears.
Liz nodded. "Be happy, my dear." She whispered, wiping her tears away.
Caroline nodded, and stood up to head to the door. She paused, and glanced back at her mother. Sending her mother a smile, and blowing her a kiss, she left the tiny cottage, which was once her home, and now it was just where she had lived. Closing the door behind her, she let out a shaky breathe, and felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders.
With a smile on her lips, she ran.
~X~
The cave began to tremble, and the darkness began to weaken. A loud roar resounded off the walls.
The three men trembled in the dark as their Master's anger grew in intensity.
"Something is wrong." Alaric whispered to the others.
He let out another roar, and threw the men across the room. They landed against the cold bedrock of the wall, with the stones cutting into their backs. They gasped for air, as his anger began to strangle them.
"She's stronger!" He shouted. "That damn blonde is stronger!" He shouted, anger leaking through his words, and his grasp tightened. "She figured it out!" He turned away. "How the hell did she figure it out?!" He shouted, turning back to them.
Silence encased the cave as his anger began to lessen. "New plan, boys," He began, with a proud tone. "We'll let her come back, and then we'll let her destroy Niklaus." He stated with a small dark laugh at the end.
The three glanced at each other, and their eyes widened. They were working with fire, and they knew they were about to be burned.
~X~
She stood at the entrance of the portal, and waited. Her mind raced, as did her heart. The smile had not left her face since she made the discovery a few hours ago.
She was going to see him. She tilted her head back, and laughed quietly.
Elijah's words still rang in her ears. Klaus could not give up on love. She refused to accept that, and she was going to prove to him, that love did exist.
Even if she had to bang him over the head, she was going to prove it to him. She slowly turned around when she felt someone come up behind her.
She let out a small breathe when she studied the four women in front of her.
The Bennetts dressed in their tan, simple dresses, and Esther, dressed in a white and silver gown.
"You have discovered the truth, then?" Ayanna asked, softly.
Caroline smiled, and nodded. "I have." She answered, glancing towards Esther. "I can have both." She stated, simply.
"And why can you have both?" Sheila asked, watching the young blonde carefully.
Caroline smiled, and turned her vision to them. "Because I would give up everything for Klaus, and I would never regret it." She began, with her light shining through her eyes. "I am not betraying my duties, my flowers, or my mother by following my heart." She continued, lifting her head. "My light and my powers thrive on my heart, so how could they both survive, how could I survive, when I deny my heart its one true happiness that I have found?" She asked, with a smile.
The four women smiled at her answer, and nodded.
"Well done, little one." Ayanna whispered, glancing towards Esther. "You have made a wise choice, and now you are ready." She replied, motioning towards the Queen.
Esther smiled, as she held out her right hand, and a piece of fruit magically appeared in her palm.
Caroline glanced at the fruit, and a curious expression appeared on her face. "What?" She whispered, tilting her head to the side.
Esther stepped forward, her hand extending towards Caroline. "This is a pomegranate. It is a fruit of passion, but it is also a fruit from the underworld, and from the world above." She explained, softly. "It is both, and so its power is special." She replied, glancing towards the Bennetts. "Once you eat this, you will become both, Lady of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring. You will be able to stay with Niklaus, and still come above to attend to your duties." She added with a smile.
Caroline's eyes widened as she looked at the small pink fruit in Esther's hands. "What about the rest of the food in the underworld?" She asked in a whisper.
Esther smiled tenderly. "You can eat whatever you wish there, my dear. The food will have no effect on you, not when you eat this." She amended.
Caroline nodded, and slowly reached for the fruit. "Does he know?" She asked, glancing down at the firm fruit.
Esther shook her head. "We have not informed him." She answered, glancing at the Bennetts. "We thought it would be best if it came from you." She added, smiling.
Caroline smiled. "Thank you." She returned, lifting the fruit to her lips.
"Before you bite," Ayanna remarked, halting Caroline's movement. "There is one tiny little detail you should know." She began with a smile.
Caroline shrugged her shoulders. "What?" She asked, kindly.
"Once you become the Lady, you will have no need to use the portal. You will be able to disappear and reappear wherever you wish to in the realm, like you can here." She replied, moving her hands to the portal and then to Caroline.
Caroline smiled, and nodded. Glancing at the others, she lifted the fruit once more to her lips, and took a big bite of the pink fruit. She hummed at the sweet taste, which filled her mouth, and slowly chewed the seeds, though a few had begun to drizzle down her chin and neck.
Her eyes closed at the pleasure she began to feel, and slowly felt something else happening. She opened her eyes, and glanced down at her clothes, and found them changed to a darker color. She lifted her gaze to the others, and returned their kind smiles.
"It is finished." Emily replied, kindly.
Caroline glanced down at her hand, and noticed the fruit was gone, and then she began to notice it. "I feel…" She began, touching her stomach lightly.
Ayanna nodded. "It's your powers. They are extending to the realm of the underworld. It will take time to become accustomed to it, but you will." She replied, softly.
Caroline nodded in understanding, and looked up to Esther. "Thank you for doing this." She whispered, softly.
Esther smiled. "It was nothing, dear one. I just want my son to be happy, and to have the kind of love I wish I had." She replied, with a hint of sadness.
Caroline nodded slowly, and touched Esther's arms lightly. "I'm sure you will." She whispered, glancing to the others. "I'm ready." She whispered, stepping back.
The Bennetts smiled, and nodded. "Good luck, Goddess." They replied in unison.
Caroline let out a small laugh, as she closed her eyes, and focused on the place she wanted to go.
As her body began to disappear, the four women glanced at each other.
"Now their trial begins." Ayanna whispered, with a hint of sadness.
Esther sighed. "How long do they have?" She asked, nervously.
Ayanna shook her head. "Not long enough. A week at most." She answered, sadly.
Esther nodded, and closed her eyes. She hoped her son was strong enough, and if not, she hoped he was stronger with Caroline at his side.
~X~
Slowly Caroline felt her body become lighter, until it was nothing, and then it was something. It happened so quick, she didn't think it had happened at all.
As she opened her eyes, she looked around her, and smiled. She had appeared in Klaus' bedroom.
It was perfect.
She covered her mouth with her hands, and let out a small shout of glee.
It had worked. She was here. Actually here. She turned around, and smiled at the familiarity of the room. It seemed like she had never left.
She looked towards the door, and smiled at the thought of Klaus opening the door to find her there.
Would he be happy? Would he be upset? Would he run into her arms? Would he shun her? Would he make up for lost time?
All those thoughts seemed to drown in her mind, as she sat down on the edge of the bed, facing the door, and waited.
~X~
Klaus had had enough for the day. He had dealt with the spirits, and listened to the complaints, until his ears felt like they were going to bleed.
He knew the spirits missed Caroline, but there was nothing he could do. He wanted her here, but she was never going to give up her life above for an eternity in the darkness, even if she did truly love him.
He heard the spirits mourn for the loss of their light, and couldn't blame them. Caroline was their bright spot, and she was gone.
He walked down the lonely dark corridor towards his room, and shook his head. Caroline's wolf had taken up with walking beside Klaus, and never straying too far from him.
He smiled faintly at the loyalty. Though it wasn't loyalty to him, it was loyalty towards Caroline, which was why Klaus never sent him back to the pack.
He couldn't bear to part with anything that had a connection with Caroline. It was his curse. He knew.
He would be doomed to be the man who never had any light. He would be the dark Lord of the Underworld for the rest of eternity.
He would never have love, or true happiness.
He would only have loneliness, solitude, and anger.
He would forever hate those who took it away from him. He would never forgive them. He would shun them for eternity.
All because of love.
He scoffed to himself as he turned down the corridor towards his room.
Love.
Love was a fickle thing. It played him for a fool, but would he take back his love for her? Klaus sighed, and shook his head.
No, he wouldn't. He would still love her, and still yearn for her.
She had brought light into his life, and made him a better man, but now, there was no good left in him.
He was a dark man, now, and there was no chance of the good ever returning.
He paused at his door, and glanced down at the wolf, who sat down at the door. "Good night." He whispered to the wolf, as he touched the doorknob.
~X~
Caroline's heart beat faster when she watched the knob slowly turn, and faintly heard his accent voice on the other side.
She bit her bottom lip, as the door slowly opened, and the man of her dreams entered, with his head down, until he closed the door behind him.
Slowly his eyes lifted, and caught hers.
For a moment time seemed to stand still for the both of them.
Caroline felt her heart beat faster than ever, and she could swear he could hear it.
Klaus couldn't believe his eyes. She was here. She was…Wait.
He frowned as he slowly took a step forward. Was she really here? Or is this a trick?
Caroline noticed the speculation in his eyes, and she smiled lightly. "Hello, Klaus." She whispered, when he stopped two feet in front of her.
"I'm dreaming." He whispered, in a broken tone. "You're not really here." He added, softly.
Caroline shook her head. "You're not dreaming, Klaus." She whispered, lifting her right hand. "Can a dream touch your face?" She whispered, caressing his face, watching his eyes widen. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed into his. "Can a dream love you?" She whispered, as his right hand lifted to touch her face.
"Caroline?" He whispered, brokenly. "You're here." He added, though it was barely recognizable.
Caroline nodded, and turned her face into his hand, and kissed his palm. "I'm here, and I'm here to stay…forever." She stated, through her tears.
Klaus couldn't believe his ears. "Forever?" He asked, trying to understand.
She nodded. "Forever." She reiterated, smiling.
Klaus searched her eyes, and wanted to ask more, but he couldn't. Not now. She was here. She chose him. Somebody had chosen him.
With a low growl, he leaned forward, and with a wild, feverish passion, he kissed her.
She was there.
She chose him.
What did you think? And please NO HARSH COMMENTS!
You won't have long to wait for the next chapter! I hope to have it finished today!
Until Next Time...