Part II: Doppelgängers and Hybrids
Chapter Thirteen
Out of Time
Mystic Falls, Virginia
August 2010
Four immortals wound a crooked path through the woods. The father chased by the children in the land of their birth; each actor filled with their own special brand of hatred.
Niklaus led Rebekah and Elijah in their pursuit of Mikael, and he was closing in fast. The Original Hybrid pushed himself further, using his new heightened powers to boost his legs forward… Just another foot… Another, and he'd grasp the wretched stake…
And then: pain. They were suddenly surrounded on all sides by witches whose low chanting began popping blood vessels in their brains. Rebekah cried out and grabbed her head while Elijah dropped to his knees. Klaus clenched his teeth in stubborn defiance, glaring at Mikael.
"Once you've been cured, Niklaus, will you regress into the same pathetic human you were a thousand years ago?"
Klaus grit his teeth harder and took a step towards his greatest enemy, even as a vessel popped in his right eye, blinding it.
"Do you think your beloved wife would stick around?"
Blood poured down his face, yet he took another step. "You know nothing of Caroline."
"I know more than you think. I know she'd pity you. But would you be man enough to let her go?"
Before Klaus could respond, Mikael flashed away, and the witches closed in. The leader stepped out of the circle and approached them.
"If you give your parents Finn's body, they will give you the White Oak Stake."
Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "We'll give you Finn's body if you give us the Cure."
"The Cure is not part of the deal."
"Then there is no bloody deal! Get out of our sight!" Rebekah roared.
Klaus pushed through the pain and snatched one of the witches. The aneurysms stopped as he bled her dry. By the time her body crumpled to the forest floor, the coven had disappeared with the use of smoke and illusionary spells – parlor tricks. Mariko would never be so cheap.
Elijah and Rebekah exchanged a loaded look in the silence that followed the coven's exit.
"Are you going to explain yourself, Nik?" snapped Rebekah. "Why would Mother accuse you of killing her?"
Elijah stared hard at his brother. "Niklaus, we've had our fair share of quarrels, but please don't tell me that you've lied about this for a thousand years."
Klaus laid a hand on his brother's shoulder and leant forward. "Does it matter?"
Elijah's brows furrowed. "Of course it matters!"
"Does it? After all they have done to us?"
Rebekah grabbed Klaus' collar and shoved him against a tree.
"No more games, Nik. Did you murder Esther?" she demanded.
"Interesting question, sister." Kol had joined them.
Klaus' glare slid from Rebekah to Elijah to Kol before turning downward. "You remember what it was like when we were turned: the passion, the confusion, the blood lust, the…anger. After the first full moon, I was reborn. The feeling of rushing through the trees without the burdens of ambition, humanity, and ego was incredible. I felt truly alive for the first time; my whole, full self. The next morning, I approached Mother. We both knew what it meant that I had turned. As did Mikael. After refusing to tell me who my real father was, she cursed me. When I realized what she had done to me, the rage took over. I tore into her and blamed Mikael because I couldn't risk you three looking at me the way you are now."
Rebekah choked back a sob and released him, turning away to wrap her arms around her torso. Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose with a shake of his head. His phone pierced the awkward silence quickly followed by Rebekah's, but they both ignored the calls. Kol looked neither upset nor angry. His expression was thoughtful as he stared at his brother.
"I will never apologize for killing her."
"We would have understood, brother!" cried Elijah.
"Are you so sure? It's hard to say. We needed to be united against Mikael and laying the blame on him made that easier."
"You're such a manipulative bastard, Nik," Rebekah snapped.
He smirked at her. "I've never claimed to be anything else, have I?"
"And you never thought to tell us the truth in the ten centuries since?" Elijah questioned.
"And what would that have accomplished? You were better off not knowing," Klaus refuted.
"That was not for you to decide!" Rebekah shouted, her phone ringing again. She dug it out of her pocket and chucked it across the clearing, but Elijah caught it.
"Now is not the time to cut off communications, Bekah," he cautioned, throwing it back to her.
"But why did you never tell us you killed Esther?" Rebekah insisted as she caught it, determined to stay focused.
"Does it make you hate him any less?" Klaus shot back.
She opened her mouth but faltered.
"Nothing you learnt here today has changed the fact that he haunted and hunted you for ten centuries."
"No, it doesn't. Nor does it change the fact you've tried to control me for those same ten centuries."
"I was protecting you!"
"Protecting me from Stefan Salvatore? From Marcellus? Their only crimes were loving me! You were jealous I had someone when you didn't! Thank the gods you weren't around to destroy my relationship with Pacari."
"I think you've done that well enough on your own, Bekah."
"Nik feared you two would abandon him if you knew the truth - his greatest fear has always been abandonment," Kol interrupted softly before Rebekah could respond.
Klaus set his jaw. Kol continued.
"Why did you wake me up, Elijah? Did you really think I would make things easier? You're the peacekeeper of the family, not me. I find the fraying edges and give them a bloody tug. You know that. I sabotage your fragile dynamic – that's why I traveled alone so much. Why you kept me outside your little trio."
"Kol, you're part of this family," Elijah asserted tiredly.
"Yes, if anyone doesn't belong it's the half-brother," Rebekah snarled nastily.
"Rebekah!" Elijah reproached.
"Maybe Kol is onto something here," Klaus drawled. "He's not wrong: he is an outsider-"
"That's his own fault," Rebekah hissed.
"-who does not have our best interests at heart. Maybe he was woken up to aid our foes," Klaus finished with a suspicious glare at his older brother.
Elijah rolled his eyes. "This again? I gave you the moonstone! I brought the sword back from Italy! I'm on your side, and so is Kol!"
"I don't think Kol has a side," said Klaus.
Kol said nothing.
"Are you even happy to be awake?" Klaus asked him. "Because I could put you right back to sleep. Elijah, if you want to join him, I have plenty of daggers."
"ENOUGH!" The sister was not amused. "Nik, fuck you for lying about Esther. And fuck off with the dagger threats – they're about as old as we are. We're not children anymore."
"Well, apparently I'm not your brother, so-"
"Shut up, I'm not bloody done-"
Elijah interrupted. "I took the dagger out of Kol because he had a right to know what was going on. Besides, Kol, you never really wanted to sleep for so long. You were being melodramatic with the whole three centuries nonsense – that's why you gave Niklaus' so many caveats."
"I resent that!"
"Did you never fear Mikael would tell us the truth one day?" Rebekah yelled to Klaus.
Kol smirked. "Why do you think Nik always kept you so close?"
Rebekah turned red.
"Stop it!" Elijah yelled. "This is what our parents want – us to fight each other instead of uniting against them."
She turned on him. "Don't brush this aside!"
"Rebekah, you know Kol is right; Niklaus feared we'd abandon him. There's nothing we can do about it now. We need to focus on the present, something our family is particularly abysmal at."
Rebekah glowered at him. Her phone rung for the fourth time and she finally answered it.
"What is it, Riko? I'm a little busy at the moment."
The brothers all heard the witch's response.
"Rebekah, Caroline is gone," Mariko muttered.
An eerie silence fell over the siblings. Rebekah blinked in shock. She glanced at Elijah before looking at her other brother with dread. Even Kol was taken aback.
The hybrid's face was calm; his only reaction was to hold out his hand. Rebekah handed him the phone reluctantly.
"I need you to repeat that for my ears, sweetheart," he crooned into the phone.
Mariko's hesitation was clear. "Nik… I'm sorry. It was Esther's fault. She exploited Caroline's fears. She's going back to the school."
Her voice cut off as Klaus squeezed his fist and smashed the device.
"Niklaus," Elijah began.
"And you wonder why I'm having trouble trusting you?" Klaus asked in a deathly whisper. "If you hadn't woken Kol, it would not have been so easy for Esther to play on Caroline's old fears. The reason for my existence is on her way to THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FUCKING WORLD! Tell me Elijah, what could you possibly say right now that will make this better?" His eyes were apoplectic with rage by the end of the speech.
"We need to stop Caroline from leaving the country," Elijah said calmly.
"Absolutely not. I wouldn't be able to stop her, and she'd only despise me for trying. No. We are done planning things out carefully. That's all we've done since we've returned from Namibia – research, planning, bullshit. Look where it's gotten us. Nowhere. We do things my way now," Klaus vowed, staring into the trees. "Our parents brought their army. It's time to build mine."
"Niklaus, don't do anything-" Elijah began, but he was already gone.
"-rash."
Thirty-six hours later.
Southern Tibet
Caroline leaned against the balustrade gazing at the violet sky and ice-capped peaks, breathing in the thin air as the wind billowed around her. She had turned her phone off on her way to the airport and had yet to turn it back on. She wasn't ready to deal with Rebekah's hurt and Elijah's quiet disappointment and Klaus'… Well, whatever his reaction would be.
She had arrived at the school a couple hours before and had not seen any of the teachers or students yet. She worried, as she often had over the years, if the school was protected enough. Deep in the mountains, far from civilization, swathed in numerous spells, and guarded by hybrids of her own making, the school was safe from most supernatural threats and virtually all human ones. But Esther and Mikael were an exception. The irony was not lost on her that she had argued Silas was the bigger threat, only to run when Esther said one sentence to her. But she could not help it. Her fear for the school ran too deep, its history scarred by atrocity.
She sensed someone behind her and turned. In the doorway to the balcony stood a vampire dressed in yoga pants and a loose-fitting tank, her freshly hennaed hands grasping a steaming cup of tea. Her long black hair was knotted up in a messy bun and she peered at her maker expectantly – perhaps even reproachfully.
"Good morning, Gita," greeted Caroline with a half grin.
"The family has been blowing up my phone for the past day and a half."
Caroline sighed. "I'm sorry. I turned mine off."
"So I've heard."
"I had to protect the school."
Gita took a sip of tea and studied the blond. "You think Emme and I can't protect Des Cendres?"
"It's Esther, Gita-"
The vampire cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Oh, I know all about it. Mariko called me as soon as you ran away. Followed by Bekah. And Elijah and Pacari."
The blond winced. "Sorry."
"What, does Kol have you all bent out of shape? That's not like you, Care. Not anymore."
"It's not him – it's me."
Gita raised a single black eyebrow in disbelief.
Caroline flushed. "What I meant is, my thoughts and feelings haven't been right since the amnesia hit."
"What do you mean?"
Caroline blinked back tears. "Well, for example, I do not remember meeting you."
Gita's eyes widened. "It's that bad?"
Her sire nodded. "He was such a huge part of my life, so many memories have been tainted."
"Nik…is the person who found me. He saved me."
"Really?"
"Really."
Caroline dug her fingernails into her palms. "I need my memories back. Without Iki and Bonnie, we can't break the curse. But I'm hoping you and Emme can help."
"We can try. We'll meet you in the Sunyata Sanctuary in an hour." Gita started to leave, then did an about-face and rushed towards Caroline. She threw her arms around her old teacher, maker, and friend. It had been too many years parted.
Caroline returned the fierce hug. "I've missed you, too."
Once she was alone again, she looked down at her phone. With a deep sigh, she turned it on; less than thirty seconds later, it began vibrating and pinging and flashing.
Ten missed calls from Rebekah. Five from Elijah. Eight from Pacari. A staggering fifteen from Elena. One from Mariko. Three from Liz, bless her. One from Tyler, and even one from Bonnie. Stefan had tried four times. Damon had not tried, but he sent a short, snarky text - Whatcha thinkin', Barbie? Most surprising of all, Klaus had not called once either. There was, however, one text amongst the dozens that stood out.
I understand why you had to return to the girls. Keep them safe. Call when you're ready. I love you.
It was the only message that wasn't yelling, berating, or asking her to return immediately. It seemed her husband understood her better than all the rest.
An hour later, Caroline sat lotus-style in the middle of the Sunyata Sanctuary, the temple of the void. When she had built this school, her goal was to create a spectacular architectural feat that would blend seamlessly into the landscape. The result was a twisting, winding complex built into a cliffside; underground, aboveground, hanging under the mountain. It was massive, with courtyards, temples, classrooms, dormitories, apartments, libraries, kitchens, a grand dining hall, and numerous other rooms. Currently, there were just under two hundred students, ages four through eighteen, and twelve teachers, not including Caroline. There had once been as many as five hundred girls, but times were changing. Girls' lives in general were not as brutal as they had been in previous centuries. Covens tended to raise their own.
Emmeline and Gita were the joint headmasters of Des Cendres. Emmeline Veravicci was born in Venice as the illegitimate daughter of a married noblewoman and a wealthy merchant. She'd cut an impressive education short by escaping to the high seas to become a formidable warrior and later general. When her adventures took her to India, she fell in love with a raj whom she married and bore two children. She died in battle with Caroline's blood in her in the 16th century.
While Caroline's memory of first meeting Gita was hazy, she remembered the important bits. Gita was an Indian orphan born into the Untouchable caste before being brought to the fledgling school in Paris. She was the only survivor of Kol's attack. When she was twenty, she begged to be turned. She was an Original-line vampire – Rebekah's sireline– because Caroline had turned her before becoming a hybrid. None in the world outranked her in swordsmanship.
As Gita lit candles, Emmeline sat beside Caroline and took her hand. Her auburn hair shone in the flickering light and the gold bangles on her wrists clinked together as she prepared to perform the spell.
"Where would you like to start?" she murmured.
"In the beginning," Caroline said softly.
Gita sat at her maker's other side and they all held hands, closed their eyes, and breathed in the incense for several long moments. Then, without warning, an image appeared behind Caroline's eyelids.
If she could just stretch a little further, she'd have her prize...The heat emanating from the freshly baked bread caressed the pads of her fingertips. Her tiny body shook with the anticipation of eating for the first time in days. Saliva burned the inside of her mouth as she imagined biting into the loaf, the flaky crust breaking way to the doughy center. Just a bit further-
"You! Out, pest! Out!" the baker had spotted her and was charging across the stall.
Gita grabbed the loaf and ran into the streets, ducking through swaths of fabric, scurrying around busy shoppers, and carefully avoiding the keen eye of the soldiers by taking advantage of her short stature. She careened down an alleyway, whipped around a few corners, and finally slowed when she spotted a little alcove near the palace out of obvious sightlines. She laid her treasure carefully in her lap as she sat, enjoying the warmth it gave off. The first bite stung from the rush of liquid from her glands, a symptom of her stark hunger, but she ignored it. The taste was heavenly. Just as she was finishing, she noticed a man with pale skin and strange dress approaching. She straightened up, glared at him warily, and laid down her last bite.
"Do not be frightened, little one," the man said in perfect Hindi. "That was quite the display back there."
"I take only enough to survive," Gita defended, suppressing a shiver against her fear.
The man smiled and held a hand to his chest as he sat in front of her. "Heaven forbid you take more than that! My child, where are your parents? Your mother? Your father?"
"None," Gita told him stoically.
"And your home?"
"None."
The man gazed at her with an intuitive expression before pulling a blanket out of his bag.
"May I, friend?" he asked in a gentle tone.
Gita nodded cautiously. He leaned forward and wrapped the thick fabric around her shivering frame. Warmth washed through her.
"Better?" the man suggested.
She nodded.
"What is your name, little one?"
"Gita."
"You have spark, Gita. I can see you are a fighter. My name is Nik. I would like to offer you a better home than the streets of Kolkata. Would you like to meet my wife?"
Gita stared at him suspiciously. She hadn't survived on the streets as long as she had without some caution. He seemed to understand her hesitation.
"I swear, I have no malintent. My wife is forming a school to train young girls. I suspect you'd be a perfect candidate," he explained to the four-year old.
"Where?" she asked.
"My wife is nearby. The school is not."
Gita frowned at him, but she was skilled at identifying liars – he wasn't one. She pointed to his flask. "Water?"
"Here; have some," he insisted, handing her the flask.
"Thank you, sir," she said. She brought the flask to her cracked lips and slurped it down. It was unlike any water she'd ever had; it tasted like sunshine. She decided to trust him then.
"Nik, are you magic?" she demanded.
He smiled warmly. "I am."
"Is your wife magic?"
"She is. In my opinion, more magic than I."
"Then I will meet her."
"Very good. Come with me," he stood up and offered his hand to her. She touched her fingers to his delicately and allowed herself to be led to another life...
The scene changed.
Emmeline's eyes fluttered open and she saw white.
Where was she? She looked around and discovered she was lying in a massive bed surrounded by many frothy layers of netting. Standing on the other side of the grand chamber was a pale, blond woman dressed in a pink sari and wearing a solemn look.
"Caroline? What is going on? How did I get here?"
"I know this will sound unbelievably surreal, but you died last night. After a mighty effort, you were struck down by a poisoned arrow shot in your back by a coward."
"I am not dead, Caroline."
"Are you so sure?"
Emmeline stared at the woman in bewilderment.
"The elixir I gave you last night to heal your wounds from the previous day's battle had my blood in it. The blood of a vampire, a bevitore di sangue. You are now one step away from complete transition."
Emmeline shoved all the netting aside and scrambled out of the bed. Her body felt strange: more agile, and stronger, but dry. She was extremely thirsty.
"I don't believe you," she protested, trying to find her shoes. "I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but I have to return to my army."
Caroline was suddenly in front of her. Emmeline blinked.
"How did you move so fast?" she asked warily, taking a step back.
Caroline put a hand on her shoulder. "I know this is hard to hear. I did not mean for this to happen, but now you are faced with a choice."
Emmeline batted her hand away and stepped back. At least, she thought that was all she was going to do – until she found herself on the opposite side of the room.
"What just happened?"
"Vampires move much faster than humans," Caroline explained.
"Can you get me a glass of water and a horse? And where are my shoes? I need to get out of here!"
The blond gestured to the nightstand. Emmeline made sure to walk towards it slowly. She eyed the water carefully before throwing it back. Every gulp seemed to light her throat on fire; she spit it out in disgust.
"That's not water!"
"You are not thirsty for water, Emmeline. Your body does not need it anymore. It needs blood. As I said, you have a choice. If you drink blood, there is no going back. You will be immortal and deal with the consequences of a supernatural existence. But if you do not drink blood, you will die tonight as a human and move on."
"Sure. I need to gather my troops and return to my husband and children."
"Unfortunately, as you are now, there is a chance you will be a threat to them. The thirst of a newborn is undeniably ruthless."
"That's enough, Caroline."
Emmeline raised her hands and felt an unfamiliar power surge through her. She watched in terror as she…zapped Caroline. As the blond hit the floor in shock, Emmeline reeled back.
"Did you just siphon my power? Are you a witch?" Caroline gaped.
She did not respond. She fled the room and sprinted down a long hallway. She turned left, searching for a way out of the palace. She had met Caroline and her family only a few weeks before, when she was on a military campaign in the mountainous regions of northern India. They had opened their vast palace to her army for many nights and provided assistance in the battles. But yesterday, she had fallen ill, possibly from cholera, and Caroline had swooped in to give her a fast-healing potion. She had been up on her feet again miraculously fast and gone on to victory in battle that night. She did remember a sharp pain in her back, now that Caroline had mentioned it… But she could not be dead. That was impossible. And vampires were myth. Emmeline was a woman who believed in science.
She turned a corner and spotted a doorway with welcome sunlight streaming through. She was steps away from sweet freedom when a man appeared, blocking her way.
"Klaus," she breathed, assessing Caroline's husband warily.
He raised his hands in surrender.
"You might not want to leave while the sun is still out," he advised.
Without even thinking about it, Emmeline raised her hands and blasted him with the power she'd taken from Caroline. Klaus stumbled against the wall grasping his forehead. She ran past him.
As soon as the light hit her face, Emmeline knew what it was to burn. Her vision faded as she sunk to the ground. Then, relief. Klaus had picked her up and was carrying her back into the depths of the palace.
He attempted to soothe her as she sobbed, "It will be alright, Emmeline. We'll help you through this. Were you aware you're a witch?"
"No, no…" she mumbled. "That was Caroline's power."
"You siphoned her power? Interesting… Not just the first Carolinian vampire – a Siphoner witch hybrid. Very interesting."
The flashbacks ended. Gita was staring at her with wide brown eyes full of curiosity. Emmeline's gaze was vacant as she gazed into the temple, images from that horrible day still whirling around in her mind.
Gita squeezed her friend's hand. "Did that help at all?"
Caroline's blood pounded through her veins. "Every time I try to fight the curse, it hurts like hell. But it was worth it."
"Then it helped your memory?" Gita pushed.
Her sire frowned. "Yes… I think so. I mean, I don't remember the scene with you because I wasn't there, but I'm seeing flashes of that day with Emmeline – from my perspective. Niklaus, he was so kind to you both."
"Nik is a good man," said Emmeline.
Caroline rubbed her scalp. "Yeah, I've realized."
"No more for today," Gita asserted. "Nik won't be so kind if we tell him we fried your brain."
"The only way to truly retract the amnesia," Emmeline started to say.
"Is with Bonnie and Mariko, I know. But Iki has to guard Silas."
"You could transport them all here with a portal," Gita suggested. "Mariko could use a binding spell on Silas."
"But then that puts Silas here, near the girls."
"Mariko and Pacari are exhausting themselves keeping his magic suppressed. We can guard him far better here," Emmeline pointed out. "And he poses no danger to the students."
At that moment, the sounds of the girls waking up – shouting, hair dryers, running water, giggling, running – announced another day at Des Cendres was about to commence.
Caroline pursed her lips. "It doesn't matter until Iki figures out how to reverse the curse."
"Don't we need to be outside?"
Mariko's eyes crinkled in amusement at Bonnie's words.
"You're not here for a sparring lesson, Bonnie. You need to learn control, aura-reading, and mindfulness. Only then can you be a great witch. Exhibitionists only attract trouble."
Bonnie slid into an armchair and cast an unimpressed look at the papers, scrolls, and grimoires on the desk in front of her. She wrapped her lace cardigan around herself defensively, stubbornly.
The two witches were in the Salvatore boarding house for their first lesson. It was clear from her body language that Bonnie was still reeling from the Silas impersonation debacle and did not trust the Undying Witch.
"Pacari told me you could teach me how to differentiate friend from foe. Fine. Cool. But I don't need a lesson in control," Bonnie grumbled.
Mariko's left eye twitched in annoyance. She ran the zipper on her vintage Grateful Dead hoodie up and down. "Oh, so you haven't started any uncontrollable fires lately! Didn't nearly burn down your own house?"
Bonnie had the decency to blush. She slid her index finger along the spine of an oversized tome called The Art of Expression Magic: A Lifestyle. "Hey, I know Silas is like, a total psycho and super dangerous, but he had a point. Why did my Grams have to die just because she used her magic? Why do we have this power if the spirits punish us for using it?"
"It's entirely illogical."
Startled, the teenager looked up in surprise. "You agree with me?"
"Well, yes. You're talking to the woman who made herself immortal, created a new super strain of vampirism, and overall, broke very single rule of witchcraft known to man," Mariko said with a smirk as she leaned across the desk and opened the giant book. Underneath the title were the words, 'Written by Riko d'Ebanne.'
Bonnie snapped her neck up to meet twinkling amethyst. "You wrote this?!"
"I've written many books over the years. I think this is one of my best, if you don't mind me saying."
Bonnie shook her head. "No…" She began eagerly thumbing through the pages.
"Now that you know I'm an accomplished author, are you willing to listen to me about control?"
Bonnie sat back with a chagrined look. "Yeah. Sorry."
"It's alright. You need control to master your senses and mind. Without control, you have no power – just silly theatrics. You might look powerful doing a fancy spell, but without control, there is no finesse. All you're doing is making a giant fire or creating an explosion – or leaving yourself vulnerable to suggestion – or worse, possession."
"Silas."
"Yes. And he could do it again if you're not careful."
"Or someone else. My ancestor Emily possessed me at least once a few months ago," Bonnie admitted.
Mariko sat down across from the Bennett Witch and looked her dead in the eye. "We have a lot of work to do."
Klaus had no presumptions Caroline would make contact – which was why he froze in shock when he pulled out his vibrating phone and saw her name on the screen.
"Caroline?" he greeted hesitantly.
"Hey."
"How are you, love? No troubles on your journey?"
"None." She paused for a moment. "I guess you talked to Gita and Em?"
"We chatted," he admitted. "Don't push yourself too hard, Caroline. It could have the opposite effect of what you intend."
"I know, I know. You're right. But I can't help wanting my memories back."
"As do I."
"I wanted to say I'm sorry. For leaving, for forgetting, for…all of it."
"Sweetheart, don't apologize for protecting Des Cendres. Or getting hit with a blast of magic while protecting me. And honestly, with both my parents in Mystic Falls, I'm relieved to have you on the opposite side of the world right now."
"That's sweet. You know, some of the older girls remember you. They seem to really like you."
"She says with an air of surprise," he mocked.
"I'm just taking it all in. Though it's true they're all head over heels for Pacari."
"Well, that's a right, upstanding bloke. Stunning, you might even say."
She laughed; it was the best thing he'd heard in days.
Caroline ended the call shortly after and Klaus returned the phone to his pocket. He had purposefully failed to mention what he was in the middle of doing. He'd known what steps he had to take to make this possible for a very long time, though he'd never had the opportunity. The stars had finally aligned. No doubt he'd give it up for his wife back, but he would not look a gift horse in the mouth.
From his location in the parking lot, he focused his gaze on the pair sitting together in the cemetery. He couldn't believe his luck. The werewolf and the doppelgänger were better friends than he had realized. Tyler was consoling Elena; he'd also lost a flawed father recently.
They finished at the grave and walked towards the werewolf's car. There would be no reason for dialogue, just swift action. Klaus flashed to the pair, pressed the girl's pressure point, and ripped open his own wrist as she fell into his arms. Tyler opened his mouth to shout, but Klaus was already pushing his forearm to his mouth and let the blood drip in as the boy struggled against the hybrid's powerful grip. Once satisfied he'd had enough, Klaus snapped Tyler's neck. He fell to the ground as Klaus carefully laid Elena in his car. He flashed back for the werewolf's corpse, placed it a little less carefully in the car, and zoomed off.
Pacari cupped his hand over his mouth and flicked the lighter until the dried leaves caught fire. The orange glow was a welcoming sight after a long day of fruitlessly searching for Klaus, texting Des Cendres, forcing Mariko to take a break from babysitting Silas, babysitting Silas, babysitting Kol, and keeping Rebekah calm. He inhaled deeply, blowing an oval of smoke into the warm summer night.
Newports. They lacked the gravitas of tobacco pipes but made up for it with menthol and convenience. He wasn't an everyday smoker, just an every-stressful-day smoker. Like the past few.
He tapped the cigarette against an ashtray and gazed up at the stars. Orion was directly above Mystic Falls tonight. He was on the front stoop of a charming Tudor-style cottage a block away from the Forbes residence. When Caroline lost her memory, Klaus had rented it to give her some space. Since her departure, Mariko, Rebekah, and Kol were all staying there, too.
His phone buzzed. Bonnie. It was only a matter of time before the Mystic Falls kids noticed the disappearance of their friends, but he had no answers for them. None that they wanted to hear, anyway.
As he tapped 'Ignore,' a car door slammed on the street and Elijah appeared at the end of the front path.
"Are Rebekah and Kol inside?" the Original asked.
Pacari nodded, flicking more embers off.
"And Niklaus?"
He pulled a face. "Elena Gilbert and Tyler Lockwood are missing."
Elijah sighed. The front door opened. Rebekah was backlit by the foyer behind her, and it made her scowl seem even more severe.
"What are you two doing out here?"
Pacari raised his Newport, which only had one good pull left.
"Hurry up," the blond snapped before turning on her heel. Elijah followed her inside.
"Did you tell Kol?" he demanded as they entered the kitchen. Kol was rummaging around the fridge. Rebekah pushed past him to grab a blood bag. She did not even bother warming it up, opting to rip it open and drink it cold.
"Tell me what?" Kol said as he peered in the freezer.
"Nik's kidnapped the doppelgänger and a werewolf," Rebekah interrupted, "which is all he needs to create an army of hybrids."
Kol emerged from the freezer with a handle of Beluga. "Good on him."
"It's playing with fire," Elijah mused as his brother took a long swig and exhaled loudly like a Russian.
"So is sitting around and waiting for our parents to strike again," Rebekah argued. "Esther's already scared Caroline off – who knows what they're planning next."
"But for Niklaus to have so much power…" Elijah glanced at Pacari, who had slunk in and was leaning against the doorjamb. "What do you think?"
Pacari clenched his jaw. "It doesn't really matter what I think; we can't stop him."
"And if these vampire-werewolves become uncontrollable?"
The Incan hybrid shrugged. "There have been Carolinian vampire-wolves for centuries, 'Lijah. Without issue."
"Your strain has always had better control over the bloodlust," Elijah pointed out.
Rebekah finished her blood bag. "Without an army, we were going to lose this war. Now we'll actually have a fighting chance."
"You're for this, sister?"
"She urged Nik to do it weeks ago," Pacari blurted, causing her to shoot him a dirty look.
"He refused because he knew it would upset Caroline. With her gone, there was no reason to delay," she sniffed.
"He's given in to his rage and fear. Again."
"It doesn't bloody matter, Elijah. We need the hybrid army."
"Esther and Mikael want Finn," Elijah said. "Where is Niklaus keeping his casket?"
"We put it in a storage unit a few exits south on 95," Rebekah supplied.
"I'll send some guards."
"Fine."
"Has anyone made contact with Caroline?" Elijah asked the room.
His sister's expression darkened instantly. "She ignored me; I'm now ignoring her."
He barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "Pacari?"
"I'm sending her daily updates about Bonnie and Silas, but other than that, no."
"I don't possess a phone, brother."
"Bekah, will you take him tomorrow to get one? He can't be so useless."
"Bloody tosser-!"
"I'm not a babysitter! You're the one who woke him up!"
"Fine, fine. I'll help Kol…assimilate. But that means you need to deal with Niklaus. Find him – soon."
Rebekah shrugged. "Not a problem."
Elijah turned to Pacari again. "Is Mariko any closer to making a counter-curse for Caroline's amnesia?"
"We're hoping to have it done within a two-week period."
"I suppose it could be worse," Elijah said with a frown, rubbing his chin.
"So, we've covered Nik, Nik's army, Caroline, Finn, my cultural evolution… Was there anything else?" Kol ticked off.
"Yes." It was Pacari. "Pour me a double. Neat."
"Bunny hunting, again? How embarrassing. You used to have a much more varied appetite," a silky voice said from behind him.
Stefan spun around, dropping his dinner. Klaus was staring at him with what could only be characterized as hungry anticipation. He was…off. Then Stefan noticed blood on his shirtsleeves and collar.
"Your family's looking for you, Klaus," Stefan said with a bravado he did not feel. He did not trust as easily as Elena. Klaus was trouble.
"Let them look," the ancient vampire taunted.
"Whose blood is that?"
As Klaus smiled his fangs flashed in the moonlight. His eyes were tawny yellow. "Mine."
Stefan frowned. "What's going on?"
"Ah, Stefan, my old friend. I'm in need of a first lieutenant. Someone I can trust. A ripper to help me keep the new recruits in line," His eerie smile began to resemble a rictus grin.
"What are you talking about?"
"You and your precious doppelgänger are going to be quite useful."
"Stay away from Elena!" Stefan roared, charging the hybrid.
Klaus caught him by the scruff of his neck with a smirk. "The people in this town seem to be under a misconception that I am harmless. When Caroline is at my side, I am a much tamer beast. My beloved wife convinced me to swear off vengeance a few decades ago, to end my pursuit of the doppelgänger and dreams of building an army of hybrids. But she's gone. Without her, I'm not so tame and I have to consider certain promises to a woman who forgot me null and void. Ah, don't look so alarmed, Stefan! You've met this side of me once before. We were best friends back then. I had a rare appreciation for your Mr. Hyde. The time has come for you to remember all the fun we had back in 1929, mate. Remember."
His pupils dilated. And Stefan Salvatore remembered.
Blood. Dancing. Power. Rebekah. Nik. Blood. Jazz. Unchecked violence. Blood, blood, blood.
Klaus watched in triumph as Stefan reeled.
"Good. Enjoy these few precious seconds, mate."
"Enjoy them?" Stefan choked out. "You stole my memories!"
"I needed to protect my family. That's why I need you to bring him back. I need my old best friend to help me build my army, destroy my enemies, and reunite me with my wife. I need him now."
Stefan tried to twist out of the hybrid's strong grip. "You're not going to compel me again! Fuck – get off!"
"That's not up to you, mate. But don't worry – you'll be thanking me in just a moment," Klaus crooned, his pupils dilating once more. "You will obey my every command, or your brother gets a stake to the heart. Now, turn it off. I want the Ripper."
A slight flicker of defiance, and then – nothing. The man was gone. Only a monster remained.
A smirk crossed Stefan's face. "Hey, Nik."
Klaus released his grip on his neck and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good to have you back, mate."
"What's all this about an army?"
"We're going to build an army of hybrids – war is upon us."
"Where there's war, there's blood. Count me in, buddy."
A/N: And now the OG Hybrid we all know and love has finally arrived. Let the games begin…