The full moon.
The day had arrived, Elena and Klaus had barely slept, they didn't know what to expect from the day and didn't want to waste the limited time they had together; they spoke about everything that could go wrong, if they tried to mind control him again, if someone gets hurts and if the harvest doesn't work.
They even delved into there future plans for a short while, they decided on Europe for there trip after the battle, it gave her hope and just that touch more of willpower to want to get it through it; everything between them felt more real now then it ever did and she couldn't lose that, not now.
They where sat in the back garden, the sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze that swayed the trees on the outskirts of the property, the grass had been freshly cut and the smell of nature filled the air; it was only 7am, they assumed they had some time to be at peace together before all hell broke loose.
"This is perfect," she spoke, she was lay down on a lounge chair with a pair of shorts and a tank top on, she was soaking up as much sun as she could, Klaus was beside her on the other chair and there hands where joined in the gap between them.
"You're perfect," he said with a kind smile, gently squeezing her hand a bit more.
"Stop, you'll make me blush," she mused, a small grin appearing on her lips.
"I mean it," he sat up in his chair, turning his body to face her and letting his legs fall over the side so his feet where touching the ground, "you're perfect in every way."
She lifted the sunglasses from her face and placed them on the side table, turning her gaze to him, "see? Now I'm blushing."
"I love how red your cheeks get, it's perfect," she chuckled slightly at his words before pulling herself up into a sitting position, a coy smile resting on her face.
"How did I get so lucky?" She stood from the chair and sat down on his lap, her arms swinging around his neck and her legs wrapping behind his back, "I love you, Klaus Mikaelson, always."
"Always.." his voice trailed off, his mind beginning to race at a thousand miles per hour, so many thoughts bouncing around his head, he could only comprehend one, "marry me, Elena."
"What?" She exclaimed, her lips parting slightly at his words; she was convinced he was joking and nervously laughed it off.
"I'm being serious," he spoke, lifting her from his lap and placing her feet on the floor, he took her hands in his and went down on one knee.
"Klaus-"
"Elena, the time I've spent with you has been the happiest of my entire existence, I've never known anyone like you and I want only to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me?"
She paused for a long moment, she was completely surprised and rendered temporarily speechless; she wasn't doubting her love for him, only her ability to be a wife. She stared intently at him, seeing only the love he has within him and the way he made her heart skip a beat every time he walked into a room, the hybrid she once feared was now the love of her life, there was no hesitation left, he was everything.
"Yes," she smiled happily, her gaze locked onto his in loving stare, "I'll marry you."
"I love you," he spoke, a wide grin appearing on his lips as he stood up and whisked her up in his arms, she instinctively wrapped her legs around him and crushed her lips against his, her hands where cupping his face and she sunk into him.
"I love you too," she returned her lips to his and he carried her inside the house; using his speed, he carried her up to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them and they spent the next 2 hours completely sunken into each other.
-w-
Elena was perfectly content, she was sat at her dressing table running a brush through her hair and wondering what it would be like to be married to the man she loves, to be a wife and everything that comes along with that; Klaus had left the room after he was dressed and ready for the day but after the morning they spent together, she needed to just embrace the peace she was feeling.
She could hear the whole family walking and speeding around the mansion, she felt guilty for feeling so happy on a day that was supposed to be the complete opposite, they had a battle to face and one that wasn't going to be won so easy but they had to get through it.
Klaus appeared behind her like a blur and wrapped his arms around her, placing small and soft kisses along her neck; a warm smile spread on her lips as she dipped her neck slightly, her eyes closing at the heat his touch brought her, "if you want me to focus today, you're going to have to stop doing that."
Klaus smirked against her skin, using every ounce of strength he had to pull his lips away from her and just remained embracing her, "you make it incredibly difficult to stop."
"After today, we'll never have to stop," she grinned, before placing her lips on his and indulging in a long and heated kiss.
Knock, knock.
Klaus dipped his head onto her shoulder for a long moment, a small groan escaping his lips, "I can't catch a break."
Elena chuckled lightly before turning to look at the door, "come in."
The door opened and Elijah stepped inside the room, his face was solemn and his entire demeanour screamed nervous, "it's time, we have to go."
"Is everything ready?" Klaus asked, before standing upright and turning completely serious.
"Everything is in place, Bonnie is waiting with Marcel and Davina at the compound, they'll join us when the moon reaches its apex."
"Rebekah and Kol?" Klaus spoke.
"Waiting for us downstairs."
"Elena, are you sure you want to do this?" Klaus turned his attention back to Elena, she stood from the chair and nodded her head.
"Yes, let's just get through it," she was trying to be brave but her stomach was in knots, if she didn't have Klaus by her side, she'd be paralysed with fear; she walked towards Elijah and smiled softly towards him, "everything will be fine, something will work."
"I hope so, Elena," he spoke with a soft voice, a small smile curling up on his lips; she could see the fear in his eyes, his emotion was apparent on his face.
"Let's go," Klaus spoke as he walked up to them both, Elena turned her gaze to him and forced a small smile before he took her hand and they walked out of the bedroom; they joined Rebekah and Kol downstairs and they stood in a small circle, coming together in a group hug for a long moment.
"Always and forever," Rebekah spoke.
-w-
They all arrived at the farmhouse, they used there speed to travel as they didn't see the point to driving; they stood a short distance away from the entrance and scoped the place out, there where people walking around inside and there was several vampires standing guard outside, they where definitely on edge.
"Let's get this over with," Rebekah spoke with an attitude before speeding towards the vampires guarding the entrance, the others joined her moments later as to not leave her alone, "I'm sure you know we where coming."
The vampires looked at each other for a brief moment before turning there attention to the rest of the family, he nodded his head and they stepped aside, opening the door in the process; Rebekah barged past them and the others followed her in. They where stood in a long hallway, the floor had emptied and there wasn't a soul in sight.
Elena was glancing around the area, the hallway had doors leading to other rooms on both sides and there was a staircase just to the left of them, nothing had changed since she was last here, only that it felt darker. She could only wonder what they had been doing here in the last week, whatever was left a mark and she could feel it.
"Are we supposed to just stand here all day?" Rebekah exclaimed, her mood was worsening and she was reaching full blown rage, "hello?"
Elena was gripping Klaus' hand, she got a wave of flashbacks when she entered the building, everything about that night came flooding back, not just the images in her head but the fear she felt and the betrayal, she couldn't risk losing him again; he had been quiet and more troubled than earlier, he felt the same, he forgot how much The Order can manipulate him and it brought only fear to him.
"My apologies for keeping you all waiting," a voice emerged from the top of the stairs, all eyes darted to the sound and they watched intently, they all stood a touch closer to each other and they where ready for anything they could possibly throw at them.
Elena's heart began to race when the person was revealed, it was the same warlock that had taken her last time, he was wearing the same hooded jacket and blue jeans, his face was still hidden by the shadow from the hood but she could see a glimpse of the scar on his face. She inhaled a sharp breath when he lifted his head and stared only at her.
Klaus pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her and holding her safely against him, although she tried to find some comfort in him, she couldn't, she had tried to be brave all weak but she was crumbling now that her situation was becoming a reality, she might not make it through the night.
"Elena, I am grateful you held up your end of the bargain and that you came back," his voice was low and deep.
She pushed away her fear as much as she could but she was rendered speechless, she didn't know how to act, she couldn't scream or runaway and she couldn't be as strong as Rebekah, she could only accept her fate, "I told you we would."
"Yes, you did," he smirked slightly before walking slowly around the group, inspecting every inch of each sibling, they where all on high alert but they had no weapons, nothing that would signal they where attempting to fight, "come with me."
"What?" Elena's lips parted slightly, her gaze flickering between Klaus and him.
"The rest of you will follow my associates," he gestured his arm towards the end of the hallway where a group of vampires stood.
"I'm going with Elena," Klaus spoke through clenched teeth, positioning his body between them both.
He didn't respond well to his demands, he didn't even have to use his hand, he simply stared into his eyes and Klaus was on his knees, screaming out in pain and holding onto his head; Elena knelt down beside him and placed her hand on his cheek, "I'll go with you, just stop."
"No more demands, you do as I say or your suffering will only worsen," he focused his eyes harder onto Klaus, small droplets of blood fell from the hybrids ears and his screams where becoming muffled.
"Fine, we'll co-operate, let him go," she stood up and approached him, her eyes still locked onto Klaus; he dropped the spell and the screaming stopped, the whole family eased a tad when he was released but the whole situation left everyone uneasy.
"If there are any more disruptions, I will be forced to use my mind control spell, I will not accept any form of disobedience, am I making myself perfectly clear?" He spoke down to Elena, he knew only she would be affected by his words, the others could see through him but not her, her emotions where on her sleeve when it came to the safety of her loved ones.
"Crystal," she scowled, feeling that courage and bravery rising within her.
"Good, follow me," his voice returned to normal and he began walking up the stairs, Elena looked at them all with hope in her eyes, she couldn't let them believe she was scared, they would attack and they needed to stick with the plan, so she followed him with her head held high.
They made there way to the attic, 3 floors later and they where there; the room hadn't changed, there was only more magical equipment, there was things there she'd never seen before or she was clueless as to what most of it would do.
"The full moon is in 6 hours, we have much to prepare," he was moving around the room, there where several tables filled with different magical equipment, they each had a brass bowl in the centre but the ingredients varied; on one table there was natural ingredients, things that could be found growing from the earth, the second had various bones spread across it and the third had an amulet, a relic and smaller bowls that had runes engraved on them. She didn't like the look of that one the most.
"What's your name?" She asked, trying to distract herself from the situation.
He was silent for a long moment, contemplating his answer and whether he should respond at all; he continued to mix the ingredients from the first table before he turned his gaze to Elena, "you can call me Seth."
"I'm guessing that's a shortened version of your real name? You're much older than that name, right?"
"You are correct," he spoke, before continuing with the preparation of the spell.
Elena began slowly walking around the room, she knew she could push her luck to some extent, he couldn't kill her after all, "what's all this stuff for?"
"This will ensure the ritual goes smoothly," he was talking to her but his focus was on his craft.
"What spell are you working on now?" She walked to the table in the centre of the room and picked up the amulet, inspecting every inch of it; there was gems and an inscription she couldn't read, it was in a language that was unfamiliar to her, it was probably ancient.
"It's not so much a spell as it is a charm," he'd finished adding the ingredients and turned around to face her, "it's a potency charm, it will focus and strengthen my magic and the connection I have to external power."
"This is beautiful," she said, as she looked further into the amulet, "the shape is a triquetra, right?"
"Correct," he walked towards her and took it from her hands, gently placing it back on the table, "and it's very old, it belonged to your ancestor."
"Which one?" She rolled her eyes slightly, "another doppelgänger, huh?"
"The first."
"Who was she?" Elena asked, her gaze turning to Seth.
"All in good time, we have all afternoon to speak of such matters," he walked back to the table where he had prepared the charm and picked up a dagger about 6 inches in length with a hilt made of silver and a red gem etched in the centre, "I need your blood, only a few drops."
She was growing tired of her doppelgänger curse, she isn't even surprised anymore when someone asks for her blood, it was more annoying than anything else but she obliged, she walked to the table and stood beside him, holding her hand out towards him, he pressed the blade to her skin and forcefully pressed against it, there was a small slit in her palm and the blood dripped into the bowl.
He closed his eyes and started chanting in a low voice, Elena watched as smoke started to emit from the bowl, the blood within it was boiling until it soaked through the rest of the natural ingredients, the smell of herbs filled the air around them and it was done. He picked up a square piece of fabric next to the bowl and a spoon, he scooped a large amount of the mixture into the fabric and sealed the corners with a rubber band in the middle, he picked up the poultice and put it in the pocket of his jacket.
"What's the second spell?" She asked before they walked over to the next table, this one contained the bones of various animals, she couldn't even imagine what they would be used for.
"This is a protection spell, the bones will be blessed in magic and scattered around the ritual site, this is dark magic and has to be done properly."
"What happens if you mess it up?" Elena asked inquisitively.
"It will blow up," he smirked slightly when he saw her become more nervous, her lips where parted and she took a few steps away, "you need not worry, I wouldn't put you in harms way, not before the ritual at least, I've done this spell countless times."
"Reassuring," she spoke sarcastically.
She watched as he prepped the second spell, he poured water, earth and ash into the bowl and began chanting and as the spell progressed, he started tossing the bones into the liquid mixture; Elena could feel the strength of this spell, there was a breeze flowing around the room before the candles lit, she stood as calmly and as still as she possibly could, fearful the spell will backfire and blow them all up.
A large fire emerged from the bowl and he began chanting louder, he picked up the last bone and threw it into the fire; the spell instantly stopped and everything returned to normal, the candles blew out, the wind stopped and all that was left was the charred bones at the base of the bowl.
"The spell is complete," he took a black velvet bag from the table and started placing the bones inside it; Elena just took a deep breath and tried to collect herself once she knew it was done, she'd never feared magic before, not until now.
"Should I even ask what the last spell is?" She asked nervously, walking with him to the third table.
"This isn't a complicated spell, I'm binding your essence with the amulet," he spoke, his eyes fixated on Elena.
"What does that mean?"
"To explain the spell, you must first understand your history."
"The first doppelgänger.."
"Her name was Amara, she was a beauty none like other, every man in the village wished to court her but her heart belonged to another, Silas; using the magic of a powerful witch, they created an elixir that granted immortality, this was a crime of the highest order against nature and it fought back by creating versions of themselves that could be killed, hence the doppelgängers. The other side was created by the witch, she was a woman scorned, she fell in love with Silas and he used her for her magic, she locked him away for 2000 years and made Amara the anchor, any supernatural creature that dies would pass through her, she was powerful in her own right, though."
"Amara was a witch?" She questioned, trying to process all the information given to her.
"Not exactly, Silas was a warlock, extremely powerful too, once Qetsiyah became involved and the immortality was granted to Amara and himself, her power came from that; the blood of a doppelgänger has magical properties, for all intensive purposes, you are supernatural, the full extent of the power a doppelgänger possesses is unknown, you're the first to remain human for so long. Amara was encased in stone, Tatia was killed in the process of making vampires and Katerina turned."
"So, how are you connected to all this?"
"The Order is connected to Amara and Silas, neither are dead, both are just locked away for eternity, we continue to channel them, even though they are immortal, magic never dies, it passes into the earth or in this case, into a doppelgänger. Once all the supernatural creatures on earth are all dead, there will be no need for the other side, the earth will be balanced once more and we can move on."
"I don't know what to say," a small sigh escaped her lips, she knew she had a complicated history but this was all too much, "how does the amulet tie into all this?"
"This is just to channel your bloodline, furthering the connection we have to Amara and Silas," Seth spoke, his eyes averted to the ground for a long moment before he walked towards the third table, "I require your blood for this spell."
"Of course you do," she rolled her eyes slightly and stood beside him at the table, she held out her hand once again and he picked up the dagger, he pricked the same cut as before and it dripped into the bowl on a bed of herbs.
"So, if I'm Amara's doppelgänger, who is Silas'?" She asked, as she pressed her finger to the cut in order to stop the bleeding.
"No-one in this time knows Silas' true form, not even The Order, our ancestors who joined our magic where the last to see him before he was buried and doomed to live an eternity of misery," he picked up one of the two small bowls he had on the table, both contained runes and Elena didn't recognise them.
"Amara's story is actually quite sad, she just wanted to be with the one she loves forever," she spoke, mostly to herself, the doppelgängers truly where cursed.
"Can you relate?" He smirked slightly, before turning his attention back to the bowl; he emptied it out into the bowl and Elena saw that it was blood, she didn't want to know who it belonged to.
"I guess so," she'd heart yearned to be with Klaus, now more than ever, "but there will always be someone to come along and try to destroy that."
"Your existence is unnatural, you where created to stop the world falling out of balance, if Silas had never become immortal, there would be no need for your existence. If Tatia hadn't have lived, Esther wouldn't have been able to create vampires, it was the magical properties in her blood that sealed the spell, this was all just an unfortunate mistake."
"There is nothing more natural than love, even if our existence was a mistake, we're here and against all odds, we fell in love and still, nature found a way to restore balance," the more he argued with her, the more she wanted to be near Klaus, even just to see he was safe.
"It came at cost, Elena, even your love right now is coming at a cost," he did feel a touch of sympathy towards her, her suffering wasn't of her own doing but those that came before her.
"Nature found a way, the earth is alive, people are happy and in love, I don't understand how someone could want to destroy that," she argued but he would not see sense.
"Yes, some people are happy and some are in love but that cannot justify the death and destruction that occurs on a daily basis."
"But who gave you the right to play god and take everyone's free will away?" Her voice became stern to mask the fact she was crumbling inside.
"Someone has to do it," his eyes met hers and she felt nothing but cold from them, she knew in that moment she wouldn't be able to win, he believed to his core that what he was doing was right, "now, that's enough history for one day, I need to finish the spell, we have only a few hours until the full moon."
"Fine," she just took a few steps away from him and allowed him to continue, she needed to collect herself again.
He threw in a handful of black poppy seeds and a stemmed rose still with its thorns attached, the last bowl contained the shards of a bone that she assumed was human; he began to chant but it didn't sound like a normal spell, more like an ancient voodoo ritual, once again, she didn't ask, the less she knew the better.
The candles lit and the air in the room became thin, he picked up the third and final bowl and emptied it slowly into the mixture, it looked like the ash of the white oak tree, she remembered it from her first time daggering Elijah.
He dipped the amulet into the mixture and his chanting intensified, the blood stained the silver and Elena began to feel uncomfortable, she felt as though she couldn't breath and her legs felt weak, she dropped to her knees and wrapped her hand around her throat, gasping for any air she could find.
"What's going on?" She exasperated, her voice shaken and dry.
He ignored her and continued to chant, the mixture in the bowl was bubbling away and all she could smell was the herbs within it; she took a deep breath but there was nothing, no air and it only hurt her throat to try and speak.
The amulet began to float in the air and spin, it started slow and gradually went faster; the more she watched it, the more she felt hypnotised by the movement, she almost forgot that she was struggling to breath. The amulet fell and Seth caught it, once the spell stopped, air returned to her lungs and she felt as though it never happened.
"My apologies, Elena, it was binding to you, it's a harsh spell," he smirked slightly, showing no regard for her life.
"I'm done," she stormed out of the attic and down the stairs, she just stood in the hallway with her hand pressed to her forehead, her mind was racing and her heart rate was high, she felt nauseous. She knew there was nowhere she could go, and he knew that too or he'd be chasing after her.
She went down the next two floors until she reached the ground, she looked up and down the hallway before deciding to try and find Klaus; the vampires where watching her carefully, ensuring she made no move against them, "just tell me where he is."
One of the vampires stood still for a long moment, his expression went blank and nodded his head, "yes, sir."
"Who are you talking too?" She asked, her brow furrowed.
"This way," he said, before spinning on his heel and walking further down the hallway.
"Was that Seth talking to you? Are you under his control?" She walked a bit slower behind him, "do you know Marcel?"
"No," he stopped outside the door at the end of the corridor, placing his hand on the knob and turning it, "your family are inside, no games or funny business, I've been instructed to use violent force where necessary."
"Fine," she just rolled her eyes and barged past him, when she stepped inside, she saw an old wooden staircase that lead downstairs, the flashback came and she remembered where she was, it was the basement Klaus took her too from the tunnels; she pushed the images from her mind and descended the stairs, the walls where stone and it felt cold.
"Oh my god," her heart fell into her stomach and what she saw when she reached the bottom, Elijah, Kol and Rebekah where hung from the ceiling in chains at the back of the room and Klaus was in the centre, there was drawings on the floor surrounding there bodies, blood was dripping down there arms from large gashes in there wrists and it landed into a brass bowl.
Elena instantly ran to them but they where unconscious, the floor beneath them was covered in blood; she stood in front of Klaus and placed her hands on his cheeks, "please wake up."
He was still and his eyes where closed, there would be no waking him until he was released from the chains but she had a feeling he was restrained magically or they would just break free.
Seth appeared behind her and she wiped away the tears that had slipped down her face, "this is why you let me come down here, you wanted me to see this."
"They are alive," he reassured but she didn't feel any better, "they need to be drained completely in order for the ritual to work, they have sired a lot of vampires and they are bound by blood, Klaus is the trickiest considering he has hybrids also. By the looks of it, they're nearly completely drained, once the bowls are filled, we'll give them a small amount of human blood to awaken them."
She spun on her heel to face him, a look of disgust and rage spread across her facial features, "you're not going to get away with this, this isn't what peace is, your utopia will fail."
"There will be no need for violence in utopia, we will bring order back into the earth and we will kill anyone who stands in our way or threatens our way of life," he squinted his eyes slightly at Elena, he was growing tired of arguing with her and trying to make her see sense.
"Elena.." she heard Klaus' voice behind her, she turned to face him and saw him trying to move, she placed her hands on his cheeks and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
"I'm here," she reassured, watching as he struggled to open his eyes; she hated seeing him this way, she knew it was part of the plan to go along with it but she was struggling, he was covered in blood and open wounds.
"That's not possible," Seth hissed, watching them both intently, he was completely taken aback when he saw Klaus wake up.
"I love you," he barely managed to speak, his voice was weak and raspy, he had to push the need to cough away.
"I love you too," she continued to kiss him, several tears streaming down her face and catching his skin, "we'll get through this, no matter what."
"Always and forever," he slowly fell back into an unconscious state, his neck became loose and his head fell into her shoulder.
"Klaus?" Her heart felt as though it snapped in two, she placed one last soft kiss on the top of his head before turning around to face Seth, "how much longer?"
"We don't need much more blood, they'll be awake within the hour," he spoke, before walking towards the stairs, "come, Elena, you will see them tonight."
She hated that she had to listen to him, she glanced at them all one last time before she followed him up the stairs, her heart was full of dread and regret, she just hoped this battle wouldn't be the death of them all.