Rebekah stood at her father's side – for the first time in centuries – and watched as her brother lay dying. She felt some remorse for the part she played but only a little; Klaus had had this coming for a long time. Only one solitary tear made its way down her cheek.
Mikael stood and watched, wondering when the satisfaction of this kill would manifest, wondering for the first time in a millennium if he had done the right thing. This animal... this abomination... had been his son – not in flesh and blood maybe, but he had raised him, taught him to walk, taught him to fight, taught him to protect his family and those he loved above all else. "And isn't that exactly what the boy did?" a thought skittered across his mind. Mikael shook his head to rid himself of this thought, still wondering why he was not content with the kill. Because Niklaus had been his son... and he had loved him once.
His father and sister were not the only ones standing around watching him take his final breaths. Mikael looked around at the faces: Elena and Jeremy Gilbert, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, Bonnie Bennet, Caroline Forbes, Matt Donovan, Alaric Saltzman and lastly Tyler Lockwood. The young hybrid's gaze did not falter as he lifted his gaze from his dying sire and stared at Mikael.
He also felt no remorse about the latest turn of events, just thankful that now he would not have to choose between his loyalty to friends and family and the one who had bestowed him with this gift. And to Tyler this was a gift. He could turn at will now – which meant he would probably never have to again. And he would now live forever and be able to be with Caroline. As he looked at Mikael, the older man nodded once and Tyler understood: He would be left alone for as long as he behaved himself. Tyler put his arm around Caroline's waist, looked at each of his friends in turn and then looked back at Mikael and nodded. He understood.
Mikael's gaze was attracted to a young woman standing at the edge of the group gathered. She was not part of this group and yet he felt that he had seen her before. She also lifted her gaze to his for a moment and he could see tears running down her face. He was shocked to say the least – she was crying FOR Klaus – she was genuinely sad that he was dying.
She moved forward, towards Klaus. As she did so she attracted the attention of all those present – none knew her. She was a stranger to all. As they watched she knelt at Klaus' side and placed her hand on his forehead. He was no longer struggling but just lying there, sweating and bleeding and gasping for breath, watching her curiously. Mikael watched as the vague light of recognition appeared in his son's eyes and listened as Klaus gasped out one word.
"Brenna?"
Both Mikael and Rebekah were shocked to say the least. Neither had heard that name in over a thousand years; not since Niklaus was young.
As they watched, Brenna leant down and kissed Klaus once, tears falling from her eyes to mix with the blood and grime on Klaus' face. She smoothed back his tousled hair and smiled at him.
"Shh, Niklaus." She said softly yet loud enough for all to hear. "It will soon all be over and I am here to take you home." She looked up at Mikael and Rebekah and nodded in recognition.
"What are you?" This question was asked by Jeremy. She turned slightly to look at him and smiled. She looked around at the people gathered there and slowly got up. Looking down at the man dying at her feet she noticed that Klaus never took his eyes from her.
"My sisters and I are known by many names depending on where you are from." As she said this her appearance slowly started to change. Her hair colour went from flame red to silver, styled in a single thick braid that hung down her back. Her eyes changed from a dullish shade of green to a sapphire blue shade that was so bright that they practically glowed. Her clothing changed as well; her jeans and T-shirt transforming into a robe of white satin, circled at her waist in silver.
But the one transformation that had everyone speechless were the two white wings spread out behind her.
Stefan was the first to find his tongue. "You're an angel?"
Brenna smiled and nodded.
"Some have called us that, yes." She turned and looked at Mikael and his daughter.
"But that's not the name your people gave us, is it."
With those extraordinary eyes turned his way, Mikael had the insane sudden want to either laugh – really, if vampires and werewolves existed why not THEM – or kneel before this girl who had once been a member of his settlement. A girl whom his son – now dying at his feet – had once wanted to take as his wife.
It was Rebekah who finally answered. She had fallen to her knees in front of Brenna and now looked up at her with fresh tears in her eyes.
"Valkyrie." She whispered the word almost reverently. She was rewarded with a smile before Brenna turned her attention back to her father.
As if reading his thoughts she answered him.
"When you and your people settled here and found the werewolf settlement we knew that you would never relocate – you were always stubborn – so I was chosen to stay with your settlement permanently. You and that pack kept me very busy transporting the souls of the fallen warriors to the afterlife."
She turned towards Tyler and smiled sadly. "Those werewolves were your ancestors, by the way. Mystic Falls and the surrounding areas was their territory – IS your territory now."
The words she said took a few seconds to sink in and Tyler – as well as everyone else – shot a shocked glance at Klaus. "That's right Tyler," Brenna said sadly placing her hand on the young hybrid's shoulder. "You and Klaus do actually have the same blood running through your veins." She glanced back at Klaus lying silently on the floor. He was staring at Tyler the same way Tyler was staring at him. "YOU, Tyler, are the only family Klaus has ever had."
She looked accusingly at Mikael and Rebekah. "That's all he ever wanted, by the way. A family who loved him."
Klaus let out a strangled gasp and Brenna turned back and knelt beside him again. Fresh tears seeped from her eyes as Tyler knelt beside her and gripped Klaus' hand. Klaus used what little time and strength he had left:
"We are kin, you and I." Klaus looked at the group around him made up of Tyler's friends. "Do not make the same mistakes that I did. They love you. They fight for you. Do not fail them as I have failed you." He smiled one last time at Tyler. "My father would be proud to know that his bloodline is still strong, Brother."
Brenna smiled softly as she looked at his face. He was at peace for the first time in a thousand years.
"It is time to go home, my love," Brenna whispered and held him tightly as he died. Tyler got up and went to stand with Caroline, the blonde vampire wrapping her arms around him and holding him.
So Brenna spread her wings for a moment and then wrapped them around herself and the only being she could honestly say she ever loved, and before everyone's eyes, disappeared.
A/N: Like? Don't like? Has promise? Really REALLY bad? What do you think? I NEED TO KNOW! Please read and review... I want to know especially what you think about the connection between Klaus and Tyler... I haven't any episode after episode 3 (season 3 of course) so I don't know if they went that route in the show. But it makes sense to me. Klaus' family settled in the area, there were werewolves in the area... Klaus' dad is one of those said werewolves. Generations later there are still werewolves in the area (Lockwoods) so it made sense to me that Tyler and Klaus would be blood related. Tell me if my logic isn't ... well... logical.
Oh and since the carvings in the cave were Norse/Viking I thought I would bring in some Norse Mythology... so enter stage left... the Valkyrie...
Anyway... DYING to know what you all think...