Just a heads up, this is the very last chapter of the story. Thank you all for sticking by this story and reading it then reviewing it favorting, alerting and etc. I very much appreciate all of your support! I love you all and i hope the ending is satisfactory to you all. Enjoy.
XII. 'To the end of all time' -Stars of track and field
They all stand in a line around the premises of their now broken town, watching it all go down to the ground, crumbling and collapsing before their very eyes into a deep black abyss. Their childhood, neighbors and memories fell apart. Elena's clutch on Stefan's hand tightened, turning her knuckles white paralleling the tightening feeling of her heart, her saddened brown eyes became invisible behind the pool of tears. Bonnie stands aside from the group, holding herself and controlling her never ending tears. A gust of wind passed by them and now their staring a vast plane of nothing.
Everything is gone.
Just in one moment, Mystic Falls became nonexistent and the silence that engulfs the air is deadlier than the sound of the town crashing down and the civilians' screams as they are dragged down. Instead through the silence they hear their hearts breaking and the silent screams of the fallen civilians.
"What now?" Elena asks in a hoarse voice, so soft that only the vampires are able to just about catch it.
"I don't care what you guys do. I've always wanted to forget this damned town anyways." Klaus says bitterly turning away.
"Listen, just because Caroline is not here doesn't mean—" Bonnie didn't manage to finish her sentence of defiance due to Klaus' hand gripping at her throat tightly. Elena screams out, pleading for Klaus to drop her.
"Don't you even dare mention her name." He says eerily before dropping Bonnie to the ground harshly. Bonnie rubs her throat coughing out.
"We need to make a burial for her at the least for what she has done." Stefan interjects sadly.
So they did.
Bonnie uses her magic to create a small rectangular patch of green and hopeful white lilies protruding from the ground gracefully. They managed to find some wood lying around before digging it through the ground as a marker. They all stand around the grave with grim faces dragging to the ground. Through the chaotic plane and the empty wind, this one patch of green brought color and happiness through its eternal grace.
They all remember Caroline differently in their minds -
Either as a sister;
"Rebekah…"
"He hates me Caroline! Why wouldn't he?" Rebekah shouted falling to the ground in tears. Caroline caught her and cupped her face.
"You asked the wrong question dearest. You are impossible to hate, look at me, I love you."
"Well that's because it's you." Rebekah stated rolling her eyes.
"Well you know what they say, sister are biologically programmed to love each other unconditionally." Caroline joked with a wink making Rebekah laugh.
A loyal friend;
"Why are you doing this?" Stefan sneers through his blood lust, grinding his teeth.
"To save you." Caroline stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"It's hopeless to save me Caroline." His grip on the table tightened causing it to snap.
"I don't think it's hopeless Stefan. You're strong. Of all people, I know you can do this. You have to. I want my friend back and I know you are still there." Caroline said.
The light in their dark worlds;
"Caroline." Finn drawls pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Oh come on Finn, you are always so stiff. Talk to her!" Caroline said nudging him.
"Yes dearest brother, talk to her or I will." Kol said.
"And if Kol talks to her then you can wish her life good bye to be fair." Caroline stated.
"I don't appreciate that statement." Kol said pretending to be hurt.
"I'm not going to talk to her. Can we just leave now?" Finn asked but stood up to leave before receiving an answer.
"SAGE!" Caroline cried out before dragging a hysteric Kol away with her leaving a flabbergasted Finn to deal with Sage.
A precious, close companion to aid them through time;
"He's going to send me into insanity Caroline!"
"Calm down Elijah, you know how Nik can get."
"Talk to him I beg of you."
"I will do no such thing. That would just infuriate him more."
"Do something! Anything!"
"You need to calm yourself first Elijah."
"Nik will be mad if he knew you were here first." Elijah mentioned and Caroline rolled her eyes
"Let him be. He can't be mad at me forever." Caroline said.
"Why are you here and not with your lover?" Elijah asked skeptically.
"Because you were my friend first." Caroline stated with a sweet smile.
…a lover.
"Caroline. Why did you bring me out here in the middle of the night? It is cold." Klaus asked and Caroline shushed him, pulling him down, keeping her arms around him.
"Look at that Nik." She pointed towards a herd of white horses at a watering hole underneath the moonlight being the very paradigm of majestic, "Aren't they beautiful?" she whispers sweetly.
"Why are we here?" He asked
"Because you see too much bad in the world. You need to see the beautiful things just like when I see you." Caroline said cupping his face before placing a chaste kiss on his lips
"To Caroline." Stefan says breaking through the silence.
"To Caroline." They all repeat softly.
"I don't know why Barbie would do such a thing. It was stupid and reckless, she always does this." Damon says balling his hands into a fist, digging his nails into his palms as his knuckles turn pale. Stefan clasps his hand on Damon's shoulder for comfort.
"Come on, we should start heading off." Stefan says and they all start walking off. Rebekah looks around before glancing over her shoulders and sees her brother crouching down next to Caroline's grave with his back arching and face plunging into his hands. At that moment, she believes that it would be the first time she would see her brother cry since they've died so she walks up behind him and places her hands on his shoulder to realize that he is shaking.
"Nik…" She whispers.
"She's gone." He says breathlessly, "and I didn't save her. When I turned her, I promised I'd keep her safe and protect her. She died to save me." He has a tight grip on the ground crushing it with his inhuman strength. He feels like he is drowning from his unshed tears as his dead heart clamors inside of him erratically. Rebekah could see the internal turmoil inside of Klaus and wanted more than anything to know how to comfort her broken brother. But how can one broken individual fix another?
"Let's get out of this place. I'm fed up of it." Klaus says abruptly standing up.
They are all surrounding a large black car, just about to jump in to drive away from this soon to be forgotten small town that has strangely left an enormous impact on their lives. Klaus momentarily stops and through his mind, all the memories he had with Caroline are reenacting and projecting out. He could hear her joyful laugh, see her bright smile, feel her delicate touch on him, taste her sweet kisses and smell the serene scent of summer.
The first moments of the drive are in silence. No one dares say a word, they all just look out the windows vacantly, hoping that time would pass a little quicker. Abruptly, the silence is broken by the screeching sound of the tires as the car starts to swivel dangerously.
"What the hell Alaric?" Damon shouts gripping onto the dashboard.
"I just saw something!" Alaric yells.
They all walk out of the car and look behind seeing a gust of wind spinning around the road filled with sand and dust whirling around. They all cough through the dust and try to decipher the misty figure through the dirt. It is just a dark figure hazed by the wind and none can figure it out. The dust soon settles and they all stare at the figure with wide eyes.
"No." Stefan breathes out.
"Caroline." Klaus says.
Klaus rushes over towards a disheveled Caroline and a sensation of relief surges through him. But when she glances up with those familiar sea-blue eyes, they are unfamiliarly hollow. Her clothes are ripped apart exposing practically her entire bare skin and her blonde curls in a complete mess. Within one quick movement she grabs him by the throat and throws him across the plane causing a row of gasps.
"Caro—"
"How do you know my name? Who are you? Who are you all?" She yells frantically pushing Klaus down even stronger.
"Do you not remember us?" Stefan asks cautiously walking towards her.
"Remember? I don't even know you guys." Caroline says ripping away from Klaus and backing up hugging herself.
"Car—"
"Stop saying my name!" She yells intervening Klaus who is lying on the floor in distraught.
"She doesn't remember." Damon comments.
A sudden rage ignites inside of Klaus. He abruptly stands up and grabs a frightened Caroline in his arm. She continues to struggle aggressively in his grip. He looks intently into his bright blue eyes watching as her pupils start to dilate.
"Remember." He says in a low growl but she remains blasé.
"Remember." He repeats more aggressively.
Through his constant angry chants attempting to make her remember by transferring those precious memories he had with her through his mind, the others stand around with sad eyes and pity accumulating inside their heavy hearts. He continues to shout at Caroline striking more fear inside of her and he hates it, hates the fact that he is the reason to her fear, hates the fact that she doesn't remember him and definitely hates the fact that there is nothing he can do – he does not like being powerless.
"Klaus. I think that is enough." Elijah says placing a hand on his shoulder.
"What do you remember?" Klaus asks.
"I don't know but I feel like I know all of you." Caroline admits staring at Klaus blankly. and Klaus breaks into a smile.
"That's good enough for me. I am not losing you again, not now, not ever." Klaus says and Caroline stares at him confusingly. But nonetheless, he takes his jacket off and places it over Caroline's shoulder who remains baffled to the whole situation. Suddenly, Klaus picks Caroline up causing her to yelp and carries her towards the car and oddly enough, she does not protest. She actually leans into him, basking in the familiar scent of the woods and the sensation of warmth he emits out. She takes this chance to try to remember, but her mind remains blank.
"Let's go." Klaus says. Stefan and Damon block his way and stare at him sternly. Caroline observes the two brothers and her face softens. She just almost recognizes them.
"Where do you think you're going? You can't just abruptly up and go with Barbie here." Damon says.
"She's our friend too." Stefan says.
"But she was ours first." Rebekah interjects.
"Look, we can argue about this all day or we can all just leave together." Elijah suggests.
And so, they all left town as one not looking back just continue to move on with their lives. However, they never forgot their times in Mystic Falls but they never mention it. They act blasé to their old lives in Mystic Falls blending into the world. That small town now is just a figment of their memories.
Caroline never remembered. But that was alright with Klaus because that gave him a fresh start and he got to love her all over again, with all her freshness and innocence, in all her glory and unbroken light.
Caroline never gained her memories.
But her relationships with the Salvatore brothers were rekindled better than before the amnesia. They called her their sister and she looked at them like her own brothers. They built an unbreakable bond between each other.
And, she fell in love with Klaus – again. She soon stopped calling him Klaus. Started calling him Nik and again started promising him forever,
Forever and always.
-End-