Maya sat down at her usual lunch spot, waiting for Kamala and Sora to arrive, only to be surprised by an unexpected guest. Kol, with his easy charm and disarming smile, casually took a seat across from her.

"What are you doing here?" Maya asked, her eyebrows raised in astonishment.

Kol leaned back, the corners of his lips turning up in a grin.

"Oh. I convinced Aradia to let me have a look around, Witchling. I might even be able to persuade her to let me come and teach here." he said, his voice laced with a playful confidence. "She's got a soft spot for me, after all."

Before Maya could delve deeper into Kol's sudden appearance, or the fact that Professor Aradia had a soft spot for him. Something that hadn't been apparent during their meeting on Sunday. Sora and Kamala arrived, their expressions a perfect blend of confusion and intrigue at the sight of the newcomer.

"This is Kol," Maya introduced, her voice steady but her eyes dancing with secrets.

Kamala's eyes widened, a spark of excitement lighting them up.

"Kol as in?" she started, her voice trailing off with anticipation.

"Exactly. Kol as in the Original vampire Kol," Maya confirmed, sending a meaningful glance towards Kamala.

Her parentage was just another one of the secrets that served to protect her. It would not be good for someone to overhear Kamala accidentally referring to Kol as Maya's uncle. Sora understanding instantly what Maya was attempting to convey, nudged Kamala into the seat on Maya's right and took the one on her left for herself. Leaving the three of them sitting opposite an amused looking Kol. Not that that was unusual. Maya had only known Kol for two and a half days and he seemed to be constantly amused by something or other.

"These are my best friends. Sora and Kamala." Maya introduced.

"A pleasure to meet you both."

"And you," Sora replied politely.

"Are you really a thousand years old?" Kamala asked.

Kol's reaction was immediate—a blink of surprise followed by a thoughtful pause, as if he were calculating the years gone by. Maya struggled to keep her laughter at bay, while Sora shook her head, amused by Kamala's typical blunt curiosity.

"Somewhere between a thousand and eleven hundred years, I'd say," Kol finally answered, his tone a mixture of reflection and amusement. "We didn't exactly keep track of birthdays back then as meticulously as you do now."

"Were you really a Viking?" Sora asked, just as curious as Kamala, now that the ice had seemingly been broken.

"I participated in a few raids and seafaring expeditions yes."

"If you were a Viking, Why are you brunette?" Kamala asked, keeping a straight face though her eyes were alight with amusement.

Kol raised an eyebrow at the odd question, but before he could respond. Sora and Maya both chimed in at the exact same time.

"Oh my god, Kamala. You can't just ask people why they're brunette!"

All three girls burst into giggles, which was made worse by the sheer confusion on Kol's face. It took all of them a few minutes to calm down enough to offer him a rambling explanation.

"It's from a movie." Sora explained, rolling her eyes, and grinning at her still giggling friends. "called Mean Girls!"

"We watched it on Friday night," Maya told him a moment later, through the last of her laughter. "It's not an exact quote, but it still worked."

Kamala waved her hand dismissively, trying to compose herself as the laughter continued to bubble within her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she gasped between fits of giggles, "It's just... you know, I saw an opportunity, and I ran with it."

"We can watch it at the weekend," Maya offered, since Kol still seemed quite confused.

"I'd be delighted, Witchling." Kol replied with a broad grin, "Now, what classes do you have this afternoon?"

"Double Arithmancy, Magizoology, and then Photography club after school."

"I never was one for beasts, magical or otherwise, but I'm quite good at Arithmancy, perhaps I'll sit in on your lessons. Point out all the things your professors do wrong."

"No, you will not." Professor Aradia said sternly from behind him, "I brought you here to examine the spell, as your irritatingly ill-mannered brother is insisting. Not so you could torment my staff."

"Oh, come on Dia," Kol replied cajolingly, "I'm just having fun, spending time with my delightful little –"

"Kol Mikaelson! If you finish that sentence, I shall string you up and hang you from the ceiling by your ankles."

"I thought you said Professor Aradia had a soft spot for you," Maya whispered to her uncle.

"She does. She did."

"Doesn't look like it."

He grinned at her,

"Don't worry Witchling, I'll have her eating out of my palm before the day is out."

None of the three girls saw what Professor Aradia did, but Kol yelped and clutched the back of his head, giving her a wounded look complete with puppy-dog eyes.

"Enough Kol, say goodbye to Maya and her friends and come with me. Galen has arrived."

"It's a genuine delight to make your acquaintance, Miss Sora, Miss Kamala," Kol declared, executing an elaborate bow. He mimed the gesture of doffing a hat with a flourish of his hand, his charm palpable in the air. Turning towards his niece with a conspiratorial wink, he added, "Until later, my dear witchling."

"Bye Kol."

"What's this?"

Maya whirled around, her heart skipping a beat as she unexpectedly locked eyes with her uncle for the second time that day. Kol stood there, a mischievous glint in his eyes, playfully brandishing a piece of parchment he had undoubtedly pilfered from the depths of her schoolbag.

"You're not supposed to come in here without knocking." Maya informed him, rather than explaining. Her eyes narrowed at him, flicking towards the handmade sign hanging askew on the treehouse door. "'No adults allowed without permission,'" she quoted, her voice a mix of indignation and firmness.

Kol's grin only widened, undeterred.

"Ah, I saw that," he confessed, his voice dripping with an amusement that danced in his eyes. "But you see, rules have never quite suited my taste," he added, the parchment fluttering in his hand like a taunt.

"So, are you going to enlighten me on this?" He gestured with the paper again, an unspoken challenge hanging in the air. "Or should I go sho–"

"No!"

"That's what I thought." With a victorious smirk, Kol gracefully descended onto one of the scattered beanbags, making himself comfortably at home amid the fortress of childhood rebellion. "So, 'The Revenge Plan'— am I correct in assuming this is for my dear brother Nik."

His tone was playful yet filled with an undercurrent of genuine intrigue. Maya hesitated, her resolve wobbling under her uncle's expectant gaze.

"What if it is?" she retorted, her voice laced with a defiance that belied her evasive glance.

"Well then…" Kol's voice softened, a conspiratorial sparkle lighting his eyes. "How might I assist in the execution of your grand designs, Witchling?" His use of the affectionate nickname bridged the gap between them, drawing an involuntary grin from Maya.

"Really?" The word escaped her, a mixture of hope and surprise.

"Of course," Kol assured, his grin infectious. "I owe by big brother some payback, and I do appreciate the creativeness of your ideas."

"I had some help."

"Those delightful friends of yours? Sora and Kamala?"

"They helped a bit. Caroline, Tyler, and Bonnie had some suggestions too, I'm still waiting to hear back from my friends at Hogwarts and my other godfather, but once I do, I should have everything I need."

"Allow me the honour of contributing my insights as well, shall we?" Kol leaned forward, an eager spark dancing in his eyes. "I believe I have a few notions that could add just the perfect pinch of salt to the wound."

Maya gnawed on her lip, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face.

"I'm not allowed to Hex or Curse anyone," she admitted.

Acknowledging the firm boundaries that Damon had given her, even in the midst of plotting her grand revenge. Something he was well aware was inevitable, and wasn't going to even try and prevent. Instead choosing to provide her a strict framework that she had to act within.

Kol waved her concerns away with a dismissive flick of his hand, his expression turning solemn for a mere second before a devilish twinkle returned to his gaze.

"And I wouldn't dream of letting you." he assured her, though the mischief simmering in his eyes suggested his mind was already weaving through less overtly magical, yet equally cunning stratagems.

"Okay you can help." Maya conceded.

With a shared sense of purpose, she sunk into the beanbag next to Kol, extending a pen towards him as a gesture of partnership. The air between them crackled with the thrill of conspiracy, a bond of mischief and creativity binding them together.

"Wonderful," Kol exclaimed, his enthusiasm palpable as he accepted the pen with a flourish. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "Now, how about we start with..."

Their heads came together, poring over the parchment as they began to weave a tapestry of playful retribution. Ideas flowed freely, each suggestion more inventive and audaciously cheeky than the last. The treehouse, a sanctuary of whispered secrets and bubbling laughter, became the epicentre of their plotting, a testament to the unexpected alliances formed in the pursuit of familial vengeance.

In this moment, Maya and Kol were no longer just niece and uncle; they were co-conspirators, architects of mischief, united in their quest to craft a plan so ingeniously crafted it would leave an indelible mark on the annals of their family lore.

Elijah paced the length of the room, a portrait of refined anxiety. "Where is Maya?" he inquired, his voice betraying a hint of concern.

Damon, engaged in an almost ceremonial examination of the liquor cabinet, didn't miss a beat.

"In her treehouse," he answered, his hands deftly moving between the bottles, each one clinking softly against the next in a search for the perfect libation.

"And is Kol with her?" Elijah's question hung in the air, laced with a deeper unease.

"Judging from the cackling laughter I heard a short while ago, yes."

He continued his search, the bottles gleaming under the soft light.

Elijah furrowed his brow.

"Is that wise?" The question seemed more to himself than to Damon.

"He's your brother," Damon pointed out, finally grasping the bottle he'd been hunting for.

After a moment's hesitation, and perhaps sensing the gravity of the situation, he retrieved an identical bottle, the two glass containers making a satisfying sound as they touched.

"I admit, I did not quite think through the ramifications of introducing them when they are both still angry at Niklaus," Elijah confessed, his usual composure wavering slightly.

Damon turned, holding the coveted bottle in one hand and its twin in the other, and faced Elijah with a look that mingled sympathy with a touch of resignation.

"Maya knows the rules. No hexes, no curses, nothing that will cause permanent injury. Anything beyond that… well, sometimes you just have to learn to ride out the storm."

Elijah's concern deepened.

"If it was just Maya, I would not be so concerned. It is the fact that Kol is also a willing participant in her newest scheme that worries me."

Damon's response came with a hint of amusement.

"Oh, it's not just the two of them. At this point, the only people who aren't contributing ideas are you, me, and Klaus himself. Even Maggie and Stefan made a couple of suggestions."

With a gesture that bridged camaraderie and commiseration, Damon extended one of the bottles of Firewhisky towards Elijah.

"Here, you're probably going to need this." His wry smile softened the offer. "When you do start drinking from it, just forego the glass. Believe me, it makes everything so much easier to handle."

The room was filled with the soft glow of twilight, casting long shadows that danced across the walls as the two men contemplated the storm brewing in their midst, united by the complexities of family and the uncharted waters of alliances formed in the shadow of diabolical revenge plots.

"Did he drink it?" Maya whispered to Kol, careful to keep her voice low enough that only the vampire directly next to her would be able to pick out the words she'd uttered.

"Yes."

Maya smiled beatifically. Stage one of 'The Revenge Plot' was in motion. All it would take was for her to utter the correct word at just the right moment, and the first idea on their list would come to fruition.

"Are you ready, Maya?" Professor Aradia asked, crossing the room to her side, "We should make our way to the quarry now, so that everything is in place for when the moon hit's its apex."

Maya glanced at her father who was watching her from across the room, before touching a hand to the amulet she'd put on before coming down and nodded firmly.

"I'm ready."

"Good." She turned her head towards Elijah, "Will the doppelganger be meeting us there, or do we need to collect her?"

"She's coming with the Bennetts."

"And the rest of her family?"

"Have been persuaded to remain behind. Anna, Pearl, Rose Marie, and Harper are standing watch over them."

"Good, that's one less chance for any idiotic attempts at an interruption. Hopefully the measures we've taken will prevent any other potential attempts."

Maya knew by measures she meant Takeshi, Mr Crowley, and Mr Fell would all be standing guard, to make sure nobody attacked any of them whilst they were in the midst of performing the spell. The only other people who would be at the quarry for the ritual, would be Elijah and Kol, who couldn't die if her father bit them after transforming, and Damon, who'd refused to allow her to do this without being present.

"Let's go."

The boarding house's departure was a quiet affair, yet the group's size necessitated a split between two vehicles. Maya, with a whisper of silk, nestled into the back seat of Damon's car, her godfather's presence a comforting shadow before her. Aradia claimed the shotgun seat, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.

In Elijah's car, a trio of passengers—Elijah, Kol, and Maya's father—embarked on their own silent journey. The decision had been unanimous: the quarry would be their rendezvous point, a decision born from Aradia and Galen's strategic minds. It was a move to streamline their assembly, avoiding the unnecessary chaos of gathering at the boarding house only to displace to the quarry.

Himiko and the other members of the Academy's staff would arrive by portkey, as would Galen and his group of cursebreakers. Everyone else would be arriving by car, to the designated location.

The drive was brief, a fleeting moment in time, and Damon's car rolled to a stop, tucking neatly behind the assembled vehicles. Elijah's arrival was a beat later, his car's headlights cutting through the dimming light. A short trek through the woods, the crunch of leaves underfoot, and they emerged at the quarry.

It was a scene of quiet anticipation, the gathered participants a constellation of murmurs and movement. Galen and Aradia's calculations had been meticulous: two circles of nine, with Maya as the fulcrum of the ritual, her presence the key to channelling the magic. It was a formation designed to amplify their power, ensuring the spell's success without overtaxing a single soul.

Between them, Aradia, Damon, and Elijah had managed to secure thirteen participants. Once he'd been assured by Kol that the ritual would work to break his curse, Niklaus had provided the last five.

Their arrival was a signal to begin. Himiko and Galen began directing everyone into the correct locations, which had already been arithmatically determined to be the ideal pattern. An inner circle and an outer circle, both with nine members, Maya would stand in the middle at the altar Galen had set up, with her father and with Elena. Already knowing where she needed to be, she silently took her place.

Aradia collected Elena from where she'd been standing with Bonnie and Sheila, and led her to the correct position, motioning for Klaus to do the same with a slight frown.

"See the circle on the ground?" Aradia asked, directing Elena's gaze downwards.

"Yes."

"Good. Do not step out of it until I tell you to. Or I cannot guarantee your safety. Do you understand."

Elena's lips twisted, partly from anger, partly from fear, but she nodded firmly.

"I understand."

"Good. Niklaus." Aradia turned her attention to him, "As soon as your bones begin to break, you need to leave the circles and get as far away as you can."

"I am aware." He replied tightly.

"Good. Then it won't be a problem will it." She turned away from him before he could reply, and smiled at Maya. "You know what you need to do."

Maya nodded.

"I'm ready." She repeated her words from earlier.

"I know. We have faith in you."

Maya smiled back at her, warmed by her confidence. Aradia took the moonstone out of her pocket and placed it down in the small beaten gold bowl that already sat on the altar, before turning and heading to take her place in the circle.

Maya glanced around and saw that everyone was now in position, she checked the moon above, it was nearing its apex.

It was time to begin.

The two circles of witches, wizards, and Aradia began chanting in unison, but each circle a counterpoint to the other. Maya tuned it out. Their words weren't important to her, different from the spell she would cast, merely needed to channel the power through the two circles and funnel it towards her to use.

She picked up the knife that sat beside the gold bowl and looked at her father.

"Your blood first."

"Thank you." He said warmly, "Maya."

Maya nodded, acknowledging his words. He held his hand out above the bowl, and she quickly sliced his palm, allowing the blood to flow out and coat the moonstone. She looked at Elena,

"Now you."

Elena frowned at her but held out her hand above the bowl as Klaus had done. When Maya sliced her palm, she couldn't quite prevent hissing in pain. Yanking her hand back to her chest as soon as Maya released it from her surprisingly strong grip.

Maya held her own hand above the bowl, slicing her palm and allowing her blood to pour in pool with the blood of her father and the doppelganger.

"Ghníomhacht," she whispered under her breath, hoping that if her father picked up on the sound, he would assume she was reacting to the pain. Kol had said he didn't understand Irish so he might just assume she was swearing, rather than activating the potion Kol had slipped into his drink earlier that day.

With that done, she glanced up at the moon, and took a deep breath. It was time.

Drawing in the power that was flowing from the two circles, and channelling it along with her own into the bowl that held the moonstone and the blood mixture. And began to chant.

"Mána bjartar ljóma ok djúpra skugga valdi,

Blóði bundnu í dreyma galdri,

Kalla ek á eldri lista,

Að frelsa þessa sál, rífandi í tvennt."

"I can feel it. It's happening." Klaus looked up at the full moon, his eyes bleeding from a dark blue-green to golden.

It was working, but it wasn't complete yet, wouldn't be complete until the moonstone had dissolved, and the blood had all evaporated. Knowing this Maya, continued to channel the power of the two circles as she chanted the rest of the spell.

"Með tvívera speglarhugrekki,

Rifja upp band, brjóta eldinn,

Láta úlfkvaði hræðilegur,

Láta vampír essens skína aftur."

"Yes, yes!" He glanced once at Maya, before disappearing in a blur, heeding Aradia's to get as far away from the circle as he could as soon as his bones started to crack.

"Mánasteinn fangelsi, láta það brotna,

Bresta galdr, frelsa efni,

Blanda andar, sameina fjöru,

Endurreisa jafnvægi, enginn að hylja sig."

It was almost done; the blood and the moonstone was almost completely gone.

"Úr skuggunum bundnum, verði nú frjáls,

Með þessari galdri, svá sé það gert!"

A victorious howl, echoed down into the quarry, as Maya released the power she'd been channelling and half fell, half leant against the altar. She could feel the exhaustion settling deep within her bones, but it was satisfied sort of exhaustion. She'd done it. She'd broken the curse.

As the other witches slowly and carefully released their own power, bringing the ritual to an end, Maya closed her eyes and relaxed. She'd channelled more power than she ever had before. She'd broken a curse that was a thousand years old. She was Too tired to comprehend the activity amongst everyone else.

It could have been five minutes later; it could have been fifty. But the next thing Maya was truly aware of was being lifted into a pair of arms.

"It's okay, kiddo." Maya relaxed into her Babbo's hold, laying her head down on his shoulder as he began to carry her away from the alter. "You did good. I'm gonna take you home so you can rest. We can talk about whatever else it was you did tomorrow."

"Hmm?" she questioned sleepily.

"Elijah called. Klaus is a wolf, so the ritual worked." Damon's voice danced with barely-contained amusement as he relayed Elijah's call. "But Elijah's baffled—Klaus's fur is an unexpected shade of bubble-gum pink. He's wondering if it's a permanent souvenir from the spell. Apparently, Kol was laughing too much and too busy trying to get photos to answer Elijah's questions."

Maya, cocooned in his arms, offered no reply. A wave of contentment washed over her, pulling her gently into the arms of sleep, where satisfaction and joy wove through her dreams like golden threads.