Flashback - 2013

Say not in grief, that they are no more, but be thankful that they ever were. And though they were taken far too soon, may their enduring lights show us a way through the darkness. Let us mourn... because we cannot move on until we do... and though the pain may at times seem like more than we can bear... make no mistake. We will move on.

  *******

Everyone was getting ready for the memorial parade, funerals, and wakes for Camille O'Connell and Davina Claire.

The Irish wake that Hayley planned for Cami was at Rousseau's.

Many people were here.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band was playing Irish music with band instruments.

Hayley walked toward the bartenders and caterers. "Okay, we can't run out of whiskey at an Irish wake. It's, like, the one rule, okay?" Hayley turned to walk away. I walked toward her. "Whiskey is important."

I nodded in agreement. "Whiskey's important. I'm sure Cami would have appreciated all of this."

"I hope so," Hayley told me. "Thank you, for being here. I mean, I know that you didn't know Cami, and..."

"From what I hear, she was a good person," I told her. "She got through to Klaus on more than one occasion. She deserved better."

Hayley sighed, nodding. "Yeah. She did." We saw Klaus standing at a memorial table for Cami. "How is he?"

Hayley turned around to follow my gaze to Klaus.

We watched a detective walk toward Klaus.

"Excuse me," the detective told him. "Don't I know you?" Klaus turned to face him. "Sorry. Uh, you just look so familiar."

"I have one of those faces," Klaus told him.

The detective stepped up to the table, looking at a picture of Cami. "Did you know her well?"

"I did," Klaus answered.

"She was, uh, a very special girl," the detective told him.

"There's no polite summation that will do her justice," Klaus told him, starting to walk away. The detective turned to face him. Klaus stopped, hesitating, turning to face the detective. "But you're brave to try, and she would've admired that."

"I haven't read anywhere how she died," the detective told him. "Do you know?"

"An accident," Klaus told him. He looked down, noticing the detective's badge on his waistband, along with a gun. He looked at the detective. "Are you here in an official capacity, officer?"

"No," the detective answered. "Just came to pay my respects."

The detective walked away.

Marcel walked up to the memorial table, placing a white rose over it.

Klaus watched him in guilt.

Marcel turned around, walking past Klaus without looking at him or even acknowledging him, walking out of the restaurant bar, leaving.

Klaus turned to watch him go.

Elijah walked toward Klaus, standing behind him. "Give him time."

"Time will not bring Davina back," Klaus told him. "The one chance to save her was ruined by us. For our ends. Marcel's anger is justified. It's best I reach out to him before that anger hardens into something worse."

Klaus walked away.

  *******

I went back to the compound after a while, walking into the upstairs living room to see Freya working over bones on the table for a spell. "What are you doing?"

"When Lucien died, he was convinced the prophecy would still unfold," Freya told me. "These are the remains of his oracle Alexis. Hers was a power I barely understood, but now that my own strength has been augmented by the Ancestors, I can try to channel her. Forecast as she did, and find out if Lucien was right, or if we can finally put this nightmare behind us."

"Did it work?" I asked.

"When Elijah touched me, yes," Freya answered. "It seems I also need to channel an immortal life for enough power to see what she saw, and more."

"Well, what did you see?" I asked.

"At first, every time I got close to seeing something, it all just faded away," Freya told me. "And then, when Elijah touched me and I channeled him, I could see something that horrified us both."

"What?" I asked.

Freya looked at me hesitantly, sadly. "It's better if you see for yourself."

I slowly put a hand on Freya's shoulder to see the vision.

Blood splattered over Elijah's portrait.

There was pages of a grimoire visible.

The beast stood, baring his long, sharp, many fangs, his teeth and lips covered in blood. The beast was revealed to be Marcel, with glowing red eyes and veins crawling down his cheeks.

I took my hand off of Freya's shoulder in shock.

Freya gasped as she was pulled out of the vision, breathing heavily.

I walked around the table, kneeling on the other side like she was, holding my hand toward her. "Finish it."

Freya hesitantly took my hand.

We were both pulled into another vision, gasping at the force of power that we both felt.

Marcel was standing on a bridge, looking at something expressionlessly.

Lights were flickering around him. Electricity was crackling, buzzing.

In the compound, a beast bite mark was on someone's arm. That someone was revealed to be Elijah, who looked pale and sick, beads of sweat coating his head.

Hayley was holding Hope, looking terrified.

I was standing in front of a mirror. There was blood on my forehead, right cheek, chin and chest. I looked at my reflection in horror.

Klaus was being restrained by many, many vampires.

Marcel stabbed Klaus in the chest with something unclearly seen.

Klaus screamed in pain.

"You will all fall."

In a loft, Marcel and Elijah clinked their glasses, taking a drink.

"One by friend."

In the compound, Marcel staked Elijah in the back, making him scream.

"One by foe."

There were many coffins in some unknown storage.

"And one by family."

Freya and I let go of each other's hands, pulling out of the vision, gasping, breathing heavily.

Freya was disconcerted with having to show this vision again to someone else.

I looked at her in horror.

  *******

Freya and I walked downstairs into the courtyard.

"What the hell did I just see?" I asked.

"Vincent told me he found a way to extract the serum from Aurora," Freya told me. We reached the courtyard, still walking. "I was busy at the time, but if Vincent did steal the serum..." Freya stopped walking, turning to face me. "If he--if he gave it to Marcel..."

"We're in trouble," I told her.

Freya nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

Freya walked away toward the downstairs living room.

  *******

Freya and I were in the downstairs living room.

Freya stood over Aurora's body, which was wrapped in white cloth. She turned to face me, shaking her head. "The serum... there's no trace of it in her."

"We need to warn Klaus," I told her.

Freya walked closer. "I contacted Josh, and he told me that Klaus and Marcel left the loft together a few hours ago. Elijah is trying to locate them right now. But, Kaylin, the power I stole from the Ancestors? It was enough to deal with Lucien, but that power's faded. If Marcel takes that serum and becomes the beast foretold in the prophecy, I won't be able to stop him."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" I asked.

Freya shook her head worriedly. "I don't know."

"Where's Hayley?" I asked.

"Helping Elijah find Klaus and Marcel," Freya answered.

I sighed, running my hands through my hair, overwhelmed, worried, and in denial that Marcel would become the beast that could kill us all.

  *******

I was pacing alone in the living room, waiting for someone to call me and tell me what was going on.

Hayley slowly, hesitantly walked in.

I knew something was wrong by the way she was looking at me. "What happened?" Hayley was trying not to cry. "Tell me, please."

Hayley hesitated for a long moment, sniffling. "It's Marcel." I looked at her in confusion. "He's dead. Elijah... took his life. Because he thought it was the only choice that he had to protect this family." 

I was in shock.

  *******

Hayley went to comfort Elijah.

I went to talk to Klaus, walking out onto the balcony overlooking the Quarter to join him.

"I assume Hayley told you," Klaus told me. I nodded. "So you understand why I'd prefer to be alone."

"He's hurting, too, Klaus," I told him. "More than you know. Freya showed me what Elijah saw. The prophecies haven't been wrong once." Klaus started to walk away. I turned after him. "Klaus, after everything that you have done, all the people that you've threatened, tortured, killed... all the pain that you have put him through, he has always forgiven you. You have to forgive him."

Klaus slowly turned to face me, managing the smallest of small smiles. "You sound like Camille. Thank you, Kaylin."

I looked at him sadly.

Klaus hesitated, walking inside, leaving me alone on the balcony.

I watched him go, sighing sadly.