MOONS.
030. | ❛ if you die, i die. ❜

Klaus, Luna, and Elijah are walking around the room to figure out what is representing them. Klaus walks by a large statue with the nose chiseled off before walking toward several paintings in gilded frames. Across the room, a large stand full of katanas draws Klaus' attention, and he walks toward it, only for Aurora to vamp-speed over to him, grab a katana, and hold it to his neck.

"Oh, dear. Perhaps I've gotten too close to that which represents me in here?"

"Oh, you mean the swords? Hardly, darling. Though, between a sub-par piece of art and a broken relic, I supposed you'd have to choose the swords, wouldn't you? If only out of denial."

Klaus vamp-speeds toward her, grabs her by the arm, and spins her so he's now got her in a choke-hold with one arm while he holds the katana blade to her throat with the other.

"Maybe we can't hurt each other in here, but when I'm free, I'm going to cut you in half."

Aurora pauses before responding,"How's Luna?"

Klaus reluctantly lets go of her, and Aurora chuckles,"Who says we can't hurt each other in here?"

In another part of the room, Luna is looking over some simple little artifacts until she comes across a wooden shaped crescent moon.

"Is this what represents me a symbol of my love?" She turns around to find Aurora.

"Oh sweetie, I would look further than that. We both know you've felt different since yesterday. I know what you're hiding and it's only a matter of time that Klaus soon finds out as well." Aurora whispered in her ear as Luna went straight back to the simple artifacts, trying to depict Aurora's clue stumbled upon a wooden craved wolf with a cub by her side.

Meanwhile, Elijah is at the other end of the room near where Tristan is sitting at the table with the chess game set up. He eventually sits down across from him.

"Let me guess-- I'm the chessboard."

"Not exactly, but this room was designed by someone who knew you. Intimately. So, you should ask yourself-- How does Aya see you? You realize that I'm here because my people love me. You're here because those same people loathe you. You've driven them to this."

"It's a prison of your own making. Shackled to your miserable existence from the moment I sired you."

"Precisely! We are your children. We came to you. We begged you to lock yourselves away until the prophecy was passed-- to, for once, bear the burden of being our creators."

"Would you mind terribly if you spared me the deadbeat-dad lecture?"

"You know, I'm almost grateful for those hundred-odd years I spent compelled to be you. It taught me so much... But nothing more important than how to not be you. Where you betray, I remain loyal. Where you abandon, I remain. And, should you find a knight or two in shining armor still foolish enough to fight for you... They will die right alongside you."

Elijah scowls at him, and the two continue to play their game of chess.

Now, Klaus and Aurora are the ones sitting at the chessboard, and he scowls as Aurora picks up one of the carved white knights and examines it.

"You know what, Nik? Maybe this is the piece that represents you in here." She imitates hooves clapping on the ground.

"You do quite fancy yourself the white knight, don't you? You even carved one out of white oak when you were a boy."

"The one you turned into bullets to bury in my brother's and lover's heart."

"Like I said, there's more than one way to hurt you. I do like seeing how hard you work to save the few who still care about you. There's Elijah, Luna... Hmm. It's a pretty short list."

"Mention her name again, and you'll regret it."

"Ooh! The white knight, indeed. But, do you not also claim to be a king, darling? Oh yes, that's more fitting. And yet, the king is both the greatest and the weakest piece on the board. It flounders around once all its defenders desert it. Much like what will happen to you when that sire link breaks. Once the chains fall, they'll clamor for a piece of white oak to shove into your heart."

Klaus frowns, and Aurora gasps in mock surprise,"Oh... Wait, you don't actually think they fight for you because they love you, do you? They have to, Nik. You're their eternal burden."

Klaus looks devastated by this blow, but tries to maintain his angry scowl as best he can as Aurora slams the white king piece onto the table.
____________________

Tristan is playing a somber tune on the violin while Aurora circles around him and watches him affectionately. Meanwhile, Elijah is in a chair, looking bored and frustrated as he pinches the bridge of his nose, and Klaus is standing by Luna, continuing to scowl at their captors. When Tristan stops playing, Aurora turns her focus to the Mikaelson's

"Why, holy heavens. Look at you two. How could a woman really love either of you?"

She turns to address Klaus and Luna,"Even if she can stomach all your treachery, she's left to face your brother."

"And here we go again, with the same tune you've been singing since you came to town-- "How Elijah Ruined Our Love."

"I speak of both of you. Did you not rip Aya from Elijah when you forced him to abandon his loyal Strix? Just as he tore you from me? All in the name of "Always and Forever." A ridiculous concept that ensures both of you spend your immortality alone."

Klaus makes a face as he stands and turns to walk away from her, which only makes her more smug.

"Oh. It appears I struck a nerve."

"Tell me something, Aurora-- have you met your brother Tristan?" Elijah points at Tristan, and Aurora cocks her head to the side in confusion.

"Between deception and rampant abuse, he frequently-- repeatedly-- isolates and abandons you."

Klaus, curious as to where Elijah is going with this, turns to watch him continue as Elijah walks toward the de Martels until they're face-to-face.

"Of course... he's painfully aware of something that we've known all along-- you are a deranged and ridiculous child who cannot be left unsupervised. Do you know... I think the greatest mercy I ever paid my brother was to compel you to leave him."

Tristan glares at Elijah coldly, and Aurora looks as though she's about to cry, but Klaus simply smirks proudly at his brother as Elijah turns to face him, his arms spread wide

"Et vóilà! Ten centuries later..."

Elijah turns back to sneer at Tristan and Aurora, the latter of whom can't even look Elijah in the eyes

"He came to that conclusion all by himself."

Elijah seems satisfied by how upset the de Martels are and smirks,"Well, look at that. So, it appears I've struck a nerve."
____________________

Freya has finally just appeared inside the chambere de Chasse, where Klaus and Elijah seem to be in a verbal standoff with Tristan and Aurora. Freya wastes no time rushing toward them and giving them her instructions.

"Quickly. Find me what represents you in here." Klaus smirks at the sight of her, but before any of them can react further, Klaus' throat suddenly splits open as though someone has slit it with a blade, causing Klaus to gasp and choke up blood. Luna rushes over to him holding his hand and trying to keep the blood from flowing out.

Elijah begins to panic when he sees Klaus' condition,"Niklaus!"

Klaus stumbles to the ground.

"Niklaus!"

Just then, Elijah's throat is slit as well.

Luna looks around her trying to be strong as Klaus would want her to be.

"Hold on! Hold on! I love you! Please don't die!"

"Don't-"

"DO NOT DIE! Do you understand? I can't live without you! If you die, I die!"

"I pick you, I chose you. You don't get to die on me! No you stay awake! Stay awake!!! Klaus! Stay awake!"

Klaus and Elijah are both gripping their throats and trying to staunch the bleeding as they gasp and choke on blood, and Freya looks absolutely horrified.

"Oh God. It's starting."