CHAPTER TWO; WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN

❝ to gain everything and lose everything in the space of a moment. that is the fate of all princes destined for the throne. ❞

 ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 

❝ salvatore boarding school [ may's bedroom ] ❞ 

"YOU SHOULDN'T GO," Alaric stated as May walked around her bedroom and began packing a bag. With everything happening with Klaus, May managed to spread the darkness to Elijah, to buy Klaus more time. She knew she couldn't stop the hollow from consuming him, sometimes some spells were too great and lofty to bend even for her. May was powerful but she was not nature itself, she could break and create many things but not everything was within her reach. However, she could buy him time to say goodbye, which was exactly what she was going to do.

Stuffing her bag full of clothes she argued, "Considering without me he could end up waking up halfway to New Orleans and end up using Hope as a chew toy I'd say otherwise." Seeing the worry clear as day on his face when she went to get something else May sighed. 

Stopping in her tracks she told him, "I know you're worried but it's my spell and if anything goes wrong it be easier for me to just be there to help. Plus, knowing him the second he wakes up he will make a run for it, and I am literally one of the only people strong enough to make sure he doesn't get far."

"And you think you should be in his path when he does? What happens if he kills you, or the thing inside him makes him? What do I tell the twins and Alex then when they don't have a mother," said Alaric desperate to get her to stay.

"Considering the only knife that was spelled by travelers to kill me has long since been melted down and there is no other weapon to kill me, I think that might be harder to do than you think," returned the tribrid. May walked past him to her desk grabbing the grimoire of her own making to place inside her bags.

As she did, she explained to him, "Becoming a mom doesn't mean I stopped helping people, every day I can die for no other reason than for what I am. People will want what Hope, Alex and I are dead till the end of days, I'm not going to live in fear of it. And I'm not gonna let you force that constant fear onto the girls either. You can die leaving here in your damn car with more ease than taking this trip will be for me."

Not at all backing down Alaric said, "And I can't let you make me a single father."

Reminding him what this was all about May snapped, "You already are a single dad, I coparent with you Ric. The twins have a mother and father, and Alex has just a mother. She's my child an in the event this does kill me she lives with Elena, not you. Hope is about to be an orphan she needs me. I know you don't know what it's like to feel responsible for killing your parents, but I do. Not to mention, Caroline is about to lose the man she loves. Maybe you forgot what that felt like, but I won't let her go through that alone. So, unless you're planning on forcing me to stay, I am going."

Believing she had said all that needed to be said May tried to walk around him, but he stepped out in front of her. As if he was willing to fight her to keep her there, May laughed right in his face. "You had to tag team Damon with Matt to even kill him temporarily, but you think you're going to stop me? I don't even have to use any supernatural tricks to show you how bad an idea that is."

"May," he tried but he was cut off almost immediately.

"Excuse me," standing in the doorway was Elijah patiently waiting for her in the hall. "Klaus is in the car, Hope is waiting. We should get going. And it seems that Maya has made her choice; you should pay her the respect of honoring it Alaric."

May held her head up waiting for Alaric to move, he eventually did and allowed her to pass. Despite her utter anger at the man, May made sure to turn around and say, "I will be back in a couple days. I will be fine, and Alex will still have her mother. As will Joise and Lizzie, I haven't broken that promise once yet." Without another word she turned her back leaving with Elijah back to New Orleans.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:· 

❝ underground mikaelson tunnels ❞

"Just when I thought he was showing the vaguest signs of maturity, our brother makes a unilateral decision that leaves the rest of us stewing in his melodrama," rambled Kol as he, his sister stood listening to the tale Maya and Elijah had just given them.

Maya chose to keep her mouth shut and keep her eyes on Klaus who'd been passed out the whole way to New Orleans. She felt like he was going to wake up soon, their luck would run out eventually. Rebekah angrily hissed at her brother, "His death is not a melodrama."

Telling them what she sensed coming off him in waves Maya said, "Well, he's spiraling. This energy feeds on anger, and your brother... as we know... has enough to, you know, set the world on fire. As one of the idiots who lives in this world, maybe we should take things more seriously, Kol."

"I'm sorry, and who are you," Kol asked playing coy.

Maya scoffed as Elijah hung his head knowing what was to come. Turning around as she stood up, she told him, "Not only am I the girl who killed you as a human, I am now the tribrid with the only power here that is keeping him alive. If Klaus had it his way, he'd been dead in my own back yard so maybe a tiny bit of respect wouldn't kill you, again."

Still not seeing the point in it all Kol argued, "How many times are we going to play this game? Right, calamity and doom approach our brother, and then, all of a sudden, a trapdoor appears and, poof, he escapes. He's a cockroach that will outlive us all. And we're immortal."

Annoyed explaining the same thing over and over again Maya groaned, "God you are so dense why did they have to bring you back to life I am literally losing brain cells explaining the absolute fact, he is dying."

Seeing Kol turn towards her Elijah nudged him aside as Rebekah challenged, "And what if it's different this time? What if he figures out a way to end it all?"

Without an ounce of care in him, Kol simply told his sister, "I don't think he would notice or care that I wasn't there to witness it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going home."

Kol pushed her aside exiting the tunnels, as they watched him go Elijah assured his youngest sister, "He'll be back."

"Will he," she questioned.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ mikaelson compound [ hope's bedroom ]  ❞

Hope moved about her bedroom pulling out every grimoire and spell book she could find. She didn't bother to stop as Freya explained, "Your dad is strong, but that works against him here. The energy will feed off of that strength. He'll quickly go mad, and... it won't be long before he's unrecognizable and impossibly dangerous to all of us."

Pausing for just a second Hope looked to May asking, "Okay. Well, how long does that take? Days?"

Feeling their regretful eyes fall to her, May admitted, "The spell I did offers more like... hours."

"So, today," Hope realized her eyes softening with heartache, "Alright. Then we're gonna have to pull the darkness out of him, divide it up again."

Maya could only get herself to grimace at first before she told her taking slow steps towards the girl, "And then you end up where we started, with the family scattered to the corners of the world until something calls them back."

The Mikaelson teen couldn't accept these words, she snapped her sadness becoming a desperate anger, "Well, then we keep him asleep, okay? He won't be angry when he's asleep. We'll just brick him up in the Head Garden. That'll at least slow it down."

This time Freya pulled her niece to sit on her bed telling her clear as she could be, "I need you to hear me on this, Hope. There's not enough magic in the world to slow this down." 

Hope looked up to May hoping she would tell her differently, May never lied no matter how bad things were, she never lied. But the fully activated tribrid's face told her just how wrong she was, "I know the abilities you and I have make it feel like we can change anything we want about reality, but sometimes, you can't fight what people want or who they are. Somethings, they're just to lofty to bend and we don't have the time to make it different."

Sitting beside her Caroline said, "As hard as it is, we have to love him through this." Hope's lip trembled as she fell into Caroline's closest arms sobbing into them.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ mikaelson compound [ caroline and klaus' room ]  ❞

"You know, you look at home here," May announced seeing Caroline sitting on her bed starring at her phone. The brunette drew closer her smile softening when she saw Caroline was looking at a photo she took of Klaus while he was painting. "What are you thinking about," asked May giving her a moment to speak.

Tearing her eyes from her phone Caroline began, "You know, when he had to leave Hope, he was so sad, so broken. The type of broken we used to want to make him, that's how bad he was. I went with him for those five years, helping him walk a thin line, sometimes it didn't even work but, a lot of the time he allowed himself to be distracted for me. He didn't want to make my eternity miserable, so he tried so hard to be happy, even if it was fake. And that's all we get? Five years alone, while every other second, we had someone was trying to kill us all. That doesn't feel fair."

"It's not," May replied speaking of her own experience, "You're never going to be okay with this, no matter his reason you will feel like he just...left you behind. It takes time but you'll learn to accept that for him, there was no other way."

Caroline shook her head saying, "But for him there always is..."

Taking her hand May sadly reminded her, "If we had more than today there would be, if Klaus hadn't already made his choice, maybe, but we don't have time. We have today, so don't waste it." The blonde's eyes were red and puffy while her friend told her, "I would give life and limb to have just one more day with Stefan, don't lose yours."

"Our selfish men, always leaving us to clean up their messes," said the blonde rubbing her face as if she needed to wake up from her horrible nightmare.

May looked down hesitant to speak before she sighed telling her, "I'm sorry I helped him make this mess. With everything Stefan did I feel awful doing the same to you."

Caroline took her hand fighting her tears as she promised, "This was him, even if you said no, he'd find another way to die. You and I both know nothing stops him, and I know, nothing stands between him and Hope."

"Still, you have to reconcile the fact your best friend killed the man you loved," May said knowing she would never forgive anyone if they helped Stefan do the same thing. She never forgave herself for helping Bonnie, how could she ask Caroline to forgive her. 

The blonde shook her head refusing to see it that way, "All I see is that my best friend did her best to save the man I love, Hope's father, the man who killed Jenna. You have given him a chance to tell us goodbye, that is all I see."

With no other words, Maya pulled her childhood friend, who would probably be the only childhood friend she would have someday into a hug. Both of them had a secret understanding that there would come a day where everyone they loved would be gone. Even Lizzie and Josie were likely to grow up and die someday, and Alex? She had so many options May didn't know what would become of her youngest.

Elena, Damon, Jeremy, Enzo, and Bonnie would all die and the two women holding each other now is all that would be left of them. They could never turn their backs on each other, each other was all they had. Standing up from the bed May offered, "I have to meet Freya outside, she needs me to come with her to her tower, needs help tracking him. While were looking, wallow in it, scream, wail, be angry, feed if need to, but then let it go. Let it go until he's gone, then you can let it consume you. The only way through your grief is to go through it, no amount of running will make you forget it or stop it from coming."

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ freya's tower ❞

"It's as if he's everywhere and nowhere at the same time. There's death all around him," Freya explained to her oldest living brother as he starred off into the distance. 

Hovering her hand above the map May added, "It's like every violent thought Klaus' has ever had is echoing in the city. Like he's poisoning it just by being there."
 
Elijah shuddered hearing her words, "I should've taken the power when I had the chance," he said still starring off.

Seeing the look on Freya's face in conjunction with Elijah inability to look at her, May assured, "I'll look for a spell to ease his pain. But first we have to find him."

When he still didn't speak Freya insisted, "This isn't your fault, Elijah."

Finally looking back at them, Elijah started walking towards them saying, "All I have ever wanted was to silence my brother's shame and despair. If Niklaus destroys himself in a rampage of torment and bloodshed, we will--" The mere thought of what Klaus would do stopped Elijah for a moment, "He can't die like this. I won't allow it."

May gave him a sympathetic look when Freya noticed the map glowing blue, "He's in the Quarter. The dark magic is all around him."

Instantly May and Elijah got ready to leave, "Stay here and let us know if he moves," Elijah ordered Freya as they rushed out the door.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ french quarter ❞

"It'll be impossible to find him here," Elijah said in worry as he and May shoved their way through the crowd of people celebrating Mardi Gras.

Approaching them from the left Marcel informed them, "I got people around the perimeter, he's still in the quarter but they're not going to be able to stop him if he comes their way."

May began tuning the men out as they continued trying to come up with a plan or an idea. She shut her eyes listening to all the sounds around her, the laughing, screaming, broken glass, drunken shouts of celebration. Listening past all of that she heard Hope's voice, "Dad. Come on. Let's go home."

"I found them," May announced so swiftly that once the words had left her lips, she had pushed her feet off the ground vanishing from sight. When she finally found him, she saw Hope holding her hand out for him and him standing there. Not letting him have the chance to take it, May snapped his neck catching his body. As she did that, Elijah and Marcel appeared behind Hope ready to stop her if need be.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ mikaelson compound [ lounge room ] ❞

May had just left Caroline and Hope alone for a moment when she tracked down Elijah finally. He was sitting beside his brother dotting on him, desperate for him to wake. If this was meant to be his last day, Elijah wanted to hear his voice. Maybe if he was lucky, even hear his brother laugh.

Practically smelling the guilt radiating off him, it was a heavy burden. "You know, I think this places style suits you guys better," she said suddenly grabbing his attention. 

Walking further in sitting down on the armchair closet to them May said, "Your mansion that is still vacant in Mystic Falls, this fits you better." For the first time in days Elijah cracked a much-needed smile as she went on, "The rugged but still put together, boho, bayou vibe, it's good on you. Honestly, had I known this is how you guys were living I would've come by sooner."

"Perhaps had I known you'd accept an invitation I would've asked sooner," he returned making a grin come across her face.

Looking between the two brothers she hesitantly began, "Did you know, you probably didn't, I thought maybe Caroline might have said something but that's beside the point; point is that when I was going to turn into a vampire, I wasn't going to go through with it. I was going to just drift to sleep, with everyone's warnings about who'd I'd become...it was too scary."

Gesturing to her Elijah said, "You obviously didn't, why?"

Not having talked about that night since it happened, May took a deep breath trying to find her words. "Everyone came in and tried to get me to fight, give me reasons to stay. Then Elena came in and she told me I was her hero. She said everyone else may have thought less of me, thought her the better twin, but she never understood how they got that. Elena saw greatness in me, nothing that was evil like my own parents saw, just...good. She told me I didn't have to worry about her anymore, that she would let me go, and I would let her go."

"You know, there was a time Elena told me, if it came down to it, let Klaus kill her if it meant you would live free. I don't think I've known sisters to rival your bond, not even my own," said Elijah.

"In their defense they didn't meet until they were both already 1,000 years old," joked May rubbing her hands together as she added, "My point of all that is, maybe all Klaus needs is to know someone will be there when the darkness comes. Someone who will fight that darkness, or someone who would sit beside him as it comes."

Looking at his brother Elijah said, "For over 1,000 years my single purpose has been to take care of him, I do not know who I would be without him."

Softly the Salvatore woman offered, "Maybe that is the one gift he can still give you."

Puzzled the original questioned, "What gift can be found in his absence?"

"As someone who was nearly as codependent as you and he are with my own sister, I love her, but I had no identity outside of being her sister. All throughout my childhood and even after meeting Stefan for a while I was in her shadow. It wasn't until I admitted I loved Stefan I even noticed how much I'd given up for her. How much of myself I poured into her because everything people seemed to like about me was Elena. Maybe this is Klaus' way of giving you, your life back. Giving you a chance to be more than the suit cleaning up his messes. Eternity can be beautiful if you let it, maybe he wants you to."

Elijah starred at the tribrid his face relaxed but stuck in admiration for the grown woman. "I forgot how wise you were," he said thinking back to all those years ago. She was one of the few people alive that could outsmart his brother, an impressive feat only few could claim.

 Shrugging she smugly told him, "Now if more people would listen to me the world would be a better place."

Disrupting their conversation was the small sound of Klaus gasping for air as he awoke. May perked up kneeling on the ground checking on the hybrid while Elijah kept his eyes on her. "What have you done," Klaus asked the two of them.

"What I've always done," said Elijah finally looking at his brother, "Followed you into the fire. Freya and Maya channeled some of the dark energy into me. It won't last for long. It should clear your mind, though."

"Sentimental fool. Give me back the stake," he demanded trying to get up.

May kept her hand on his chest keeping him down, "I have it, and if you think you're getting it from me just try it," she warned him.

As she backed away, she nodded letting them know they were still in the clear, for now. "In good time. Niklaus, if indeed this is to be the end, you owe it to your family, to your daughter... to say good-bye," Elijah said hardly looking at him as May took her seat allowing for the conversation to continue without her.

Sitting up Klaus rubbed his face exhausted, "Please, don't lecture me, Elijah. You have no idea the agony of being a father, of loving someone so much you cannot bear to see them in pain."

"I think I might have some idea," Elijah simply put."

"You've tried to orchestrate my life, to make me a better man, and for that, I honor you," Klaus remarked standing up making the tribrid and his brother stand with him. His eyes weary and more broken than she'd ever seen, Klaus begged, "You have to let me do this my way. Alone. No good-byes."

Elijah shook his head trying, "I could stop you."

Knowing the odds were still in his favor even know Klaus replied, "You could try. Please. This last time. Let me be." May stood watching until Elijah heard her words urging him to be what Klaus needed, not what he needed, he moved aside. The second he was allowed to Klaus took off, and May reached for her phone to tell Caroline it was up to her now.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ hope's bedroom ❞

Once Klaus had gone with Caroline, May came to tell his daughter what he had done. Elijah had planned to, but she could tell, he needed a moment to himself. "He left instead of spending his last hours with me," Hope said sadly starring out onto the street as the night sky now covered every inch of the city.

"He's hurt and he's scared," offered the Salvatore.

Hope was quick to retort, "That's no excuse," as she looked across the room at her.

May was even quicker to tell her voice gentle but firm, "Not making excuses. You never felt the other side of Klaus' rage, you've seen it, but you've rightfully never been on the other side of it. He's been one of the few people who have actually terrified me. I've never thought I'd see the day Klaus Mikaelson gives his life up selflessly. It just, it doesn't feel like he's abandoning you, it feels like he's trying to save you."

"She's right," announced another making the tribrids turn to see Elijah standing in the doorway. Drawing nearer to them by the bed he said, "If anything he cares too much. Hope, you're his everything. And without you, he wouldn't be making this sacrifice. Do you understand you've accomplished in years what I couldn't in a thousand? This isn't abandonment."

"And you will never be alone," promised May, "Your family will be there for you, and so will I. No matter how old you get, no matter if you come back to the school or not, I will always be there for you."

Hope shook her head in disbelief, "No you won't, you have an entire school, children of your own to worry about. I don't doubt that you'll try, I just doubt it will work out."

This was where the young Mikaelson was whole heartedly wrong. May took her by her hand and said, "No, I will. And I know it because when I was just a little bit older than you my dad and mom died in a car crash coming to pick me up from a party, I snuck out to even go to. I was a cursed, angry, sick teenager who had parents who just couldn't understand me. So instead, they molded me into something they thought would help me, it didn't, later it just made me angrier."

Sighing softly to keep her emotions in check May continued, "But when we were under that water, I could tell my mom was gone already. My dad? My dad kept fighting; the last image I saw was my dd fighting like hell to save my life. I woke up to find out he and my mom were dead, and it was a miracle I survived. I found out later my husband was the one who saved me, he saved me because my father told him to. My father died knowing he had given his life to save mine, because no matter how bad either of us were, he loved me more than life itself."

For the first time today, hearing her words, Hope felt seen, like someone actually knew her pain. Maya exhaled deeply rubbing her face as she finished her voice cracking, "He died for me, and my died because of me. No one, not even my own twin understood my anger after that. No one understood how I felt abandoned and hurt. I wished more than anything someone did, but they couldn't. And maybe it happened it different ways for us, but the pain, it's the same. And I made your dad a promise over a decade ago I'd look after you, I do not intend on breaking my promise."

Hope had no words, only tears as she leaned into May who rubbed the girls back soothingly. She could feel how much turmoil was caught up inside her, it was enough to kill a person. Footsteps approached for a moment before Klaus stood in the doorway saying, "I'd like a moment alone with my daughter, please."

"Of course," said Elijah as may quickly wiped the few tears that had slipped out when Hope hugged her.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ the courtyard ❞

Klaus was walking down the stairs when he spotted May sitting at the courtyard patio chairs. "You know, if you would've asked me a decade ago, I would've bet I hate you for life. I also would have bet I was still human and that creatures that could be both vampire and witch weren't possible. Yet here I am, an immortal living past the death of the king."

Klaus chuckled at the title as he stood before her, "Even more shocking, I don't feel as happy as I always thought I would be. After Jenna I thought this moment, your death would bring me peace, but I feel only sadness." May stood up telling him, "That little girl has lost her mother and now her father in the span of three months. But I promise, I'll do my best, especially while she's at the school to watch after her."

"Why," Klaus asked needing to know her words weren't empty, "You just listed a perfectly good reason to never care about her, your aunt Jenna. Why help her?"

"Because Jenna wouldn't want that. She took in three kids that weren't hers when her sister died, she wouldn't want me to punish an innocent little girl for what she suffered. And I know that for her, being the tribrid makes grief feel like something you can control. She's going to need someone to tell her the limits, and there's no one else better to do that than me. And maybe, because I understand the exact rage she will go through after this."

"And you will ensure her rage does not swallow her as mine did to me," Klaus pleaded stepped forward his eyes desperate.

May nodded confirming one last time, "It won't be easy, she's still a kid working through a mountain of grief with all the power in the world at her fingertips. I'm a grown woman and when Stefan died, I wanted to die after Stefan did. I wanted to be with my husband, had I not known about Alex... I might have. I loved the twins so much, but I was so afraid of what my rage would do to them. I thought death was better, no little kid deserves to work out those emotions on their own. I won't let it consume her, just like I won't let it destroy Caroline."

Klaus sucked in a breath placing his hand thankfully on her shoulder, "You're a good woman Maya Salvatore, and though we never truly were, you are a good friend."

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ mikaelson lounge ❞

"I think I was hiding in that crawl space for about twelve hours," May could hear Marcel saying as she walked behind the Mikaelson's and Keelin.

Upon entering the room, they found Marcel and Rebekah happily in each other's arms, and messy hair to match their earlier activities. Clearing her throat Freya announced, "Um, Keelin just got back."

Awkwardly the doctor with beautiful long curls said, "Just wanted to say hi."

Seeing the smile on the originals face as she and her boyfriend greeted, "Hi," showed more growth than Maya had thought her capable of. Perhaps that was always their mistake back then, both sides were the exact same telling themselves they were different.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

May laughed as she sat between Elijah and Freya pouring them drinks while he explained, "You know, he always had a prescient eye." The tribrid passed around glasses as he went on, "He was extolling the virtues of Vincent van Gogh when the world decided he was a madman with a severed ear."

"Say whatever you will about the man, Klaus has impeccable taste," gathered May from everything she'd heard and seen herself when around Klaus.

Instantly Freya leaned on her pleading, "Don't ever let him hear you say that we'll never hear the end of it."

Laughing through her words Rebekah reminded her oldest brother, "Wait. Do you remember that April Fool's in Copenhagen where he compelled a circus troupe to follow you around?"

May shielded her mouth to stop her drink from spilling out as Elijah shuddered at the thought, "Also known as the most challenging hours of my long life."

"No, no, no, no, no," Marcel protested holding up his glass, "The worst was when he would get drunk, and get it in his head that he was gonna set the world ablaze with his paintings."

"And then he would actually set them on fire," Elijah interjected lovingly making May cackle the alcohol lessening the heaviness of the day, "That was the weird thing."

Trying to think back, Marcel asked Rebekah, "What was his phrase? His, uh..."

Both Elijah and Rebekah answered in unison with Marcel as it clicked in his memory, "His inspirational rampages."

"His drunken collection was always my favorite," stated Kol making everyone look up. His siblings stood to greet him as he apologized holding up the extra bourbon he bought, "I should have known this was going to be redundant."

Placing his hand on the back of his brothers head he said, "Brother...bourbon's never redundant."

"The prodigal brother returns," remarked Rebekah pridefully.

Sly as ever Kol replied, "Yes, well, as much as I hate to admit it, you were right. We should honor our brother's sacrifice. And if Nik's time is up, then, I guess I didn't want to miss my chance to bitch and moan. Because he is a tremendous ass."

"That he is," said Klaus as he, Caroline, and Hope entered the room, "But he oh-so-secretly adores his youngest brother." Klaus pulled his brother into a loving embrace knowing it would be one of their last. As they pulled apart Klaus looked around telling everyone, "Well, don't stop on my account. If this is to be my funeral, then, let's get on with it."

Wanting to offer them a moment just for family, May tried making her way towards the exit. Before she made it far, she felt a tug on her arm stopping her, "Where do you think you're going?"

Stopping she felt herself be pulled back as she faced Elijah telling him, "I don't want to intrude--"

Not even letting her think of another reason Elijah interjected, "This night would not be possible without you. Stay, please..." The tribrid placed her hand on top of his tapping it affectionately as her answer. The two of them followed everyone else downstairs to their dining room.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝  mikaelson dining room ❞

May was sat between Caroline and Rebekah enjoying the sounds of laughter and stories being told about Klaus Mikaelson. While she watched it all unfold May found herself thinking about how if perhaps, they had all been different, they could've been friends.

Looking around at all the Mikaelsons, even Kol, May saw each of them had grown and become so much more than she thought them capable of. It gave her hope for her own future, because no matter its future trauma lurking behind corners she couldn't see, she knew it would change her, and change didn't have to be so scary.

If the Mikaelson's had survived this long, as dysfunctional as they were, there no reason anyone else couldn't do the same. Rebekah seemed to be choosing happiness every time she glanced at Marcel. Kol, by pure happenstance had found a witch named Davina who managed to tame his wild spirit. The human population would forever be in debt to the witch for it.

Then there was the older sister that thankfully for May and her friends, wasn't around back then. Bonnie was strong but trying to save everyone and fighting a witch with 1,000 years' worth of dark magic plus the Mikaelson first born bloodline would've been too much. Caroline had said Freya searched all those years for her family never once giving up, and it appeared she finally had it.

Elijah, he still seemed like a man being torn apart by his own demons. She supposed once that feeling set it, it's nearly impossible to forget. However, he still remained strong, weathering the storm for his family. Just as he had done time and time before, for all his faults, Elijah loved his family. Which was the one reason, his original plan to die with his brother was one he had to think twice about. After losing Hayley, his beautiful love whose smile could cure the darkest evils, he didn't want to live. But his punishment for failing her, would be making sure he never failed Hope.

And Hope, she was just a teenager now left feeling completely alone. May wondered what would become of the young Mikaelson. After all, she was a Mikaelson and a tribrid, people would come for her power no matter how old or innocent she was. From time-to-time people would still try and harm May herself for it, she wondered what the journey of being the tribrid would look like for Hope. May knew she couldn't predict it, but she could plan to be there for it, and she always would.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

Returning from the courtyard, Rebekah happily announced, "Alright. It's time for an old-fashioned wish burning ceremony."

Hope took May by her hand still trying to act as if her world wasn't crashing down around her, "Come on, I'll show you what to do." The Salvatore followed after her taking the paper she was handed, "Basically you just write your wish and throw it in the fire. Don't say it, because then there's no chance it'll come true."

May thanked the Mikaelson tribrid excusing herself to write down her wish on her piece of paper. After a moment of thinking she wrote, I wish a chance to find my own peace. Once she was done, she and everyone else tossed their wishes into the fire.

 With everyone lined up Klaus held onto Hope's hand as tight as he could while he said, "You know, as much as I've savored the joy of tormenting you throughout the years, I must confess you all mean everything to me." The whole time he spoke Caroline was gripping onto May needing her support now more than she ever had before. "Your loyalty and your counsel and your love... is probably the only reason why I've survived as long as I have. Which is how I know...long after I'm gone...you will all come together, time and time again, to take care of each other. And that is why I'm not afraid...for your future."

Repeating words only Niklaus knew were being repeated, Elijah tearfully said, "We're bound forever to those with whom we share blood. And while we may not choose our family...that bond is our greatest strength."

Niklaus smiled a tearfully bitter smile saying, "Though I may be leaving you tonight...this is not the end of the Mikaelsons. Always and forever."

Everyone except for may who felt she did not have a claim on their oath repeated back, "Always and forever."

Fighting his tears as best he could Klaus said, "I need a moment." Taking Hope by the hand he led her off to say their own final goodbyes.

 .·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ french quarter, new orleans ❞

Caroline was had switched from holding onto May to holding onto Klaus for dear life the whole walk. Klaus wanted to do it somewhere far from Hope Ah, this old chestnut. He didn't want her childhood home to become the one her father had killed himself in. 

May stayed behind the original three Mikaelson siblings she'd first met and Caroline. Approaching a bench Elijah sighed bittersweet in his thoughts, "Ah this old chestnut."

The three women especially May looked puzzled, so Klaus explained looking at the benches, "Many moons ago, we sat here and discussed the future of our family." Klaus looked at his youngest most beloved sibling placing his on her shoulder, "I never should have got in the way of your happiness, Rebekah."

"You don't have to apologize," said Rebekah unable to be angry at him, not now.

 Trying to remain strong for her as he always had Niklaus said, "Well, then, let me make it up to you. I've asked Caroline and Maya to get you the cure. In a handful of decades when it's time, you can go to Mystic Falls and get it. Then if you no longer wish to be a vampire, it's your choice." He placed his hand softly on her cheek, "Live the life you've always wanted to live, my sister," he said telling her his goodbye.

Rebekah's tears spilled all down her face, "Thank you," she told her brother hugging him one last time. Letting him go she desperately wanted to hold on longer, but she knew she had to. Before leaving she hugged Elijah quickly turning her back before she stopped herself.

May watched quietly as he slowly turned to Caroline who was shaking her head in refusal already. "I don't want to do this. I don't want you to say goodbye," she told him her tears already falling.

Taking her hands in his he offered her, "Then I will not say the words, only what it is I feel." Caroline nodded willing to hear that, as long as he didn't say goodbye. She didn't want the last words he said to be so finale, not when she would carry on for perhaps 1,000 years before they would meet again.

Klaus placed his hand on her cheek pushing back the long blonde hair that looked like sunlight casted into strands of hair to him. "In times I believed myself least deserving, most impossible to be loved, you came in and changed my whole world. I am so sorry I could not give you the eternity I promised, the freedom and adventure you deserved--"

Caroline cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth, "No, don't do that don't take away from what you did give me. What you gave me was more beautiful and real than whatever those promises would've become."

Tears spilled from Klaus' eyes as he said, "Then I supposed I will forever be your beautiful tragedy." Caroline leaned forward giving him one last, meaningful kiss. With each movement they felt their tears covering them, this was not the kiss of love. No, this was the kiss of heartache and agony caused by the grief of letting go.

Pulling back Caroline felt her heart shatter into millions of pieces, she truly thought she could feel the organ die. If she were human, she truly would have dropped dead of a broken heart. "When I turn around, I can't look back at you," she said her hands still touching his curls. 

She was trying to capture everything about him, every little detail. The smell of his natural musk and cologne, the softness of his curls, the small stubble of his beard. She wanted to be able to remember it all even a hundred years from their last moment.

"If I looked back, I think I would have to follow you into that darkness, I wouldn't be able to let you go a-alone," Caroline admitted her voice cracking.

Klaus shook his head taking one last look at his immortal beauty he wished he'd had more time with. "Where you go there can be no darkness, your light is too bright for it," he told her taking off the necklace around him.

He placed it in her hand telling her, "Take this, so you may always have a piece of me with you. Now go, and never look back, live and love wildly my sweet Caroline. Run, and don't stop."

"Okay, just as long as you never leave me," she said holding his hand waiting for him to say he would always be there.

And he would be, "I couldn't leave you if I tried," he promised.

Caroline through her arms around him hugging him tightly one last time. As they pulled apart, she held his hand until she couldn't any longer as she turned away. Seeing her face May knew, her version of Caroline was going away for awhile.

Before she could leave May held her close telling her in a whisper, "Do what you need to do, if it becomes too much, call me."

Caroline fought back her tears saying, "I love you; I think I have to go away longer than a year this time."

"I know," May said letting her go using her speed to vanish before she could stop herself. 

As she left May looked back at now Elijah who was the only one left. "I don't want your last memory of me to be my death," said Klaus keeping his back to them. Sitting on the bench he said, "So, please, let's not say the sad good-bye."

"Then I suppose like you, I won't say the words," Elijah said moving to sit beside his brother on the bench. Elijah paused a moment before explaining, "I want to follow you into the darkness as I always have, but I cannot. Not while Hope still breaths." 

Klaus found a small smile growing on his face, he needed to hear Elijah of all people would take care of her. Turning his head Elijah added, "I am going to return to Mystic Falls with her when the time is right. Not just to honor our oath, but for Hayley, I couldn't protect her, but I will always protect Hope."

"I expected nothing less," Klaus said noticing the veins on Elijah from the hollow were practically all gone. "But you still need to go, I will not have this be your last memory of me."

Elijah pulled his brother into a hug telling him, "As you wish, little brother." Standing up from the bench the Mikaelson swiftly walked off refusing to look back himself.

"And then there was two," remarked Klaus looking up at the tribrid. Reaching into her jacket pocket she pulled out the white oak stake handing it over to him. As it was right in front of his face Klaus was afraid, death was not something he ever expected to succumb to.

Blocking himself from taking it Klaus stood up from the bench asking, "I need you to do it. If it is mean who has the oak, I'm afraid I won't do it, that the hollow will stop me."

Part of her didn't want to be responsible for such a heavy burden, but the other half knew there was no one else left. Pulling the stake back she agreed, "You know if you think about it, the prophecy about us was true."

Klaus looked puzzled so she elaborated, "It said I would serve you or kill you; in a way I'm doing both. I really am the death of the king."

The Mikaelson hybrid stood tall relaxing his shoulders, "I wouldn't have it any other way little hunter."

May smiled sadly as she stepped closer to him, "If you see Stefan on the other side, can you tell him Alex loves him, and she's growing up to be a beautiful young lady with ambitions, and this fearlessness I'm jealous of. And that I can't wait to see him again."

"Will do," he promised as May gripped the white oak before jamming it into Klaus' heart. The sudden pain made his breath catch in his throat as May struggled to keep him up. "It was a glorious ride while it lasted, huh," Klaus confirmed with his dying breaths.

Encouragingly May replied, "It was..." She watched as little by little Klaus broke from being this mighty hybrid to embers floating in the wind. May watched his faint smile until there was nothing left of Niklaus Mikaelson but ash. As the pieces of him vanished from sight May mumbled to herself, "Long live the king, goodbye Niklaus Mikaelson."

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