No Mercy
Chapter Four: Time Does Not Heal All Wounds
Once again, sorry about taking so long to update! I had actually planned to ahve this chapter up about a month ago, just a lot of stuff happened and as a result, I just couldnt get into writing. I've had most of this chapter done for a while, but I was having trouble with the ending part. Funnily enough, I got inspiration for the ending part when I was watching an amv of the anime Soul Eater (An awesome anime by the way xD) more specifically, one of the psychotic and sexy Stein xD (my second favorite character, the first being Death the Kid). Anyway, the amv was to teh song "Unstable" by Chaotica and it was that song that gave me the inspiration for the ending!
Once again, I'm sorry about the late update and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Oh! And thank you to everyone whose been reading this story! I love you all!
Ash: That's not creepy or anything...
Me: Shut up!
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I'm Not Okay (I Promise) by My Chemical Romance
Well, if you wanted honesty, that's all you had to say
I never want to let you down or have you go, it's better off this way
For all the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took
Remember when you broke your foot from jumping out the second floor?
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Chapter Four: Time Does Not Heal All Wounds
"You are in deep shit, my friend." Alexa remarked into her cell phone as she snapped her fingers at some guy who she had compelled to carry her bags. "Hurry up before I make you my snack." She ordered, smirking because she knows the guy can't respond since she had compelled him to stay silent.
"You don't think I already know that?" The brunette muttered under her breath, clearly not in a satisfactory mood. "Mikael will be here in an hour to go over some plan him and my brothers concocted to kill Klaus and I'm expected to help."
Alexa sighed as she walked past security, her compelled slave following after her dutifully. "You've talked about killing him for years, Ash. This is your chance to make good on all of the tough talk you've been spewing for the past few decades." She knew Ash. Ash hated Klaus with every fiber of her being, and Alexa didn't blame her. However…the Parisian female knew that if Ash did go through with it, it might do more harm than good to the young vampire.
"And I will. It's just…whenever I imagined finally killing him, it was my way, not anyone else's. If Nik-if Klaus is going to die, I want it to be by my hand. Not that bastard Mikael's."
Alexa didn't comment as she took the bags from the compelled human and ordered him to leave and forget everything from the last forty five minutes. Her dark green eyes looked thoughtful, as if she was seriously thinking something over and, as she sat her bags on the black conveyor belt, she finally responded, saying, "You know, even from just over the phone, you can't fool someone who knows you better than you know your own self, phénix."
"Don't call me that." Ash mumbled annoyed. "And I have no clue what you mean by that."
Amusement danced within the cat like eyes of the French vampire. "Of course you don't."
"I can hear the sarcasm in your voice even from here, Al. I know what I'm doing." Ash stressed that last part, though whether it was to reassure Alexa or herself neither knew.
"Flight 182 for Richmond, Virginia is now boarding!" The speakers announced loudly, causing Alexa to roll her eyes.
"Flight? Alexa-"
Alexa cut her off, saying gently, "I know you know what you're doing, Ashlynn. However, even the best laid plans go awry when confronted with the demons of your past. If you honestly think I am not going to be there by your side when this occurs, then you truly do not know me, my friend. Now if you'll excuse me,"she smirked, "I have a plane to catch." And, before any more noises of protest could resound from Ash's end, Alexa ended the call while smiling charmingly at the security guard who let her pass without a word.
Ashlynn was the only person she gave a damn about, so if the brunette had honestly thought that Alexa wouldn't drop everything to come to Mystic Falls to assist her at a time when she needed support the most, then the young vampire truly was a moron in every meaning of the word.
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Ash stared at her phone in disbelief. Alexa was coming to Mystic Falls. As much as she wanted to be annoyed or angry at Alexa for the impromptu decision, she couldn't find it within herself to be. The thought of seeing her closest friend sent relief flooding through the brunette. Alexa may seem to be self-absorbed and blunt to the point of brutality, but underneathe it all, she would never think of ostracizing or ridiculing Ash for decisions made both in the past and the present…and Ash desperately needed her right now for those reasons alone.
Damon had filled her in on all that Klaus had done and, while she wasn't that surprised, she knew that once the truth of her past with Klaus came out -and it would come out since it was nearly impossible for it not to and she wasn't going to delude herself into believing it wouldn't- there was the very real possibility her brothers might shun her for the choices she had made in regards to the hybrid.
She laid the front of her head against the wall of her bedroom and let out a long sigh. Today was going to be horrible. What with having to be civil with Mikael and plot the death of the man she had once loved, there was nothing that could make this day any worse than it already was going to be.
"And here I thought I would never have to see your pathetic self again."
At the sound of the annoyed feminine voice, Ash suppressed a groan.
I stand corrected.
As she turned around to face the blonde Original, Ash composed herself and all that was present on her face was a mocking smile. "Rebekah! I missed you so much." Not. There would have to be something seriously wrong with her to ever miss the Original who had hated her the very moment they had met. Ash had always assumed it was a result of Rebekah hating competition for Nik's attention. Whatever the reason may be for Rebekah's hatred, it was idiotic and childish. However, if Rebekah was dead set on hating her, Ash refused to take the insults lying down, preferring instead to dish it back.
Rebekah didn't look amused. In fact, her eyes narrowed at the obvious sarcasm of Ash's words. "Don't test me because we both know that in a fight to the death, I would emerge the victor. And my brother isn't here to protect you anymore, so I'd watch your back."
Ash arched an eyebrow amused. "I'm glad I don't have his protection anymore because I never needed it, especially against a disloyal superficial blonde bimbo."
Rebekah was in front of her in a flash. "Disloyal?" She hissed angrily, fangs flashing. "You are plotting Nik's death as well so you have no room to talk!"
Ash forced herself to appear unaffected by Rebekah's words as she stood her ground. "To be disloyal would mean I'd have to actually have been loyal in the first place. Whatever loyalty I once held for Klaus died ninety years ago when he broke my trust and cast me aside." Ash's composure broke towards the end though, and her voice lowered in anger as she growled out the last part. Before Rebekah could respond, she continued. "At least I'm not claiming to be loyal while double crossing the person I pledged my loyalty to. That's the difference between you and me, 'Bekah'," She said the nickname mockingly. "I'm upfront about my hatred."
"You truly know nothing, don't you?" Rebekah shook her head in disgust.
Ash ignored her, though a part of her wondered what Rebekah had meant by that, and continued. "Why do you want Klaus dead anyway? The last time I saw you two, you would have done anything for him. Why the change?"
The blonde stiffened and she glared at the youngest of the Salvatores. "I don't see how that is any of your business."
The brunette shrugged. "It isn't."
"Then why ask?"
Ash smirked. "Curiosity."
Rebekah's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a step forward towards the girl, her eyes stormy and dangerous. "Well, you know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat."
Hard sapphire eyes watched the Original carefully, anger glinting in her eyes at the obvious threat. "Yeah, well, satisfaction brought it back."
Rebekah gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to tear the girl in front of her into shreds. It was obvious that she could kill the baby vampire easily, yet Ashlynn refused to back down an inch or show any shred of the fear she may have been feeling at that moment. Something her brother had always praised about the brunette. "You truly want to know? Then I will tell you."
Dark blue eyes blinked in surprise before the owner of the eyes quickly hid the surprise and replaced it with suspicion. "Why?"
Tears glittered in the blonde Original's eyes. "Because you aren't the only one who has reason to hate my brother. I have spent years loving and hating him equally only to find out that he is the reason I am without a mother."
Ash stared in astonishment and belatedly realized that the woman in front of her was trying her best to hold in her tears, her pain. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "He killed your mother? I thought it was Mikael who did that."
"So did I." She stated, anger and pain clear on her face. "But clearly I misjudged him just as you yourself had done." Rebekah turned her head away to hide the tears that she hid within her eyes, not wanting to give Ash the satisfaction of seeing her in tears.
Ash, however, did see…and she felt no satisfaction whatsoever in the blonde's tears. In fact, she felt something she never thought she would ever feel for the female Original. Sympathy. She understood what it was like to be betrayed by Klaus, to have everything you knew be turned upside down because he simply felt like it.
Yeah, the brunette understood what Rebekah was going through better than anyone else possibly could and she once again cursed Klaus for his disregard for everyone besides numero uno. Himself.
Ash simply looked the other way while the Original recomposed herself, knowing that if she were to say anything or show any signs of sympathy, Rebekah would take it the wrong way and see it as pity. It would be an insult to both Rebekah and Ash.
And it was during that period of silence that Damon walked in. His eyes flickered between the two suspiciously, as if he could feel the tension that had once filled the air, but chose to ignore it as he smirked and said three words: "It's show time."
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In all of the years that Ash had traveled alongside Klaus as the second of his two constant companions—Rebekah being the other—she had never, during all of that time, ever met or even seen from a distance the homicidal patriarch of the Mikaelson family.
However, the instant the brown haired, no-nonsense man entered the living room and her dark blue eyes landed on him, she knew without a doubt who it was. The moment her eyes landed on him, she couldn't help but freeze in place for a moment, because in that moment, as she saw the cold look in Mikael's eyes, she knew that there was good reason behind all of the running they had done in order to avoid him.
He was death itself.
The introductions were brief, so brief that they could barely even warrant being referred to as introductions, but when Mikael gave no hint of recognition when Damon said her name, relief flooded throughout Ash. A relief that vanished when she noticed his mouth was curved upwards slightly, the barest hint of a smug smirk clear to her sapphire gaze. A smirk that chilled the female vampire to the very bone.
And when his own eyes met hers for but a brief second, she saw in those dark orbs of his that he did know who she was and amusement flickered briefly within his eyes as if the mere thought that he wouldn't know who she was was a ridiculous notion.
In that moment, for the first time in years, Ash felt fear tear at her from the inside, a fear that continually reemerged each time his gaze landed upon her.
However, she was not willing to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had successfully rattled her, so she hid everything behind a blank mask, successfully hiding that on the inside, she was in complete and utter turmoil.
Currently, she was standing off to the side next to Stefan, ignoring the burning sensation within her that was telling her that this plan was a bad idea and would only end in destruction on both sides.
At the moment, they were trying to figure out the best way possible convince Klaus that Mikael had been dealt with, a bait that would without a doubt successfully lure the hybrid to Mystic Falls and right back into Ash's life.
"Okay," Stefan remarked, taking charge. "Let's say that Mikael followed Elena in here. He tried to grab her, so he could use her as bait-"
"And you what?" Elena questioned dubiously. "Vervained him?" Ash had to agree with Elena's dubiousness. Klaus may be a lot of things, but stupid had never been one of them. He would see through that in an instant.
Apparently, Damon shared their sentiment, since he corrected Stefan quickly. "No, we vervained him. This guy is an Original, it has to be realistic."
"Damon's right," Ash said, speaking for the first time since the meeting had began. "If it's not realistic, Klaus won't fall for it and if Klaus doesn't fall for it, or worse he realizes what we're attempting to do, we're screwed." The hybrid was merciless towards his enemies…something the brunette had always admired, but not anymore. Especially since his current enemies were her own brothers.
She inwardly winced when she realized that what she said could, without her meaning to, reveal that she did in fact know the man. However, neither her brothers nor Elena picked up the connection. When Ash noticed this, she let a small breath of relief to escape her.
A pair of eyes had noticed, though, and a smirk curved Mikael's lips upward once again. As he discreetly stared at the youngest Salvatore sibling, he still couldn't figure out just what it was about the girl that had drawn the attention and devotion of Niklaus. She didn't appear to be anything special at all. In fact, in his eyes, she appeared to be rather ordinary.
Sapphire eyes flickered to where he stood and met his eyes, and what he saw in them caused him to slightly raise an eyebrow.
Fire burned within those dark blue orbs along with a steeliness that would impress even the worst of criminals.
So that was it, the man mused quietly. Her fire must have been what drew him to her. Such a shame that she had to get involved with that worthless cur. In the end, it will be because of that that she will die.
"Okay, fine." Stefan acknowledged reluctantly. "We vervained him, and in the process discovered that he had a dagger."
Elena nodded and added onto what Stefan had said. "Which he planned to use on Rebekah, but instead…"
"We drove it through his heart." Stefan smirked, saying it simultaneously with his twin-who wished that they really could drive the dagger through Mikael's heart and leave him to rot somewhere far away from those she cared about. She knew enough about him to know that trusting Mikael would be a stupid move and that, once Klaus was out of the way, the man could very well come after them simply to tie up lose ends.
It would be a cold day in hell before she'd allow 'Papa Original' to harm her brothers, especially considering she had only just got them back.
"Freaky twin powers." Damon muttered under his breath, drawing Elena's attention. At her questioning look, he replied, "Talking in unison." He fake shuddered. "It was creepy when we were kids, and it still is now."
Elena rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Stefan, asking, "And what happens when he asks to see Mikael's body?"
Well, we could always dagger him for real, Ash thought with bitter hope as her eyes flickered once again back to the male Original. A smidgeon of relief passed through her when she noticed that he was no longer staring at her as if she was some sort of specimen he was going to be dissecting on the operating table later on.
"Good point!" Damon remarked, turning to face Stefan with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You my brother have been compelled to do what Klaus says. The idea is to lure him back here and kill him, so the last thing we need is you getting tripped up and tongue-tied."
Stefan didn't bother to hide his irritation at the comment. "Well don't look at me. I'm just in charge of getting him back here."
"He'll want proof that Mikael is truly as dead as we claim him to be." The female twin stated, alert just in case she would have to break up a fight between her brothers. Damon was in an antagonizing mood and, since Stefan's humanity was off, she didn't trust her twin not to attack the oldest of the three.
That didn't mean she wasn't going to continue to stand right by her brother's side, she just knew what it was like to not give a crap about anything except whatever goal you had in mind-an experience she hoped never to fall back into. The years between 1919 and 1966 had been the darkest part of her existence. She had killed whoever was unlucky enough to cross her path simply because she had nothing better to do.
She killed simply for the fun of it.
As a result, she found it ironic in a sense that her twin had gone through similar stages throughout his vampiric existence. They truly were two halves of a whole.
"Ashlynn-" at Ash's look, Elena corrected herself, "Ash is right. Klaus is smart. If we tell him that Mikael is dead, he'll want proof."
Mikael's eyes flickered around the room as he looked at each individual before saying, "Then I shall be dead."
Ash's eyes widened at that statement in shock before they narrowed, her distrust obvious within her sapphire orbs.
Elena obviously didn't trust Mikael's intentions very much either considering her response was, "What if he wants to see you in person?" Her warm brown eyes were deadly serious as she looked at the patriarch of the Originals. Ash obviously distrusted the man, though Elena didn't know how the two knew each other. However, after having spent the little bit of time that she had so far with the female vampire, she knew that Ash wasn't usually overly suspicious of people. So if she distrusted Mikael, then there had to be a logical reason for it and that would mean that they shouldn't trust him that much as well.
Mikael arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Well that means our plan is working. Klaus will absolutely want to see my body. You lure him here," his cold eyes looked in the direction of his daughter and his son's ex-lover as he spoke the next words, "and I will kill him."
Anger welled within Ash, having noticed that he had directed that last part toward her. He was deliberately toying with her and was on the peak of letting slip that she had a past with the infuriating hybrid. "With what?" She snapped, glowering at him. "Last time I checked, according to both Rebekah and you, he's managed to elude you for nearly a thousand years! What makes you think you'll be able to kill him, even with the advantage of surprise?" Damon smirked in silent agreement with his sibling. It amused him that when they were children, she was a lot like her twin's, but now that she was a vampire, her nature was as volatile as his own. Though he did have to admit that he missed the air of innocence she used to exude.
Mikael's expression was a mixture of amusement and smugness as he looked at the girl who was glaring at him. "I came quite close once a little over ninety years ago."
"Ninety years ago?" Ash muttered under her breath in confusion, wondering if the Original had snuck up on Klaus shortly after she had left.
"Ash has a good point though." Stefan remarked, looking at Mikael with unreadable eyes. "Those daggers won't work on him."
"Well, I'm in possession of a stake fashioned from the wood of the ancient white oak tree." Mikael stated, his eyes flittering around the room as he looked at everyone as he spoke, to make sure they understood the significance of this. "The one that left these ashes when it burned."
"Where is it then?" Stefan questioned, an eyebrow raised, his eyes still unreadable.
Ash smirked as she caught onto what her brother was really asking. Was the stake currently on him? And if so, would they be able to get it away from him just in case he were to betray him?
Obviously though, Mikael had already thought of this and had set up precautions as a result. "Not here." A slight smirk grew on his face. "The knowing of its location is my insurance policy."
Ash tilted her head to the side in a gesture that exuded innocence, though the mockery in her tone easily contradicted it. "But if we're supposed to trust you and you us, why the need for an insurance policy? We're all friends here, right?"
"None of you hold any trust in me, so why should I return the favor? Besides," he looked at Ash coldly, his tone dry as he finished, "I happen to know for a fact that some of you are less trustworthy than the others may know."
Ash stiffened, a reaction Stefan easily caught onto and what caused his eyes to narrow as they flickered back and forth between his younger sister and the male Original. He doubted that the others had noticed, but it was quite obvious to him at least, who the statement was directed towards.
Ash had changed a lot since the last time he had seen her, right before he and Damon had snuck out after the carriage that had contained Katherine. Her eyes that used to be warm and kind were now tinted with a darkness that had never been there before as well as a hatred and fury so deep, it was chilling. Be that as it may though, he couldn't find it within himself to hate her or even distrust her.
She was, after all, his baby sister. His twin. And he could feel that she didn't mean anyone in the room harm, excluding Mikael of course.
Which is why he looked at Mikael and questioned, "Insurance against what?"
The man raised an eyebrow as if it should be obvious as he fingered the dagger in his hand. "You leaving this in my heart. You see, a vampire can't dagger an Original without dying. So," he turned to Elena and with a dramatic flourish, presented her with the dagger, which she took, "it falls to you."
Elena's eyes went from the dagger in her hand back to Mikael who was staring at her as if waiting for a response. Shock was clear in her eyes as she stared back at him. "Y-You want me to actually dagger you?"
Mikael nodded. "Klaus will leave nothing to chance, especially when it comes to trust."
Ash nodded. It was true after all. Klaus didn't trust easily. It went against everything he stood for. Once you broke his trust though….
Enough Ashlynn! He betrayed you! Not the other way around! There is no reason why you shouldn't want revenge for all of those years he toyed with you, making you believe you were actually worth something to him. No, this isn't breaking his trust. This is about getting revenge.
This is about ending him once and for all.
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Ash was standing next to Damon as Stefan made the call to Klaus. Her face was an enigma as she concealed all of the emotions that were flooding through her. With her enhanced hearing, she could hear Klaus greet Stefan as he answered the phone. She had to close her eyes to regain her composure, hardening her face so that her moment of weakness would not be seen. Just because she hadn't heard his voice in about ninety years wasn't an excuse for her to lose composure or feel pain, especially since he didn't deserve any of it.
"Portland is fantastic. Once you get over all the whiny music and healthy looking people, it is literally a breeding ground for werewolves." was Klaus's opening greeting, a carefree smirk on his face.
Stefan wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "Your father is dead."
Klaus froze, a scowl crossing his features. "What did you say to me?"
"Oh, my mistake. Not your actual father and not dead." There was a hint of mocking to Stefan's tone. "Mikael. Daggered. What do you want me to do with the body?"
"Well, first," Klaus stated tersely, "I want you to explain to me exactly what happened."
Ash looked around the room in boredom as Stefan did so, allowing her mind to drift to when Alexa should be arriving. Tilting her head as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall, she mused that she had at least a couple of hours before her best and only friend would be barging in.
She finally snapped back into focus when she heard Klaus say, "I want to talk to Rebekah."
Ash's eyes shot to Rebekah, her eyes daring her to even attempt to cry to Klaus about his planned assassination. This was their only chance at being done with Klaus once and for all. She had finally gotten herself to accept that this was for the best and she was not going to let that prissy Original ruin it all just because she had a touch of conscience.
"That's not a problem." Stefan said easily, a hint of smugness in his tone. "She's right here." He held the phone out towards Rebekah, who reluctantly took it, a look of determination on her face.
"Hello, Nik." She greeted in a bored tone.
"Rebekah, love, what's this I hear about Mikael's tragic run in with the dagger?"
"It's true," she spoke, forcing some happiness into her tone. "He's finally out of our lives for good. I miss you. I'm miserable here."
"I'll be home soon." He assured her.
"Good." There was a pause, then, "Nik, there's something else you should know." Rebekah said suddenly, causing Ash to look at her sharply, her brothers and Elena doing the same.
"What else is there?" Klaus questioned suspiciously. "If what you're saying is true, then Mikael is dead and can no longer cause us any harm."
Rebekah's eyes flickered over to Ash, who was still standing by Damon and who was staring at her with furrowed brows. For years, that sniveling baby vampire had turned Klaus soft. For years, Rebekah had to fight to get Klaus's attention whenever Ash was around.
Rebekah hated Ashlynn for that.
She didn't want to hurt her brother anymore than they already were-they were planning on killing him after all-but this final nail in the coffin would ensure that he wouldn't change his plans at the last moment. This would ensure that her brother would come to Mystic Falls ready to desecrate Mikael's body in the worst and most painful ways possible.
It was the ultimate bait.
"Before Elena managed to kill him, a certain someone got in the way and was killed."
"I'm tired of whatever game you're trying to play, Bekah." Klaus snapped annoyed. "Why should I care who was killed as long as it wasn't the doppelganger?"
"Because…Mikael killed Ashlynn."
Once again, I'm sorry about the late update and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Oh! And thank you to everyone whose been reading this story! I love you all!
Ash: That's not creepy or anything...
Me: Shut up!
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I'm Not Okay (I Promise) by My Chemical Romance
Well, if you wanted honesty, that's all you had to say
I never want to let you down or have you go, it's better off this way
For all the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took
Remember when you broke your foot from jumping out the second floor?
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Chapter Four: Time Does Not Heal All Wounds
"You are in deep shit, my friend." Alexa remarked into her cell phone as she snapped her fingers at some guy who she had compelled to carry her bags. "Hurry up before I make you my snack." She ordered, smirking because she knows the guy can't respond since she had compelled him to stay silent.
"You don't think I already know that?" The brunette muttered under her breath, clearly not in a satisfactory mood. "Mikael will be here in an hour to go over some plan him and my brothers concocted to kill Klaus and I'm expected to help."
Alexa sighed as she walked past security, her compelled slave following after her dutifully. "You've talked about killing him for years, Ash. This is your chance to make good on all of the tough talk you've been spewing for the past few decades." She knew Ash. Ash hated Klaus with every fiber of her being, and Alexa didn't blame her. However…the Parisian female knew that if Ash did go through with it, it might do more harm than good to the young vampire.
"And I will. It's just…whenever I imagined finally killing him, it was my way, not anyone else's. If Nik-if Klaus is going to die, I want it to be by my hand. Not that bastard Mikael's."
Alexa didn't comment as she took the bags from the compelled human and ordered him to leave and forget everything from the last forty five minutes. Her dark green eyes looked thoughtful, as if she was seriously thinking something over and, as she sat her bags on the black conveyor belt, she finally responded, saying, "You know, even from just over the phone, you can't fool someone who knows you better than you know your own self, phénix."
"Don't call me that." Ash mumbled annoyed. "And I have no clue what you mean by that."
Amusement danced within the cat like eyes of the French vampire. "Of course you don't."
"I can hear the sarcasm in your voice even from here, Al. I know what I'm doing." Ash stressed that last part, though whether it was to reassure Alexa or herself neither knew.
"Flight 182 for Richmond, Virginia is now boarding!" The speakers announced loudly, causing Alexa to roll her eyes.
"Flight? Alexa-"
Alexa cut her off, saying gently, "I know you know what you're doing, Ashlynn. However, even the best laid plans go awry when confronted with the demons of your past. If you honestly think I am not going to be there by your side when this occurs, then you truly do not know me, my friend. Now if you'll excuse me,"she smirked, "I have a plane to catch." And, before any more noises of protest could resound from Ash's end, Alexa ended the call while smiling charmingly at the security guard who let her pass without a word.
Ashlynn was the only person she gave a damn about, so if the brunette had honestly thought that Alexa wouldn't drop everything to come to Mystic Falls to assist her at a time when she needed support the most, then the young vampire truly was a moron in every meaning of the word.
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Ash stared at her phone in disbelief. Alexa was coming to Mystic Falls. As much as she wanted to be annoyed or angry at Alexa for the impromptu decision, she couldn't find it within herself to be. The thought of seeing her closest friend sent relief flooding through the brunette. Alexa may seem to be self-absorbed and blunt to the point of brutality, but underneathe it all, she would never think of ostracizing or ridiculing Ash for decisions made both in the past and the present…and Ash desperately needed her right now for those reasons alone.
Damon had filled her in on all that Klaus had done and, while she wasn't that surprised, she knew that once the truth of her past with Klaus came out -and it would come out since it was nearly impossible for it not to and she wasn't going to delude herself into believing it wouldn't- there was the very real possibility her brothers might shun her for the choices she had made in regards to the hybrid.
She laid the front of her head against the wall of her bedroom and let out a long sigh. Today was going to be horrible. What with having to be civil with Mikael and plot the death of the man she had once loved, there was nothing that could make this day any worse than it already was going to be.
"And here I thought I would never have to see your pathetic self again."
At the sound of the annoyed feminine voice, Ash suppressed a groan.
I stand corrected.
As she turned around to face the blonde Original, Ash composed herself and all that was present on her face was a mocking smile. "Rebekah! I missed you so much." Not. There would have to be something seriously wrong with her to ever miss the Original who had hated her the very moment they had met. Ash had always assumed it was a result of Rebekah hating competition for Nik's attention. Whatever the reason may be for Rebekah's hatred, it was idiotic and childish. However, if Rebekah was dead set on hating her, Ash refused to take the insults lying down, preferring instead to dish it back.
Rebekah didn't look amused. In fact, her eyes narrowed at the obvious sarcasm of Ash's words. "Don't test me because we both know that in a fight to the death, I would emerge the victor. And my brother isn't here to protect you anymore, so I'd watch your back."
Ash arched an eyebrow amused. "I'm glad I don't have his protection anymore because I never needed it, especially against a disloyal superficial blonde bimbo."
Rebekah was in front of her in a flash. "Disloyal?" She hissed angrily, fangs flashing. "You are plotting Nik's death as well so you have no room to talk!"
Ash forced herself to appear unaffected by Rebekah's words as she stood her ground. "To be disloyal would mean I'd have to actually have been loyal in the first place. Whatever loyalty I once held for Klaus died ninety years ago when he broke my trust and cast me aside." Ash's composure broke towards the end though, and her voice lowered in anger as she growled out the last part. Before Rebekah could respond, she continued. "At least I'm not claiming to be loyal while double crossing the person I pledged my loyalty to. That's the difference between you and me, 'Bekah'," She said the nickname mockingly. "I'm upfront about my hatred."
"You truly know nothing, don't you?" Rebekah shook her head in disgust.
Ash ignored her, though a part of her wondered what Rebekah had meant by that, and continued. "Why do you want Klaus dead anyway? The last time I saw you two, you would have done anything for him. Why the change?"
The blonde stiffened and she glared at the youngest of the Salvatores. "I don't see how that is any of your business."
The brunette shrugged. "It isn't."
"Then why ask?"
Ash smirked. "Curiosity."
Rebekah's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a step forward towards the girl, her eyes stormy and dangerous. "Well, you know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat."
Hard sapphire eyes watched the Original carefully, anger glinting in her eyes at the obvious threat. "Yeah, well, satisfaction brought it back."
Rebekah gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to tear the girl in front of her into shreds. It was obvious that she could kill the baby vampire easily, yet Ashlynn refused to back down an inch or show any shred of the fear she may have been feeling at that moment. Something her brother had always praised about the brunette. "You truly want to know? Then I will tell you."
Dark blue eyes blinked in surprise before the owner of the eyes quickly hid the surprise and replaced it with suspicion. "Why?"
Tears glittered in the blonde Original's eyes. "Because you aren't the only one who has reason to hate my brother. I have spent years loving and hating him equally only to find out that he is the reason I am without a mother."
Ash stared in astonishment and belatedly realized that the woman in front of her was trying her best to hold in her tears, her pain. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "He killed your mother? I thought it was Mikael who did that."
"So did I." She stated, anger and pain clear on her face. "But clearly I misjudged him just as you yourself had done." Rebekah turned her head away to hide the tears that she hid within her eyes, not wanting to give Ash the satisfaction of seeing her in tears.
Ash, however, did see…and she felt no satisfaction whatsoever in the blonde's tears. In fact, she felt something she never thought she would ever feel for the female Original. Sympathy. She understood what it was like to be betrayed by Klaus, to have everything you knew be turned upside down because he simply felt like it.
Yeah, the brunette understood what Rebekah was going through better than anyone else possibly could and she once again cursed Klaus for his disregard for everyone besides numero uno. Himself.
Ash simply looked the other way while the Original recomposed herself, knowing that if she were to say anything or show any signs of sympathy, Rebekah would take it the wrong way and see it as pity. It would be an insult to both Rebekah and Ash.
And it was during that period of silence that Damon walked in. His eyes flickered between the two suspiciously, as if he could feel the tension that had once filled the air, but chose to ignore it as he smirked and said three words: "It's show time."
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In all of the years that Ash had traveled alongside Klaus as the second of his two constant companions—Rebekah being the other—she had never, during all of that time, ever met or even seen from a distance the homicidal patriarch of the Mikaelson family.
However, the instant the brown haired, no-nonsense man entered the living room and her dark blue eyes landed on him, she knew without a doubt who it was. The moment her eyes landed on him, she couldn't help but freeze in place for a moment, because in that moment, as she saw the cold look in Mikael's eyes, she knew that there was good reason behind all of the running they had done in order to avoid him.
He was death itself.
The introductions were brief, so brief that they could barely even warrant being referred to as introductions, but when Mikael gave no hint of recognition when Damon said her name, relief flooded throughout Ash. A relief that vanished when she noticed his mouth was curved upwards slightly, the barest hint of a smug smirk clear to her sapphire gaze. A smirk that chilled the female vampire to the very bone.
And when his own eyes met hers for but a brief second, she saw in those dark orbs of his that he did know who she was and amusement flickered briefly within his eyes as if the mere thought that he wouldn't know who she was was a ridiculous notion.
In that moment, for the first time in years, Ash felt fear tear at her from the inside, a fear that continually reemerged each time his gaze landed upon her.
However, she was not willing to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had successfully rattled her, so she hid everything behind a blank mask, successfully hiding that on the inside, she was in complete and utter turmoil.
Currently, she was standing off to the side next to Stefan, ignoring the burning sensation within her that was telling her that this plan was a bad idea and would only end in destruction on both sides.
At the moment, they were trying to figure out the best way possible convince Klaus that Mikael had been dealt with, a bait that would without a doubt successfully lure the hybrid to Mystic Falls and right back into Ash's life.
"Okay," Stefan remarked, taking charge. "Let's say that Mikael followed Elena in here. He tried to grab her, so he could use her as bait-"
"And you what?" Elena questioned dubiously. "Vervained him?" Ash had to agree with Elena's dubiousness. Klaus may be a lot of things, but stupid had never been one of them. He would see through that in an instant.
Apparently, Damon shared their sentiment, since he corrected Stefan quickly. "No, we vervained him. This guy is an Original, it has to be realistic."
"Damon's right," Ash said, speaking for the first time since the meeting had began. "If it's not realistic, Klaus won't fall for it and if Klaus doesn't fall for it, or worse he realizes what we're attempting to do, we're screwed." The hybrid was merciless towards his enemies…something the brunette had always admired, but not anymore. Especially since his current enemies were her own brothers.
She inwardly winced when she realized that what she said could, without her meaning to, reveal that she did in fact know the man. However, neither her brothers nor Elena picked up the connection. When Ash noticed this, she let a small breath of relief to escape her.
A pair of eyes had noticed, though, and a smirk curved Mikael's lips upward once again. As he discreetly stared at the youngest Salvatore sibling, he still couldn't figure out just what it was about the girl that had drawn the attention and devotion of Niklaus. She didn't appear to be anything special at all. In fact, in his eyes, she appeared to be rather ordinary.
Sapphire eyes flickered to where he stood and met his eyes, and what he saw in them caused him to slightly raise an eyebrow.
Fire burned within those dark blue orbs along with a steeliness that would impress even the worst of criminals.
So that was it, the man mused quietly. Her fire must have been what drew him to her. Such a shame that she had to get involved with that worthless cur. In the end, it will be because of that that she will die.
"Okay, fine." Stefan acknowledged reluctantly. "We vervained him, and in the process discovered that he had a dagger."
Elena nodded and added onto what Stefan had said. "Which he planned to use on Rebekah, but instead…"
"We drove it through his heart." Stefan smirked, saying it simultaneously with his twin-who wished that they really could drive the dagger through Mikael's heart and leave him to rot somewhere far away from those she cared about. She knew enough about him to know that trusting Mikael would be a stupid move and that, once Klaus was out of the way, the man could very well come after them simply to tie up lose ends.
It would be a cold day in hell before she'd allow 'Papa Original' to harm her brothers, especially considering she had only just got them back.
"Freaky twin powers." Damon muttered under his breath, drawing Elena's attention. At her questioning look, he replied, "Talking in unison." He fake shuddered. "It was creepy when we were kids, and it still is now."
Elena rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Stefan, asking, "And what happens when he asks to see Mikael's body?"
Well, we could always dagger him for real, Ash thought with bitter hope as her eyes flickered once again back to the male Original. A smidgeon of relief passed through her when she noticed that he was no longer staring at her as if she was some sort of specimen he was going to be dissecting on the operating table later on.
"Good point!" Damon remarked, turning to face Stefan with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You my brother have been compelled to do what Klaus says. The idea is to lure him back here and kill him, so the last thing we need is you getting tripped up and tongue-tied."
Stefan didn't bother to hide his irritation at the comment. "Well don't look at me. I'm just in charge of getting him back here."
"He'll want proof that Mikael is truly as dead as we claim him to be." The female twin stated, alert just in case she would have to break up a fight between her brothers. Damon was in an antagonizing mood and, since Stefan's humanity was off, she didn't trust her twin not to attack the oldest of the three.
That didn't mean she wasn't going to continue to stand right by her brother's side, she just knew what it was like to not give a crap about anything except whatever goal you had in mind-an experience she hoped never to fall back into. The years between 1919 and 1966 had been the darkest part of her existence. She had killed whoever was unlucky enough to cross her path simply because she had nothing better to do.
She killed simply for the fun of it.
As a result, she found it ironic in a sense that her twin had gone through similar stages throughout his vampiric existence. They truly were two halves of a whole.
"Ashlynn-" at Ash's look, Elena corrected herself, "Ash is right. Klaus is smart. If we tell him that Mikael is dead, he'll want proof."
Mikael's eyes flickered around the room as he looked at each individual before saying, "Then I shall be dead."
Ash's eyes widened at that statement in shock before they narrowed, her distrust obvious within her sapphire orbs.
Elena obviously didn't trust Mikael's intentions very much either considering her response was, "What if he wants to see you in person?" Her warm brown eyes were deadly serious as she looked at the patriarch of the Originals. Ash obviously distrusted the man, though Elena didn't know how the two knew each other. However, after having spent the little bit of time that she had so far with the female vampire, she knew that Ash wasn't usually overly suspicious of people. So if she distrusted Mikael, then there had to be a logical reason for it and that would mean that they shouldn't trust him that much as well.
Mikael arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Well that means our plan is working. Klaus will absolutely want to see my body. You lure him here," his cold eyes looked in the direction of his daughter and his son's ex-lover as he spoke the next words, "and I will kill him."
Anger welled within Ash, having noticed that he had directed that last part toward her. He was deliberately toying with her and was on the peak of letting slip that she had a past with the infuriating hybrid. "With what?" She snapped, glowering at him. "Last time I checked, according to both Rebekah and you, he's managed to elude you for nearly a thousand years! What makes you think you'll be able to kill him, even with the advantage of surprise?" Damon smirked in silent agreement with his sibling. It amused him that when they were children, she was a lot like her twin's, but now that she was a vampire, her nature was as volatile as his own. Though he did have to admit that he missed the air of innocence she used to exude.
Mikael's expression was a mixture of amusement and smugness as he looked at the girl who was glaring at him. "I came quite close once a little over ninety years ago."
"Ninety years ago?" Ash muttered under her breath in confusion, wondering if the Original had snuck up on Klaus shortly after she had left.
"Ash has a good point though." Stefan remarked, looking at Mikael with unreadable eyes. "Those daggers won't work on him."
"Well, I'm in possession of a stake fashioned from the wood of the ancient white oak tree." Mikael stated, his eyes flittering around the room as he looked at everyone as he spoke, to make sure they understood the significance of this. "The one that left these ashes when it burned."
"Where is it then?" Stefan questioned, an eyebrow raised, his eyes still unreadable.
Ash smirked as she caught onto what her brother was really asking. Was the stake currently on him? And if so, would they be able to get it away from him just in case he were to betray him?
Obviously though, Mikael had already thought of this and had set up precautions as a result. "Not here." A slight smirk grew on his face. "The knowing of its location is my insurance policy."
Ash tilted her head to the side in a gesture that exuded innocence, though the mockery in her tone easily contradicted it. "But if we're supposed to trust you and you us, why the need for an insurance policy? We're all friends here, right?"
"None of you hold any trust in me, so why should I return the favor? Besides," he looked at Ash coldly, his tone dry as he finished, "I happen to know for a fact that some of you are less trustworthy than the others may know."
Ash stiffened, a reaction Stefan easily caught onto and what caused his eyes to narrow as they flickered back and forth between his younger sister and the male Original. He doubted that the others had noticed, but it was quite obvious to him at least, who the statement was directed towards.
Ash had changed a lot since the last time he had seen her, right before he and Damon had snuck out after the carriage that had contained Katherine. Her eyes that used to be warm and kind were now tinted with a darkness that had never been there before as well as a hatred and fury so deep, it was chilling. Be that as it may though, he couldn't find it within himself to hate her or even distrust her.
She was, after all, his baby sister. His twin. And he could feel that she didn't mean anyone in the room harm, excluding Mikael of course.
Which is why he looked at Mikael and questioned, "Insurance against what?"
The man raised an eyebrow as if it should be obvious as he fingered the dagger in his hand. "You leaving this in my heart. You see, a vampire can't dagger an Original without dying. So," he turned to Elena and with a dramatic flourish, presented her with the dagger, which she took, "it falls to you."
Elena's eyes went from the dagger in her hand back to Mikael who was staring at her as if waiting for a response. Shock was clear in her eyes as she stared back at him. "Y-You want me to actually dagger you?"
Mikael nodded. "Klaus will leave nothing to chance, especially when it comes to trust."
Ash nodded. It was true after all. Klaus didn't trust easily. It went against everything he stood for. Once you broke his trust though….
Enough Ashlynn! He betrayed you! Not the other way around! There is no reason why you shouldn't want revenge for all of those years he toyed with you, making you believe you were actually worth something to him. No, this isn't breaking his trust. This is about getting revenge.
This is about ending him once and for all.
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Ash was standing next to Damon as Stefan made the call to Klaus. Her face was an enigma as she concealed all of the emotions that were flooding through her. With her enhanced hearing, she could hear Klaus greet Stefan as he answered the phone. She had to close her eyes to regain her composure, hardening her face so that her moment of weakness would not be seen. Just because she hadn't heard his voice in about ninety years wasn't an excuse for her to lose composure or feel pain, especially since he didn't deserve any of it.
"Portland is fantastic. Once you get over all the whiny music and healthy looking people, it is literally a breeding ground for werewolves." was Klaus's opening greeting, a carefree smirk on his face.
Stefan wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "Your father is dead."
Klaus froze, a scowl crossing his features. "What did you say to me?"
"Oh, my mistake. Not your actual father and not dead." There was a hint of mocking to Stefan's tone. "Mikael. Daggered. What do you want me to do with the body?"
"Well, first," Klaus stated tersely, "I want you to explain to me exactly what happened."
Ash looked around the room in boredom as Stefan did so, allowing her mind to drift to when Alexa should be arriving. Tilting her head as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall, she mused that she had at least a couple of hours before her best and only friend would be barging in.
She finally snapped back into focus when she heard Klaus say, "I want to talk to Rebekah."
Ash's eyes shot to Rebekah, her eyes daring her to even attempt to cry to Klaus about his planned assassination. This was their only chance at being done with Klaus once and for all. She had finally gotten herself to accept that this was for the best and she was not going to let that prissy Original ruin it all just because she had a touch of conscience.
"That's not a problem." Stefan said easily, a hint of smugness in his tone. "She's right here." He held the phone out towards Rebekah, who reluctantly took it, a look of determination on her face.
"Hello, Nik." She greeted in a bored tone.
"Rebekah, love, what's this I hear about Mikael's tragic run in with the dagger?"
"It's true," she spoke, forcing some happiness into her tone. "He's finally out of our lives for good. I miss you. I'm miserable here."
"I'll be home soon." He assured her.
"Good." There was a pause, then, "Nik, there's something else you should know." Rebekah said suddenly, causing Ash to look at her sharply, her brothers and Elena doing the same.
"What else is there?" Klaus questioned suspiciously. "If what you're saying is true, then Mikael is dead and can no longer cause us any harm."
Rebekah's eyes flickered over to Ash, who was still standing by Damon and who was staring at her with furrowed brows. For years, that sniveling baby vampire had turned Klaus soft. For years, Rebekah had to fight to get Klaus's attention whenever Ash was around.
Rebekah hated Ashlynn for that.
She didn't want to hurt her brother anymore than they already were-they were planning on killing him after all-but this final nail in the coffin would ensure that he wouldn't change his plans at the last moment. This would ensure that her brother would come to Mystic Falls ready to desecrate Mikael's body in the worst and most painful ways possible.
It was the ultimate bait.
"Before Elena managed to kill him, a certain someone got in the way and was killed."
"I'm tired of whatever game you're trying to play, Bekah." Klaus snapped annoyed. "Why should I care who was killed as long as it wasn't the doppelganger?"
"Because…Mikael killed Ashlynn."