𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 ~ 𝗞𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀

~ Chapter Seventy Three ~

As the bright light once again transported Klaus away from the Hotel, he found himself back on the beach. But instead of a path and mausoleum waiting for him, he instead found a long, white-clothed table. A woman with jet black hair dressed in white sat there waiting for him. "Hey... I know you!" Klaus said as he approached her end of the table. "Of course you do, I'm your mother," she smiled. As the junkie approached the empty wooden chair, he looked down at the white bowl, a few clouds of steam coming from it.

"Is that Menudo?" he questioned. His mother nodded, and Klaus's grin widened even further. He dipped his spoon into the bowl, slurping at the meal with delight. "So, how can you be my mom if you died before I was born?" He asked, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "How have you died 56 times and come back to life?" She inquired. Klaus claimed that was a trick question and that he didn't even know he could come back to life.

"Well, what did you think you were doing?" His mother looked at him confused. "I just thought I was one of those lovable rascally Looney Tunes characters. Hit me on the head with a hammer, and I see some cartoon birds. And then, pop! I get back up!" He explained. His mother looked down at her bowl of Menudo, still confused by his explanation. "What's a cartoon?" She asked. Oh right, she's Amish and they don't know about that!  "I'm kidding!" she chuckled, taking his hand. "We have all the channels here. But mostly, I watch you,"

Klaus's heart warmed up, but as the thought of his mother seeing him do things that weren't so good, he felt awkward. "Even the naughty bits?" He questioned. But his mother continued, claiming she saw him mourning her, and she claimed he didn't need to, that she was at peace. "Bah! Peace is overrated!" He slightly smiled. "And chaos is exhausting," She added. "Only for amateurs. I'm a professional, mom! Just tell me. Tell me who killed you," He begged, squeezing her hand.

But she just gazed into her son's eyes, telling him that he wasn't looking for vengeance but purpose and that she couldn't give him that. "Are you sure? I'm new to this whole mom thing, but aren't you supposed to help me, your son?" he dragged out, but she could only laugh. "All this time and energy running away from the exact thing you're chasing. No wonder you can't see what's right in front of you," 

Klaus looked down at his bowl of Menudo, the meat inside grouping together to form the shape of a White Buffalo. And as the painting of it appeared in his mind, he realized all these White Buffalo signs kept leading him back to the Academy, back to Reginald. Perhaps with his help, he could find his true purpose. 

...I have to get back!

~~~~~~~

"Dusk, come on. You have to let him go now," Diego whispered. But the raven shook her head furiously, her grip on her love's lifeless body becoming tighter and tighter. "Not yet..." She whispered, softly stroking his cheek with the back of her bloodied hand. "I can't lose you, Klaus. You're my whole world, and without you, all I see is darkness," Diego had been trying to pry her off of him for about an hour, but no matter what he did, she wouldn't budge.

He tried to grab her hand and pull her, try to talk her into giving him up, or goddamn carry her. But she insisted she wouldn't leave him. "Well, we're screwed. We can't even wrap him up in the carpet if she stays," Diego muttered. "We need some help." Stanley's eyes widened at the thought of anybody else finding out about this, but after seeing the trusting look in his dad's eyes, he knew he had to listen to him.