Youth ☽ ☾ Klena

7.

Stefan had finally arrived back in Mystic Falls, he felt at home. Last time he had come, it was three years ago. That was when he had seen the young Doppelgänger only aged around two-years-old.

When he arrived again, this wasn't what he expected to see. The house, charred and black but...only where Elena's room was.

He gazed from the neighbour's roof with a heavy sense of dread in his stomach.

Already, he was in denial. That child would be the key to finding Katherine. He still wanted vengeance and he would do anything for it so, he would carry on to believe Elena was alive and he would find Katherine, drawing her out with Elena, and slit her throat before protruding her heart with one of his finest wooden stakes, or maybe she didn't even deserve that.

Stefan was being wary and for a hundred years, he had still been unable to find her. Damon hadn't either, not that they were helping each other. In fact, they were looking for her for the opposite of reasons.

Stefan, forgetting about Damon's current presence in only a few states over from where he was, continued to investigate the house.

The police seemed to deem it as a horrible accident, probably caused by a candle of some sort but with Stefan's superior vision, even from where he was standing, could see the wasn't true.

Out of what remained of the room, there was a clear burn mark towards the middle of the floor where a match was put. On purpose or not, it didn't matter.

He was also observant enough to see that the corpse was obviously not Elena. For one, it was decayed as if it had been in a grave for a least a couple years and the size, of what he presumed her five-year-old self would have, is nothing near what Elena would be.

Stefan was suspicious. Elena was alive, he knew it, but that sense of dread in his stomach only heightened. Where could she be?

-

'Klaus!' Elijah called out, knocking on the door, trying to calm his brother before he received another dagger in his heart.

'Klaus! Open the door!' He called out, controlling his anger to come out almost monotonously. He earned a muffled reply of 'go away,' and then a smash which Elijah could only assume was another glass.

'Klaus, stop having a tantrum!' Elijah called out, his anger seeping out.

'Let me see Elena.' Klaus growled in reply.

'Klaus, do you not remember what she's here for?' The door slammed open and Klaus stood there, his hair in his face and his eyes red in frustration.

'I do remember, Elijah.' He spat out, clutching the door, the wood splintering under his grasp. 'I just don't see why I should have to listen to that child cry!' His grip tightened and the part of the door he had grasped was no more than dust, his nails now digging into his own hand.

'Klaus, I know you care-' He was immediately cut off as Klaus' fangs came out. He took a step towards Elijah, his breath hitting his face.

'I don't care. She's annoying me. A young girl can't persuade me not to free my werewolf side. You know that. Now leave and get out of my sight unless you want another dagger in your heart.' He spat out, his fangs retracting and pushing Elijah away, who quickly dismissed himself. Klaus slammed the door and cried out in frustration, throwing yet another glass at the floor. He stamped on the glass, blood pouring from his feet but the cuts quickly healing and the pain barely noticeable.

'Stop caring. Stop caring.' He hissed, repeating it over and over and over. He cared, that much was clear. He was just a god puppet controlled by the monster pulling strings but he had snapped those strings only to find out he was a monster in himself.

He loved this girl like it was his own daughter but he was still going to kill her. He cared about her...but he would kill her. He wanted her to lead her a prosperous life...but he would be the one to kill her. He wanted to watch her grow...but he would kill her before she even had the chance.

He would kill her, that was much more clear.

He was greedy and selfish and even Elena couldn't stop him. He was a monster, a monster built over a thousand years with walls as strong as obsidian surrounding his heart. He hated himself but he hated others more. He loved strongly but dismissed it as if it was a mere pest. His anger ruled over him, letting him believe that forcing his siblings into eternal sleep had kept the promise of 'always and forever'.

Klaus cried out again. 'Why, why, why!' He snapped and threw his fist at the window, letting the glass fly towards the ground, hitting it with a satisfying crunch...but not satisfying enough.

Klaus sat on the windowsill, staring down and jumped. He was merely two floors up and hit the ground as light as a feather and began to run. Run far and fast. Through the trees and over grass, a blur to all passers-by, until he reached the wolf den. He had found it abandoned a mere decade ago and it felt somewhat like a second home. A home no one knew of, a home that could just be his, a home that reminded him who he was and what he was aiming before.

He wished to be a wolf in that moment, to be free. But, he couldn't. For that, Elena would have to be dead along with a fellow vampire and a fellow werewolf. The ceremony was still far from ready and even Klaus wasn't sure if it was the best idea.

His enemies wouldn't just grow they would accumulate like bacteria until the whole word was against him but, he would also be the strongest being to have ever walked this earth. Wasn't that his true aim? Power. He wanted power and he would pay anything to get it.

Could he pay Elena, though? In that moment of doubt he decided, he would care, if only for the sakes of not torturing himself. He could distance himself later on as if that would work.

It didn't matter as long as he wasn't isolated, alone. He may have wanted power but he was so much more afraid of something else: being alone for eternity.

word count: 1061

published: 24.01.17

A/N Sorry, this was kinda rushed so the plot isn't really what I was aiming for but it's out so...