Leftover Pieces: An Anthology

The Beginning of the Mission (After A Thousand Years)

 Elisabet stood outside the house, her home, which wasn't really her home anymore. Esther was dead, and the children all fled together. Only she and Mikael were left, and he was now broken beyond repair. What was left to call a home?

 Mikael sat on the ground beside her, still in a daze. He had showed hardly any emotion at all since they fled right after Esther's murder, not even anger. It scared her to see him like that.

 "Mikael, will you say or do something, please?" she asked. "I cannot...can't bear seeing you like this. This is just so horrible. I understand why you and Esther decided to turn us all into these creatures; I know you were only trying to protect everyone from death. I know how furious and betrayed you were to discover Niklaus is not your son, and I hate that he murdered Esther for her mistakes. All of this is so wrong."

 She took his hands and let tears run down her cheeks. She thought she had already cried all her tears, but she clearly had not.

 Mikael slowly looked up from the ground, and stood up.

 "Niklaus," he spat. "It was him. He brought Henrik out to the woods with him, and Henrik was murdered. We did the spell, we became what we are. Niklaus is not my son. We bind his wolf side. He...he kills..." He trailed off, apparently overcome with multiple emotions at once.

 "What are you saying, Mikael?" Elisabet asked, looking at him with teary eyes.

 "He has to die, Lise. I have to kill him. He caused Henrik's death. He murdered Esther. Do you see what he is becoming? Oh, if we hadn't...no. It was him. He has to die. He will die."

 "Mikael, please." Elisabet grabbed his hands again. "I don't like the way you're thinking, and I believe what you are saying is dangerous. If you murder Niklaus, your own children will never forgive you. You must know that."

 He nodded. "Then so be it. Will you join me, Lise? They still trust you now, but know that if you join me, you will lose their trust."

 "I...I'm not going to leave you alone like this, Mikael. I will stay with you. Perhaps...things will change."

 He shook his head. "No, Lise. We are ourselves; nothing is going to change."