I got out of Klaus's car, standing in front of my high school in Mystic Falls. I was finally home, finally got what I wanted, but this wasn't how I wanted to come back. He'd compelled everything out of me - at least that's what it felt like, though it was kind of different - including the fact that Elena was still alive, and human.
Behind us pulled up the truck that held the coffins, Rebekah and Stefan, who was unconscious, with his neck snapped.
"Alright love," Klaus said as he too got out of the car, shutting his door. "I want you to go inside, and find your sister for me." And again, it was like I was being compelled - because I'd inevitably do what he said - but it wasn't exactly like being compelled.
"Please Klaus," I shook my head.
"Go on," He told me. "I'll be right behind you."
I swallowed hard, walking up to my old school, where I could easily make out familiar voices, stepping in through one of the side entrances. Caroline, Matt, Bonnie, Tyler and..
"Lyssa?" I heard my sister's soft voice upon walking in, spotting her to my right, down the hall. I realized it was senior prank night - had I been gone that long? It only felt like a few days.
I sighed, before she walked over and embraced me in a hug, throwing her arms around me. I placed my hand to her back, hugging her with a heavy heart, knowing what was to come. Senior prank night was about to be turned completely upside down.
"How are you back?" She asked, pulling away to look at me. "What happened?"
"You put a rather large kink in my plans, sweetheart." Klaus announced, walking out from behind me. Her eyes widened in surprise, looking between me and the hybrid. I didn't want her to think that I betrayed her - I would never do that. "The whole point of breaking the curse and becoming a hybrid was to make more hybrids. I haven't been able to do that. Now my bet is, it has something to do with the fact that you're still breathing."
He suddenly grabbed her arm, walking her down the hall. "If you're going to kill me, just do it." She spat, as I followed behind them.
"Not until I know I'm right." He said, leading us to a set of the gym's double doors. "But I do have ways of making you suffer."
When we got inside, there were a handful of my classmates setting up plastic cups on the floor, boxes stacked up in various spots of the gym.
"Attention, seniors." Klaus announced, faking an American accent as he let go of Elena. "You have officially been busted. Prank night is over. Head on home." He then spotted Dana, and another one of my classmates, Chad, as everyone began to leave, not questioning his authority. "You two." He stopped them. "I remember you."
"I'm sorry." Dana's brows knitted in confusion. "Who are you?"
"Oh, don't worry, I wasn't in my right head last time we met." That was right, he was in Alaric's body when he'd compelled her last. "Lift your foot up, please, Dana." He compelled her again, before looking over at the boy. "If she drops her foot, Chad, I want you to beat her to death. Understood?"
No, no, no, I thought.
"Don't, Klaus." Elena asked, from beside me. "You don't have to hurt anybody."
"Oh, come on, love. Of course I do."
___________________________
Dana was still standing on one foot, while I stood beside my sister, trying to think of what I could possibly do, what I could say to change what was happening. I had to try and negotiate with Klaus, I had to make him hear me out. He was cruel, and a monster at times, but he was also willing to strike up a deal - I knew he was.
"Keep it up."
"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked the hybrid. "What did you do to him?"
"Stefan's on a time out." He vaguely told her, when suddenly the doors opened up to Matt and Bonnie, who walked inside.
"Bonnie, get out of here!"
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up. Now we can get started." Klaus said, walking over to Bonnie, before he glanced over his shoulder at Dana. "Ah, Dana, why don't you relax? You and Chad sit tight." He then looked back at Bonnie. "I assume you're the reason Elena's still walking around alive?"
Bonnie - before the sacrifice - had done a spell, not willing to risk Elena and I's safety with the elixir Elijah had given us, although it hadn't worked on me. That was why John was dead. He'd died to bring us back.
And I came back as the one thing he hated most in the world.
"That's right." She nodded, not a bit afraid of the hybrid. "If you want to blame someone, blame me."
"Oh, there's no need for blame, love." He said, as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Just your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects. And since you caused the problem, I'm going to have you find the fix."
In walked Rebekah, with Tyler in her hold, pulling him into the gym. "Get off of me!"
"Hush now."
"I'd like you all to meet my sister Rebekah." Klaus introduced, looking between us. "Word of warning... She can be quite mean."
"Don't be an ass." Rebekah responded, unamused before she pushed Tyler in Klaus' arms.
"Leave him alone!"
"I'm going to make this very simple..." He explained. "Every time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire hybrid, they die during the transition. It's quite horrible, actually." I gasped as he suddenly bit into his wrist, shoving it to Tyler's mouth. No - he wasn't going to turn him? Would he really do that? To me? "I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Bonnie. And for Tyler's sake..." He suddenly snapped Tyler's neck, dropping his lifeless body to the floor. "You better hurry."
I instantly dropped to my knees beside Tyler, memories of us when we were children playing through my thoughts on a loop. One of my best friends was dead, and I didn't think he'd come back.
"He killed him." Matt said, kneeling down beside Tyler.
"He's not dead." Elena pointed out, as if trying to sound hopeful, though she seemed unsure. "Klaus's blood will turn him into a vampire."
But, she hadn't seen the horrors, hadn't seen what happened when Klaus tried to turn a werewolf into a hybrid. Tyler was as good as dead, unless somehow Bonnie could fix it all. I was stuck. I didn't want Bonnie involved in any of this anymore, but I also didn't want Tyler to die.
"And if Bonnie's successful, he'll live through his transition." Klaus added, as I looked up at him and Bonnie. "Go on, then. Go and fetch your grimoires. and enchantments and what-not. I'll hold on to Elena and Lyssa...For safe-keeping." Bonnie left with Matt.
"Rebekah, Take the wolf boy elsewhere, would you?" Rebekah rolled her eyes, grabbing hold of Tyler's hand to drag him out of the room. How could she be so unaffected? I mean, she didn't even know Tyler, and she just so easily dragged him out like he was nothing. "Just ignore her." Klaus told Elena. "Petty little thing."
___________________________
Elena was comforting Dana, as I walked up onto the bleachers, where Klaus was sitting and waiting. "You don't have to do this," I told him, ready to offer absolutely anything for him to just, stop. "please Klaus," I stared into his eyes, pleading. "I am begging you, don't do this. You have my loyalty, please just leave everyone else alone."
I wasn't loyal to him, but I would be if that was what was going to save everyone else. I would give anything to keep everyone safe, and now, I actually believed that I could negotiate with him, because he cared about me - he said he loved me - if he didn't he would've let me die.
"Your loyalty..." He repeated, looking at my in amusement. "Now, that's a sweet sentiment, unfortunately I don't buy it for a second, sweetheart."
"Stefan," I heard Elena speak up, before I glanced over my shoulder, spotting Stefan walk inside the gym.
"Klaus." He greeted the hybrid, as Klaus and I both got down from the bleachers.
"Come to save your damsel, mate?"
"I came to ask for your forgiveness." Stefan said, ignoring Elena. "And pledge my loyalty."
"Pledge your loyalty?" He chuckled, glancing back at me. "Did you two rehearse that?"
He stepped past Stefan, looking at my sister who looked so lost, scared. "Elena means nothing to me anymore." Stefan continued, moving to stand in front of Klaus. "And whatever you ask of me... I will do."
"Fair enough." Klaus agreed. "Let's drink on it. Kill them." He motioned over at Dana and Chad, but Stefan didn't move. "What are you waiting for? Kill them."
I could see the pain in his eyes, how much he didn't want to, how afraid he was of showing Elena that side of him. And I didn't want him to hurt anymore.
"No!" Elena protested. "Stefan, don't. He's not going to hurt me. He already said - " Klaus suddenly backhanded Elena so hard that she fell to the floor, a gasp escaping me.
Stefan instantly rushed over to Klaus, his fangs out, as I tried my hardest not to move, not to go and rip his head off. I had to make him believe I was on his side, that way maybe he'd hear me out, maybe he'd stop.
"She means nothing to you?" Klaus asked Stefan, grabbing him by the throat. "Your lies just keep piling up."
"Let them go!" Stefan shouted. "I'll do whatever you want, you have my word!"
"Your word doesn't mean much. I lived by your word all summer, during which time I never had to resort to this.. Stop fighting." I watched in horror as he caught Stefan's gaze, compelling him. My eyes flickered past Stefan, and behind Klaus over at my sister who sat up, looking at me.
"Don't do this, don't do this."
I gave my sister a single nod, trying to assure her that I'd stop all of this, that she wouldn't get hurt.
"I didn't want to. All I wanted was your allegiance. Now I'm going to have to take it. You will do exactly as I say when I say it." Klaus compelled Stefan. "You will not run, you will not hide, you will simply just obey."
"No." Elena pleaded, calling out from the floor. "Stefan!"
"Now kill them." Klaus ordered, and I knew what I had to do. I wasn't going to let Stefan kill anyone. "Ripper."
Before Stefan so much as moved, I rushed behind Dana, ripping into her neck and feeding, until she was dead. When I drank from her, it was almost as if I didn't even taste the blood, because it wasn't about feeding.
I did the same to Chad, rendering Klaus's compulsion useless, dropping my classmate's dead body to the floor.
"Now," I asked, looking up at Klaus who had a smirk plastered on his face. "do you believe me?"
I looked away from Klaus over to Stefan, wishing that I could take away every single ounce of pain that he'd ever endured. I would've gladly taken every person that he'd ever killed, and made them my victims if I could have. I'd only ever killed three people, knowing that Stefan killed entire villages of people, and I still would've taken it all, would've given and taken anything for him.
Rebekah suddenly entered the gym, taking all of our attentions as she rushed toward my sister. "Where is it?!" She yelled at Elena. "Where's my necklace?"
"What are you talking about?" Klaus walked over to her, as I exchanged a glance with Stefan, who shook his head at me.
Whatever it takes, I remembered, as I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand.
"She has my necklace." Rebekah told Klaus, handing him a phone as I walked over with Stefan. "Look."
"Well, well." Klaus sighed, observing the photo on the phone. "More lies."
"Where...is it?"
"I don't have it anymore." Elena said, shaking her head.
"You're lying!" Rebekah started towards Elena with her fangs out, but I rushed in front of my sister, grabbing the blonde by her throat, before sending her across the gym. "You're a dead bitch." She got up instantly, blurring over to me in an instant, though Klaus stepped in front of me.
"Knock it off!" He hissed at her.
"Make her tell me where it is, Nik!"
The hybrid let out a heavy sigh, noticeably annoyed by all of us, before turning to face my sister and I. "Where's the necklace?" He asked Elena. "Be honest."
"I'm telling the truth." She responded, shaken. "Katherine stole it."
"Katerina." He sighed. "Of course. Well, that's unfortunate. If we had the necklace it would make things a whole lot easier for your witch, but since we're doing this the hard way, let's put a clock on it, shall we?" He walked over to the table on the other side of the gym, that had all the remotes for the buzzers, and timers.
"Twenty minutes." I looked up at the scoreboard, twenty minutes flashing red. "If Bonnie hasn't found a solution by then," He looked at Stefan. "I want you to feed. Only this time, I want you to feed on Elena. You know you want to."
I furrowed my brows, couldn't believe that this was happening, like I'd been sent to some alternate hell. He couldn't be serious. I mean, that was my sister - he knew how much family meant to me, how much I loved her.
She'd already been through so much that summer, trying to find Stefan for months, just to have him compelled to feed off her. No, she didn't deserve that. None of us did.
"No, Klaus!" Elena panicked, as Klaus walked back over, suddenly grabbing me by my forearm. "Don't do this to him!"
"Klaus, no - "
"No one leaves." He told Rebekah, ignoring my sister and I. "If Elena tries to run, fracture her spine."
"Klaus, wait - " He tugged me out of the gym with him, leading me past the double doors into the dimly lit hallways. "Don't make him feed on her," I said, trying to free myself, desperate to stop him. "please I'll do anything, Klaus."
He finally stopped, pulling me to stand in front of him. "And I believe you," He said, putting his hand to the side of my neck, pushing the hair from my shoulder. "which is exactly why I can't have you interfering."
In an instant, he snapped my neck, and everything around me finally fell to rest ; a dark oblivion of peace.
___________________________
I had woken up with a pounding in my head, from the backseat of Klaus's car, outside in the parking lot, wondering how long I'd been out. I sat up, before pushing open the door to stumble out, slightly disoriented for a moment. I tried to gather my thoughts, when suddenly Rebekah walked out in front of me, arms crossed over her chest.
"Ugh," I breathed out, remembering what had happened. "that's right..I can't go inside.."
"No," Rebekah agreed. "but I will let you know, it's been twenty minutes."
I swallowed hard, hoping that she was just lying, just trying to get under my skin, but what if she wasn't? "Please Rebekah," I neared her. "I won't tell Klaus..just let me get my sister."
"Hmm.." She tilted her head, as if for a moment contemplating my offer. "I don't think so." I sighed, turning away, trying to think of what I could do to get past her. There was no way I was going to sit out there, and risk Elena's life, when I could save her. "You should be happy, my brother carries a torch for you, though I have to admit I don't see what all the fuss is about.."
I had no other choice but to try and get through Rebekah - no, I thought to myself, I wasn't going to just try. I could get through her, easily.
Before she could continue, I spun around, backhanding her across the face. She stumbled back a bit, putting her hand up to her cheek, looking up at me. "You stupid bitch," With that, she launched at me, her vampiric features coming through before she pressed me up against the car, her perfectly manicured hands wrapped tightly around my throat. "I may not be allowed to kill you, but that doesn't mean I won't try."
I grabbed her wrist, struggling to pull it back for a moment, before I finally twisted her wrist, snapping it, broken. "Ugh," She hissed, her hand falling from around my throat, as I quickly rushed behind her, grabbing Rebekah by her bright blonde locks. "I'm going to tear you piece by piece."
"Now," I said, before shoving her face into the driver's side window, glass shattering everywhere. "is that any way to treat your brother's girl?" I took no more time, before snapping her neck, and letting her fall to the ground.
I let out a heavy sigh, catching my breath as I momentarily glanced down at Rebekah's lifeless body, before hurrying into the school. Inside, I could hear shouting coming from the cafeteria, reminding me of the night that Klaus had possessed Alaric's body, the night that I thought Bonnie had died trying to save Elena and I.
And yet again, she was thrown into our problems against her will, risking her own life.
I turned the corner into the hall that led up to the cafeteria, stopping when I saw a mop and bucket - probably left by the janitor - in the corner. I pulled out the mop, breaking the wooden handle over my knee.
I got into the cafeteria where I found Klaus, with Stefan pressed up against the wall - Elena watching in horror, without a bite mark - compelling his humanity off. "Turn it off!" He shouted at Stefan, before I rushed over and pushed him away from the Salvatore.
Klaus grabbed me just as fast, pinning me down to the floor, with his hand snug around my neck.
"I'm disappointed," I breathed out, as I stared up at him. "I thought you knew me better. I mean, you are my sire - did you really think that I couldn't get past Rebekah?" With that, I knocked my head up into his, knocking him off of me.
"Lyssa," Elena said, panic-stricken.
I glanced over at Stefan, who's demeanor changed, his expression no longer filled with anything. He blinked, once, twice, before he let out a heavy sigh, looking at me.
"Elena, run." I told my sister, who for some reason didn't start running, glancing between Stefan and I when suddenly I felt Klaus wrap an arm around my neck. "Run!"
Elena finally listened, turning and bursting out of the cafeteria as fast as she could, thankfully not looking back.
"Now," Klaus said in my ear. "why do you always have to go ruining my plans?" I struggled to free myself in his hold. "Though, it's nothing I can't easily fix. Stefan," He called the younger Salvatore, a version of Stefan I'd never seen his. His eyes were so expressionless, so empty, and it was the scariest thing to see because nobody I'd ever met held more emotion than Stefan. "go fetch Elena, for me."
"No," I panicked, watching in absolute horror, in terror, distress - I didn't even know how to explain it anymore - as Stefan did just what Klaus had asked, disappearing out of the cafeteria. "No, no.."
I could feel the tears glistening in my eyes, feel the heavy weight of sadness, the heavy burden of what felt like an existential pain crash into me, like a tidal wave. And Klaus was the ocean.
He let go of me after a moment of struggling, and I stumbled forward, out of his arms. "What is wrong with you?" I snapped, as I turned to face him, unable to understand anything that had just happened.
God - how was any of this happening? How was this - this man that stood in front of me, causing so much pain, without a single care - the same man that I had loved?
How had it come to this?
"God," I breathed out, shaking my head, unable to even look at him anymore. It hurt, it hurt so much. "I don't even... I don't even know who you are, anymore - did I ever?"
His brows furrowed, as he stepped closer to me. "You know exactly who I am, love.." He went to touch me, but I slapped his hand away, stepping back.
"Don't." I warned him. "Don't lie to me..." I shook my head, looking over at the double doors that led to the hall. "You just made Stefan shut off his humanity, and sent him to go look for my sister..." I stated, on the verge of crying. "I just - oh god - I just just killed two of my classmates.." I breathed out, running a hand through my hair, as the reality of what I'd done hit me. I shook my head, looking away from him, and it felt like all of my emotions were just ganging up on me, like I couldn't escape them.
This wasn't supposed to be happening, none of this was supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to be a vampire, my friends weren't supposed to be dead, none of this should've happened, and at first I'd blamed myself, that who I was had caused all of it, but it hadn't. He just didn't care - he didn't have to do this. He had a choice, and he made his choice, and god - I'd never been so frustrated with someone in my life, never loved and loathed one person all at once, all to the same measure.
I wanted to kill him, and I wanted to heal him, and fix him, and change him, and I just - I wanted everything to stop. I didn't want everything to feel so heavy, all the time. I just wanted silence. Peace. An ending.
"For you," I bitterly spat, looking up at Klaus, who'd finally fallen silent. "I did everything, so that you would just stop, but y-you didn't. Not even for me...after everything that I told you, you were still able to kill Jenna, my sister... I mean - why did you even turn me?"
He tilted his head slightly, like he couldn't say it, but I needed to hear it. I needed to hear that everything between us wasn't a lie, that what had happened wasn't one big joke, or trick. I needed to hear it.
"Tell me," I stepped towards him. "why did you turn me? Why did you do it?" But, he didn't say it, no he just looked away from me. "Hey," I put my hand onto his chin, tugging his face back towards mine. "I want an answer. " He caught my wrist, pulling my hand from his face, giving me a shove back, only angering me more. "Why?" I smacked my hand to his chest, shoving him back. "Why did you do it? Answer me - "
I went to shove him once more, but he caught both of my wrists in his hands, stopping me. "Because!" He shouted at me, shaking his head. "Because I love you.."
I knew it.
I let out a heavy sigh, the tension in my body falling, as the tears began to stream down my cheeks. "So then, love me." I said. "Love me more than...than all of this." I wanted him to choose me, over his hybrids, over the stupid doppelgänger curse - just wanted him to drop it, for me, like I would've done for him. But, I could tell, by the silence, the inability to look me in my face, that he'd made his choice.
And it wasn't me.
I nodded, pulling myself from his hold. "But you won't.." I breathed out, absolutely heartbroken - how could he do this to me? What had I done to deserve this? "You wanna go take my sister? Kill everyone in this entire town?" I asked, looking back up at him, and I could see that he was hurting just as much as I was - so why didn't he just stop? Why didn't he choose me? "Go ahead." I said. "Hell, you can even kill me." I dropped the stake from my hand, down to the floor between the two of us. "I don't really care anymore..."
With that, I turned away and walked out on him. He didn't call out for me, didn't chase me, didn't try to stop me. He just let me walk out, because I wasn't enough.
Nobody ever loved me, more.
A/N - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
2018 was a mess for me, but hopefully 2019 will be better, not just for me, but for everyone and especially you guys!!! Thank you so much for reading my stories, whether you just read one chapter, or all of them, it means a lot to me (literally feel like a broken record saying this)!!! Anyway, this chapter was kind of a depressing way to start the new year lmao, but there are happier times coming for Lyssa in the next few chapters. Her senior year is starting, she'll have some fun moments with no-humanity Stefan, who's finally gonna start being more honest about how he felt for lyssa bc he doesn't care anymore about hurting anyone's feelings, so that'll be interesting. And of course, Klaus is gonna be gone for a few chapters, and who knows maybe when he comes back he'll choose lyssa over his hybrids and plan for world domination and all that crap?? We'll see.. xoxo