≫ ──────── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──────── ≪
026 | Nightmares
WIND WHISTLED AROUND HER BOUND FRAME, her knees digging into the cold, wet ground. Leonora's head was wretched back as fingers tightly clasped her hair. The echoes of laughter surrounded and corrupted her ears, yet she could see no cause.
Leonora tried to whip her head around for the laughs, yet the cold calloused fingers continued to tighten her bounds. The sounds of laughter, once again, called out - taunting her.
"You think he'll actually miss you?" A venomous voice whispered from behind Leonora causing goosebumps to bleach her skin due to the sheer fear that streaked up her spine.
"You think they keep you around other than to use you?" At each syllable spoken, branches of panic and fear courses through Leonora.
She was immobile, fear-stricken - paused in time. She dared not to speak for she feared the torment would dig deeper within her soul. Closing her eyes, Leonora tried to banish her mind from this place, thinking of the man she so cherished back home. The soft caressing of his fingertips against her arms, the soft circling of his hands around her waist. His soft smile whenever she grace his presence, the dimples the adorned his cheeks, the sof-
"Don't be so delusional." A knowing voice sounded from infront of her, prompting Leonora to open her eyes. The sights of the very man she was thinking about blessed her, the fear slowly decreasing only for it to shoot up at the dangerous look casted upon his face.
Klaus Mikaelson stood infront of Leonora, a dark gleam within his eyes as he looked to the kneeling girl with disgust. "It's quite pathetic. This all powerful being in control of time and space holding on to the glimmer of hope that her hero would arrive." She saw him take slow, threatening steps towards her.
"Wake up Leonora. All I have ever been, and all I ever will be... is a villain. Klaus Mikaelson, the great evil. You're a lovesick fool to see past all the things i've done." He continued to taunt.
Pain encased Leonora's chest, her already kneeling figure slumping down even more. The hand grasping her hair yanked her up to a standing position, keeping her rugged figure at bay.
She tried to see past the devil fore-shining in his eyes, to see the kind and caring hybrid only she gets to see. However, the devil only pierced her lungs, ridding the oxygen from the depths of her soul. Each step Klaus took invited the taunting laughs of Kol, Elijah, Rebekah and Finn - who she now knew was holding her hostage.
The realisation bombarded her mind, the judgement fading away from the corrupted clouds. In her moment of weakness, Leonora delved into the taunts, the fear, the pain. Yet, as the realisation became real, the mirages of her beloved - and Finn, collapsed.
A knife taunted her visions as Klaus skill fully danced with it in his fingertips. Leonora struggled against the dreamed Finn, desperately trying to wake herself up, but to no avail.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wak-
SLICE!
Leonora's breath caught in her throat, a heat cascading down her front as blood soaked her uniform. She began to struggle, the blood coughing up from her mouth as dribbles of tears and blood began to confide in one another. The faces of all she held dear - which wasn't a lot, watched her struggle and fade from the land of the living with smile graces upon their faces.
Her knees one again hit the cold, soaking floor, a puddle of blooding forming around her defeated figure-
Leonora shot up from bed with heaved breaths and panic, she wrapped her hand around the throat that hovered above her face and began to tighten in a fit of fear. She wasn't seeing correctly, her vision being reminded of the scarlet red. A ringing sensation creeping up into her ears causing paranoia to streak within her.
Hands grabbed her wrists and pried them off her, but that only caused Leonora to struggle more at the dream of hostage. She began to hit and kick whatever was in front of her, blue beginning to shine from her pupils in a defensive manner.
Leonora kicked away the structure obtaining her view and teleported against the wall opposite her while clasping a hand to her chest. At the moment of silence, her ears dulled the deafening ringing and slowed the uproar of her chest.
"I can't. I can't. I can't." Leonora began to breathe out while shaking her head. She finally looked up, meeting the sight of a panicked Klaus watching her closely. "I.."
Her words hung loose as she slid down the wall in a sitting position. Klaus watched with pain in his eyes, not knowing how to deal with the situation. However, he took slow and cautious steps towards her, prompting Leonora to look up with dangerous eyes at the reminder of her nightmare - halting his steps. Instead, Klaus began to lower himself into a sitting position, opposite her.
The two sat in comfortable silence for a minute, Klaus staring worryingly at the disassociating Leonora, hoping that his presence would heal her enough to allow him closer.
However, Leonora had no knowledge of Klaus's fear and worry, for she was stuck within her own mind, the memory of Finn slicing her neck and effectively ridding her of her own life haunted her. Yet, the nightmare of Klaus being replaced in Finn's position completely destroyed her. For she knew it was a possibility, Klaus is and always has been histories villain, the boogeyman that haunted children's cupboards and hid under their beds.
She felt her chest tighten with the familiar paranoia, except instead of her hurting Klaus, he's hurting her. Her hands unconsciously curled in on itself and her fingertips digging deep within her skin as more thoughts of doubt and fear of abandonment filled her mind.
Klaus's eyes snapped down towards the hand that began to prick with blood. He instantly shot up and descended towards her and clasped her hands in his. He didn't look towards her, however, as he knew all to well the feeling of someone looking at you when your down and defeated.
Leonora's once closed eyes slowly opened at the soft, warm touch surrounding her hands. Klaus was crouched down in front of her, delicately holding her as if she were a fine glass. Her chest filled with gratitude as she took notice upon his avoidance face, knowing that he knew she was insecure.
"You were using me. You sliced my throat." Leonora's scratchy, weakened voice softly said - breaking the silence. The two did not look to one another, did not connect their eyes. However, they still allowed themselves the soft touch of one another's hands to keep them sane.
Because of this refusal to make eye contact, Leonora did not see the frowning of Klaus's eyebrows, the sadness held within his eyes. He knew of her inability to trust, to let people in. For, he had the same issue. The two most powerful supernaturals burdened with the fear of abandonment, of getting used. For many years the two had been walking the earth alone, clutching to the memories of one another that fated them of meeting each other all throughout history.
But with those memories came the remembrance of goodbyes, of Leonora leaving. For, she did not belong in those eras, she did not belong anywhere. Leonora was just a star in the sky that hid within the daytime and Klaus begging her to join him in the night.
They were each-others muse and each-other's curse.
"I would never do that." Klaus spoke with a soft but confident tone.
Leonora slightly shook her head. "You've done it to others."
Klaus finally brought his eyes up to meet hers, a silence enveloped them for a moments time. "But never to you. No one.. could ever hold a candle compared to you."
Leonora looked to him as he spoke, more so to himself, as though he were reminiscing on words he had already whispered out loud.
"The most beautiful part about you, Leonora, my Leonora, is that... you were never meant to be apart of my life. You were just another supernatural I was yet to come across in a book. But you came to a time that was foreign to you, to save my sister. And.. from then on, I knew that you hold a place in my heart that no one could ever amount to."
Klaus let go of the words he wished to speak, believing he had overstepped it with her. But, Leonora was frozen, overwhelmed with the feeling that she had never known... love. And yet, she dared not to speak such a word. Not yet.
She hooked a finger under Klaus's chin and made him look to her to see tears swelling in his eyes. As the two continued to admire one another, a soft tear trailed down Klaus's cheek. Leonora leant closer and placed a soft kiss upon to tear, effectively ridding it off his pinkening cheeks.
"I make you weak..." Leonora thoughtfully said, admiring every feature on his face.
"You make me weak." Klaus softly responded, watching her admire him. "And I make you strong." He said after a second.
"And you make me strong..." She replied.
Klaus brought his face closer to hers and softly placed his lips upon hers, intertwining his fingertips into her hair. Leonora responded instantly, clutching to the fitted shirt upon Klaus chest. The two poured their emotions, love and soul into the kiss, because, despite not saying it. They knew.
≫ ──────── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──────── ≪
Leonora ventured out of her make-shift room in the Mikaelson Manor feeling a bit slumped down, a bit slowed. She hadn't gone seeking for answers on her brother for a couple days now, nor had she opened a book for a day - it was freaking her out a bit...
Walking into Klaus's art room after getting changed in her usual normal attire, she spotted Klaus painting what she believed to be a landscape. Upon hearing her steps Klaus looked over his shoulder.
"You know, I keep turning around and expecting to see the girl of my dreams. But all I see is Elijah." He taunted, looking back to his painting.
Leonora's lips curled up into a smile. "At least try and sound disappointed." She sat down on the sofa opposite to the canvas and began to play with her tie.
"Oh, trust me love, a thousand years with someone and you'd be wanting to get as far away as possible." Klaus's reply came back, prompting Leonora to chuckle.
"If you're inlove with your brother just say that. You are from a time of incest." She continued to taunt him.
Klaus stopped painting and turned around with a baffled look upon his face. "Incest? I'm from the 1000s era. We more so had affairs with the hunters daughter from the village over." He shrugged, hoping to raise Leonora's annoyance.
Leonora mocked a gasp and put a hand to her chest. "You little scandal."
Klaus mockingly shrugged with a smile and turned back around to continue painting. The two were left in silence for a moment before steps resonated from behind the them, prompting the two to turn and look.
Rebekah came salting in with a straight face. Klaus paid no mind to this, however, Leonora began to inspect the dull mood of her friend.
"What took you so long Rebekah?" Klaus asked, not turning back to her.
Rebekah faked a smile as she responded. "Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake." However, she held up a wooden stake in her hand not a moment later. "Luckily, I'm quite the charmer."
As Klaus turned around with a smirk at his face, Leonora deepened her inspection of the blonde Original. The tone of voice increasing an octave caused confusion to fill her - the obvious fakeness of the voice throwing her off.
She watched as Klaus walk towards his sister, questioning. "That's it?"
Rebekah waved around the stake with a proud smile. "The last of the white oak tree stakes that can kill us." She held it towards her brother. "Do you want to do the honours or shall I?"
Klaus put his paintbrush down and took the stake from Rebekah's hand, turning around he threw it into the fire. The time-traveller, vampire and hybrid watched as the wood slowly melted away and burnt to an ash.
"Well that's that then." Rebekah smiled, turning around and beginning to walk away.
However, Leonora was still skeptical about the Original so she spoke up. "Quercus Alba."
Both Rebekah and Klaus stopped what they were doing and turned to the time-traveller sitting on the sofa, playing with her tie. Klaus raised an eyebrow, wondering why Leonora felt the need to suddenly say that. Until he noticed her facial expression...
Leonora's eyes were unfocused, darting from place to place as she looked to be within her own head - eyebrows furrowed. Klaus knew that expression, he practically mesmerized that expression. He knew Leonora knew something...
"The latin origin for white oak tree. A tree that has a lifespan of up to three hundred years, if lucky, six hundred. Precisely symbolic for the emotion of peace and calmness." She continued to rant on, watching Rebekah closely from the corner of her eye.
Rebekah frowned and said with an increased octave to her voice. "Your point?"
Leonora stood up abruptly, causing Rebekah to take a step back. Leonora took notice upon the shakiness of Rebekah's legs, the increasing fakeness to her voice. Instead of replying, she took a moment to let herself drift within her mind before walking away - leaving Rebekah and Klaus to ponder whatever drugs she had possibly consumed.
Leonora flipped another page throughout the grimoire that Kol had given her. Constant questions and queries rifling through her mind, the knowledge of Esther's sudden death and Rebekah's trusting environment fore-fronting. As she got lost throughout the pages of latin a memory surfaced, halting her movements. "He's got possession of Alaric or something..." " Body-swap... his favourite trick."
Leonora's eyes lit up as she came to a conclusion. However a door opening behind her and Klaus's questions rung out.
"What do you know?" Klaus questioned, looking towards Leonora's crouching figure.
She snapped the grimoire shut and teleported it back to residence under her bed. Leonora swiftly stood up and faced Klaus. "I know a lot of things. Anything specific?"
Klaus chuckled and leant against the wall, crossing his arms. "Don't get smart with me, my love. It won't work."
Leonora, taking amusement with the situation, copied his stature. Crossing her arms and tilting her weight onto her hip, she answered. "Won't it?"
"You're coming to the decade dance right?" Klaus questioned, a sudden nervous aura about him.
Leonora turned around and began to stifle through her books, trying to seem as though she were busy. "I don't dance." She scoffed out, shaking her head.
Klaus chuckled. "Oh cmon love. Everyone dances."
Leonora shook her head, turning back around towards Klaus. "I don't, and I never will. I have too much to worry about right now. My brother, who I believe to be the assassin hunting me down. Then there's that other issue..." She ranted on, talking to herself more so at the end before she abruptly looked up and claimed. "Oh, and the future."
Klaus rolled his eyes and rolled up the sleeves to his elbows. "Look, why not take this time to relax, have fun."
Leonora picked up a book, flipping randomly through it. "You don't even go to school? Besides my idea of fun is sitting surrounded by books, alone." She pointedly said, glaring at the hybrid.
She looked up as soft fingertips grazed her hand, tearing the book from her hands. The heat of Klaus's hands inches from hers made heat rise to her cheeks. "I want you... to go." Klaus slowly said, taking notice of the rare reddening of the females cheeks - he basked in it.
Leonora rolled her eyes, turning away from him to hide her blushing. "If I have time."
Klaus laughed at her words, running a hand through his hair. "You're a time-traveller. You control time."
Seeing Leonora's distracting figure, he sped inches infront of her, effectively shocking her. Klaus softly grasped her jaw, tilting her head back so he could admire her. "So make time." He whispered before he disappeared in a blur, the wind pushing strands of Leonora's hair back.
She stood there for a few moments, her chest heaving up and down. Leonora took a few moments to herself before millions of thoughts and knowledge travelled through her mind. Rushing towards her bed, she grabbed her phone and dialled someone who thought like her, who knew like her.
"Hello, my dear."
Leonora softly smiled at the voice of her bestfriend. "Hello Eli, I need your help."
"Course my dear, whatever it is needed."
Leonora lifted a hand, slowly cascading the walls with the power of her magic. She watched as the walls glimmered with an alluring blue. "I believe your mother is back..."
≫ ──────── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──────── ≪
"Leonora why don't you wear this instead?"
Leonora looked up at Elijah, who held an emerald sequinned dress which had jewels hanging down. She also saw a head piece consisting of the same jewels materialised together. She shook her head. "Nu uh. I'm fine as I am."
Elijah delicately put the dress upon her bed before looking at his bestfriend incredibly. "It's a dance Leonora, you cannot possibly wear your suit."
She frowned with thought. "You word a suit to a dance..? A ball infact."
Elijah blinked, Leonora blinked. The two consisted of a silent glaring match before the male Original sighed out. "Fine. But I will make you wear a dress to a dance one day." He promised with a pointing finger.
"As soon as I get you in a Hawaiian shirt." She winked at him before turning back to the mirror and continuing to curl the pieces of her hair.
Elijah took a seat upon her bed, picking up a grimoire and beginning to flick through it. "Remind me. Why are we not including Niklaus in the knowledge of my welcoming?"
After securing a curl into place with hairspray, Leonora answered. "He doesn't know that Rebekah was body-swapped with your mother. Nor does he know shes back. I want to keep it that way."
"Why?" Elijah softly questioned, coming up behind her in the mirror before turning her around and straightening out her waist coat and tie - like a father would his son.
"Because there's worser things coming for him." Leonora bluntly spoke, letting Elijah tie her tie for her.
After a couple silent minutes, Elijah stepped back with a proud smile. "You look absolutely wonderful Leonora."
Leonora smiled as she admired herself in the mirror. Her usual grey uniform was swapped for a deep blue and black one, a chain of jewels dangling from the pocket. Her black knee high socks were changed for tights and appropriate high heels. The once loose deep brown hair was changed out for a bun which had loose curly strands falling from it. Not particularly 20s fashion, but enough to blend in.
Leonora felt warmth fill her chest as Elijah, her bestfriend, looked at her with pride and adoration. She never gotten adapt with the soft looks and caring actions Elijah had given her. For, she had become accustomed to Klaus because he... felt things.. for her. Whereas Elijah was just someone who was there to care for her, to make her happy and simply be her friend. She cherished her friendship with Elijah, even going as far as to call him a brother, a fathe-
"Thank you Eli." Leonora cut herself off from her thoughts of that possibility. "Right, so. We will enter the dance, I will locate Bonnie as Esther had previously used her bloodline and I want to be sure if she's using it again."
Elijah nodded. "I will be looking for Tyler Lockwood, if the future really holds what you entailed, I want to be certain of our favoured outcome."
Leonora nodded in thought. "Do you think this will go alright?" She questioned.
Elijah smiled and nodded. "When have you ever been wrong?" His smile grew as Leonora began to laugh. He linked his arms with hers and the two set off in hopes of stopping Esther Mikaelson... once and for all.
SCARLET SIDE NOTES:
I really wanted Elijah back. Also kinda filler chapter, biiggg stuff tomorrow!