Chapter Two rewritten
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"What are you?" Niklaus asked as he stared at me in confusion.
"I don't know," I told him truthfully, catching him off guard, as he surely expected me to lie, "I don't know how I am the way I am. I just know that I'm different, not human."
Niklaus stood in front of me, with conflict clear on his face. He didn't know how to react.
"You don't know what to do, do you?" I asked, "my family and their friends are your enemy, yet you feel something for me, something you can't quite place."
"You are delusional," Niklaus hissed, his eyes turning a blood red as veins appeared around them. Instead of the reaction he wanted, I stepped closer to trace those veins, causing him to take a sharp intake of breath.
"When I look at you, Niklaus, I feel something otherworldly," I whispered, "it's almost hypnotic, but I crave it," I placed a hand on his chest, "and there it is, the thumping of your heart, in sync with mine. There's something about it," I explained, "something I can't explain, nor understand."
Furious, Niklaus clutched my hand , his nails piercing my flesh, drawing blood. I wasn't sure why he raged, perhaps because he, himself felt it, yet denied the feeling. Immediately, his eyes zoned in on the trickle of blood flowing out of the healing wound.
"Taste it," I gasped, I felt possessed in a swirl of confusion and passion. This was unlike me, yet it felt right.
Slowly, Niklaus lifted up my wrist, bringing it to his mouth, and as he kissed the wound, he began to suck on it. His eyes never strayed from my chocolate brown ones.
"Niklaus," I whispered, closing my eyes, I let out a breath of ecstasy. This feeling was foreign, it was a drug, and I needed more.
"Who are you?" Niklaus whispered as he caressed my cheek.
When I opened my eyes, he was gone, leaving me breathless and alone.
"I don't know," I answered as I looked at my surroundings, "I don't fucking know."
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When I was eight years old, I remembered drawing a picture for my parents. They loved it so much that they had it framed. The very next day, Elena gifted them with a painting twice the size. They placed it over the fireplace for all to see. Whenever I did something, Elena always did it better. It wasn't long before I gave up entirely and stopped doing anything. I was content with the role I was given. The shadows become a place I belonged to. That was, until I found the forest, and my love of nature grew. I stopped hiding in the shadows, and instead hid in the woods. It was there that I came across an old cottage near the lagoon. With vines overtaking its roof, fallen branches almost devouring it, and rotten wood making it unstable. During summer it became my mission to restore the little cottage to what I believed was its former glory. Magic and Werewolf strength came in handy. And of course, knowing that no one would question my missing presence allowed me to repair it. The cottage was now my little get away home. Although there wasn't electricity or running water, it was the perfect place for me to practice my magic. Being a witch without a mentor was difficult. Where young witches would be taught by their Elders, I had to figure everything out for myself. There was even a low point where I had a sneak peak in Bonnie's grimoire when I found out she had one. It helped me realise that my form of magic was different. Bonnie used existing spells, yet I always had to experiment and create my own. My magic was personal, and a pure extension of myself. Unlike other witches, what I know hasn't been passed down, but rather cultivated for years through research and trial and error. I wouldn't call myself stronger than others, but I knew I was no rookie.
As I sat in my cottage, adding to my growing grimoire, I felt a sense of dread. Death was looming over Mystic Falls and he won't leave until he had his fill. Once again, the streets of Mystic Falls will be stained red with blood. And I must decide which side I must stand on. My family, the one that I've grown apart from, or Niklaus, the man I had an unexplained, yet undeniable bond with.
When I finally arrived home, I was greeted by silence. Expected, yet still strange. With everything going on, I knew that it was unlikely for anyone to be home, yet I had an inkling of hope that at least Aunt Jenna would be around. I was gravely mistaken.
"They're all most definitely in the Salvatore house," rolling my eyes, I pulled out to call Elena, but frowned when I was sent to voicemail.
The sacrifice must be happening tonight. Knowing that I need to act quickly, I called John.
"John, I need you to come to the Gilbert home now, it's an emergency."
Sitting on the couch in the living room, I looked at a bewildered John.
"This entire time, you knew?" He rubbed his forehead in disbelief, "and you're a witch."
"Yes," I confirmed, leaving out the bit where I'm also a Werewolf, "and tonight is the night of the Ritual. Elena will die if we don't do something about it. I've lived in the shadows long enough," standing up, I walked towards him, "but now my sister's life is in danger. And although we hardly see eye to eye, I love her."
"What do we need to do?" John asked.
"It requires your life," I frowned, "your life for Elena's. Nature always requires a balance, and to save a life, one must be given in its place."
"I'll do it," he nodded, "I've never been much of a father to you both, hell I've hardly been an uncle. But if I can do this one thing, I will."
"Thank you," sadly, I smiled at him, "I'll prepare the spell."
"You're good you know," John stated as I pulled out my grimoire from my bag, along with all the ingredients needed, "ever since the accident, everyone called you a murdered, everyone turned their backs on you. You were just a child, and yet you were forced to grow up all alone. Even through all that, you became this incredible person that sadly, no one could get to know."
Blinking away the tears, I looked up at him, "people have their reasons to stray away from me. I would do the same if I were in their shoes."
Shaking his head, John comfortingly squeezed my arm, "You, Clarissa, deserve more than you got. What you are doing now proves that. You and Elena drifted apart, yet you're now relentlessly trying to save her."
"I wasn't going to," I confessed with a wince, "I met Niklaus, and John," I gasped, "I can't explain it, but there's something about him. I feel a pull towards him. And against everything within me, I'm resisting that. I'm saving Elena, standing with her, instead of with him."
"Isobel and I knew you were different," John explained, "you weren't like the other kids. You were calm and calculating," he pulled out a flash drive from his pocket, "when you called me I brought this along. There's years of research in there, all about the Petrova bloodline, and information on supernaturals, I've never stopped adding to it. Now finding out that you're a witch, it makes sense. Perhaps the contents in this will help you figure some things out. I don't know what bond you and Klaus share, but I'm certain you'll find out. And no matter what you find, I know you'll still do everything to protect you siblings," smiling at me, John brought me in for a hug, "I'm proud to call you my daughter Clary."
"Thank you," I whispered.
The spell required concentration and a large sum of magic, and if I haven't been practicing the art of witchcraft for years, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Once it was done I opened my eyes and looked at John with a sad smile.
"It's done," I told him, "I need to go and find Jeremy."
"I know, and Clary," he handed me the Gilbert ring, "give this to Jeremy, and if you don't mind, could you give me a minute to write Elena a letter?"
"Of course."
...........................
After a quick locator spell, I tracked Jeremy to an old burnt down house. I believed it was the location of the witches burial ground, where hundreds died. The energy surrounding the house was overwhelming.
"You are not welcomed here, hybrid," voices called out, causing a migraine.
"I'm here to see my brother, I promise, I have no ill will," I swore, the pain eventually dulled.
"You may enter, Mate of Niklaus, but be warned, if any harm befalls the boy, the Bennet witch will harm you."
"He's my brother," I hissed, choosing to ignore the strange title they gave me, "I would never harm him."
When I entered the house, I let out a breath of relief when I saw Jeremy and Alaric.
"Clary?" Jeremy asked in confusion, "how are you here?"
"That's not important now," I brought him into an unexpected hug, "Elena will survive."
"What do you mean?" Alaric asked with furrowed brows, "how do you even know whats going on?"
"I'm a witch, I've known all about the disaster that this town attracts," I explained, "I did a spell to insure Elena's safety. I need to know where they are to make sure everyone is safe."
"Bonnie is there," Jeremy explained, "she's going to protect them. But you need to explain how you've been a witch this entire time," he glared at me.
"Jer," I sighed, "it's too complicated to explain, just know that Elena is safe."
Before I could leave Jeremy grabbed hold of my wrist, "you need to explain yourself."
"I've always been a witch Jer," I confessed, "but none of you noticed, because you all don't care about me," I laughed as I shook my head, "I'm the other Gilbert, the black sheep."
"That's not true," he frowned.
"But it is, and I've come to terms with it. It hurts, but it's my life," I sighed, "after tonight you won't have to worry about having me around anymore."
"What does that mean?" Alaric questioned.
"I'm leaving Mystic Falls," I explained, "but before I leave I had to make sure you're all safe. John left this for you and Elena," I handed Jeremy the note and ring, "a life for a life, that's how Elena will be saved."
"Now that I know you're alright, I'll go," I told him, "I love you baby brother," I smiled as I brought him in for a hug, "and if you ever need me, I'm a phone call away."
"Take care of them Ric, they need you."
"You can stay, you know," Alaric expressed, "we'll miss you."
"I was never even really here, so how can anyone miss a shadow?"
.........................
After packing, I put all my bags in my car. Last year I saved enough money to be able to afford my own little car, even if it was a shitty rust bucket. But it was still my treasured baby. I had one last stop before leaving this horrid town, the Salvatore boarding house.
Without knocking, I entered the large house, "Damon?" I called out.
"Why are you here?" He glared at me with a drink in hand as he walked down the stairs.
"I'm looking for you," I explained.
"You're not wanted here, so get lost," he snapped.
"I need to talk to you."
"Listen here, Clary," he mocked, "it should have been you that got sacrificed tonight, not Elena."
"She's alive, Damon," I explained, startling him.
"Explain."
"I'm a witch, and I saved her, it's as simple as that."
"Not possible," he looked at me like a deer caught in headlights, "you're human, you don't even know about the supernatural."
Annoyed, I lifted my hand to break the glass he was holding, and seconds later fixing it.
"Proof enough?"
Instantly, Damon held me against a wall, with his hand wrapped around my throat, suffocating me.
Gasping, I used my magic to cause an aneurysm, causing him to let me go.
"People have got to stop doing that to me," I winced as I rubbed my bruised throat.
"All this time, you've known?" Damon yelled out in anger.
"Yes, now would you please listen to me," I snapped.
He waved his hand around, signalling me to talk.
"I saved Elena, she's alright Damon," I told him, "I'm going to leave Mystic Falls, I'm telling you this because someone needs to protect her, and I know you love her."
"You know nothing," he narrowed his eyes.
"I know enough," I smiled at him, "we might not get along, but we're similar in that we are both the second choice. I'm the other Gilbert," I sighed as I walked up to him, "and you are the other Salvatore, we're both in the shadows of our siblings. But we stay there because we love them, even if they tend to forget about us."
"Well you chose the wrong Salvatore," Damon laughed mockingly as he showed me his werewolf bite.
I took his arm and covered the wound with my hands.
"What are you doing?" Damon asked.
"I can't remove the venom," I explained as I looked at him, "but I can slow it down. You'll have a month to live, but I'm sure Bonnie can find a solution in that time."
"And why not you?" Damon asked with a raised brow as he looked at his healing arm.
"Because I'm leaving," I answered, "you all don't need me."
"You saved Elena, and gave me a month to live," he spoke out, "maybe you should stop hiding in the shadows, and start showing us who you truly are."
Laughing, I shook my head, "I don't even know who I am. I need to figure that out for myself, and when I do, I might come back. Take care of them Damon, everyone might say shit about you, but there's good in all of us." Even Niklaus.
"Elena won't let you leave."
"It's not about her Damon," I smiled, "for once, it's about me, what I need, and what I want. I wrote her a letter, give it to her for me?"
After I handed the letter to Damon, I left the Salvatore house.
As I passed the Mystic Falls sign, I couldn't help but feel a weight being lifted off. It felt good. It felt refreshing. Like I could finally breathe after years of suffocating.
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Dear Elena,
When we were young we were inseparable. Where one went, the other would follow. However, after the accident we grew apart. I became the dark twin, whereas you were everyone's light. I've lived in your shadows for years without complaint, because I thought I deserved it. Everything that happened, I believed was my fault. Whenever I felt lonely, afraid, or depressed, I told myself that it was all because I took a life.
But I realise now that everything I felt was because I was conditioned to think that way. I thought I deserved it, because I heard the harsh words people whispered about me. I saw the disgust on their faces, and how mothers would move their children away from me, as if I would hurt them. I now know I deserved none of that. I trusted you, my twin, to stand by me, but instead you let me suffer. You did nothing to stop the whisperings about me. Perhaps I distanced myself from you because there was a part of me that was furious at you and your betrayal. I had to make a decision today, whether or not to save you. I chose you. I chose family. But if the roles were reversed I don't know what you would choose. Would you choose me over Stefan and Damon?
I'm leaving Mystic Falls, because for once in my life I'm going to try and be myself. Not the murderer. Not the other Gilbert. But simply Clarissa. I want to figure out who I am, and where I belong.
I want you to know that no matter what happens, we will always be sisters. I'm only ever a phone call away. I love you.
Your twin,
Clarissa.
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How do you guys like the new chapter 2?